Vengeance never tasted so sweet. It was also never this gory.

Premiering 11 years before John Wick originally hit the big screen, Quentin Tarantino’s tale of a female assassin methodically completing a revenge list against her former squad members and lover was originally released in two parts, but now, with additional segments and some tender loving care, fans of the filmmaker can watch Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair as QT originally conceived the story.

Combining the kung-fu genre and exploitation films, this nonlinear narrative was successful, if ahead of its time. Now, with a new unrated release, this revenge fantasy-martial arts movie showcases “The Origin of O-Ren” anime backstory, and alternate shots and takes, along with a fully colorized “The House of Blue Leaves” fight scene, which originally featured black-and-white scenes in order to avoid an NC-17 rating in the United States. And I’ve got to say, it’s bloody brilliant.

“We’ve done a lot of things to this lady. And if she ever wakes up, we’ll do a whole lot more…”

In an effort of transparency, I’ve watched just about all of Tarantino’s films in movie theaters, and usually on their debut weekend. It’s safe to say I’m a big fan, but it’s been a while since I’ve watched either of the Kill Bill entries. This director’s cut, possibly his magnum opus, feels like each scene is slightly extended, lingering just a tad longer than what could or would be eventually shown in theaters. And that patience in allowing the story to develop eventually pays off.

Tarantino has always had a way with smart dialogue, outrageous action scenes and great soundtrack selections playing as his on-screen world always oozes a cool and sometimes retro vibe. Behind the camera, he’s got style for miles. And his ability to somehow squeeze out one last unforgettable, epic performance from a previously big-named actor to the big-screen is unrivaled. This time around, that actor is David Carradine, whose coolness quotient is absolutely second to none as the Big Bad, Bill, but this film highlights a defining role for Uma Thurman.

Left for dead, revenge is the only goal for The Bride (Uma Thurman) in Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. Photo Courtesy: Lionsgate.

As a mercenary and a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, Beatrix Kiddo AKA The Bride AKA Black Mamba shines the spotlight on a variety of Uma Thurman’s qualities. Within the hit squad, she’s hard as nails and a cold-blooded killer. No job is too difficult for her, which led to the admiration and love of Bill, before the crew leaves her character for dead. That complicated love-hate experience blossoms before the finale in what has to be the actress’ meatiest role on the big screen.

I always enjoy watching bad people get their just desserts, but Tarantino has the touch to bring a bit of sympathy to these baddies, so there’s about a 50-50 chance that you’ll be rooting for them AND against them, as the scenes change. Michael Madsen is probably my favorite Tarantino troupe player, appearing here as Budd AKA Sidewinder in a supporting role, receiving the majority of that sympathy in this story. The Crazy 88s are great as the Yakuza army and The 5.6.7.8’s steal the show as a real-life rock band playing within a fantastic scene of Chapter Five. I truly wish I could visit a real-life Japanese restaurant like the one where the group performs.

Speaking of chapters, the film is neatly divided into multiple sections. With a four-hour-plus runtime, the film also includes a well-deserved intermission. As an unsuccessful binge-watcher of TV shows, I somehow made it through the movie in only one session, pausing the action at various points to stretch my legs.

I’m a big fan of special editions intended to improve the overall movie-going experience, including 70mm releases (which QT has been known to use), black-and-while versions (Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color) and the OG, Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (Special Edition). The Whole Bloody Affair fits perfectly into that category but watching the film via streaming is only half the experience.

I’d love to own this film, along with all the extras that could be packed into a Blu-ray release, should it ever become available. Multiple rewatches are necessary (I’d like to rewatch the band’s performance a few times as I type this out). Physical media has sadly disappeared and that is a plight for cinephiles everywhere. Hopefully QT will soon fix that problem.

Sadly, mid-budgeted movies like this aren’t really made anymore (especially since it was originally produced by the Weinstein Brothers), and they deserve to be celebrated, which this version absolutely does. And then some. The Whole Bloody Affair is worth checking out and I hope it’s eventually available as a Blu-ray collection.

But then I look ahead to the near future, and I really don’t like the prospect of QT not directing anymore — which he has previously disclosed — because of great products like this that will be missed very much. With some luck, reports of Tarantino’s filmmaking finale have been greatly exaggerated.

“Word of advice, shithead: Don’t you ever wake up…”