LEWM" PULP FICTION" ESL LESSON

ARCENAL STUDIOS presents LEARNING ENGLISH WITH MOVIES: "PULP FICTION" (1994) - a video lesson for ESL students who would like to improve their English skills by using MOVIES as the main topic.

 "PULP FICTION"

Quentin Tarantino co-wrote and directed 1994’s Pulp Fiction. The film is a crime-drama in the tradition of old fashion crime novels and films. Pulp fiction writer Raymond Chandler and classic film-noir films were the main source of inspiration for the film. Tarantino’s love for 1970’s exploitation films was also a huge influence on the development of the film.

 AN EXPLOTATION FILM is a film that attempts to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content.

 Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies". They sometimes attract critical attention and cult followings.

 The 1977 crime thriller ROLLING THUNDER was such an influence on Tarantino that he named his short-lived distribution company after the film While developing ideas short films with fellow writer Roger Avery, they decided to re-write them as an anthology film.

 Roger Avery had worked with Tarantino at a video store while developing ideas for screenplays. Roger Avery’s story, about a Boxer who throws the fight, would be further developed in Pulp Fiction’s ‘The Gold Watch” segment.

 Avery not only won the academy award for co-writing Pulp Fiction, but he also wrote and directed his own films, including 1994’s “Killing Zoe”. Lawrence Bender, the producer of Reservoirs Dogs and Pulp fiction, produced the film. The film, about a bank heist in Paris gone wrong, stars Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy and Jean-Hughes Anglade.

A HEIST is a crime in which valuable things are taken illegally and often violently from a place or person.

While doing the Film Festival circuit promoting Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino was impressed by a short film titled “Curdled”.

If a liquid, like blood, CURDLES it gets thicker and develops lumps.

The short stars Angela Jones as a Colombian immigrant who takes a crime scene cleanup job and discovers evidence about a local serial killer. In fact, he was so impressed by the film that he added Angela Jones in Pulp fiction as Taxi driver Esmeralda Villalobos. Tarantino would also produce a feature-length version of the film through his ROLLING THUNDER production company.

Tarantino and Avery wrote most of Pulp Fiction while in Amsterdam, incorporating several stories and ideas that Avery had written for TRUE ROMANCE. TRUE ROMANCE was the first script Tarantino sold to a major Hollywood studio and planned to use the money he earned to produce RESERVOIR DOGS.  His friend and Producer Lawrence Bender would convince Tarantino against that, instead opting to produce the film through an independent company.

TO OPT: means to make a choice from a range of possibilities.

Another huge influence for Pulp Fiction was the Brian De Palma thriller BLOW OUT, starring John Travolta. Tarantino has credited the film as one of the main reasons for casting Travolta for Pulp Fiction and considers the film to be among his all time favorites.

Another great influence on his work is the influential work of the French New Wave of filmmakers, in particular the work of director Jean-Luc Goddard.

In fact, Goddard’s classic film “Bande a part” or “Band of outsiders” was the inspiration for A BAND APART Films, Tarantino’s production company.

A BAND APART would produce several of his project as well as films by fellow filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.

Tarantino and Rodriguez would collaborate on FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, which Tarantino had written as his first script.

The look and feel of Pulp Fiction is full of homages to music, films and even TV shows that Tarantino loved.

Pop culture references are also sprinkled all over the film, from the names on Jack Rabbit Slim’s menu to quotes from the classic TV show ‘KUNG FU”.

Pulp Fiction’s success and influence on Hollywood would spawn a slew of imitators. 

A SLEW: means a large number or amount or extent

Films like “2 days in the Valley”, “U-Turn” and “Lock, stock and two smoking barrels” are just a few. 

However, while many of these knock-offs failed, some started incredible film careers.

A KNOCK-OFF is a cheap imitation or copy of a popular product.

The success of “Lock, stock and to smoking barrels”, jump started Guy Ritchie’s career and “2 days in the valley” made Charlize Theron a star.

The influence of PULP FICTION is undeniable and its legacy can still be seen in popular media to this day.