While the litany of useless jive-talkin' crime caper imitators which followed looked tired even on first viewing, Tarantino's intricately woven saga of scumbags and unlikely heroes is still as fresh and staggeringly original as the day it roared onto the big screen.

Why? Well, the pitch-perfect cast is one thing, but mainly it's because, for all his big-chinned fanboy nerdishness and misguided acting aspirations, Tarantino understands what makes movies `cool' and delivers on every count. Crackling storytelling, whipsmart dialogue and great characters. It just doesn't get any better than this.

DVD Extras:

There are the usual predictable fillers, to be sure (trailers in foreign languages, TV spots, stills galleries, Siskel and Ebert and the like) but the quality items on this two-disc Collector's Edition more than make up for them. The quintet of deleted scenes are lengthy and entertaining, the mini-documentary on production design shows how to make a measly budget go a long way and the Tarantino Fiction documentary (essentially part QT biog, part Making Of) boasts new and vintage interviews with all the main cast. The fact that the focus is firmly on the man as much as the movie might put some off, but bear with him through the hour-long interview and you can't help having a sneaking respect for the guy's knowledge. One question, though: where's the commentary, Quentin? It's not as if you've been rushed off your feet since Jackie Brown...