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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Live / Artisan
Salesrank: 37734
Released: August 27, 2002 |
| Our Price: $13.00 |
| Used Price: $0.90 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere (i.e., a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with his explosive first feature, Reservoir Dogs. Like Tarantino's mainstream breakthrough Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs has an unconventional structure, cleverly shuffling back and forth in time to reveal details about the characters, experienced criminals who know next to nothing about each other. Joe (Lawrence Tierney) has assembled them to pull off a simple heist, and has gruffly assigned them color-coded aliases (Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. White) to conceal their identities from being known even to each other. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiasco--and to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these men are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception, and betrayal. As many critics have observed, it is a movie about "honor among thieves" (just as Pulp Fiction is about redemption, and Jackie Brown is about survival). Along with everything else, the movie provides a showcase for a terrific ensemble of actors: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, and Tarantino himself, offering a fervent dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" over breakfast. Reservoir Dogs is violent (though the violence is implied rather than explicit), clever, gabby, harrowing, funny, suspenseful, and even--in the end--unexpectedly moving. (Don't forget that "Super Sounds of the Seventies" soundtrack, either.) Reservoir Dogs deserves just as much acclaim and attention as its follow-up, Pulp Fiction, would receive two years later. --Jim Emerson
Description of Reservoir Dogs - (Mr. Brown) 10th Anniversary Special Limited Edition:
Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere (i.e., a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with his explosive first feature, Reservoir Dogs. Like Tarantino's mainstream breakthrough Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs has an unconventional structure, cleverly shuffling back and forth in time to reveal details about the characters, experienced criminals who know next to nothing about each other. Joe (Lawrence Tierney) has assembled them to pull off a simple heist, and has gruffly assigned them color-coded aliases (Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. White) to conceal their identities from being known even to each other. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiasco--and to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these men are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception, and betrayal. As many critics have observed, it is a movie about "honor among thieves" (just as Pulp Fiction is about redemption, and Jackie Brown is about survival). Along with everything else, the movie provides a showcase for a terrific ensemble of actors: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, and Tarantino himself, offering a fervent dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" over breakfast. Reservoir Dogs is violent (though the violence is implied rather than explicit), clever, gabby, harrowing, funny, suspenseful, and even--in the end--unexpectedly moving. (Don't forget that "Super Sounds of the Seventies" soundtrack, either.) Reservoir Dogs deserves just as much acclaim and attention as its follow-up, Pulp Fiction, would receive two years later. --Jim Emerson
Reservoir Dogs - (Mr. Brown) 10th Anniversary Special Limited Edition Reviews:
I'd go over twelve percent for that 
2008-11-16 - Reservoir Dogs served notice that a new auteur was on the scene, but though a good first effort for Quentin Tarantino, it was just a taste of things to come; and it seems like an experiment that was only partialy successful. Though it is often imitated, spoofed even like for instance a scene in 'Swingers,' it seems like it uses a lot of gimmicks, and even though said gimmicks are pretty much Tarantino's style, in later works, i.e. 'Pulp Fiction,' he is able to better integrate those gimmicks into a seamless tapestry.
It seemed very fresh and original at the time, but it may be getting a bit stale now, past its sell-by date. Like for instance, the scene where they plan the caper in the restaurant while discussing Madonna. Flash forward to 'Pulp Fiction' where they discuss what cheeseburgers are called in various European cities.
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Mr. Orange: Personally, I can do without her.
Mr. Blue: I like her early stuff. You know, 'Lucky Star', 'Borderline' - but once she got into her 'Papa Don't Preach' phase, I don't know, I tuned out.
Mr. Brown: Hey, you guys are making me lose my... train of thought here. I was saying something, what was it?
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Or how about where Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) does an interpretive dance/Vincent Van Gogh impression to the sounds of "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealer's Wheel?
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You can say anything you want cause I've heard it all before. All you can do is pray for a quick death, which you ain't gonna get.
[He removes his razor]
Mr. Blonde: You ever listen to K-Billy's "Super Sounds of the Seventies" weekend? It's my personal favorite.
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Can't remember specifically where in 'Pulp Fiction' he used this gimmick to better effect, but it is oh-so Tarantinoesque, and if Quentin didn't do it in 'Pulp Fiction' or 'Kill Bill, Volumes I and II' then a tsunami of imitators that followed in his wake surely did.
Funny how even though it is a caper movie, the actual caper is never seen, only the events before and after, not the actual caper itself. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen (did you know this guy actually published an award winning book of poetry?), Steve Buscemi: awesome.
Key Cast Members of Reservoir Dogs:
Harvey Keitel ... Mr. White - Larry Dimmick
Tim Roth ... Mr. Orange - Freddy Newandyke
Michael Madsen ... Mr. Blonde - Vic Vega
Chris Penn ... Nice Guy Eddie Cabot
Steve Buscemi ... Mr. Pink
Quentin Tarantino ... Mr. Brown
Steven Wright ... K-Billy DJ (voice)
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K-Billy DJ: That was The Partridge Family's "Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted?", followed by Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows where my Rosemary Goes" as K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70's weekend just keeps on... truckin'.
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Pulp Fiction (1994) .... Quentin Tarantino directed and was Jimmie Dimmick, Steve Buscemi was Buddy Holly, Tim Roth was Pumpkin - Ringo, and Harvey Keitel was Vincent 'The Wolf' Wolfe
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (Box Set) (2003) Vol. 2 (2004) .... Michael Madsen was Budd - 'Sidewinder' and Quentin Tarantino directed
Mulholland Falls (1996) .... Michael Madsen was Eddie Hall and Chris Penn was Arthur Relyea
Footloose (1984) .... Chris Penn was Willard Hewitt, and there's your '6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon' connection
Thelma & Louise (1991) .... Harvey Keitel was Hal and Michael Madsen was Jimmy
Rob Roy (1995) .... Tim Roth was nominated for an Oscar for playing Archibald Cunningham
The Big Lebowski - 10th Anniversary Edition (1998) .... Steve Buscemi was Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos
Bugsy (1991) .... Harvey Keitel was Mickey Cohen
The Muse (1999) .... Steven Wright was Stan Spielberg, less successful brother of Steven Spielberg
Appointments of Dennis Jennings (1988) .... Steven Wright was Dennis Jennings and also the writer of this Oscar winning Best Short Film, Live Action Feature
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Mr. Pink: We still gotta get outta here.
Mr. Blonde: We're gonna sit here and wait.
Mr. White: For what, the cops?
Mr. Blonde: Nice Guy Eddie.
Mr. Pink: Nice Guy Eddie? What makes you think he isn't on a plane half way to Costa Rica?
Mr. Blonde: 'Cause I talked to him and he said he was on his way down here.
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Dogs In Blu 
2008-11-10 - I always loved this movie. So when I found it on blu-ray, I had to get it. I am really yet to be disappointed with a blu-ray movie I have gotten. The visual is awesome and the audio just enhances this movie.
I have a surprise in the trunk of my car. I think you're gonna like it!
2008-09-30 - This is one of my all-time favorite movies! I'm not a big fan of cop & robber movies, but this flick is supurbly done. Even though it revolves around a jewelry store heist, the actual robbery is never shown. It was supposed to be the perfect heist. Everything was planned to the letter. But something went terribly wrong. Most of the movie takes place in an abandoned warehouse that was meant to be the rendezvous where they were supposed to meet after the robbery. One of the robbers was shot during the getaway. A few more are missing and apparently they were killed. And everyone is trying to figure out what went wrong. One of them must have set them up. There was a rat in the house! And they have to figure out who set them up. There are a lot of flashbacks to the planning stages and the various participants, and even flashbacks to the getaway. There is bickering, squabbling and finger-pointing and "What do we do now?" This film is not for the faint-hearted. It gets quite graphic and intense. Quentin Tarantino assembled an excellent cast with a dynamite script to deliver a fresh, bold, stark, graphic picture of the classic jewelry store heist that is truly one of the best pictures ever made! As I said, I'm not a big fan of cops & robbers flicks, but this is just a terrific movie! Quentin joins a cast that features Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn & Steve Buscemi in a dark, bold and very graphic portrait of some very nasty people! And Lawrence Tierney is fabulous in the role of Joe, the boss who arranged the robbery. I even enjoy comedian Steven Wright's voice used as the disc jockey for the background used of the robbers' favorite radio station. It was an interesting way to hold the whole package together. I very highly recommend this film!
A Non-Linear, Dialogue Driven Film That Appeals to Any and All Tastes
2008-09-16 - "Reservoir Dogs" is Tarantino at his best. It's a very focused, character driven film that pretty much anyone can enjoy. It's one of the better gangster flicks, because unlike recent entries in the genre, it isn't exceedingly bloody or gory. There is extreme violence, but most of it is suggested or downplayed. It's also a great drama with an unconventional, non-linear structure that flows so nicely that I couldn't picture it being told any other way. It's a character driven piece, with most of the action being explained through dialogue after the fact, though I never felt like I was missing anything.
The dialogue is very snappy, and that is the shiny exterior that attracted me to the movie. From the opening speech about Madonna's "Like a Virgin" (which is spot on) to Mr. Orange's reveal to Mr. White, the dialogue carries the film on its back, never letting up. However, while the dialogue is definitely the main attraction, the quality of pretty much every aspect of the movie is high enough to keep anyone thoroughly entertained.
8/10
What a DOG of a flick 
2008-08-19 - I love Pulp Fiction, so I thought this must be a great movie, too. I'm baffled by the positive reviews. This movie has a great cast but a simple plot. I kept waiting for it to make some sense or interest me. It never happened. Once is too many times to view this movie. Don't waste your money. It doesn't live up to all the hype.
