No. 637 – Misirlou

Performer: Dick Dale and His Del-Tones

Songwriters: Fred Wise, Milton Leeds, S.K. Russell, Nicholas Roubanis

Original Release: Surfers’ Choice

Year: 1962

Definitive Version: Music from the Motion Picture Pulp Fiction, 1994. You gotta love the inclusion of the Honeybunny Intro, just like the movie.

I loved Pulp Fiction the first time I saw it. Who didn’t? Debbie.

We saw it at the Drexel Theater in Bexley, which is known for showing arty movies, in the late fall of 1994. Pulp Fiction, of course, got huge advance notice, so we were both eager to see it. I had seen Reservoir Dogs—Debbie hadn’t—so I had some inkling of what to expect as far as the violence and the shifting time that doesn’t follow a single narrative or even a straight line.

And from the opening scene—one of the greatest movie openers of all time in my estimable opinion, which of course gloriously leads into this song—to the finale, with another excellent tune that barely missed making it on this list, the movie was a roller coaster that matched anything Cedar Point threw at you.

As the end credits began to roll, a spontaneous burst of applause erupted from the audience—me included. I can’t remember the last movie that made me feel so alive at the conclusion, and everyone seemed to feel that way.

Everyone, that is, except Debbie. She looked almost in shock. Wasn’t that awesome? Well … I don’t know. I don’t know what I just saw. We left and went to Graeters next door for some ice cream. I couldn’t stop talking about it. And what about this line and that scene? But she couldn’t process it. OK, well, I’ll just let it go, but THAT was a great movie; I can’t wait to see it again. I couldn’t get Debbie to go along with me on that one.

Fortunately, Jin had seen it and was raving about it as much as I was, so we burned up the phone lines talking about it.

A few weeks later, Debbie came home from work one day and exclaimed, I want to go see Pulp Fiction again!

Wait, what? I’d ask who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend, except I’m too busy throwing on my jacket.

Debbie explained that one of her coworkers had just seen it and was talking nonstop about it at work. Andy had been hired a little after Debbie as a counselor and mentor to the students in the program. He was a rabbi and a cool guy. We ended up doing a few things together before he and his wife moved to Florida a few years later.

Anyway, he was talking about it, quoting lines. Perhaps it was his delivery or it had sunk in a bit, but finally Debbie started to think about it more and get into it. Yeah, maybe that WAS a pretty good movie. I need to see it again to be sure.

So we went back to the Drexel a few nights later, and the viewing confirmed her new opinion. This time she had a smile on her face all the way through, just as I had the first time. She admitted I was right; it was a great movie. I guess she just needed more time to process it all before she signed off on my opinion.

And with that, the balcony is now closed.