Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

4 hours and 35 minutes of pure Tarantino cinema, KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR is an immersive thrill of killer dialogue and brilliant action. To experience this new epic on the big screen is palpable, from the first notes of "Bang Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down" to the final, new post-credits Lost Chapter!

90% of the sold out audience left during the long final credits, with only us, in-the-know diehards waiting for Tarantino's final surprise.

More on that later.

This experience in a theater is a commitment. I sat down at my local AMC (shout out to my fellow AMC A-Listers) at 6:45 when the lights went down. 25 minutes of previews and one 15 minute intermission later, the film wrapped at 11:50!

Was it worth it? Hell yes.

This is Tarantino's original vision for his Kill Bill saga.

This version of the film is very rare and has never been released for home video or leaked online. It is known to exist only as part of QT's personal collection. It has been shown only in theaters at events curated by Tarantino or at film festivals.

It feels different in this format, with chapters in a different order and several key changes that vastly improve the narrative into a more complete epic on the scale of Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" or "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly", the influence of which pours out of those long, standoff closeups of eyes and sweaty brows.

So what's different about this version?

* There's a brand new, extended five minute+ anime sequence showing a teenage O-Ren pursuing and killing her mother's killer, Boss Matsumoto, and a fantastic action sequence between O-Ren and Matsumoto's henchman Pretty Ricky. The elevator set carnage is first rate and the anime slays on the big screen.

* One of the best action scenes in the history of film, the House of Blue Leaves Fight, is now shown in full color and with uncensored gore, elevating a great sequence to film nirvana. It's an all-time fave lifted into the stratosphere. SO many moments of this chapter are bigger, bloodier and more hilarious. I forgot how damn funny Charlie Brown and his wife are at their club. Seeing the entire battle on the big screen again was one of the evening's highlights.

* Many scenes now unfold in a different order, providing a more complete narrative with improved flow.

The cast is amazing. If the film had been originally released in this version, I think Uma Thurman would have been nominated for Best Actress, as her character arc is incredible, a fact more visible when you see the story in one sitting.

David Carradine has never been better than he was as Bill. If you're a film buff, grab his book, "The Kill Bill Diary" that he wrote about his experience making the film. Great stuff.

And how about Bill's squad?

Lucy Liu is perfect as O-Ren and classic scenes abound. I would not want to cross her in a board meeting. Seeing her final face off with The Bride in that snowy garden again on an IMAX screen was a thrill. After the Blue Leaves madness, the entire scene is so...quiet, with only that fountain's repetitive pour marking time.

Great film making.

Daryl Hannah is an absolute blast as Elle Driver. Talk about lethal. For me, this is her best performance ever, and who doesn't like a red cross eye patch on a nurse?

VivIca A Fox still opens the film in fine fashion as Vernita, serving up the best living room death match in the history of film. I loved the moment all over again when that school bus pulls up in front of her house. Hilarious and unpredictable.

Michael Madsen comes off as even more sad and desperate in this version as Budd. The life he has carved out for himself is so low. He's just waiting for The Bride to return. Madsen seems to be playing himself here, he's so good in the role.

Everything I loved about seeing the original two films is back here, but feels more logical, more informed.

Common opinion was that the second film was slower, more thoughtful than the first, but merged together, many of the events feel more natural.

Sonny Chiba as Hattori Hanzo is perfection, as is Michael Parks in his dual role that bookends the film. Could two characters in one film be more different than Sheriff Earl McGraw and the urbane Esteban Vihaio stuck in a remote jungle? He should have been nominated as well. Parks is a standout.

If you haven't seen either of the Kill Bill films, devote a rainy afternoon or an entire evening to experiencing this legendary film in one sitting. It's Tarantino's brilliant tribute to Leone, Kurosawa, Clint Eastwood and 70's Kung Fu, wrapped up into one beautiful bloody package.

Tarantino remains firm that this version will not be released to streaming or on home video, that the only way to see it is on the big screen.

Bravo. This is what the big screen was made for.

Go see it and stay through the credits for Tarantino's final surprise, a Lost Chapter of the saga, detailing one character's quest for revenge against the bride. It was created by a gaming company and Tarantino, with Uma back to voice her character. It's the perfect final dessert after a long, amazing meal with cinematic friends.

Instantly in my Top 100 films of all time, I waited a long time to see this film, and it exceeded high expectations. Bloody Brilliant, an A+.