Review of Pulp Fiction: Collector`s Box Set (3 Disc Set)

Introduction

Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary were the ones behind the stories on this film which was meant to be a purely writing effort until they couldn`t find anyone to direct it. So Tarantino stepped into the breach and simply put, he made a film unlike anything else, with visual flair and interesting direction, allowing his characters to breathe poetic dialogue. There are loads of reviews of the movie around and chances are that you know the film already. What you really want to know is about this CDA Boxset, right?

Well, before we delve into it, you should know that both discs in this box are identical, in terms of features, to Buena Vista`s recently released 2-disc Collector`s Edition.

Video

The 2.35:1 anamorphic video transfer looks nothing short of stunning. It`s very clear, clean and doesn`t seem to suffer from any digital problems at all. There are very few specks of dirt about. Colours, contrast and detail are spot on and it`s a pleasure to watch.

Audio

You get a choice of either Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 sound and I have to say that the sound is very closely matched. The soundtrack isn`t overpowering and doesn`t feature a conventional score. Instead, carefully selected music matching the 70s visual influence plays and it all sounds good. The sound effects are subtle and never take away from the all important dialogue either, it`s well recorded and mixed.

Features

This edition of Pulp Fiction has lovely packaging. Designed by CDA (Creative Design Art) which specialises in collector`s edition boxsets, I think Pulp Fiction is more manageable than say my copy of The Matrix Collector`s Box which won`t fit on my shelf. The silver box is certainly more appealing aethestically than the plain 2-disc set, so what do we get in the box?

Commemorative Booklet - This is a 16 page full colour booklet exclusive to this CDA boxset. It covers how Pulp Fiction came about and features production stills and exclusive behind-the-scenes images from the film. It takes all of five minutes to read and is an interesting if short read.

Soundtrack CD - The enclosed music CD is not the complete Pulp Fiction soundtrack. The packaging bills it as, "Original collection from the motion picture", yet it only has six tracks totalling about 17 minutes, so it may be CDA`s own collection or there might be a licensing issue. The tracks here are: Bustin Surfboards (The Tornadoes), If Love is a Red Dress (Maria McKee), You Can Never Tell (Chuck Berry), Flowers on the Wall (The Statler Brothers), Jungle Boogie (Kool & The Gang) and Son of a Preacher Man (Dusty Springfield). You can buy the soundtrack separately with more music including dialogue clips from the film.

Senitype Image - A single frame of film reproduced from the movie, this features a closeup of Vincent Vega dancing in Jackrabbit Slim`s. Housed within stiff cardboard with a unique collector`s number on the back.

Pulp Fiction poster offer - for £3.99 you can send off for a 40"x27" US one sheet movie poster. How can this be `free` when you`re being charged at least double the price for postage that other poster vendors charge for a single poster?

Both discs house the special features which are the same as the standard region 2 2-disc Collector`s Edition.

Disc one:
• Trivia subtitle track
• Sneak Peeks - Jackie Brown DVD

Disc two:
• Deleted Scenes - Tarantino Intros
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots(13 spots)
• Production Design Featurette
• Pulp Fiction Still Gallery
• Siskel & Ebert "At The Movies " "The Tarantino Generation"
• Independent Spirit Awards - Michael Moore interviews Quentin, Lawrence and Sam
• Cannes Film Festival - Palme d`Or Award Ceremony, acceptance speech
• Charlie Rose Show "Tarantino Fiction" - Original Documentary
• Behind-The-Scenes Montages
• Still Galleries
• Reviews and Articles

The only thing missing from the set is of course a Tarantino commentary track. Perhaps the next Tarantino movie, Kill Bill, will feature this when it comes to the DVD.

Conclusion

The film is, without question, one of the finest of the 90s and there are reviews for the 2-disc Collector`s Edition on this site where you can read more detail about the features and the film. My review and rating here is for the CDA boxset itself. The film contained is identical in running time and features to the region 2 2-disc set so there are no extra disc bits (and yes, the same scene re-framing on Vincent Vega shooting up is here too). The film is something I rate very highly, with a 9/10.

"Vincent, are we happy?"

The question is, is this Collector`s Box worth every penny over the standard 2-disc Collector`s Edition? In my opinion, no, it`s not. As much as I admire the equisite packaging with a few extras over the collector`s pack, the high price alone for the little extra you get is simply not worth it.

£3.99 offer for a poster? Make it £1.99 and I`d buy it to cover postage otherwise it`s hard to think of this as free, especially when you`ve paid about £40 for the film itself. The soundtrack here is not the complete soundtrack either and there should be something made of this on the packaging as I think it`s misleading. Put the full soundtrack in there for those who don`t have it, and then we`re looking at a good package and you can see where the money goes (but then I`m sure a lot of you, like me, will have the soundtrack already).

The only extra things here are the Production Booklet and the Senitype and I wouldn`t part with good money just for these items alone, no matter how limited these are. My recommendation is to stick with the 2-disc Collector`s Edition, all the extra DVD features are the same and it has everything a film fan could want at a far cheaper price.