Quentin Tarantino makes incredibly dense movies layered with references to film legends, his other works, comic books, pop culture, and inside jokes. Fans can rewatch a movie over and over and still find new Easter eggs.
Tarantino’s 1994 flick “Pulp Fiction” is a perfect example. Here are some of the surprising facts about Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” that you probably never knew.
The scene with the adrenaline shot was run backwards
When audiences see John Travolta stab Uma Thurman in the chest with an adrenaline shot, the film is actually rolling in reverse. To film the scene, CNN reports, Travolta pulled the needle out instead of jabbing it in.
Honey Bunny was a real rabbit
Bunny
TASS / Imagn
One half of the diner-robbing duo who open the film, the character of Honey Bunny was played by Amanda Plummer, but the character’s name was based on an actual furball. Mental Floss notes that Linda Chen, the script consultant who translated Tarantino’s chicken scratch into a typed script, owned a rabbit named Honey Bunny. She actually asked Tarantino to babysit the rabbit in lieu of payment for her services, but he refused and the rabbit later died. At least it was immortalized in film.
Vincent Vega is the brother of Mr. Blond in 'Reservoir Dogs'
Characters are often related across the Tarantino film universe in interesting ways. John Travolta’s character, Vincent, is supposed to be related to Michael Madsen’s character in “Reservoir Dogs.” But Mental Floss points out Tarantino actually wanted Madsen for both roles, meaning the characters would have been identical twins.
It was the first indy film to make more than $200 million
John Travolta, Uma Thurman, and Quentin Tarantino
Tim P. Whitby / Getty Images
It took only $8 million to make the movie, but Highsnobiety says “Pulp Fiction” hauled in an incredible gross of $200 million, with $9.3 million coming in just the first weekend of release.
There’s a lot of cursing
Quentin Tarantino
Kevork Djansezian /
According to CNN, the movie includes 265 utterances of the F word. That’s impressive even by Tarantino’s standards.
An actor is listed as coffee shop
In the final scene, Tim Roth’s character Pumpkin holds a gun to the head of the coffee shop owner, played by Robert Ruth. The owner blurts, “I’m not a hero, I'm just a coffee shop--” before he’s cut off. So the name of his character is listed as “coffee shop” in the credits.
Robert Rodriguez directed too
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez
Vince Bucci / Getty Images
When Tarantino was busy in front of the camera playing Jimmie Dimmick, the director’s buddy Robert Rodriguez took over directing duties, according to Complex.
Ving Rhames wore a band-aid for a reason
Ving Rhames
Jared Wickerham / Getty Images
The Band-aid is a recognizable little character quirk, but it was also necessary to cover up a scar on the back of Rhames’s neck, CNN says.
It included a forgotten cereal
Eric Stoltz’s character Lance, the heroine dealer, is shown eating some Fruit Brute, a cereal from the “Monster Series” of General Mills that also included Count Chocula and Franken Berry. Tarantino was a big fan, including the brand in “Reservoir Dogs” as well, CNN reports.
Most of the Bible speech is made up
Samuel L. Jackson’s famous speech, which he says is a quote from Ezekiel 25:17, was entirely fictional. Only the last two lines resemble the Biblical verse.
Robert Redford was a possible star
Robert Redford
Getty Images
As perfect as the Sundance Kid would have been in the Tarantino film, it didn't happen, though he was one of many big names floated by industry agencies including Dustin Hoffman and Bruce Willis. Casting director Ronnie Yeskel said filmmakers felt like "kids in a candy store" when presented with the options.
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