Jackie Brown R1 DVD

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Jackie Brown
Distributed by
Buena Vista Home Entertainment

    CoverBuy the R2 DVD from

  • Cert: R
  • Cat.no: 23540
  • Running time: 154 minutes
  • Year: 1997
  • Pressing: 2002
  • Region(s): 1, NTSC
  • Chapters: 25
  • Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 (Eng only)
  • Languages: English, French
  • Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
  • Widescreen: 1.85:1
  • 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
  • Macrovision: Yes
  • Disc Format: 2 * DVD 9
  • Price: $29.99
  • Extras:Quentin Tarantino Introduction, Jackie Brown: How It Went Down,Interview With Quentin Tarantino, Chicks With Guns Video, Deleted andAlternate Scenes, Siskel & Ebert At The Movies: Jackie Brown Review,Jackie Brown on MTV, Pam Grier Movie Trailers, Robert Forster MovieTrailers, Pam Grier Radio Spots, Jackie Brown Trailers, TV Spots, StillGalleries, Reviews & Articles, Filmographies, Trivia Track.

    Director:

      Quentin Tarantino

Screenplay:

    Quentin Tarantino

(Based on the novel “Rum Punch” by Elmore Leonard)

Cast:

    Jackie Brown: Pam Grier
    Ordell Robbie: Samuel L. Jackson
    Max Cherry: Robert Forster
    Melanie: Bridget Fonda
    Ray Nicolette: Michael Keaton
    Mark Dargus: Michael Bowen
    Louis Gara: Robert DeNiro
    Beaumont Livingston: Chris Tucker
    Winston: Tommy “Tiny” Lister, JR.

Jackie Brownis Quentin Tarantino’s throwback to 70s cinema. Not justblaxplotation but the whole feel to the movies back then. It’s got themusic, it’s got the dialouge, and it’s got the cinematic feel. Longoverdue on DVD, Jackie Brown comes to us the same day as thePulp Fiction: Collector’s Edition DVDand surrounded by the onslaught ofReservoir Dogs: 10th Anniversary: Collector’s Edition.It’s expensive to be a Quentin Tarantino fan, isn’t it? But is the DVD worththe five years of wait?

Jackie Brown tells a relatively simple story but if it’s one thing I’velearned from Tarantino it’s that the simple plots can turn into quite aweb. It focuses mainly on Jackie (Pam Grier), Ordell (Samuel L.Jackson), and Max (Robert Forster). Jackie is an airline attendantcaught with money she was smuggiling for arms dealer, Ordell. Max playsthe bondsman and frees Jackie from jail. But the feds want a piece ofOrdell and wish to use Jackie to get it. But she has a plan of her own.She begins to use the feds and Ordell to keep the money and concocts arather complicated scheme.

While not as great or provacative as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, orTrue Romance (Tony Scott directed that one, Quentin wrote), it’s hardnot to like Jackie Brown. But where the film falls short is it’s length.Clocked in at a whopping 2 hours and 34 minutes I found myself watchingin multiple viewings. Pulp Fiction was up there in length as well but italways had some new plot to keep it interesting. Upon first viewing, youreally have to be on your toes to catch the whole gist of the plot -something Tarantino has a knack for. But on second viewing it all fellinto place. Add in great acting from everyone (even Michael Keaton!),great dialouge, and Tarantino’s camera style and you’ve got a good, ifslightly flawed, film.

The jacket states that Jackie Brown is in 2.35:1 widescreen but it isreally in 1.85:1. The anamorphically-enhanced picture is done well withonly a few problems. I noticed a lot of dirt and specks on the print andbackground pixelization is noticed at times. But where this transferreally shines is the color pallette. Flesh tones and other colors in thefilm have a brightness and almost three-dimensional look to them (take alook at the stunning Bridgete Fonda) that I did not expect. Overall, agood transfer that, like the film, shines sometimes and sometimes doesnot.

Audio is presented in two flavors: Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. LikePulp Fiction, the audio is very defined. But unlike Pulp Fiction thereare really not many loud situations to test it out. Overall, this adialouge driven film and the track represents that very well.

Buena Vista has pulled out all the stops in the extra department withthis release. Here’s how it stacks up:

Disc 1:

  • Quentin Tarantino DVD Introduction: A five minute segment featuring Tarantino telling why the DVD took 5 years to come out.
  • Subtitled Trivia Track: Similar to the one featured on Pulp Fiction and also similar to the track onthe Spider-Man DVD. Features more facts then you’ll know what to do with.

Disc 2:

  • Jackie Brown: How It Went Down: 38 minutes, full frame. Explains how the movie even happened and the similaritesbetween the film and the novel it was based on: Rum Punch.Well produced and interesting. Also split into chapters.
  • Interview With Quentin: A 54 minute long full frame interview withTarantino. This feature really should have been broken into chapters.The only problem besides the chapter situation is that the questions areoften inaudible.
  • Chicks With Guns Video: 4 minutes, full frame. Entire commercial from the film presented in it’sintirity. Has more laughs now than it did in the film.
  • Deleted Scenes and Alternate Scenes: 14 minutes, full frame and presented in non-anamorphic 1.85:1. The scenes arepresented in relatively good quality.
  • Siskel & Ebert At The Movies: Jackie Brown Review: 4 minutes long, full frame. Only focuses on their review unlike the 16 minutesegement on Pulp Fiction.
  • Jackie Brown on MTV: Two segments. The first is a one minute commercial advertising a contest. Thesecond is a 14 minute interview with Quentin Tarantino and Carson Daly.
  • Theatrical Trailers: 3 teaser trailers are offered here. The first andthird are presented in full frame but the second is in 2.35:1 widescreenwhile the movie itself is 1.85:1. I wish Tarantino would have gone with2.35:1 instead of the rather flat 1.85:1.
  • TV Spots: 8 total and each are presented in varying quality.
  • Still Galleries: 9 Sections in all. Featuring posters, production stills, locations, and more.
  • Reviews and Articles: 9 reviews total.
  • Filmographies: Features bios for Pam Grier, Robert Forster, and Quentin Tarantino.
  • Robert Forster Movie Trailers: Now this is different. 12 trailers for some of Forster’s B Movies. Most are inpretty bad shape but it’s suprising to even see them here at all.
  • Pam Grier Movie Trailers: 19 trailers for some of Grier’s B Movies. Scream, Blacula, Scream! is even here.
  • Pam Grier Radio Spots: 7 audios of radio spots for some of her B Movies.

Overall, a pretty good package put together by Buena Vista. A very nicetouch with the B Movie trailers I might add.

The packaging is exactly like the Pulp Fiction release. A cardboard slipcase that has a folded opening case for the movie and extras. Acollectible booklet and a poster are also included. The film is splitinto 25 chapters and menus are animated with scenes from the movieplaying in the background.

Overall, Jackie Brown has received a great DVD treatment and shouldplease fans. The movie is a bit too long but should still be looked atif only for Tarantino’s trademark dialouge.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


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Review copyright © Traveta, 2002.

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