FUN: 20 Years of Pulp Fiction — And the question remains


Honey Bunney is *not* being cool.
Honey Bunney is *not* being cool.

One of the great joys of my college years was getting to watch Pulp Fiction on the big screen. Being an early adopter, I got to reference and quote PF before it became tiresome to do so. The one time in my life where I got to be hip and ahead of the curve.

Of course, seeing Pulp Fiction on a big screen enhances the film quite a bit. Imagine the following scenes projected on a 50 feet widescreen: Marvin’s headshot, bringing out the Gimp, Vincent and Mia dancing, Jules taking a huge bite out of that tasty burger, adrenaline shot to the heart, the bright glow of the briefcase when it is opened, and so on.

And about that glow…there’s an important question that has floated around the movie since its release. What exactly was in that briefcase? Some speculate it was diamonds and/or other jewels. It’s been theorized that the briefcase contained Marcellus’s soul. Personally, I think it was one of those on-the-go makeup kits you see the Dance Moms take around with them on competitions.

Wasting time 0n the IMDB message boards, I came across the most important unanswered question in regards to Pulp Fiction. The question, posed by user Minstrelo goes as such: What if there had been two wallets with “Bad Motherfucker” stitched on them, in the bag? (sic)

Indeed, what if?

<SPOILERS BELOW>

If you recall, the situation was tense. Honey Bunny/Yolanda had a gun and an itchy trigger finger. Jules had tenuous control of the situation, instructing Pumpkin/Ringo to command his wife to be “bitch be cool” (blame Tarantino for the misogynistic statement, not me). Honey Bunny makes like the Fonz and becomes cool. Granted, it helps that Jules has a .9mm underneath his table pointing at her beloved Pumpkin.

Then Jules tells Ringo to reach into the bag and take out his wallet.  The bag is stuffed with a lot of wallets, so Ringo asks which one is Jules. Jules retorts “It’s the one says ‘Bad Motherfucker’ on it.” It is obvious to Jules. It is obvious to us. But not Ringo. Ringo’s face even reads like he is disbelieving.

So he digs in the bag, and there it is, Bad Motherfucker, Jules’ wallet.

Because Jules is in a transitional period, he gives Ringo and Yolanda $1500 so that he doesn’t have to kill him. They make off. Vincent and Jules depart. Movie over.

But what if Ringo pulls out a Bad Motherfucker, opens it, and out falls a few singles, perhaps a fiver, pictures of a milquetoast suburban family, a driver’s license for somebody named Mort Smith? Ringo’s going to get pissed like he’s been played. Honey Bunny drops the Fonz act, and loses her cool. Jules is forced into a decision. Dominoes fall.

Bloodshed. Chaos. Death.

Mind-blowing, right?

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One response to “FUN: 20 Years of Pulp Fiction — And the question remains”

  1. Nicole Avatar

    I always imagined it was the Holy Grail…just saying.

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