Reservoir Dogs – The Beginning

They were perfect strangers, assembled to pull off the perfect crime. Their simple robbery explodes into a bloody ambush, and the ruthless killers realise one of them is a police informer. But which one?

Ok I’m back on a spanking new dual xeon server in the same data center as Wall Street!

To continue with my look at classic movies, this film is the definition of a cult classic, not so mainstream as Pulp Fiction, few people had watched it when Pulp Fiction[/url] game out, it gained popularity when people went back to watch it after. Even though it’s an old movie (1992) it still ranks up there at number 73 on the top 250.

It has some classic dialogue, some infamous scenes and a brutal efficiency not seen before, it’s also chronologically mismatched, introducing each character one by one, like in the later films the story threads are re-arranged, most of Tarantino’s films start out with the end.

When Taratino made this movie he was a young nerdy bum, working in a movie store, totally obsessed with movies, running his own movie theme nights, watching as many movies and buying as much movie stuff as possible. Somehow the script got into the hands of Harvey Keitel, and that was it, Quentin and his partner had no money…so Harvey pumped some in to take them to New York for casting and he got some other people involved, he also co-produced the film and added some weight to it.

It’s shows what having someone ‘big’ on your side can really do.

The thing to notice is, this movie needs great actors, yes there is some violence, but it’s 95% dialogue, it’s not an action movie, these criminals are afforded superior intelligence, and are each unique characters, which get explained along the way. And it’s mostly shot in one location, the warehouse.

Tarantino’s genius does show through in parts of the movie, like the infamous torture scene, where Vic Vega puts on the radio and is dancing around to Stealer’s Wheel – Stuck In The Middle With You. It’s a light and bouncy song, playing through-out the torture scene…so you are already guilty of enjoying it, you enjoyed the song, you enjoyed Vega’s dance, so now you get the hard-stuff. If you look at it this way, it’s pretty sick, but it works, and has the desired effect.

It was also the first movie with what’s now become one of Tarantino’s signatures, the 3-way face off.

I rate this movie a decent 7/10

A good start to Tarantino’s career, and certainly made an impact, not perfect, but engaging and well executed.

Related Entries:
The Usual Suspects[/url]
Pulp Fiction – The Coolest Movie Ever?[/url]

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10 Responses to Reservoir Dogs – The Beginning

  1. kimberlycun June 15, 2005 at 9:27 pm #

    the movie’s ok but there’s one thing i can’t get over, there is not a freakin chick in there! wtf?

  2. FireAngel June 16, 2005 at 4:12 am #

    I’ve never seen this show b4. Ever. What are you doing man? a Quentin movie marathon isit?

    Is it anywhere near as good as the usual suspects?

  3. ShaolinTiger June 16, 2005 at 4:38 am #

    Yeah something like that, just generally some of the older movies I have on DVD, going back and enjoying them again.

    Savour the flavour!

    Would be a Quentin marathon if my Kill Bill 2 DVD wasn’t rosak, I might pick up Jackie Brown aswell and see if I enjoy it any more than I did first time.

  4. tiger June 16, 2005 at 5:27 am #

    The ideal Tarantino marathon would be:

    1) Reservoir Dogs
    2) Dusk To Dawn
    3) Jackie Brown – 1st intermission
    4) Pulp Fiction
    5) Kill Bill 1
    6) Four Rooms – 2nd intermission
    7) Kiil Bill 2
    8) Natural Born Killers

    or something like that. I reckon it would be do-able over a weekend – I’ll bring the crisps 😛

  5. S-Kay June 16, 2005 at 8:28 am #

    My BF is a big fan of tarantino’s movie and but I’ve only watched a few of the older ones and the recent ones. My first was Pulp Fiction. I remembered watching it on Laser Disc back then. So long ago. Hahahhaha

  6. Dabido (Teflon) June 16, 2005 at 10:47 am #

    If my memory serves me correct, there is a chick in the movie – she shoots Mr Orange! Not a big part, but a pivotal one – after all, if Mr Orange doesn’t get shot, then a lot just wouldn’t make sense!

  7. Dabido (Teflon) June 16, 2005 at 10:53 am #

    You forgot True Romance.

    Notice the remark at the beginning of Resevoir Dogs when Mr White is asked how “Alabama” was … same character as the “Alabama” character in True Romance. I have a vague recollection of him saying that True Romance was actually written before Reservoir Dogs (though made after it) – he said that the main character “Clarance” was basically him when he was working at the Video Store. In the original screenplay Clarance and Alabama die in the end. I tihnk he changed the end in order to sell the script. (Something like that anyway!)
    Geees I know a lot of s**t!

  8. Dabido (Teflon) June 16, 2005 at 10:55 am #

    I saw Reservoir Dogs a few times when it first came out. My flatmate at the time was really into it.

    First three times I saw it, I had to walk out of the scene where Mr Blonde tortures the cop! Yes, I am squeeeemish! I can’t stand seeing people suffer! I feel their pain … even when it’s only acting! 🙂

  9. vlad June 19, 2005 at 10:51 pm #

    It influenced a little part of my life, maybe a lot others too when Mr. Pink insisted that he doesn’t tip.

    Okay I lied, sometimes I’m a cheapo. Haha

 
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