My big, fat theory
Jerry R. Blevins
THE THEORY:
"Pulp Fiction" is actually a tribute to John Travolta's past glories
as a movie and television star and is littered with references to
Travolta's life and screen credits.
THE CLUES LEADING TO THIS THEORY
(all guesswork, no facts):
* John's character, Vincent Vega, is named after his character
on "Welcome Back, Kotter," Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino. The
word "Vega" refers to a bright white star, an apt description of
Travolta himself.
* Travolta gave up television to become a movie star. Vincent
Vega's statement that he doesn't watch television is Travolta's
ultimate kiss-off to the television medium.
* Vincent Vega's partner, Jules, lives in Inglewood. This is a
punning reference to Travolta's hometown of Englewood, New
Jersey.
* In "Pulp Fiction," Vincent Vega has a rivalry with Butch, the
character played by Bruce Willis, who gave the "voice" to the
baby in Travolta's film, "Look Who's Talking." Although
Tarantino says he did not see "Look," the fact that Willis and
Travolta worked on the hit film is common knowledge, well-
publicized by the entertainment press. QT must've known this.
* In "PF," Vincent Vega wins a dance contest, a reference to
"Saturday Night Fever" in which Travolta's character wins a
disco contest.
* The whole Jackrabbit Slim's sequence is a reference to one of
Travolta's biggest hit films, "Grease." Like "Grease," Jackrabbit
Slim's is a rather tacky institution thriving on imitation '50s
nostalgia and is full of '50s icons and '50s music.
* Mia Wallace calls Vincent "cowboy" at one point. Obvious
reference to Travolta's "Urban Cowboy."
* Vincent says he'll be a "greasespot" if Mia dies. Obvious
reference to "Grease."
* In "PF," Travolta's character has a partner, Jules, wants to
leave "the life" of crime for hard-to-explain personal reasons.
This is sort of a bizarre reversal on "Saturday Night Fever," in
which Travolta's character has a brother who wants to leave the
priesthood, also for hard-to-explain personal reasons.
* Travolta's character in "PF" has just returned from a long stint
in Amsterdam but has returned to America and is back in
action. A reference to Travolta's "comeback" with "Pulp Fiction,"
after a lull in his career.
Like I said, this is all guesswork. But you've gotta admit, it
makes sense.
--Joe--
--
Keith Brown
jrbl...@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu (Jerry R. Blevins) wrote:
>THE THEORY:
>"Pulp Fiction" is actually a tribute to John Travolta's past glories
>as a movie and television star and is littered with references to
>Travolta's life and screen credits.
>Like I said, this is all guesswork. But you've gotta admit, it
>makes sense.
>--Joe--
Bravo! Interesting theory indeed. I suspect a lot of it may be
coincidental, but it's an excellent argument.
K.>--
Tim Cahoon
jrbl...@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu (Jerry R. Blevins) wrote:
>THE THEORY:
>"Pulp Fiction" is actually a tribute to John Travolta's past glories
>as a movie and television star and is littered with references to
>Travolta's life and screen credits.
>--Joe--
>--
I think you're reading more into it than is actually there. Some of
what you're saying makes sense, but I actually think it just boils
down to the fact that Tarantino loved "Welcome Back Kotter". He's a
product of the seventies. The characters of Vince and Jules are based
on grown-up versions of Barbarino and Washington, had they pursued
lives of crime.
I came up with this simplified version of your theory months ago while
watching an old Kotter rerun. There was a scene with Washington and
Barbarino talking to each other and it just struck a chord with me. I
yelled for my wife to come over and watch and I said, " Look! It's
Vince and Jules!" We just watched for a minute and she said, "Wow,
you're right."
-Tim
I'd like to live like a poor man with lots of money.
-Pablo Picasso
Barrie Mundy
jrbl...@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu (Jerry R. Blevins) wrote:
>THE THEORY:
>"Pulp Fiction" is actually a tribute to John Travolta's past glories
>as a movie and television star and is littered with references to
>Travolta's life and screen credits.
>THE CLUES LEADING TO THIS THEORY
>Like I said, this is all guesswork. But you've gotta admit, it
>makes sense.
>--Joe--
>--
Intresting.
Possible
Deep
Its the funky shit.
Bix
Kwei62
Kinda stretching it, but i like it. Much better than some of those lame
wacked out theories on briefcase.
Kwei
Neil Sarver
Jason Forrest wrote:
I doubt Quentin rewrote PF when Travolta was cast.
Except was Vic Vega to die twice? I've never been able to figure that out...
Since Vic dying is such an important part of PF.
Neil
Jason Forrest
Kwei62 (kwe...@aol.com) wrote:
: Kinda stretching it, but i like it. Much better than some of those lame
: wacked out theories on briefcase.
Of course this theory would be even more whacked out if Micheal Madsen
would have got the role. I doubt Quentin rewrote PF when Travolta was cast.
--------------------------------------------
Jason A. Forrest
aa...@ccn.cs.dal.ca
afn2...@freenet.ufl.edu
http://www.ccn.cs.dal.ca/~aa114/Profile.html
Jason A Forrest
Neil Sarver (so...@wizards.net) wrote:
: Jason Forrest wrote:
: I doubt Quentin rewrote PF when Travolta was cast.
: Except was Vic Vega to die twice? I've never been able to figure that out...
: Since Vic dying is such an important part of PF.
I'm not sure what you mean. Travolta was Vince, or Vincent Vega, while
Madsen was Vic. If Madsen would have played Vince in PF they would have
had no relation to each other I imagine, it was after Travolta was cast
that Tarantino got the idea they could be brothers. Madsen turned down PF,
as we all know. If he would have taken it, Vince and Vic would probably be
no more related than Larry and Jimmy Dimick (among others).
--
------------------------------------------
Jason Forrest
afn2...@freenet.ufl.edu
aa...@ccn.cs.dal.ca
http://www.ccn.cs.dal.ca/~aa114/Profile.html
ipkis
afn2...@afn.org (Jason A Forrest) wrote:
>Neil Sarver (so...@wizards.net) wrote:
>: Jason Forrest wrote:
>: I doubt Quentin rewrote PF when Travolta was cast.
>: Except was Vic Vega to die twice? I've never been able to figure that out...
>: Since Vic dying is such an important part of PF.
> I'm not sure what you mean. Travolta was Vince, or Vincent Vega, while
>Madsen was Vic. If Madsen would have played Vince in PF they would have
>had no relation to each other I imagine, it was after Travolta was cast
>that Tarantino got the idea they could be brothers. Madsen turned down PF,
>as we all know. If he would have taken it, Vince and Vic would probably be
>no more related than Larry and Jimmy Dimick (among others).
Acutally, vic and vince were supposed to be the same character because
the middle story in PF was originally RD. No matter what, Vic (vince)
was going to die in the middle story whether in Butch's apt or the
werehouse. When Quentin got the oportunity to make a movie, he took
the strongest part of his loose script of PF, which was the middle
story (a compacted story of RD) and expanded it to a whole script and
then it got made. That is why he had Roger Avery (that hack) to help
contribute to PF. IF you watch PF and insert RD instead of THE GOLD
WATCH, it is an even better film, the way it was originally written,
with Marsellus being Joe. get it? that's a fact, jack!
ipkis