Tarantino pushing extreme violence to 12 year olds

[MORTARDUDE]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movi....kill.bill.ap/

Tarantino's 'girl power' flick
Friday, October 3, 2003 Posted: 10:38 AM EDT (1438 GMT)



LONDON (AP) -- Cult film director Quentin Tarantino says his latest violent offering, "Kill Bill," is all about girl power.

The film is Tarantino's first major film since "Jackie Brown" six years ago, and tells the story of an elite assassin, played by Uma Thurman, who is on a mission of revenge against her former employer, Bill, played by David Carradine.

"Kill Bill" is reported to be extremely gory, even for Tarantino, well known for his violent gangster flicks such as "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" as well as the shlock-horror vampire movie, "From Dusk Till Dawn."

At a press conference before the London premiere on Thursday, Tarantino said that over 100 gallons (378.53 liters) of fake blood had been used for the movie, and described how one fight scene, in which Thurman dismembers 88 opponents with a Japanese sword, took over eight weeks to shoot.

"I wanted to think up every way I could for her (Thurman) to disband and put an end" to her enemies, Tarantino said.

The director went on to talk about a gang rape scene in the movie, which he said was a "sequence of hell" of which he was very proud.

Seated next to Thurman and other stars of the film, Daryl Hannah and Julie Dreyfus, Tarantino said "Kill Bill" was a feminist statement, "a film about girl power."

Thurman told journalists that her favorite scenes were when she used her sword.

"I am very possessive of my sword," Thurman said. "I became one with it, I earned it and I had to learn the hard way how to handle that thing."

"Kill Bill" is in two installments with the second volume expected to be released next year.

Later, as Tarantino joined his stars on the red carpet at the Leicester Square premiere, he defended his use of stylized "movie world" violence.

He also encouraged children to see the film despite its "18" rating in Britain, meaning no one younger than that age is allowed to view it at the cinema.

"If you are a 12-year-old girl or boy you must go and see 'Kill Bill' and you will have a damn good time," the director said.

"Boys will have a great time, girls will have a dose of girl power. If you are a cool parent out there go take your kids to the movie."