Writer/director Quentin Tarantino crafted a “roaring rampage of revenge” epic called Kill Bill – and rather than release a movie that would have been more than four hours long, Miramax decided to cut it in half, releasing Kill Bill: Volume 1 in 2003 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 in 2004. Fans have been waiting for more than twenty years to see a version of the movie that would put those two pieces back together, but the wait is almost over. On December 5th, Lionsgate will be releasing Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair… and there might be a lot more to it than we expected.
A version of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair was shown at Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema that had a 248 minute running time, including a 15 minute intermission. But multiple sites are listing the running time for the Lionsgate theatrical release as 281 minutes, or 4 hours and 41 minutes. As World of Reel notes, we know that changes have been made for this version of the epic: “The combined cut also eliminates Volume 1’s cliffhanger and Volume 2’s opening recap, while adding a never-before-seen 7½-minute animated sequence.” The blood-soaked Crazy 88 fight, which was presented in black and white to avoid an NC-17 rating back in the day, is also in color this time around. But it’s not clear to anyone why this version of the movie would clock in at 33 minutes longer than the version shown at the New Beverly. Hopefully that’s not just accounting for an extended intermission. Instead, we’re hoping that we’re going to see some extra scenes we never thought would be in Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair once it finally made its way out into the world.
“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!“ The description reads: “Tarantino’s Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair unites Volume 1 and Volume 2 into a single, unrated epic—presented exactly as he intended, complete with a new, never-before-seen anime sequence. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child. To exact her vengeance, she must first hunt down the four remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad before confronting Bill himself. With its operatic scope, relentless action, and iconic style, The Whole Bloody Affair stands as one of cinema’s definitive revenge sagas—rarely shown in its complete form and now presented with a classic intermission.“
The film stars Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Michael Parks, Daryl Hannah, Sonny Chiba, Chiaki Kuriyama, and many more.
However long Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair really is and whatever it may contain, don’t expect to see it on home video any time soon. Tarantino shot down that notion just a few months ago, explaining why the film will likely remain a theater exclusive for now. “The minute it becomes in your hand, it just means less. All right, but the fact that it’s playing at a theater now, you guys came to see it, and you got it in just the best way. And no, you can’t lend it to your friend. Now you’re going to have to tell your friends about it, and they’re going to be jealous of you. That just happened so f*cking rarely now that there’s something really, really cool about having something that’s not just a button push away. If you want to watch Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, it’s not a push-button away. You’ve got to wait for me to show it.“
What do you think of the possibility of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair having a 281 minute running time? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
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