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Reservoir Dogs (2 Disc Special Edition) [1993]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk 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 colour-coded aliases (Mr Orange, Mr Pink, Mr White) to conceal their identities even from 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


Low budget debut movie
Review date: 2008-05-28 Rating: 10 out of 10


Having watched this movie for the first time in ten years, I was blown away by its brilliance and power. Lets get down to the brass tacks- this is a low-budget movie and it has a cheap amateur patina. First movie from the big-chin Quentin Tarantino who came out of nowhere (i.e., a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with this breath of fresh air.

Reservoir Dogs has a fantastic 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.
From the start we know something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in the criminals faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to a prearranged warehouse hideout and from there we are treated to two hours of blinding genius.

This movie will forever remain a piece of 1990's nostalgia. Imagine a good-old crime/drama gangster flick set in the palm tree lands of sunny Los Angeles, California. This is the kind of movie that you can watch again and again. Upon first seeing this film back in 1997, I was struck by the occasional outbursts of bloody violence and vulgar language. I found myself confused towards the direction of the plot which made me dislike the movie at first but that all would change.

On second viewing I realise this movie was going against the grain at the time. It wasn't like any of the cliche' and lame crime films of the 80's and early-90's (see K.Costner in the garbage REVENGE). Resevoir Dogs was original and set the standard for the crime genre for the rest of the decade. It broke new ground and surprised the viewer at every corner.


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Reviews


just a plainly magnificent film
Review date: 2008-02-27 Rating: 10 out of 10

What is there to say about Reservoir Dogs that has notalready been said. The film is:
* Violent
* Abrasive
* compelling
* entertaining
* and genuinly funny
the film is set in a warehouse after a crime has taken plae and told mostly in flashbacks.

the acting in this film is sublime with standout performances from Michael Madsen and Tim Roth.
the film is famed by people who, have often never seen it, and this says it all. without having seen it people are stunned by it.

Along with pulp fiction (which i prefer, but is just not as hard hitting) and Fargo, this is the certainly the best crime thriller of the 90's and if you havent seen it, do so becuase it will knocck your socks off.

p.s if you havent seen it and you have a child over 15, the film is suitable. its not over violent and beside from the swearing and often sexual dialouge the film is suitable for any adult minded child.
dont be put off by reviewers who claim the film is over violent because most of the violence is brutality and there is very little gore


5/5 10/10 see it now

1 word - BRILLANT
Review date: 2007-10-22 Rating: 10 out of 10

I'm a massive Tarantino fan and i love all of his films. Reservoir Dogs i think though is the best by quite a lot, along with Pulp Fiction. I could write for ages about how good this film is and why it should be seen by everybody, but i don't think people could be bothered reading so much! Anyway, if you haven't seen this film then see it. It is brilliantly written, has wonderful acting, it's so well shot, and overall it's just an amazing film. I'd give it more than 5 stars if i could!

Different Kind of Crime Drama
Review date: 2007-10-04 Rating: 8 out of 10

From the opening moments of "Reservoir Dogs" you sense that you are watching a different kind of crime drama. The style and dialog of this picture bestows a level of intelligence upon it's characters that defies the reality of their chosen profession. Having said that,this movie is absolutely riveting in it's movements from the ordinary, to the grim, to the horrific aspects of a career criminal. Quintin Tarantino has written a tale of an almost corporate order to constructing a crime gang. The delight is in meeting these characters one by one. The particular crime is no more crucial to the film than a 7-11 stick-up. The crux of the movie is the portrayal of the rainbow of characters who find themselves involved in a life of crime. Much has been made of the violence in the movie, but it only serves to point out that all men are different......even the crooked. The director has included a number of very memorable scenes. This is not a linear film. The movie works more as a series of set pieces that weave together a story that is not as important as the individual parts that you have the pleasure of observing. This movie may take more than one viewing to truly appreciate.

Inventive, Intelligent and extremely cool.
Review date: 2007-09-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

Reservoir Dogs is Quentin Tarantino's take on the heist film, needless to say it's not quite like anything else in that sub-genre of crime movies. It has a deeply convincing and involving story, intelligent plotting, excellent soundtrack, great performances and of course QT's trademark sharp dialog.
Dogs is perhaps unique amongst heist films in that it doesn't actually have a heist in it. Instead the film takes place directly after a (disastrous) attempted robbery as the surviving members of the gang try to piece together what happened, the film then flashes back to the stories of each of our color-coded anti-heroes which in turn play their part in unraveling the mystery. This method of storytelling is deeply satisfying as is the pay-off at the end and is truly one of the most inventive peices of plot development in crime cinema.
The film's events take place during a 'super sounds of the seventies weekend' on a radio station which just happens to be the only one anybody listens to, here we get the soundtrack. Not an original track in sight and all the better for it, the music not only acts as a time-reference within the plot but as an excellent mood creator or mood subverter depending how the director chooses to use it, each track is perfectly picked and placed, music here doesn't just play in the background, it has a purpose and it fulfills it well.
Each character is well drawn and well acted, the dialog wonderfully written, and frankly any crime thriller that starts with an eight minute discussion of Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' deserves awards for guts alone.
Speaking of guts, like all QT's material this film features some pretty strong violence. Unlike his later films, the violence here is less stylized and a bit more unpleasant, including of course the infamous torture scene everyone inevitably mentions. There's actually very little violence here but what there is might disturb you if you find you have a lower-than-average tolerance for that sort of thing.
In conclusion; this is a smart, funny, inventive and intriguing crime thriller that delivers a great movie experience that oozes pure cool and has you coming back again and again.


Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Tim Roth
Chris Penn
Steve Buscemi
Michael Madsen
Harvey Keitel

Creators:
Harvey Keitel (Primary Contributor)
Harvey Keitel (Producer)
Tim Roth (Primary Contributor)
Quentin Tarantino (Writer)
Lawrence Bender (Producer)
Monte Hellman (Producer)
Richard N. Gladstein (Producer)
Ronna B. Wallace (Producer)
Roger Avary (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Momentum Pictures
Manufacturer: Momentum Pictures
EAN: 5060049145457
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Anamorphic, Box set, PAL, Special Edition,
Release date: 2004-06-07
Number of discs: 2
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 95 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1992-10-23
Language: English (Original Language)

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