4 ms·

I honestly never cared much for his role in Pulp Fiction, just seemed forced and contrived. But I really enjoyed his scene in True Romance.

khazhoux 5y ago
I thought it was brilliant because --Walken being so obviously so over the top-- at first you think the whole scene is just a gag, to get a laugh at that punchline (which was hilarious). Then you realize that the ridiculous anecdote was actually deeply significant to Butch, and explains why he doesn't leave Marsellus behind, and of course why he has to go back for his watch at the end.
- narag 5y ago
  ... to get a laugh at that punchline (which was hilarious). I LOL'd to tears, but I was the only person laughing in a full theatre, so my girlfriend was mortified.
  - version_five 5y ago
    What is the punchline? Dysentery? I'm also curious about the GP comment that the story explains why he didn't leave MW behind
    - khazhoux 5y ago
      > What is the punchline? Dysentery? The whole "ass" bit: "So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide somethin'. His ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass." > I'm also curious about the GP comment that the story explains why he didn't leave MW behind It's right at the beginning of the speech: "Hello, little man. Boy I sure heard a bunch about you. See, I was a good friend of your Daddy's. We were in that Hanoi pit of hell over five years together. Hopefully, you'll never have to experience this yourself, but when two men are in a situation like me and your Daddy were, for as long as we were, you take on certain responsibilities of the other." https://genius.com/Quentin-tarantino-pulp-fiction-prelude-to-the-gold-watch-annotated https://genius.com/Quentin-tarantino-pulp-fiction-prelude-to...
      - version_five 5y ago
        Interesting, thanks! I've seen the movie 100 times and never considered the relationship between what Bruce Willis ends up doing re MW and the CW speech... (There is a funny "how it should have ended" that makes fun of how he left such an important watch in the care of his flakey girlfriend in the first place)
        bryanrasmussen 5y ago
        I mean basically going back to get the watch is what saved his life cause after saving Marcellus there weren't any hitmen looking for him, although there was the loose end of Vincent's dead body in his apartment - hopefully the Wolf cleaned that up.
        khazhoux 5y ago
        “Yeah, we cool.”
    - narag 5y ago
      khazhoux explained the context very well. I'd add that what clicks for me is how the story is building up until it reaches an absurd level, kind of "how the hell did we get to this" coupled with Walken's straight face. You start to wonder if that's a joke, then you realize it is, from Tarantino.
pengaru 5y ago
Wait, isn't his appearance just a campy cameo as Butch's father?
pengaru 5y ago
I just watched The Deer Hunter (1978) for the first time, which Walken described as kicking off his fame. If you haven't seen it before, it's long but worth a watch. Left me longing for more older films, like the original Rambo, Empire of the Sun, or The Razor's Edge. They don't make movies like that anymore.

khazhoux 5y ago

I thought it was brilliant because --Walken being so obviously so over the top-- at first you think the whole scene is just a gag, to get a laugh at that punchline (which was hilarious). Then you realize that the ridiculous anecdote was actually deeply significant to Butch, and explains why he doesn't leave Marsellus behind, and of course why he has to go back for his watch at the end.

narag 5y ago
... to get a laugh at that punchline (which was hilarious). I LOL'd to tears, but I was the only person laughing in a full theatre, so my girlfriend was mortified.
- version_five 5y ago
  What is the punchline? Dysentery? I'm also curious about the GP comment that the story explains why he didn't leave MW behind
  - khazhoux 5y ago
    > What is the punchline? Dysentery? The whole "ass" bit: "So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide somethin'. His ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass." > I'm also curious about the GP comment that the story explains why he didn't leave MW behind It's right at the beginning of the speech: "Hello, little man. Boy I sure heard a bunch about you. See, I was a good friend of your Daddy's. We were in that Hanoi pit of hell over five years together. Hopefully, you'll never have to experience this yourself, but when two men are in a situation like me and your Daddy were, for as long as we were, you take on certain responsibilities of the other." https://genius.com/Quentin-tarantino-pulp-fiction-prelude-to-the-gold-watch-annotated https://genius.com/Quentin-tarantino-pulp-fiction-prelude-to...
    - version_five 5y ago
      Interesting, thanks! I've seen the movie 100 times and never considered the relationship between what Bruce Willis ends up doing re MW and the CW speech... (There is a funny "how it should have ended" that makes fun of how he left such an important watch in the care of his flakey girlfriend in the first place)
      - bryanrasmussen 5y ago
        I mean basically going back to get the watch is what saved his life cause after saving Marcellus there weren't any hitmen looking for him, although there was the loose end of Vincent's dead body in his apartment - hopefully the Wolf cleaned that up.
        khazhoux 5y ago
        “Yeah, we cool.”
  - narag 5y ago
    khazhoux explained the context very well. I'd add that what clicks for me is how the story is building up until it reaches an absurd level, kind of "how the hell did we get to this" coupled with Walken's straight face. You start to wonder if that's a joke, then you realize it is, from Tarantino.

pengaru 5y ago

Wait, isn't his appearance just a campy cameo as Butch's father?

pengaru 5y ago

I just watched The Deer Hunter (1978) for the first time, which Walken described as kicking off his fame. If you haven't seen it before, it's long but worth a watch. Left me longing for more older films, like the original Rambo, Empire of the Sun, or The Razor's Edge. They don't make movies like that anymore.