KILL BILL Facts for KILL BILL Freaks

[Lando]

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
 
* Quentin Tarantino delayed the start of the production because Uma Thurman was pregnant.

* Warren Beatty was originally offered the role of Bill.

* Uma Thurman was offered the script to Kill Bill, and her role as "The Bride", as a 30th Birthday present from Quentin Tarantino.

* Uma Thurman's yellow track-suit is a direct homage to the one worn by Bruce Lee in Game of Death (1978).

* In order to achieve the specific look of Chinese "wuxia" (martial arts) film of the 1970s, Tarantino gave director of photography, Robert Richardson, an extensive list of genre films as a crash-course in the visual style they used. The list included films by genre-pioneers Cheh Chang and the Shaw Brothers. Tarantino also forbade the use of digital effects and "professional" gags and squibs. As such, he insisted that bloody spurts be done in the fashion made popular by Chang Cheh: Chinese condoms full of fake blood that would splatter on impact.

* Part of the movie was shot at the legendary Shaw Bros. studio in Hong Kong. Tarantino has seen so many movies made at the studio that he felt it was important for him to work there.

* During production, Tarantino wrote new scenes as he shot thus compiling massive amounts of footage.

* The Tokyo miniature sets were leftovers from the then most recent Godzilla film (Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidora: Daikaijû soukougeki (2001)).

* The movie was conceived during the filming of Pulp Fiction (1994) when Tarantino would constantly tell the actress what would become the film's tagline: "Uma Thurman will Kill Bill!"
* 'Chris Nelson (V)' , who worked on the special effects, revealed in interview that over 450 gallons of fake blood was used on the two Kill Bill movies.

* Director Trademark: [Quentin Tarantino] [Red Apple cigarettes] As The Bride walks through the Japanese airport, she passes a billboard for the fictional brand of cigarettes featuring Sofie Fatale.

* Kevin Costner was also considered for the title role of "Bill", but he turned it down to do Open Range (2003) instead.

* Quentin Tarantino has confirmed in interviews that the "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DIVAS)" was inspired by "Fox Force Five", the fictional television show that Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) filmed in Pulp Fiction (1994).

* Director Trademark: [Quentin Tarantino] [Trunk Shot] While The Bride is interrogating Sofie Fatale, we see from Sofie's point of view inside the trunk of her own car looking up at the masked Bride.
* Director Trademark: [Quentin Tarantino] [bare feet] Lucy Liu is barefoot as she runs to kill Boss Tanaka. The band at the House of Blue Leaves is
barefoot.

* According to Tarantino, Sonny Chiba's character, Hattori Hanzo, is meant to be the most recent descendant of his character(s) from "Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan" (1980). The series was done in multiple various installments, in which Chiba would play Hanzo a generation removed from the previous installment.
* Vernita Green's (Vivica A. Fox) original codename was 'Cobra' before it was changed to 'Copperhead'.
* The closing title card, "Based on the character of 'The Bride' created by Q & U" is an obvious reference to Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman.
* The members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad are all named for snakes: Sidewinder, Black Mamba, Cottonmouth, Copperhead, and California Mountain (King) snake. They are also the names of the enemy's of captain america
* The tune whistled by Daryl Hannah's character in the hospital hallway is the same as that whistled by the strange young man in Twisted Nerve (1968). During his 1996 film festival in Austin, Texas, Quentin Tarantino screened Twisted Nerve.
* The music played as O-Ren Ishii walks through the door while the Bride fights off her entourage is the same music used as the theme music for the title character in Du bi quan wang da po xue di zi (1975)
* The masks worn by the Crazy 88 gang are homage to Kato's mask in "Green Hornet, The" (1966)
* The black & white photography is, in the end, an homage to '70's and '80s US television airings of kung fu movies. Black & white, and also black & red, were used to "hide" the shedding of blood from television censors. It was, however, originally, to be shown in color (and is in the Japanese cut of the film) but the MPAA demanded measures be taken to tone the scene down. Tarantino merely used the old trick for its intended purpose, rather than merely as an homage.
* When the Bride said the word "square" to Copperhead, she draws three sides of a square in the air with her finger. Uma Thurman's character in Pulp Fiction (1994) did just about the same thing (only, then she drew all 4 sides).
* Michael Parks plays Sheriff Earl McGraw, the same character that the Gecko brothers killed at the beginning of the Tarantino-written From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Also, Parks' real son, James Parks, reprises his own role of Deputy McGraw ("son #1") from From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999) (V).
* Buck, the male nurse who lets his friend in to have sex with The Bride says "Are we absolutely clear on Rule #1?" This same line was used by George Clooney in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996).
* As the detectives walk into the destroyed wedding chapel with bodies on the floor, the radio starts. Before it gets to the right song, someone can be heard singing "Donde Esta?". In the Reservoir Dogs (1992) torture scene, the same sound bite is heard before Mr. Blonde changes the station to K-BILLY.
* The original script featured the Bill character to be a master alchemist. The liquid in the syringe was pointed out to be a concoction created by Bill entitled "Goodbye Forever". These potions/elixirs were to be detailed by onscreen subtitles. The Bride would also use a mix called "The Undisputed Truth" to get information from Sofie Fatale.
* In the original script, Johnny Moe was called Mr. Barrel. He had a Kato mask on a stick, like someone from a 17th Century costume ball. Mr. Barrel didn't like the rubber bands on the typical Kato masks because they 'fucked up his hair'. The Bride convinces him not to fight her, and he walks away, leaving O-Ren with no bodyguards.
* The entrance to the traffic tunnel in Tokyo is in fact the entrance to the second street tunnel in Los Angeles (Blade Runner) with Japanese traffic signs added.
* "The Bells" sign seen on the letterbox at the beginning of Chapter One was given to Uma Thurman's stunt double Zoe Bell by Quentin Tarantino. Bell presented it to her parents, The Bells.
* Earl McGraw calling his son "son number one" is a reference to the Charlie Chan movies.
* Despite the claim in the opening titles, this is actually the fifth film directed by Quentin Tarantino. His first film was My Best Friend's Birthday (1987) and is the film excluded when they say "The 4th Film By Quentin Tarantino".
* Buck (the nurse) has the same "Elvis" sunglasses as Clarence Worley in True Romance (1993).
* The "Old Klingon Proverb": "Revenge is a dish best served cold" is from a joke in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982). (The quote is actually from the book "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" (1782) by Choderlos de Laclos).
* The sequences where an extreme close-up of the Bride's eyes is shown, juxtaposed with footage of the betrayal, whenever she sees a target of her revenge is taken verbatim from Da uomo a uomo (1968).
* The music heard when The Bride gets ready to figure Copperhead and Cottonmouth is the theme from "Ironside" (1967). The first episode had the main character being shot and left for dead, coming to find that his legs didn't work, and setting out to find the people who did this to him.
* The music heard when The Bride arrives in Tokyo is the theme from "Green Hornet, The" (1966), a TV series referenced earlier in the film.
* Buck's line, "My name is Buck, and I came here to fuck" was originally said by Robert Englund in Eaten Alive (1977)
* The "row of sunglasses on the Sherrif's dashboard" gag is a direct lift from the opening scene of the original Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
* The Japanese symbols on the background of the poster spell "kirubiru" which is the Japanese spelling for "Kill Bill".
* When The Bride stands over the remains of the Crazy 88 Killers, Quentin Tarantino, in mask, is among them.
* Director Trademark: [Quentin Tarantino] [long take] After the Bride leaves O-Ren's door at the House of Blue Leaves (when Go-Go returns inside) we follow her down the stairs through the bar, past the kitchen, into the ladies room; we then go out of the ladies' room, back to the stairs and follow Sofie Fatale along the exact same path to the ladies' room, ending with the ring of her cellphone. All in a single take.
* Vernita Green complains about being given a codename she doesn't like. Mr. Pink had a similar argument in Reservoir Dogs (1992).
* The license plate for Buck's truck is a Texas plate that reads PSY WGN.
* Quentin Tarantino and Miramax bought the rights to the theme song from Du bi quan wang da po xue di zi (1975), which is featured in Kill Bill. Entitled "Super 16", it was performed by Neu!
* Tarantino had intended for three actors of different nationalities to represent their respective countries. Gordon Liu represents China, Sonny Chiba represents Japan, and David Carradine represents the United States. Tarantino said that had Bruce Lee still been alive he'd have been asked to appear in Kill Bill as well.
* The church scene was shot in the Mojave Desert outside of Lancaster, CA. Keep an eye out during this scene for a cameo by Samuel L. Jackson as a dead organ player and actor/director Bo Svenson as the preacher.
* During filming, the actors would often provide a "Hello, Sally!" take. This involved the actor finishing his or her take, turning to face the camera, and yelling "Hello, Sally!". Whether or not editor Sally Menke actually appreciates this has yet to be reported.
* Chapter 2 is entitled "The Blood Splattered Bride", a reference to the movie Novia ensangrentada, La (1972) (released in the US as The Blood Spattered Bride).
* Okinawa is widely regarded as one of the worst possible places to get good sushi. In other words, a sushi joint in Okinawa would make a fine hiding place.
* During the sword ceremony scene when Sonny Chiba's character Hattori Hanzo gives Uma Thurman his recently forged sword he tells her "If, on your journey, you should encounter god, god will be cut" which is a phrase taken from 'Kinji Fukusaku' 's Makai tenshô (1981) (aka Samurai Reincarnation) when the sword maker gives Sonny Chiba's character Jubei a sword that he has forged in order to destroy his undead enemies.
* In the restaurant, the Bride kills 57 people.
* To entice cinematographer 'Robert Richardson' to work on the project, Quentin Tarantino had the script sent to his house on Valentine's Day 2002... along with a bouquet of roses.
* Director Tarantino was a big fan or the Japanese movie Batoru rowaiaru (2000) so he cast Chiaki Kuriyama (who played Takako Chigusa in "Battel Royale") as Go Go Yubari as an homage.
* The eerie background music playing after The Bride attacks the rapist is from the Lucio Fulci film 7 note in nero (1977).
* Tarantino chose Jun Kunimura to be Boss Tanaka after seeing him scream in Koroshiya 1 (2001).
* Quentin Tarantino owns "the pussy wagon" and drove as his everyday vehicle to promote the release of Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
* Kill Bill was originally intended to be a single movie, but was split into two parts a Miramax's insistence because it ran about four hours.
* Despite being bleeped out in the film, the name of The Bride is revealed on her plane tickets to Okinawa and Tokyo.
* Quentin Tarantino has said in interviews that, had Warren Beatty taken the part of Bill, the character would have been more of a suave, James Bond-type.
* The Japanese song that plays after the sword fight between The Bride and O-Ren is the theme song from Shurayukihime (1973) (Lady Snowblood). The song is entitled "Shura no hana" ("Flower of Carnage"), and the vocals are by that film's star, Meiko Kaji.
* The Japanese song that plays over the closing credits of both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 is the theme song from the Joshuu Sasori (Female Convict Scorpion) series of films. The song is entitled "Urami Bushi" ("Grudge Song"), and it is performed by the star of the first four Scorpion films, Meiko Kaji.
* Tarantino originally intended to cast a Japanese actress to play O-Ren Ishii, but before casting began he saw Lucy Liu's work in Shanghai Noon (2000) - and immediately changed O-Ren into a Chinese-Japanese American so that she could play the part.
* The characters streaming down the left side of the screen in the opening scenes are Japanese kanji and hiragana, and they read "Hana yome ga kuru, hana yome ga kuru." Or: "The Bride is coming, the Bride is coming," over and over again.
* In Hattori Hanzo's sushi restaurant, there is a 4-character Chinese saying hanging above the bar. It says "zui sheng meng si," literally "drunk birth, dream death." A rough meaningful translation is "To lead an unimportant and often dissipated life."
* Daryl Hannah's character is called "Elle Driver". The production team for the documentary Full Tilt Boogie (1997), a documentary about the production of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) (starring Quentin Tarantino) and the people who made it is also called " L. Driver Productions".


* SPOILER: 'Quentin Tarantino' and producer 'Harvey Weinstein' have been quoted as saying that Kill Bill was separated into two parts well into production. By splitting the movie into two parts, the film's advertising tagline, "In 2003, Uma Thurman Will Kill Bill!" was made false.

* SPOILER: Originally, Quentin Tarantino wanted Michael Madsen to play Johnny Mo (Mr. Barrel in the original script). However, he decided that Madsen would be better as Bill's brother, so he had Madsen play Budd instead.

[Lando]

Trivia for
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
 

* The chapter "Yuki's Revenge" was cut from filming to accommodate a new chapter, "Massacre at Two Pines" that details the attack on The Bride.
* Also changed from the original script - the story of Pai Mei is no longer told in a Jeep on the way to the cruel master's temple. Rather, it is now unfolded in front of a campfire somewhere in the Chinese countryside, the night before Bill and The Bride arrive. With the aid of a flute (one of the silent flutes from Circle of Iron), Bill tells the tale of Pai Mei in a "Peter and The Wolf" type fashion.
* The Lonely Grave of Paula Schultz is Chapter 7 of Kill Bill. There is a movie with the title Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz, The (1968), a romantic comedy starring Elke Sommer as Paula and Bob Crane as Bill.

* The character Pai Mei appears in several Shaw Bros Kung Fu films from the 1970s-80s including Hung wen tin san po pai lien chiao (1980). Pai Mei means "White Lotus".
* At the film's first test screening in Austin, Texas the audience gave the film a five minute standing ovation. The reaction was so overwhelming, that Harvey Weinstein did not have the research firm conducting the screening pass out response cards.
* Choreographer Woo-ping Yuen was originally set to play Pai Mei but could not fit it in with his choreography, so Quentin Tarantino considered playing it himself for a little while before picking Chia Hui Liu for the part.
* Stay through the credits for a blooper scene from Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003).
* 'Quentin Taratino' pays homage to his first film Reservoir Dogs (1992) three times in this film: First, the Bride pulls a single blade razor from her cowboy boot which is a direct homage to Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, who pulls a razor from his cowboy boot in the infamous ear scene. Second, when the Bride and Bill are talking, Bill says that he hears a gunshot to the kneecap is quite painful. In Reservoir Dogs, Mr. White says to Mr. Orange, "Aside from the kneecap, the gut is the most painful area a guy can get shot in."Finally Bud sports a silver zippo lighter, which Mr. Blonde ,also played by Micheal Madsen, sports in Reservoir Dogs
* In the script, Pai Mei is a master of the Ten-Point Palm - exploding heart technique, in the film Pai Mei is the master of the Five-Point Palm - exploding heart technique.
* Bill says that The Bride is a natural born killer. Natural Born Killers (1994) was originally written by Tarantino.
* In the scene were Bud and Elle are talking in Bud's trailer, before he checks the bag of money, there is a poster behind Bill of Great Escape, The (1963). The same movie discussed by Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs during his Madonna speech.
* Warren Beatty was considered for the role of Bill.
* Director Trademark: [[Quentin Tarantino]: [bare feet] In the final chapter] at Bill's Hasienda, both Thurman's and Carradine's characters have bare feet. The Bride is also barefoot during her battle with Elle Driver in Budd's trailer
* The large wooden flute played by Bill (David Carradine) resembles the same instrument David Carradine plays as Kwai Chang Caine in "Kung Fu" (1972)
* Director Trademark: [[Quentin Tarantino]: [long take]: The "Massacre at Two Pines" ends with the camera following The Bride down the aisle away from Bill to the alter. We then "float" away from the alter] down the aisle, past Bill, out the door to the awaiting members of the DiVAS. Once they enter, the camera cranes up off the ground where we hear the pandemonium inside the chapel until finally fading out. All in a single take.
* The license plate on Bill's Jeep is THX1139, an apparent tongue-in-cheek homage to director George Lucas.
* After the fight between Elle and the Bride, Elle thrashes around on the floor kicking and screaming in a manner reminiscent of Pris from Blade Runner (1982), also played by Daryl Hannah.
* When Budd shoots Beatrix in Chapter 8, the music played is from Per un pugno di dollari (1964).
* The spit-can Budd uses is labeled Oak Ridge Coffee. Oak Ridge is a town in Tennessee about 15 miles from Quentin Tarantino's hometown of Knoxville.
* 'Michael Madsen' stands in the doorway of his trailer and strikes the same pose as he dose against the pole in Reservoir Dogs.
* The brand of cigarettes smoked in this film, as noted by the eagle logo below the filter seen in close-ups, is American Spirits. However, when The Bride meets with Esteban, a pack of Red Apples, Quentin Tarantino's signature brand of fake cigarettes, can clearly be seen on the table.
* Quentin Tarantino has hinted at two possible spin-offs, one being an all anime backstory of the DiVAS, the other being a spin-off in the future where Vernita Green's daughter, Nikki, goes on a quest for revenge against the Bride.
* On the wall in Bud's trailer hangs a poster for Mr. Majestyk (1974). In True Romance (1993), written by Quentin Tarantino, Drexl calls Clarence "Motherfuckin' Charlie Bronson. Mr. Majestyk."
* Elle Driver wears the same outfit that Uma Thurman wears in Pulp Fiction (1994). It was also worn by Pam Grier in Jackie Brown (1997).
* Robert Rodriguez scored this movie for $1. Quentin Tarantino said he would repay him by directing a segment of Rodriguez's project Sin City (2005) for $1.
* In the final scene where Bill and The Bride are questioning each other, The Bride mentions that she would have once "jumped a motorbike onto a speeding train", which is in reference to the action stunt that Michelle Yeoh performs in Jing cha gu shi III: Chao ji jing cha (1992).
* Bill's apartment in Mexico is number 101, the same as Neo's in Matrix, The (1999). The fights in both films were choreographed by Woo-ping Yuen.
* The book that Esteban Vihaio reads is written by 'Jasmine Yuen' , who is one of the crew members.

[Johnny]

thats hella long

[Lando]

That's why it's only for the freaks... I totally absorbed it in no time.

[PeaceEleven]

I knew a lot of it but man, you found a lot more as well.....I have printed the whole thing !

[Lando]

haha good! Yeah I knew a lot of it too, but I learned a lot of new stuff too

[Henrietta]

Holy crap, I couldn't even get through it all.

[trentm32]

that's friggin' awesome.

*reads thread numerous times*

[teelow]

Sweet post, I loved Kill Bill. Once I see Vol.2 I will read the second post.

Quentin is pure genious,

[Baby Thief]

So anyways, I just saw Kill Bill vol 1. I found it to be very good! However, the DVD was missing subtitles for some very strange reason... so that kind of sucked. Anyways, I still basically understood most of what was going on. I'm planning on seeing the second one soon.

[teelow]

What subtitles were missing? Why did you have them on?

[Baby Thief]

Here's the thing... I need to know if there were supposed to be any subtitles in the movie... I mean they talked in Japanese alot and i had no idea what they were saying, but then again they bleeped out the bride's name so that lead me to believe that we're not supposed to know what they say in Jap... but i don't know

[teelow]

Okay, you didn't really answer my questions, but i'll try and answer yours. I watched Kill Bill the other day with the subtitles on because it was on a portable player, and was in school. As far as I can remember, they worked just fine, when they spoke in Japanese it was already subtitled anyways so they were not needed to be turned on. The Brides name was omitted.
You should not have to turn on the subtitles to read the Japanese.

[Axtech]

I think I know what he means...

I think he was watching it without subtitles on, and was just talking about the translated subtitles (ie, when they're speaking Japanese). I thought that some were missing, too. However, it's just that they start and stop talking English during the Japanese scenes. It's hard to catch because you're concentrating on reading, and ignoring what you hear. Then suddlenly the text is gone, and it takes a moment to realize that you have to listen again. It seems at first like you don't understand what they're saying, but it's just that you're not listening.

[Baby Thief]

Nope, the dvd had absolutely no subtitles. Very annoying. I have no idea why it wasn't there because i checked the dvd player and it wouldn't let me turn them on

[Axtech]

No subtitles at all? That's strange.

Wait, do you mean that there were no subtitles during the Japanese parts, or that you couldn't turn on subtitles for the whole movie?

[Lando]

That's really odd... I'd almost say it's defective or something... When transferred to DVD, a lot of films re-do the subtitles and put them lower instead of over the picture, like the theatre version.

Perhaps there are defective versions going around. I'm not too sure, but if you own it, try to exchange it and see if the other one works. If they both don't, try it on other DVD players, because the subtitles for the japanese scenes should work fine.

[teelow]

Babythief If its that important to you, I would definetly exchange it. Personally, I know I would exchange it.

[Baby Thief]

It's really not that important to me, i'm just a little mad that i have no idea what the bride's trainer told her during that one scene when he handed her the sword.

[Lando]

Yeah that part and the part when they're downstairs in the restaurant are some of the best scenes. It would be good to know what they're saying.