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| Jackie Brown DVD review By Yodasnoog Film: Jackie Brown is probabaly my favourite Tarantino movie, I think it’s the best cast he’s put together yet, only person that would have made it better would be Harvey Keitel…But you cant have everything. Pam Grier stars as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant working for Carbo Air, the worst place you can work for in this line of work. She helps gun dealer Ordell Robbie (Samuel L Jackson) smuggle money from Mexico, but one day she is stopped by ATF and brought in for questioning. After they find the money, and some cocaine that Jackie knew nothing about, Jackie is in trouble. Ordell goes to see bail bondsman Max Cherry (the brilliant Robert Forster) who bails her out of jail. From here its all about Jackie and Robert trying to figure out a way to clear her name, get away with the half a million dollars of Ordells that’s hidden in Mexico, and to screw Ordell over. Grier and Forster really shine in there performances here, and make you wonder how they never got more exposure since their 70’s and 80’s heyday, but thanks to this movie they do now. Accompanying Ordell in his criminal activities is Louis (Robert De Niro, underplaying his role to perfection) and beach bum stoner Melanie (Bridget Fonda, also brilliant) Adapted from the Elmore Leonard novel “Rum Punch”, Tarantino is true to the original source while still managing to make the movie his own, throwing in his well known brand of witty dialogue and filimic references. The main difference between the book and the movie is that the novel is set in Florida and the movie is set in LA, where Tarantino grew up. And also that in the book, the main character is a white woman and her surname isn’t Brown; Quentin changed this as a sort of reference to one of Griers most famous characters, Foxy Brown. Also worth mentioning is the movies excellent soundtrack, consisting mainly of classic soul tunes from the late 60’s and 70’s, really sets the tone for what seems like a modern day take on the classic blaxploitation genre. The parts where a score is used, is infact the score from the classic Pam Grier/Walter Hill movie Coffy, it is indeed a funky piece of work. Picture: Pretty much spotless, although my main beef with the DVD is that it seems like the movie was shot in full frame, if you compare the original full frame video release to this widescreen dvd print, sections of the top and bottom of the screen are cut off instead of seeing more of the sides. But the film still looks good and its not like you’re missing much (except for Bridget Fondas arse maybe). But it could of just been a case of an unmatted version being used for the original video release. Sound: No complaints here, a 5.1 mix which really enhances the movies quality soundtrack. Extras: A great selection of extras here, especially for Grier and Forster fans. Original Documentary: How it Went Down Trivia Track Interview with Tarantino Chicks With Guns Full Video Deleted and Alternate Scenes Siskel & Ebert At The Movies Jackie Brown on MTV Special Trailers and TV Spots Still Galleries Reviews and Articles Filmographies Pam Grier Trailer and Radio Spot Archives. Robert Forster Trailer Archive. I think the inclusion of the Trailer archives is a great idea, gives you an idea of what to check out when considering investigating their back catalogue. Verdict: As usual with Tarantino dvds, A commentary is the only thing that would have made this perfect, but the brilliant trivia track and numerous interviews really make up for this. A top class DVD for Tarantino fans. |
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