Go behind the scenes of Quentin Tarantino’s killer sequel.
BySean Hutchinson|Mar 11, 2024, 3:55 PM EDT
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Even if you’ve seen the second half of Quentin Tarantino’s revenge epic, these little nuggets will give you a reason to give it another look.
1. Pulp Fiction spawned the idea.
Uma Thurman and Tarantino came up with the character of The Bride while working on the set of Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction. Tarantino mentioned he was interested in doing a revenge movie or a 1970s kung-fu movie, and Thurman envisioned a character left for dead on her wedding day like the scene that opens Kill Bill Vol. 2.
2. The volumes have distinct influences.
The Kill Bill saga was originally supposed to be a single four-hour epic before it was split into two films. Tarantino made the split by having the first film reflect “Eastern” cinematic influences like the kung fu genre, while the second film reflects “Western” influences such as the Spaghetti Western genre.
3. Warren Beatty was Tarantino’s first choice for Bill.
When Tarantino let the actor go because of creative differences, he cast David Carradine in the iconic role because Carradine previously appeared in Tarantino’s favorite childhood TV show, Kung Fu.
4. Samuel L. Jackson makes a sneaky cameo.
He briefly appears as Rufus, the wedding piano player.
5. Kill Bill Vol. 2 was not as violent as you might think.
Only three people are killed onscreen in the entire second movie.
6. Pai Mei pulled double duty.
Actor Gordon Liu plays Pai Mei in Vol. 2, but he also appeared as Johnny Mo, the leader of the Crazy 88, in Kill Bill Vol. 1. Liu was cast in the Kill Bill saga because he previously appeared in a kung fu movie called The 36th Chamber of Shaolin that heavily influenced Tarantino while writing Kill Bill.
7. Tarantino originally wanted to dub his own voice for Pai Mei.
The voice would celebrate the poorly dubbed kung fu movies he loves.
8. Pai Mei appeared in previous kung fu films.
The Pai Mei character had shown up in many previous kung fu movies such as Executioners from Shaolin and Clan of the White Lotus (both starring Gordon Liu). The character and his trademark bushy eyebrows were based on a legendary real life kung fu master known as Bak Mei, which means “White Eyebrows” in Cantonese.
9. The Bride borrowed her finishing move from another film.
The Bride’s “Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique” also appears in the Shaw Brothers’ films Executioners from Shaolin and Clan of the White Lotus, which were primary inspirations behind the Kill Bill saga.
10. There are subtle tributes to Charles Bronson and Elmore Leonard.
The poster on the wall of Budd’s trailer is for a movie called Mr. Majestyk, starring Charles Bronson and written by Elmore Leonard. Most of Tarantino’s movies contain numerous references to Bronson, while Tarantino adapted Leonard’s novel “Rum Punch” into his 1997 film, Jackie Brown.
11. Bill’s flute was Carradine’s idea.
Tarantino added the flute that Bill carries with him to the script after Carradine brought it with him to fight rehearsals during the movie’s pre-production. Carradine, who was also a musician, made the flute himself on the set of Kung Fu in the 1970s.
12. Michael Parks also wore two hats.
Parks portrays two separate characters in the Kill Bill saga. He plays Bill’s mentor Esteban Vihaio in Vol. 2 and also played Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in Vol. 1. Parks first played the McGraw character in the film From Dusk Till Dawn, which was directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by and starred Tarantino, and later also played McGraw in Planet Terror and Death Proof directed by Rodriguez and Tarantino respectively.
13. Ricardo Montalban lost his part.
The part of Esteban was originally supposed to be played by Montalban. When Montalban couldn’t make the first table reading of the script, Tarantino had Parks stand in and liked his take so much that he gave him the role in the final film.
14. Robert Rodriguez gave Tarantino a deal on the score.
Fellow director and Tarantino’s best friend Rodriguez wrote the score for Kill Bill Vol. 2 for free and began writing the music before any of the movie was shot. Rodriguez’s band Chingon also performs the song “Malagueña Salerosa” over the closing credits.
15. Of course there’s a movie reference in the climactic scene.
The Western playing on the TV when The Bride confronts Bill is called The Golden Stallion, starring Roy Rogers.
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50 November Trivia Questions to Warm Up Your Brain on Chilly Fall Days
Test your knowledge of some of the most important events that took place in November (and much more) with this collection of trivia questions with answers.
ByEden Gordon|Nov 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EST
The leaves are red and gold, the air is chilly, and holiday lights are already starting to replace Halloween decorations in some places. November is officially upon us, and if you’re looking to check your memory, learn something new, or brush up on some history, pop culture, and general trivia related to this month, you’ve come to the right place.
The following trivia questions explore some of the most famous historical events that occurred in November, as well as major films released during this month, events occurring in the natural world at this time, and much more. Whether you’re a history buff, pop culture aficionado, or aspiring ecologist, these questions will give you plenty to mull over on the brisk morning walks and cold nights indoors that define this liminal month just before the Northern Hemisphere fully descends into winter.
November in History
1. On what date is Veterans Day observed annually in the United States?
Answer: November 11.
2. Which U.S. president proclaimed a national Thanksgiving observance in 1863?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln.
3. Which Indigenous people shared a harvest feast with English colonists at Plymouth in 1621?
Answer: The Wampanoag.
4. What monarch was crowned King of England at the age of eight on November 6, 1429?
Answer: Henry VI.
5. What British holiday commemorates the foiled Gunpowder Plot of 1605?
Answer: Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night.
6. Which European country celebrates Independence Day on November 11, commemorating its restoration of independence in 1918?
Answer: Poland.
7. Which U.S. state is home to Plymouth, the settlement associated with the famous 1621 harvest feast?
Answer: Massachusetts.
8. In what year did New York become the first U.S. state to adopt Thanksgiving as an annual holiday?
Answer: 1817.
9. Which famous New York City skyscraper opened on November 3, 2014 and became the tallest building in the United States?
Answer: One World Trade Center.
10. What holiday is observed in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November?
Answer: Thanksgiving.
11. On November 9, 1989, which famous barrier in Germany began opening its border crossings?
Answer: The Berlin Wall.
12. Which U.S. president delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln.
13. Which U.S. president was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963?
Answer: John F. Kennedy.
14. Which British ocean liner sank on November 21, 1916, after striking a mine during World War I?
Answer: HMHS Britannic.
15. Which naturalist published On the Origin of Species on November 24, 1859?
Answer: Charles Darwin.
16. Which U.S. president, the 11th to hold the office, was born on November 2, 1795?
Answer: James K. Polk.
17. Who became the first Black person elected president of the United States on November 4, 2008?
Answer: Barack Obama.
18. Which journalist famously met Scottish missionary David Livingstone in Africa in 1871?
Answer: Henry Morton Stanley.
19. Which NASA mission launched on November 14, 1969, and became the second crewed mission to land on the Moon?
Answer: Apollo 12.
20. On November 9, 1938, what antisemitic pogrom against Jewish people took place across Nazi Germany and Austria?
Answer: Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass.
November in Pop Culture
21. What Best Picture-winning film had its world premiere on November 1, 1997 at the Tokyo International Film Festival?
Answer: Titanic.
22. Which Michael Jackson album was released on November 30, 1982?
Answer: Thriller.
23. Which Beatles album was released in the United Kingdom on November 22, 1968, and is commonly known as the White Album?
Answer: The Beatles.
24. Which Disney animated film featuring the song “Let It Go” was released in the United States on November 27, 2013?
Answer: Frozen.
25. Which film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s dystopian novel opened in U.S. theaters on November 22, 2013?
Answer: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
26. Which iconic rock guitarist and singer, known for his extraordinary guitar skills, was born November 27, 1942?
Answer: Jimi Hendrix.
27. Which film launched the Harry Potter movie franchise in U.S. theaters on November 16, 2001?
Answer: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
28. Which 1990 Christmas comedy starring Macaulay Culkin was released in U.S. theaters on November 16, 1990?
Answer: Home Alone.
29. Which Peanuts character traditionally serves popcorn, toast, and jelly beans at a Thanksgiving feast in the 1973 special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving?
Answer: Snoopy.
30. Which British science-fiction television series premiered on November 23, 1963?
Answer: Doctor Who.
November Science and Nature
31. What annual meteor shower, caused by debris from Comet Tempel–Tuttle, typically peaks in November?
Answer: The Leonids.
32. What astronomical event occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the Moon?
Answer: A lunar eclipse.
33. What is the traditional name of the full moon that occurs in November?
Answer: The Beaver Moon.
34. What is the term for the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another?
Answer: Migration.
35. Which type of tree produces acorns?
Answer: An oak tree.
36. What astronomical event marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere?
Answer: The winter solstice.
37. What is the term for birds traveling seasonally between breeding and wintering grounds?
Answer: Migration.
38. Which large North American mammal can enter a winter den and significantly reduce its activity during the colder months?
Answer: The black bear.
39. What is the name of the pigment that trees break down so they can absorb nutrients and sugars back into their trunks in preparation for winter, which then causes the colors of the leaves to change?
Answer: Chlorophyll.
40. What do astronomers call a small piece of space debris that produces a streak of light as it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere?
Answer: A meteor.
November General Knowledge
41. Which yellow gemstone is traditionally associated with November birthdays?
Answer: Topaz.
42. Which zodiac sign begins around November 22 and continues into December?
Answer: Sagittarius.
43. What annual New York City parade is famous for its giant character balloons and takes place on Thanksgiving morning?
Answer: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
44. What major shopping day takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States?
Answer: Black Friday.
45. What online shopping event takes place on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend?
Answer: Cyber Monday.
46. How many days are there in November?
Answer: 30.
47. Which Scottish national celebration takes place annually on November 30?
Answer: St. Andrew’s Day.
48. What is the name of the constellation associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio?
Answer: Scorpius.
49. Which Mexican holiday honoring deceased loved ones is celebrated on November 1 and 2?
Answer: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
50. What Latin word does November get its name from, and what does that word mean?
Answer: November’s name comes from the Latin word novem, which means “nine.”
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David Lynch’s Extremely Reliable Daily Routine
The filmmaker’s work was anything but predictable—but his daily habits were the foundation of his frequent creative ventures beyond the edges of ordinary reality.
ByEden Gordon|Nov 3, 2026, 10:00 AM EST
In his work, David Lynch plundered the depths of the bizarre, trawling the underbelly of the American psyche and translating it into dreamlike and disorienting cinema and television. But in his daily life, he made sure his days were as predictable as possible.
The filmmaker behind masterpieces like Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive relied on daily routines, which allowed his limitless creativity to wander far beyond the edges of what most people could dream up. “If you have a habit pattern,” Lynch told The New Yorker in 2021, “the more conscious part of your mind can concentrate on your work, and you can get ideas and do those things, and the rest sort of takes care of itself in the background.”
David Lynch’s morning ritual: coffee and meditation
Lynch’s days always began with one thing: coffee. Like Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks, Lynch shared an unshakable love for the stuff, and typically started his days with a cappuccino. “I like to get going with the coffee right away. That’s just the way it is with me,” he shared with Vice in 2020. “You know how in a hospital they put an IV in your arm? I pretty much have a drip going all day long.”
After his first cup of joe, he would sit for meditation—a non-negotiable cornerstone of the filmmaker’s life for decades. Lynch began practicing Transcendental Meditation in 1973 and continued to do so daily until his death in 2025, claiming to have never missed a session. The practice involves sitting for 20 minutes twice a day and mentally reciting a mantra, which is provided by a certified teacher at an official Transcendental Meditation course and kept secret for life.
Lynch was a major advocate for the technique, which he often said was key to his happiness and creativity. The practice inspired his book Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, and in 2005, he established the David Lynch Foundation, which aimed to spread Transcendental Meditation around the world.
After Lynch finished his morning meditation, he’d head to work. That could look quite different each day, depending on whether he was searching for new ideas, filming on set, promoting a film, or something else. Still, no matter what, and even on set, he always made time for his afternoon meditation session.
David Lynch’s eating habits
Lynch preferred to eat the same meals many times in a row, and sometimes stuck with one dish for months at a time. After meditating, he would typically have a small breakfast—“either some amrit nectar or a small smoothie with protein powder and blueberries and peaches,” he once shared. In a 1997 interview with Marie Claire, he said that at the time, his favored lunch meal consisted of tomatoes, tuna, feta cheese, and olive oil. For dinner, he cited a preference for chicken and broccoli with soy sauce.
Some food habits endured longer than others. His longest-lasting daily meal, he said, was a Bob’s Big Boy chocolate milkshake, which he had at 2:30 p.m. every day for seven years. He also aimed to eat at the same times every single day, no matter what.
Lynch preferred not to cook at home, however. “I don’t allow cooking in my house. The smell. The smell of cooking—when you have drawings, or even writings— that smell would go all over my work,” he said in a 1990 interview with Time. “So I eat things that you don’t have to light a fire for. Or else I order a pizza. The speed at which I eat it, it doesn’t smell up the place too bad. The smell doesn’t last too long.”
For the filmmaker, routine was the foundation that allowed his creativity to fly as freely as it did. “When there’s some sort of order there, then you’re free to mentally go off any place,” he said in a 2000 interview with the journalist Charlie Rose. “You’ve got a safe sort of foundation and a place to spring off from. It is very important for me [in the creative process]…The purer the environment, the more fantastic the interior world can be, it seems to me.”
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