Pulp Fiction Soundtrack – Opening Theme (Dick Dale and His Del Tones – Miserlou)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5OHrQYwRac] A good overview here:

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who cowrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references. The film was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture; Tarantino and Avary won for Best Original Screenplay. It was also awarded the Palme d’Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. A major critical and commercial success, it revitalized the career of its leading man, John Travolta, who received an Academy Award nomination, as did costars Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman. Directed in a highly stylized manner, Pulp Fiction joins the intersecting storylines of Los Angeles mobsters, fringe players, small-time criminals, and a mysterious briefcase. Considerable screen time is devoted to conversations and monologues that reveal the characters’ senses of humor and perspectives on life. The film’s title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue. Pulp Fiction is self-referential from its opening moments, beginning with a title card that gives two dictionary definitions of “pulp”. The plot, in keeping with most of Tarantino’s other works, is presented out of chronological sequence. The picture’s self-reflexivity, unconventional structure, and extensive use of homage and pastiche have led critics to describe it as a prime example of postmodern film. Considered by some critics a black comedy, the film is also frequently labeled a “neo-noir”. Critic Geoffrey O’Brien argues otherwise: “The old-time noir passions, the brooding melancholy and operatic death scenes, would be altogether out of place in the crisp and brightly lit wonderland that Tarantino conjures up. [It is] neither neo-noir nor a parody of noir”. Similarly, Nicholas Christopher calls it “more gangland camp than neo-noir”, and Foster Hirsch suggests that its “trippy fantasy landscape” characterizes it more definitively than any genre label. Pulp Fiction is viewed as the inspiration for many later movies that adopted various elements of its style. The nature of its development, marketing, and distribution and its consequent profitability had a sweeping effect on the field of independent cinema. A cultural watershed, Pulp Fiction’s influence has been felt in several other popular media.

This is really a fantastic movie. It’s violent as Hell, and I don’t necessarily like movies like that, but it’s still excellent. Personally I think it is one of the finest movies ever made, and Tarantino is a genius. Travolta plays his best role ever, Samuel Jackson is incredible, the little known Uma Thurman was amazing. I could watch it again and again. Like all great movies, it operates on all sorts of different levels, from quite lowbrow to the highest of highbrows. I also love Dick Dale. I am not sure if he is still alive. He was arrested in his 50’s for screwing a 15 year old girl, but I don’t think he did much time. He was always a real surfer, I believe, and I think he was a pretty good one. I spent many years of my life in Huntington Beach, and I think Dale may have lived here. He was a legend, and his is music is as great as Pulp Fiction is in film. There is a punk rock version of Miserlou out in the mid 1980’s by one of those antisocial beach punk bands that is totally kick-ass! I used to have it on tape. I was sort of into the Orange County beach punk scene, but it was awfully violent and antisocial. I got jumped at a Black Flag concert by some maniacs wearing Nazi swastikas, but I didn’t get very hurt. The Alleycats were also at that show. If you can find any pictures of that hot Chinese chick and her husband from Redondo Beach who were the leaders of that band, check them out. I know that Oriental lead singer. She was nuts. She would slam dance at that Hong Kong cafe, and the bitch would actually break tables when she did it. She completely came onto me at that Black Flag show even though her husband was there, but she gave me only seconds to make a move. I didn’t, and she moved right along. Class femme fatale. Later in the show, she saw me get jumped and she lost all respect for me after that. She would have been an interesting fuck, too bad I didn’t go for it! That was one badass scene! It was really dangerous, but it was also one of the most exciting scenes I have ever been involved in. Danger and exhilaration = rush! Great fun for adrenaline addicts.

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0 thoughts on “Pulp Fiction Soundtrack – Opening Theme (Dick Dale and His Del Tones – Miserlou)”

  1. No, not noir! It makes me think more of the bright camp style of Russ Meyer’s ‘Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’, sans the big tits of course – why? Is Tarantino gay? With a name like that?
    There’s something heroic about him anyway – his deep commitment to churning out stylish crap, which is how I’d describe Kill Bill, Death Proof, and Inglourious Basterds. How come someone with his kudos can’t think of anything better to do with it? But you know what? I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. All of them had something that tickled me pink – as well, of course as something that sickened me. It has to be said that sometimes he gets dangerously close to vicarious sadism.
    His sense of fun is his saving. Plus his sense of Americana – those dance scenes in Pulp Fiction! The juke box scenes in Death Proof ( note he had the taste to include Joe Tex’s masterpiece ‘the Love You Save’ http://tinyurl.com/yfnbz8w ), and Ricky Nelson’s Lonely Town just before the dance numbers in Pulp Fiction. A good sense of what makes life worth living, if he only sets it up to be jumped on.

  2. I wouldn’t miss a Tarantino film.
    I also love the character of the Wolf, played by Harvey Keitel.
    “I’m sending the wolf”.
    The only violent movie scenes I can think of that I actually found hard to watch were in Inglorious Basterds, the scalpings and the baseball bat scene.

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