Kill Bill: The Director’s Cut

While “Kill Bill: Vol. 1″ and “Vol. 2″ have long been available on DVD, die-hard fans had reason to rejoice Saturday when Quentin Tarantino treated a sold-out Alamo Drafthouse to a special presentation of a new, extended version of his kung fu opus.

The epic 245-minute director’s cut combines both volumes of The Bride’s (Uma Thurman) odyssey of vengeance against David Carradine’s titular character.

“My whole idea was to release the movie like this at some point after the initial release,” Tarantino said.

“The only problem was, I had worked so hard on ‘Kill Bill,’ I didn’t want to think about ‘Kill Bill’ for two years, I was like, (expletive) that. I was sick of doing it, all right, but now I’m ready.”

Saturday’s screening was the uncut version’s first since its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

The 35mm print still featured French subtitles.

Already controversially violent in its theatrical incarnation, a number of minor changes increase the hemoglobin count, especially early on in the climactic “House of Blue Leaves” showdown.

The sequence originally had to be trimmed and converted to black and white to finesse an “R” rating, but now all the gory details and arterial hijinks are fully restored in glorious Technicolor.

The new film also sports a dedication to Kinji Fukasaku, the prolific Japanese filmmaker who died while filming the sequel to his cult hit “Battle Royale” in 2003.

Actress Julie Manase — daughter of legendary martial artist Sonny Chiba, who played Hattori Hanzo in Vol. 1 — attended the screening. She played a member of the Crazy 88s in the film. Also in the audience were actors Kurt Russell and Marley Shelton and San Antonio native Robert Rodriguez, who is in Austin shooting “Grind House.” That collaboration with Tarantino is slated for release in April 2007.

While currently only available in Asia, a U.S. release of the uncut, uncensored “Kill Bill” is in the works.

“This version of the film will be playing around all over the place, in America, in revival houses and all that good stuff,” Tarantino said.

A Miramax camera crew was on hand to capture audience reactions after the screening for TV spots to coincide with the re-release, which will hit art houses in late 2007.