If the timeline’s got you seeking a channel for your latent blood lust, then put down the sharp stick and prepare to smile at last. For the very first time, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films will be presented together for nationwide theatrical screenings.
Debuting December 5th, the aptly-titled Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair has been edited and reworked into one full-length, fully unrated film. The release is actually a wee bit of revisionist history, as Tarantino had originally wanted Kill Bill to be seen as one epic, oversized cinematic experience.
“I wrote and directed it as one movie — and I’m so glad to give the fans the chance to see it as one movie,” Tarantino said in a statement. “The best way to see Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is at a movie theater in glorious 70mm or 35mm. Blood and guts on a big screen in all its glory!”
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So, how exactly does Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair work to combine the two films? Per a press release, this cut removes Volume 1‘s cliffhanger ending as well as Volume 2‘s introductory recap. From there, the film features a brand-new, 7.5-minute “anime/animated” sequence (that I hope is even more action with the Crazy 88). The press release goes on to say that while the film is intended for release across most major markets, theaters will still either screen 70mm or 35mm.
Fun fact: Tarantino has a rather interesting history with re-cuts. On the more innocuous end of things, his original vision for True Romance, centered around a new ending, plays like a decidedly different flick in some key ways. On the other end of the spectrum, he garnered noticeable controversy in October 2019 when he refused to re-tool Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for Chinese audiences. (Apparently, Chinese film officials raised concerns with the “caricature”-like depiction of actor/martial artist Bruce Lee.) Tarantino claimed he didn’t want to kowtow to the censorship, and thus the film was banned in China outright.
Earlier this year, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 received standalone physical 4K releases. Find copies here.