Pulp Empire

A novel concept, executed superbly. The audio editing is nearly flawless, as is the picture editing. The movie really has that Tarantino feel, and still works as a story, which is pretty marvelous. I do think this edit sometimes straddles the line between an earnest pastiche and the sort of "if x director made y movie" parody that you might find on YouTube. Judged in a void, I would say it doesn't totally work, in that I don't know what someone who had never watched Star Wars or a Tarantino movie would get out of it, but with the context of the original Empire Strikes Back and Tarantino's filmography, it's endlessly amusing and clearly a labor of love. Great job.

Absolutely impressive. I've seen some great Fan Edits in the past, but man, this is something else.
This is not, as you must already guess, your regular edit. This is kind of a brand new film, if you love the saga and Tarantino as a filmmaker, as i do, you should watch this.
There were some musical choices that i wish would have been different, but that's it.
From a creativity point of you, this is a 10/10.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this!

Fan of Stars Wars franchise and the Tarantino style. This film is the best of both worlds. Told the whole Empire Strikes back story in a non linear way while being scored to great music. You can tell njvc took his time on this fanedit. You'll never see the seams in his editing. Choice of soundtrack fitted every scene.

I particularly enjoyed the character introductions in the Kill Bill style. Montage scenes from other Stars Wars episodes were integrated.

However the voice of Yoda replaced by Gordon Liu's in his part as Pai Mei in Kill Bill was off-putting. I dont think njvc is a Cantonese speaker. Yoda was speaking gibberish and the same sound bites from Pai Mei was used over and over again. I'm sure I was suppose to just ignore this and read the subs but I had to take a few points off from the rating for it. Gordon Liu' has dozens of movie out over the decades and there are plenty of lines to choose form but thats impossible if you cant speak the language. I sat through the film with a buddy that did not speak Cantonese, and he seemed to enjoy the scene better.

Overall, it's a must see for fan edit enthusiast and njvc has set a new standard of fanmixes with Pulp Empire.

I have viewed this edit multiple times and have updated my review to provide a more unbiased critique.

I loved this edit simply for it's refreshing idea, originality and uniqueness. My initial viewing was done on Vimeo as individual chapters were released. After viewing the entire edit in one sitting, I would recommend breaking it up into chapters.

During multiple viewings, I found myself becoming bored anytime Luke or Vader weren't on screen. The entire plot of Han and Leia in Cloud City became tedious and repetitive. There's an over reliance on slow motion, Tarantino uses slow motion but this edit has it in a large abundance.

There is also an over reliance on music. The edit is almost filled end to end with musical cues. Much like the slow motion, there is a large abundance present and sometimes the music overpowers the dialogue being spoken. Dialogue is a very important part in Tarantino movies and rarely uses musical cues during those scene and if he does they appear near the end for dramatic effect.

From a narrative aspect, the story is told in a non-linear fashion similar to Tarantino's style. However, during the final act there is a flashback to the Cave of Evil where Luke chops Vader's head off revealing his own head in the helmet, which doesn't make any sense. During the actual scene in the movie that scene was replaced by an animated segment from the original Clone Wars cartoon. So having a flashback to a scene that never took place was confusing.

All that being said, I still thoroughly enjoy this edit. The Luke and Yoda scenes are very enjoyable and are perfectly scored, even the training montage. The Vader introduction is masterly executed and the final fight is a joy to watch. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Tarantino movies, likes Star Wars, or is just looking for something that is fresh and unique. The sound overpowering the dialogue is why I gave the audio editing a 9 and the flashback is why I gave the narrative a 9.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

BRAVO!

Pulp Empire, while a product of NJVC's imagination, is really an insight into how much Tarantino has affected and influenced modern cinema. It is unmistakeable of who this edit is trying to invoke. Imagine, though, an edit that was trying to invoke Polanski, Spielberg or PT Anderson. Tarantino's style is so unique unto himself, and so culturally penetrating, that all it takes is a certain font or a music cue to bring up cherished film memories and impart them over the goings in this edit of Episode IV.

However, while this is a tribute in many respects, this edit isn't just hip music accompanied by a "You like that, didn't you" smirk. This is a legitimate effort in making an autonomous film experience.

Divided in chapters like Kill Bill, scored like many in Tarantino's ouvre, and sprinkled with character title cards ala Inglourious Bastards, NJVC pulls from every Tarantino cliche (an unfair word, I admit) in order to induce the filmmaker's special touch. Of particular fondness for myself was an animated sequence that followed Luke's walking into the forest sequence. NJVC even finds himself adding to the Tarantino reference pool by including a few choice soundtrack additions that, in another Universe, I think Tarantino easily could have found room for himself.

However, it's in this dedication (or is it reluctance?) of constantly using Tarantino's previous styles that starts to get in the way. After a brilliant opening with character introductions and unique editing styles used throughout the Hoth fight (preceded by the film's first chapter of Luke arriving in Dagoba), it seems like NJVC ran out of ideas. The film begins to lumber in its third chapter never regaining the momentum and excitement from the opening 20 minutes. A few slo-mo shots are added with some choice music which helps initially, but NJCV returns too often to this "fix," only to wear out its effectiveness over time. The animated sequence helps pump new blood into the edit, but again, the editing style from then on begins to weigh down under the expectations of something more. With only a 90 minute run time, a heavy drag in the film throughout its second act is a problem.

It's difficult to say specifically what would improve this film through the bulk of it's second act. Generally, what it would benefit from would be more stylized editing choices that don't reference Tarantino's work, as much as they are inspired by them. I feel like NJCV has the creative potential to do this, considering his choices he made in the film's closing chapter.

The final chapter answers the promise of ambition sparked by the film's opening. It has unique editing choices that I haven't seen in a Tarantino film, but feels right at home in his arsenal. It also echoes the strange juxtaposition that Kill Bill vol 2 had of entertainment and tenderness. This effect, perhaps more than anything, warrants high praise for this edit.

In all, this is a fantastic piece for the fan edit community. NJVC demonstrates how effectively a film can change in the right editor's hands. Indeed, his technical prowess in manipulating the score and audio tracks leaves me baffled. Reluctance aside, everybody should give this a viewing.