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115-401: True Romance began life as an early script by Tarantino; he sold the screenplay in order to finance his debut feature film, Reservoir Dogs (1992). It is regarded by proponents as a cross-section of writer Tarantino and director Scott's respective trademarks, including a Southern California setting, pop cultural references, and stylized violence punctuated by slow motion . Though initially

230-483: A box-office failure , the film's positive reviews, with critics praising the dialogue, characters, and off-beat style, helped it earn a cult following . It has come to be considered one of Scott's best films and one of the best American films of the 1990s. At a Detroit theater showing kung fu films , Alabama Whitman strikes up a conversation with Elvis Presley fanatic Clarence Worley. They later have sex at his downtown apartment. Alabama tearfully confesses that she

345-405: A no-show job . Blonde is grateful but insists that he wants to get back to "real work", and they recruit him for the heist. In the present, White and Pink beat Nash for information. Eddie arrives and orders them to go with him to ditch the getaway vehicles, leaving Blonde in charge of Nash and Orange. Nash denies knowledge, but Blonde ignores him and resumes the torture, cutting off Nash's ear with

460-559: A cop pretending to be a robber". The film contains multiple homages to other films. Tarantino himself has said that Reservoir Dogs was influenced by Stanley Kubrick 's 1956 film noir The Killing : "I didn't go out of my way to do a rip-off of The Killing , but I did think of it as my 'Killing', my take on that kind of heist movie." The film's plot was also inspired by the 1952 film Kansas City Confidential . Additionally, Joseph H. Lewis 's 1955 film The Big Combo and Sergio Corbucci 's 1966 Spaghetti Western Django inspired

575-559: A cop pretending to be a robber". The film contains multiple homages to other films. Tarantino himself has said that Reservoir Dogs was influenced by Stanley Kubrick 's 1956 film noir The Killing : "I didn't go out of my way to do a rip-off of The Killing , but I did think of it as my 'Killing', my take on that kind of heist movie." The film's plot was also inspired by the 1952 film Kansas City Confidential . Additionally, Joseph H. Lewis 's 1955 film The Big Combo and Sergio Corbucci 's 1966 Spaghetti Western Django inspired

690-414: A crash is heard outside and gunshots follow. As White cradles the dying Orange in his arms, Orange confesses that he is a police officer. White presses his gun to Orange's head. The police storm the warehouse and order White to drop his gun. White is killed by the police after he shoots Orange . Rich Turner played Sheriff #1. Nina Siemaszko played police officer Jody McClusky; her scenes were deleted from

805-414: A crash is heard outside and gunshots follow. As White cradles the dying Orange in his arms, Orange confesses that he is a police officer. White presses his gun to Orange's head. The police storm the warehouse and order White to drop his gun. White is killed by the police after he shoots Orange . Rich Turner played Sheriff #1. Nina Siemaszko played police officer Jody McClusky; her scenes were deleted from

920-547: A critical success, True Romance was a box office failure. The film earned $ 4 million during its opening weekend, ranking in third place behind The Fugitive and Undercover Blues . It was given a domestic release and earned $ 12.3 million on a $ 12.5 million budget. Despite this, the film developed a cult following over the years. Empire ranked True Romance the 83rd greatest film of all time in 2017, writing: "Tony Scott's handling of Quentin Tarantino's script came off like

1035-410: A diamond heist. White flees with Orange, who was shot during the escape and is bleeding profusely in the back seat of a car driven by White. At their hideout, White and Orange rendezvous with Pink, who believes that the job was a setup and that the police were waiting for them. White informs him that Brown is dead, Blue and Blonde are missing, and Blonde murdered several civilians during the heist. White

1150-400: A disc of bonus features such as interviews with the cast and crew. However, the full screen version on the second disc was a pan and scan transfer from the 2.39:1 widescreen version, as opposed to open matte like the 1997 DVD. For the film's 15th anniversary, Lionsgate (which had purchased Artisan in the interim) produced a two-disc anniversary edition with a remastered 16:9 transfer and

1265-400: A disc of bonus features such as interviews with the cast and crew. However, the full screen version on the second disc was a pan and scan transfer from the 2.39:1 widescreen version, as opposed to open matte like the 1997 DVD. For the film's 15th anniversary, Lionsgate (which had purchased Artisan in the interim) produced a two-disc anniversary edition with a remastered 16:9 transfer and

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1380-402: A few minutes of screen time, Gary Oldman crafts one of cinema's most memorable villains: the brutal, dreadlocked pimp Drexl Spivey. Even in a movie jammed with memorable cameos from screen luminaries [...] Oldman's scar-faced, dead-eyed, lethal gangster stood out." Jason Serafino of Complex magazine named Spivey as one of the top five coolest drug dealers in movie history, writing: "He's not in

1495-473: A gallery of oddball performances, Tony Scott's True Romance is a funny and violent action jaunt in the best sense." On Metacritic the film received a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. Phil Villarreal of the Arizona Daily Star called it "one of

1610-453: A jewelry store goes terribly wrong. Kirk Baltz , Randy Brooks , and Steven Wright also play supporting roles. The film incorporates many motifs that have become Tarantino's hallmarks: violent crime, pop culture references, profanity, and nonlinear storytelling . The film is regarded as a classic of independent film and a cult film. Although controversial at first for its depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity, Reservoir Dogs

1725-449: A large amount of cocaine that Drexl had stolen from two drug pushers. The couple visits Clarence's estranged father Clifford, a retired cop, for help. He tells Clarence the police assume Drexl's murder is a gang killing committed in revenge for the murdered dealers. After the couple leave for Los Angeles , Clifford is interrogated by Vincenzo Coccotti, consigliere to mobster "Blue Lou Boyle", who had hired Drexl to steal and distribute

1840-399: A maniacal rage. Clarence tends to Alabama's wounds, and they discuss their future together. Elliot is pulled over for speeding and gets charged when his mistress hits him with a bag of cocaine and spills it on him. To stay out of jail, he agrees to wear a wire and record the drug deal between Clarence and Donowitz for police detectives Dimes and Nicholson. Coccotti's men also learn about where

1955-474: A moving train approaching the camera and ducked. Bernard said that Reservoir Dogs had a similar effect and people were not ready for it. Vincent Canby of The New York Times enjoyed the cast and the usage of non-linear storytelling. He similarly complimented Tarantino's directing and liked the fact that he did not often use close-ups in the film. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times also enjoyed

2070-416: A moving train approaching the camera and ducked. Bernard said that Reservoir Dogs had a similar effect and people were not ready for it. Vincent Canby of The New York Times enjoyed the cast and the usage of non-linear storytelling. He similarly complimented Tarantino's directing and liked the fact that he did not often use close-ups in the film. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times also enjoyed

2185-460: A new supplement, but not all of the extra features from the 10th Anniversary edition. In particular, the interviews with the cast and crew were removed, and a new 48-minute-long feature called "Tributes and Dedications" was included. Lionsgate Home Entertainment celebrated the 30th anniversary of Reservoir Dogs with a 4K Blu-ray release, which was released in the U.S. on November 15, 2022. The Reservoir Dogs: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2300-460: A new supplement, but not all of the extra features from the 10th Anniversary edition. In particular, the interviews with the cast and crew were removed, and a new 48-minute-long feature called "Tributes and Dedications" was included. Lionsgate Home Entertainment celebrated the 30th anniversary of Reservoir Dogs with a 4K Blu-ray release, which was released in the U.S. on November 15, 2022. The Reservoir Dogs: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2415-497: A police officer chasing Mr. Pink. Bender gave the script to his acting teacher, whose wife gave the script to Harvey Keitel. Keitel liked it enough to sign as a co-producer so Tarantino and Bender would have an easier job finding funding; with his assistance, they raised $ 1.5 million. Keitel also paid for Tarantino and Bender to host casting sessions in New York, where the duo found Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, and Tim Roth. Jon Cryer

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2530-446: A police officer chasing Mr. Pink. Bender gave the script to his acting teacher, whose wife gave the script to Harvey Keitel. Keitel liked it enough to sign as a co-producer so Tarantino and Bender would have an easier job finding funding; with his assistance, they raised $ 1.5 million. Keitel also paid for Tarantino and Bender to host casting sessions in New York, where the duo found Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, and Tim Roth. Jon Cryer

2645-514: A psychopath. Pink has hidden the diamonds nearby and argues with White over whether to get medical attention for Orange, and the pair draw guns on each other. They stand down when Blonde arrives with a kidnapped policeman, Marvin Nash. Sometime earlier, Blonde meets with the Cabots, having been paroled after a four-year prison sentence. To reward him for not giving Joe's name to the authorities, they offer him

2760-547: A short clip of his performance in True Romance . Gandolfini ultimately received the role ahead of several other actors, including Steven Van Zandt and Michael Rispoli . In the trance song "Solarcoaster" by Solarstone , a sample is used from the film. The sample includes the line spoken by Alabama, "That three words went through my mind endlessly. Repeating themselves like a broken record. You're so cool. You're so cool. You're so cool." Hans Zimmer's first track "You're So Cool"

2875-422: A straight razor. He prepares to set him on fire, but Orange shoots Blonde dead. Orange reveals to Nash that he is an undercover police officer , and that the police will arrive when Joe comes to the warehouse. When Eddie, Pink, and White return, Orange tries to convince them that Blonde planned to kill them all and steal the diamonds for himself. Eddie shoots and kills Nash and accuses Orange of lying, since Blonde

2990-422: A straight razor. He prepares to set him on fire, but Orange shoots Blonde dead. Orange reveals to Nash that he is an undercover police officer , and that the police will arrive when Joe comes to the warehouse. When Eddie, Pink, and White return, Orange tries to convince them that Blonde planned to kill them all and steal the diamonds for himself. Eddie shoots and kills Nash and accuses Orange of lying, since Blonde

3105-583: A survey conducted with 500 filmmakers and critics in honor of the festival's 40th anniversary. In the United Kingdom, release of the VHS rental video was delayed until 1995 due to the British Board of Film Classification initially refusing the film a home video certificate (UK releases are required to be certified separately for theatrical release and for viewing at home). The latter is a requirement by law due to

3220-425: A survey conducted with 500 filmmakers and critics in honor of the festival's 40th anniversary. In the United Kingdom, release of the VHS rental video was delayed until 1995 due to the British Board of Film Classification initially refusing the film a home video certificate (UK releases are required to be certified separately for theatrical release and for viewing at home). The latter is a requirement by law due to

3335-434: Is a call girl hired by Clarence's boss as a birthday present but has fallen in love with him. The two get married the next day at City Hall. An apparition of Elvis visits Clarence and convinces him to kill Alabama's abusive pimp , Drexl Spivey. Going to the brothel where Alabama worked, he shoots and kills Drexl and takes a bag he assumes contains Alabama's belongings. Back at the apartment, he and Alabama discover it contains

3450-556: Is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length debut. It stars Harvey Keitel , Tim Roth , Chris Penn , Steve Buscemi , Lawrence Tierney , Michael Madsen , Tarantino, and Edward Bunker as diamond thieves whose heist of a jewelry store goes terribly wrong. Kirk Baltz , Randy Brooks , and Steven Wright also play supporting roles. The film incorporates many motifs that have become Tarantino's hallmarks: violent crime, pop culture references, profanity, and nonlinear storytelling . The film

3565-428: Is an adaptation of Carl Orff 's " Gassenhauer " for marimba . True Romance was originally released by Warner Home Video on VHS on September 12, 1994. This release contains only the director's cut, however the theatrical cut was released on an R rated rental VHS. The DVD was released on September 24, 2002, as a Two-Disc set. It was later released on Blu-ray on May 26, 2009. Again, these releases only contain

True Romance - Misplaced Pages Continue

3680-465: Is furious that Joe, his old friend, would employ Blonde, whom he describes as a psychopath. Pink has hidden the diamonds nearby and argues with White over whether to get medical attention for Orange, and the pair draw guns on each other. They stand down when Blonde arrives with a kidnapped policeman, Marvin Nash. Sometime earlier, Blonde meets with the Cabots, having been paroled after a four-year prison sentence. To reward him for not giving Joe's name to

3795-507: Is regarded as a classic of independent film and a cult film. Although controversial at first for its depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity, Reservoir Dogs was generally well-received, and the cast was praised by many critics. Despite not being heavily promoted during its theatrical run, the film became a modest success in the United States after grossing $ 2.9 million against its scant budget. It achieved higher popularity after

3910-405: Is regarded as an important and influential milestone of independent filmmaking . Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 90% based on 81 reviews, and an average rating of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thrumming with intelligence and energy, Reservoir Dogs opens Quentin Tarantino's filmmaking career with hard-hitting style." On Metacritic

4025-405: Is regarded as an important and influential milestone of independent filmmaking . Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 90% based on 81 reviews, and an average rating of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thrumming with intelligence and energy, Reservoir Dogs opens Quentin Tarantino's filmmaking career with hard-hitting style." On Metacritic

4140-468: Is wounded as he exits the bathroom. He and Alabama escape with Donowitz's money as more police arrive. They flee to Mexico, where Alabama gives birth to a son, whom they name Elvis. Additionally, Patricia Arquette's son Enzo Rossi plays Elvis in the final scene of the movie. The title and plot are a play on the titles of romance comic books such as True Life Secrets , True Stories of Romance , Romance Tales , Untamed Love and Strange Love . The film

4255-638: The Video Recordings Act 1984 . Following the UK VHS release approval, PolyGram released a "Mr Blonde Deluxe Edition", which included an interview with Tarantino and several memorabilia associated with the character Mr. Blonde, such as sunglasses and a chrome toothpick holder. Region 1 DVDs of Reservoir Dogs have been released multiple times. The first release was a single two-sided disc from LIVE Entertainment , released in June 1997 and featuring two versions of

4370-480: The Video Recordings Act 1984 . Following the UK VHS release approval, PolyGram released a "Mr Blonde Deluxe Edition", which included an interview with Tarantino and several memorabilia associated with the character Mr. Blonde, such as sunglasses and a chrome toothpick holder. Region 1 DVDs of Reservoir Dogs have been released multiple times. The first release was a single two-sided disc from LIVE Entertainment , released in June 1997 and featuring two versions of

4485-470: The 1970s. It was named "Greatest Independent Film of All Time" by the British film magazine Empire , who in 2008 also named it the 97th-greatest film ever made. Eight men eat breakfast at a diner. All but the boss and his son, Joe Cabot and "Nice Guy" Eddie Cabot, use aliases: Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Pink. The men carry out a diamond heist. White flees with Orange, who

4600-513: The Seventies Weekend", a themed weekend show of broadcasts of songs from the seventies. The radio station played a prominent role in the film. The DJ for the radio was chosen to be Steven Wright , a comedian known for his deadpan delivery of jokes. An unusual feature of the soundtrack was the choice of songs; Tarantino has said that he feels the music to be a counterpoint to the on-screen violence and action. He also stated that he wished for

4715-453: The Seventies Weekend", a themed weekend show of broadcasts of songs from the seventies. The radio station played a prominent role in the film. The DJ for the radio was chosen to be Steven Wright , a comedian known for his deadpan delivery of jokes. An unusual feature of the soundtrack was the choice of songs; Tarantino has said that he feels the music to be a counterpoint to the on-screen violence and action. He also stated that he wished for

True Romance - Misplaced Pages Continue

4830-485: The United States in 19 theaters on October 9, 1992, with a first week total of $ 147,839. It was expanded to 61 theaters on October 23, 1992, and totaled $ 2,832,029 at the domestic box office. The film grossed more than double that in the United Kingdom, where it did not receive a home video release until 1995. During the period of unavailability on home video, the film was re-released in UK cinemas in June 1994. Reservoir Dogs

4945-440: The United States in 19 theaters on October 9, 1992, with a first week total of $ 147,839. It was expanded to 61 theaters on October 23, 1992, and totaled $ 2,832,029 at the domestic box office. The film grossed more than double that in the United Kingdom, where it did not receive a home video release until 1995. During the period of unavailability on home video, the film was re-released in UK cinemas in June 1994. Reservoir Dogs

5060-437: The authorities, they offer him a no-show job . Blonde is grateful but insists that he wants to get back to "real work", and they recruit him for the heist. In the present, White and Pink beat Nash for information. Eddie arrives and orders them to go with him to ditch the getaway vehicles, leaving Blonde in charge of Nash and Orange. Nash denies knowledge, but Blonde ignores him and resumes the torture, cutting off Nash's ear with

5175-439: The bathroom, the vision of Elvis reassures him that things are going well. Donowitz and his bodyguards are ambushed by the cops and the mobsters. Elliot reveals himself to be an informant by asking the cops if he could leave, whereupon a shootout erupts. Dick throws the suitcase of drugs into the air, where it gets shredded by gunfire, and flees. Donowitz, his bodyguards, Elliot, the cops, and the mobsters are all killed, and Clarence

5290-440: The cinematic equivalent of cocaine-flavoured bubble-gum: a bright, flavoursome confection that had an intoxicatingly violent kick. It also drew some tremendous big names to its supporting cast." The Hopper/Walken scene, colloquially named "The Sicilian scene", was praised by Oliver Lyttelton of IndieWire , who called it "one of the most beautiful tête-à-têtes in contemporary cinema, wonderfully written and made utterly iconic by

5405-499: The cocaine on his behalf. He reveals that the mob knows about Clarence's theft since they found his driver's license near Drexl's body. Clifford, realizing he will die anyway, mockingly defies Coccotti, who shoots him dead. One of his men then finds a Los Angeles address taped to Clifford's refrigerator. In Los Angeles, Clarence and Alabama meet Clarence's aspiring actor friend, Dick Ritchie, who introduces him to actor and production assistant Elliot Blitzer. He reluctantly agrees to broker

5520-476: The deal will take place from Dick's stoner roommate Floyd. Clarence, Alabama, Dick, and Elliot go to Donowitz's suite at the Ambassador Hotel with the drugs. In the elevator, a suspicious Clarence threatens Elliot at gunpoint but is persuaded by Elliot's pleading for mercy. Clarence fabricates a story for Donowitz that the drugs were given to him by a corrupt cop, and he agrees to the sale. Excusing himself to

5635-450: The desperate plea "I've got a little kid at home." Many people walked out during the film. During a screening at Sitges Film Festival , 15 people walked out, including horror film director Wes Craven and special makeup effects artist Rick Baker . Baker later told Tarantino to take the walkout as a "compliment" and explained that he found the violence unnerving because of its heightened sense of realism. Tarantino commented about it at

5750-450: The desperate plea "I've got a little kid at home." Many people walked out during the film. During a screening at Sitges Film Festival , 15 people walked out, including horror film director Wes Craven and special makeup effects artist Rick Baker . Baker later told Tarantino to take the walkout as a "compliment" and explained that he found the violence unnerving because of its heightened sense of realism. Tarantino commented about it at

5865-459: The details of the heist ambiguous. By not showing the robbery and having the characters describe it, Tarantino explained, the film is allowed to be "about other things", similar to the way in which the burglary in Glengarry Glen Ross and its film adaptation is discussed, described, and debated, but never shown. Tarantino compared the technique to the work of a novelist, and said he wanted

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5980-399: The details of the heist ambiguous. By not showing the robbery and having the characters describe it, Tarantino explained, the film is allowed to be "about other things", similar to the way in which the burglary in Glengarry Glen Ross and its film adaptation is discussed, described, and debated, but never shown. Tarantino compared the technique to the work of a novelist, and said he wanted

6095-660: The director's cut, the theatrical cut remained excluded. The 4K UHD Blu-ray was released on June 28, 2022 by Arrow Video. Unlike the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases, this release contains the theatrical cut for the first time since the original VHS release, it also includes the director's cut from past DVD and Blu-ray releases. Reservoir Dogs Reservoir Dogs is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length debut. It stars Harvey Keitel , Tim Roth , Chris Penn , Steve Buscemi , Lawrence Tierney , Michael Madsen , Tarantino, and Edward Bunker as diamond thieves whose heist of

6210-478: The ear-cutting scene to the shower murder scene in Alfred Hitchcock 's Psycho and Tarantino to David Lynch . He furthermore explored parallels between Reservoir Dogs and Glengarry Glen Ross . Todd McCarthy, who called the film "undeniably impressive", was of the opinion that it was influenced by Mean Streets , Goodfellas , and Stanley Kubrick 's The Killing . After this film, Tarantino himself

6325-420: The ear-cutting scene to the shower murder scene in Alfred Hitchcock 's Psycho and Tarantino to David Lynch . He furthermore explored parallels between Reservoir Dogs and Glengarry Glen Ross . Todd McCarthy, who called the film "undeniably impressive", was of the opinion that it was influenced by Mean Streets , Goodfellas , and Stanley Kubrick 's The Killing . After this film, Tarantino himself

6440-418: The end of the first week of production. The warehouse scenes were filmed in an unused mortuary filled with coffins, funeral equipment, embalming fluid, and a hearse. Mr. Orange's apartment was a room on the second floor of the mortuary, set to look like living quarters. The building has since been demolished. Tarantino's decision not to film the diamond robbery was twofold: for budgetary reasons, and to keep

6555-418: The end of the first week of production. The warehouse scenes were filmed in an unused mortuary filled with coffins, funeral equipment, embalming fluid, and a hearse. Mr. Orange's apartment was a room on the second floor of the mortuary, set to look like living quarters. The building has since been demolished. Tarantino's decision not to film the diamond robbery was twofold: for budgetary reasons, and to keep

6670-439: The film and the acting, particularly that of Buscemi, Tierney and Madsen, and said "Tarantino's palpable enthusiasm, his unapologetic passion for what he's created, reinvigorates this venerable plot and, mayhem aside, makes it involving for longer than you might suspect." Critic James Berardinelli was of a similar opinion; he complimented both the cast and Tarantino's dialogue writing abilities. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post

6785-439: The film and the acting, particularly that of Buscemi, Tierney and Madsen, and said "Tarantino's palpable enthusiasm, his unapologetic passion for what he's created, reinvigorates this venerable plot and, mayhem aside, makes it involving for longer than you might suspect." Critic James Berardinelli was of a similar opinion; he complimented both the cast and Tarantino's dialogue writing abilities. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post

6900-466: The film for a long time, but the few scant moments that Gary Oldman plays the psychopathic dealer Drexl Spivey make True Romance a classic ... Oldman gave us a glimpse at one of cinema's most unfiltered sociopaths." Maxim journalist Thomas Freeman ranked Spivey as the greatest performance of Oldman's career. " Robbers ", a song by the English indie rock band The 1975 from their 2013 debut album ,

7015-554: The film has an average score of 81 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Empire magazine named it the "Greatest Independent Film" ever made. At the film's release at the Sundance Film Festival, film critic Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News compared the effect of Reservoir Dogs to that of the 1895 film L'Arrivée d'un Train en Gare de la Ciotat , when audiences supposedly saw

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7130-429: The film has an average score of 81 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Empire magazine named it the "Greatest Independent Film" ever made. At the film's release at the Sundance Film Festival, film critic Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News compared the effect of Reservoir Dogs to that of the 1895 film L'Arrivée d'un Train en Gare de la Ciotat , when audiences supposedly saw

7245-602: The film to be about something not seen and to "play with a real-time clock as opposed to a movie clock ticking". Reservoir Dogs premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1992. It became the festival's most talked-about film, and it was subsequently picked up for distribution by Miramax Films . After being shown at several other film festivals, including in Cannes , Sitges , and Toronto , Reservoir Dogs opened in

7360-440: The film to be about something not seen and to "play with a real-time clock as opposed to a movie clock ticking". Reservoir Dogs premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1992. It became the festival's most talked-about film, and it was subsequently picked up for distribution by Miramax Films . After being shown at several other film festivals, including in Cannes , Sitges , and Toronto , Reservoir Dogs opened in

7475-551: The film to have a 1950s feel while using '70s music. A prominent instance of this is the torture scene to the tune of " Stuck in the Middle with You ". A video game based on the film was released in 2006 for PC , Xbox , and PlayStation 2 . However, the game does not feature the likeness of any of the actors with the exception of Michael Madsen . The game was received unfavorably, with GameSpot calling it "an out and out failure". It caused controversy for its amount of violence and it

7590-502: The film to have a 1950s feel while using '70s music. A prominent instance of this is the torture scene to the tune of " Stuck in the Middle with You ". A video game based on the film was released in 2006 for PC , Xbox , and PlayStation 2 . However, the game does not feature the likeness of any of the actors with the exception of Michael Madsen . The game was received unfavorably, with GameSpot calling it "an out and out failure". It caused controversy for its amount of violence and it

7705-438: The film two and a half stars out of four and said that while he enjoyed it and that it was a very good film from a talented director, "I liked what I saw, but I wanted more." The film has received substantial criticism for its strong violence and language. One scene that viewers found particularly unnerving was the ear-cutting scene. Madsen himself reportedly had great difficulty finishing it, especially after Kirk Baltz ad-libbed

7820-438: The film two and a half stars out of four and said that while he enjoyed it and that it was a very good film from a talented director, "I liked what I saw, but I wanted more." The film has received substantial criticism for its strong violence and language. One scene that viewers found particularly unnerving was the ear-cutting scene. Madsen himself reportedly had great difficulty finishing it, especially after Kirk Baltz ad-libbed

7935-400: The film was "stylistically visceral" yet "aesthetically corrupt". Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, " True Romance , a vibrant, grisly, gleefully amoral road movie directed by Tony Scott and dominated by the machismo of Quentin Tarantino (who wrote this screenplay before he directed Reservoir Dogs ), is sure to offend a good-sized segment of the moviegoing population". Although

8050-693: The film's plot is out of chronological order. Kaante , a Bollywood film released in 2002, is a remake of Reservoir Dogs , combined with elements of City on Fire . The film also borrows plot points from Heat and The Killing . Tarantino has been quoted as saying that Kaante is his favorite among the many films inspired by his work. Tarantino later screened Kaante at his New Beverly Cinema alongside Reservoir Dogs and City on Fire . Tarantino revealed in June 2021 that he had at one point considered remaking Reservoir Dogs as his tenth and final directed film, though he quickly iterated that he "won't do it". Reservoir Dogs Reservoir Dogs

8165-425: The film: the original letterbox 2.39:1 widescreen version and an open matte 1.33:1 full screen version. Five years later, on August 27, 2002, Artisan Entertainment (who changed their name from LIVE Entertainment in the interim) released a two-disc 10th anniversary edition on DVD and VHS featuring multiple covers color-coded to match the nicknames of five of the characters (Pink, White, Orange, Blonde, and Brown) and

8280-425: The film: the original letterbox 2.39:1 widescreen version and an open matte 1.33:1 full screen version. Five years later, on August 27, 2002, Artisan Entertainment (who changed their name from LIVE Entertainment in the interim) released a two-disc 10th anniversary edition on DVD and VHS featuring multiple covers color-coded to match the nicknames of five of the characters (Pink, White, Orange, Blonde, and Brown) and

8395-460: The irony in its ending scenes. Mark Irwin also made the connection between Reservoir Dogs and classic American noir. Caroline Jewers called Reservoir Dogs a "feudal epic" and paralleled the color pseudonyms to color names of medieval knights. Critics have observed parallels between Reservoir Dogs and other films. For its nonlinear storyline, Reservoir Dogs has often been compared to Akira Kurosawa 's Rashomon . Critic John Hartl compared

8510-460: The irony in its ending scenes. Mark Irwin also made the connection between Reservoir Dogs and classic American noir. Caroline Jewers called Reservoir Dogs a "feudal epic" and paralleled the color pseudonyms to color names of medieval knights. Critics have observed parallels between Reservoir Dogs and other films. For its nonlinear storyline, Reservoir Dogs has often been compared to Akira Kurosawa 's Rashomon . Critic John Hartl compared

8625-560: The most dynamic action films of the 1990s". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it three stars, saying "it's Tarantino's gutter poetry that detonates True Romance . This movie is dynamite." Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review remarking that "the energy and style of the movie are exhilarating", and that "the supporting cast is superb, a roll call of actors at home in these violent waters: Christopher Walken , Dennis Hopper , and Brad Pitt , for example". A negative review by The Washington Post ' s Richard Harrington claimed

8740-419: The nonlinear narrative he wrote to a more conventional linear structure, it was largely faithful to his original screenplay. He initially opposed director Tony Scott's decision to change the ending (which Scott maintained was of his own volition, not the studio's, saying "I just fell in love with these two characters and didn't want to see them die"). When seeing the completed film, he realized Scott's happy ending

8855-525: The only black actor in the film). Critic Elvis Mitchell suggested that Reitman's version of the script was taking the source material back to its roots since the characters "all sound like black dudes." The film was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival . It won the Critic's Award at the 4th Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in February 1993, which Tarantino attended. The film

8970-425: The only black actor in the film). Critic Elvis Mitchell suggested that Reitman's version of the script was taking the source material back to its roots since the characters "all sound like black dudes." The film was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival . It won the Critic's Award at the 4th Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in February 1993, which Tarantino attended. The film

9085-413: The originally white cast: Laurence Fishburne as Mr. White; Terrence Howard as Mr. Blonde; Anthony Mackie as Mr. Pink; Cuba Gooding Jr. as Mr. Orange; Chi McBride as Joe Cabot; Anthony Anderson as Nice Guy Eddie (Joe Cabot's son); Common as both Mr. Brown and Officer Nash (the torture victim of Mr. Blonde), and Patton Oswalt as Holdaway (the mentor cop who was originally played by Randy Brooks,

9200-413: The originally white cast: Laurence Fishburne as Mr. White; Terrence Howard as Mr. Blonde; Anthony Mackie as Mr. Pink; Cuba Gooding Jr. as Mr. Orange; Chi McBride as Joe Cabot; Anthony Anderson as Nice Guy Eddie (Joe Cabot's son); Common as both Mr. Brown and Officer Nash (the torture victim of Mr. Blonde), and Patton Oswalt as Holdaway (the mentor cop who was originally played by Randy Brooks,

9315-401: The sale of the drugs to his boss, film producer Lee Donowitz. While Clarence is out buying lunch, Coccotti's enforcer Virgil finds Alabama in her motel room and beats her for information. Alabama fights back, stabbing him with a corkscrew, putting nail polish remover in his eyes and using hairspray to set fire to Virgil's face before grabbing his sawed-off shotgun , and shooting him to death in

9430-504: The scene where a police officer is tortured in a chair. Having the main characters named after colors (Mr. Pink, White, Brown, etc.) was first seen in the 1974 film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three . The film also contains key elements similar to those found in Ringo Lam 's 1987 film City on Fire . Tarantino praised the film City on Fire and mentioned it as a major influence. Tarantino said that everybody hated Lawrence Tierney by

9545-453: The scene where a police officer is tortured in a chair. Having the main characters named after colors (Mr. Pink, White, Brown, etc.) was first seen in the 1974 film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three . The film also contains key elements similar to those found in Ringo Lam 's 1987 film City on Fire . Tarantino praised the film City on Fire and mentioned it as a major influence. Tarantino said that everybody hated Lawrence Tierney by

9660-543: The style of dialogue and narrative that Tarantino incorporates into both films. Specifically the relationship between white people and black people plays a big part in the films—though underplayed in Reservoir Dogs . Stanley Crouch of The New York Times compared the way the white criminals speak of black people in Reservoir Dogs to the way they are spoken of in Scorsese's Mean Streets and Goodfellas . Crouch observed

9775-436: The style of dialogue and narrative that Tarantino incorporates into both films. Specifically the relationship between white people and black people plays a big part in the films—though underplayed in Reservoir Dogs . Stanley Crouch of The New York Times compared the way the white criminals speak of black people in Reservoir Dogs to the way they are spoken of in Scorsese's Mean Streets and Goodfellas . Crouch observed

9890-519: The success of Tarantino's next film, Pulp Fiction (1994). A soundtrack was released featuring songs used in the film, which are mostly from the 1970s. It was named "Greatest Independent Film of All Time" by the British film magazine Empire , who in 2008 also named it the 97th-greatest film ever made. Eight men eat breakfast at a diner. All but the boss and his son, Joe Cabot and "Nice Guy" Eddie Cabot, use aliases: Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Pink. The men carry out

10005-520: The theatrical release. There is an unseen accomplice of Joe and Eddie who speaks to Eddie on the phone. His name is Dov Schwarz, named after the sound editor on My Best Friend's Birthday . Quentin Tarantino had been working at Video Archives , a video store in Manhattan Beach, California , and originally planned to shoot the film with his friends on a budget of $ 30,000 in a 16 mm black-and-white format, with producer Lawrence Bender playing

10120-463: The theatrical release. There is an unseen accomplice of Joe and Eddie who speaks to Eddie on the phone. His name is Dov Schwarz, named after the sound editor on My Best Friend's Birthday . Quentin Tarantino had been working at Video Archives , a video store in Manhattan Beach, California , and originally planned to shoot the film with his friends on a budget of $ 30,000 in a 16 mm black-and-white format, with producer Lawrence Bender playing

10235-425: The time: "It happens at every single screening. For some people the violence, or the rudeness of the language, is a mountain they can't climb. That's OK. It's not their cup of tea. But I am affecting them. I wanted that scene to be disturbing." Reservoir Dogs has often been seen as a prominent film in terms of on-screen violence. J. P. Telotte compared Reservoir Dogs to classic caper noir films and points out

10350-425: The time: "It happens at every single screening. For some people the violence, or the rudeness of the language, is a mountain they can't climb. That's OK. It's not their cup of tea. But I am affecting them. I wanted that scene to be disturbing." Reservoir Dogs has often been seen as a prominent film in terms of on-screen violence. J. P. Telotte compared Reservoir Dogs to classic caper noir films and points out

10465-482: The two virtuoso actors". Tarantino himself has named it as one of his proudest moments. "I had heard that whole speech about the Sicilians a long time ago, from a black guy living in my house. One day I was talking with a friend who was Sicilian and I just started telling that speech. And I thought: 'Wow, that is a great scene, I gotta remember that'." Oldman's villain also garnered acclaim. MSN Movies wrote: "With just

10580-470: The voiceover, and that also shares similar dramatic motifs. The movie was cut by the United States MPAA for an R rating for its wide theatrical release. The majority of the confrontation between Alabama and Virgil was cut, as well as the ending shootout scene. There was also an alternative edit where Detective Nicky Dimes is shot not by Alabama, but by Toothpick Vic, one of the mafia hitmen. This edit

10695-498: The way black people are looked down upon in Reservoir Dogs , but also the way that the criminals accuse each other of "verbally imitating" black men and the characters' apparent sexual attraction to black actress Pam Grier . In February 2012, as part of an ongoing series of live dramatic readings of film scripts being staged with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), director Jason Reitman cast black actors in

10810-431: The way black people are looked down upon in Reservoir Dogs , but also the way that the criminals accuse each other of "verbally imitating" black men and the characters' apparent sexual attraction to black actress Pam Grier . In February 2012, as part of an ongoing series of live dramatic readings of film scripts being staged with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), director Jason Reitman cast black actors in

10925-460: Was a breakthrough for Quentin Tarantino. Released after Reservoir Dogs , it was his first screenplay for a major motion picture, and Tarantino contends that it is his most autobiographical film to date. He had hoped to direct the film, but lost interest in directing and sold the script. According to Tarantino's audio commentary on the DVD release, he was happy with the way it turned out. Apart from changing

11040-438: Was also compared to Martin Scorsese , Sam Peckinpah , John Singleton , Gus Van Sant , and Abel Ferrara . A frequently cited comparison has been to Tarantino's second and more successful film Pulp Fiction , especially since the majority of audiences saw Reservoir Dogs after the success of Pulp Fiction . Comparisons have been made regarding the black humor in both the films, the theme of accidents, and more concretely,

11155-438: Was also compared to Martin Scorsese , Sam Peckinpah , John Singleton , Gus Van Sant , and Abel Ferrara . A frequently cited comparison has been to Tarantino's second and more successful film Pulp Fiction , especially since the majority of audiences saw Reservoir Dogs after the success of Pulp Fiction . Comparisons have been made regarding the black humor in both the films, the theme of accidents, and more concretely,

11270-413: Was also enthusiastic about the cast, complimenting the film on its "deadpan sense of humor". Roger Ebert was less enthusiastic, as he felt that the script could have been better and said that the film "feels like it's going to be terrific", but Tarantino's script does not have much curiosity about the characters. He also said that Tarantino "has an idea, and trusts the idea to drive the plot." Ebert gave

11385-413: Was also enthusiastic about the cast, complimenting the film on its "deadpan sense of humor". Roger Ebert was less enthusiastic, as he felt that the script could have been better and said that the film "feels like it's going to be terrific", but Tarantino's script does not have much curiosity about the characters. He also said that Tarantino "has an idea, and trusts the idea to drive the plot." Ebert gave

11500-558: Was also nominated for the Grand Prix of the Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics . Steve Buscemi won the 1992 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male . Reservoir Dogs ranks at No. 97 in Empire magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Films of All Time. In 2024, Reservoir Dogs was ranked second on the list of the Sundance Film Festival 's Top 10 films of All Time based on

11615-400: Was also nominated for the Grand Prix of the Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics . Steve Buscemi won the 1992 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male . Reservoir Dogs ranks at No. 97 in Empire magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Films of All Time. In 2024, Reservoir Dogs was ranked second on the list of the Sundance Film Festival 's Top 10 films of All Time based on

11730-423: Was asked to audition for the role of Mr. Pink, but he backed out at the last minute. James Woods was also considered for Mr. Pink, but his agent turned it down without telling him. Viggo Mortensen and George Clooney also read for roles, while Tim Roth's agents originally wanted him to be Mr. Pink or Mr. Blonde, but he preferred Mr. Orange because he would "be an English actor pretending to be American playing

11845-423: Was asked to audition for the role of Mr. Pink, but he backed out at the last minute. James Woods was also considered for Mr. Pink, but his agent turned it down without telling him. Viggo Mortensen and George Clooney also read for roles, while Tim Roth's agents originally wanted him to be Mr. Pink or Mr. Blonde, but he preferred Mr. Orange because he would "be an English actor pretending to be American playing

11960-595: Was banned in Australia, Germany and New Zealand. Another video game, Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days , was released in 2017. On December 14, 2017, Overkill Software added a heist to Payday 2 inspired by Reservoir Dogs in which the player is contracted to rob a jewelry store in Los Angeles with the Cabot family. It is unique in that the heist is played in reverse order, with day two occurring prior to day one, similar to how

12075-441: Was banned in Australia, Germany and New Zealand. Another video game, Reservoir Dogs: Bloody Days , was released in 2017. On December 14, 2017, Overkill Software added a heist to Payday 2 inspired by Reservoir Dogs in which the player is contracted to rob a jewelry store in Los Angeles with the Cabot family. It is unique in that the heist is played in reverse order, with day two occurring prior to day one, similar to how

12190-421: Was generally well-received, and the cast was praised by many critics. Despite not being heavily promoted during its theatrical run, the film became a modest success in the United States after grossing $ 2.9 million against its scant budget. It achieved higher popularity after the success of Tarantino's next film, Pulp Fiction (1994). A soundtrack was released featuring songs used in the film, which are mostly from

12305-401: Was inspired by the film. Vocalist Matthew Healy explained: "I got really obsessed with the idea behind Patricia Arquette's character in True Romance when I was about eighteen. That craving for the bad boy in that film [is] so sexualized." True Romance , the 2013 debut album from English pop star Charli XCX , was named after the film. Brad Pitt's stoner character in True Romance , Floyd,

12420-426: Was loyal to his father. Joe arrives with news that the police have killed Blue. He is about to execute Orange, who he suspects is the traitor behind the setup, but White intervenes and holds Joe at gunpoint, insisting that Orange is not a police officer. Eddie aims his gun at White, creating a Mexican standoff . All three fire. Both Cabots are killed, and White and Orange are hit. Pink takes the diamonds and flees, but

12535-426: Was loyal to his father. Joe arrives with news that the police have killed Blue. He is about to execute Orange, who he suspects is the traitor behind the setup, but White intervenes and holds Joe at gunpoint, insisting that Orange is not a police officer. Eddie aims his gun at White, creating a Mexican standoff . All three fire. Both Cabots are killed, and White and Orange are hit. Pink takes the diamonds and flees, but

12650-456: Was more appropriate to the film as Scott directed it. The film's first act, as well as some fragments of dialogue, were repurposed from Tarantino's 1987 amateur film My Best Friend's Birthday . The film's score by Hans Zimmer is a theme based on Gassenhauer from Carl Orff 's Schulwerk . This theme, combined with a voiceover spoken by Arquette, is an homage to Terrence Malick 's 1973 crime film Badlands , in which Sissy Spacek speaks

12765-443: Was shot during the escape and is bleeding profusely in the back seat of a car driven by White. At their hideout, White and Orange rendezvous with Pink, who believes that the job was a setup and that the police were waiting for them. White informs him that Brown is dead, Blue and Blonde are missing, and Blonde murdered several civilians during the heist. White is furious that Joe, his old friend, would employ Blonde, whom he describes as

12880-469: Was the first soundtrack for a Tarantino film and set the structure his later soundtracks would follow. This includes the extensive use of snippets of dialogue from the film. The soundtrack has selections of songs from the 1960s to '80s. Only the group Bedlam recorded original songs for the film. Reasoning that the film takes place over a weekend, Tarantino decided to set it to a fictional radio station 'K-Billy' (presumably KBLY)'s show "K-Billy's Super Sounds of

12995-469: Was the first soundtrack for a Tarantino film and set the structure his later soundtracks would follow. This includes the extensive use of snippets of dialogue from the film. The soundtrack has selections of songs from the 1960s to '80s. Only the group Bedlam recorded original songs for the film. Reasoning that the film takes place over a weekend, Tarantino decided to set it to a fictional radio station 'K-Billy' (presumably KBLY)'s show "K-Billy's Super Sounds of

13110-403: Was the inspiration for making the film Pineapple Express , according to producer Judd Apatow , who "thought it would be funny to make a movie in which you follow that character out of his apartment and watch him get chased by bad guys". James Gandolfini landed his role of Tony Soprano on The Sopranos when he was invited to audition for the role after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw

13225-445: Was the official 1993 rental VHS release, but subsequently all DVD and most Blu-ray releases are of the original unrated director's cut. The 2022 4K release from Arrow however, has both cuts of the movie. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 93% with an average rating of 7.60/10, based on 60 reviews. The site's critics consensus states: "Fueled by Quentin Tarantino's savvy screenplay and

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