CLICK CLICK CLICK - Smack (Reservoir Dogs (DVD))

Member Name: dave27

Product:	Reservoir Dogs (DVD)
Date:	27/02/04 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Shasp, Stylish

Disadvantages: Blood, Language, Violence

MR. PINK
"Like a Virgin" is all about a girl who digs a guy with a big dick. The whole song is a metaphor for big dicks.
MR. BLUE
No it's not. It's about a girl who is very vulnerable and she's been f***ed over a few times. Then she meets some guy who's really sensitive--
MR. PINK
--Whoa...whoa...time out Greenbay. Tell that bullshit to the tourists.

I'll say this much for Quentin Tarantino, he's certainly a remarkable stylist. The opening scenes of Reservoir Dogs, like those of Pulp Fiction, are mind bendingly snappy and sharp and usher you breathlessly into the extraordinary world of the mobster lowlife Americana, replete with its f***s etc. In this one as the credits roll we get the sharp dudes in their black suits and ties and shades and white shirts stylishly strding down the street like nothing so much as a more knowing and mature Madness. At least all of them do apart from the dumb bell be-tracksuited Chris Penn, of course. Mr Orange to Mr Pink to Mr Blue to Mr White etc ... Hey Motherf***er...

We're all over the place right from the off, as is usual with Tarantino's magnificent screenscapes, but whereas there was depth and meaning and humour splashing everywhere with Pulp Fiction, I just felt a bit cheated by Reservoir Dogs, with its relatively shallow fare and overweening obsession with violence, guns and buckets of blood. It's the story of a jewellery robbery which goes bad and the aftermath of violent action and words which befall our hapless little band of foul mouthed hoods. There's an unpleasant and sickening preoccupation with blood and guts and hatred and a blithe disregard for even the most slight of finesse. There&#
39;s an unfortunate relish about the pace and hunger of Mr Blonde and Mr White which goes quite a bit beyond the pale and is pretty bloody stomach turning. However, that's Tarantino for you and you can't really have one of his films without this sort of uncalled for fear and loathing.

Reservoir Dogs has about as much fun and laughter about it as most of QT's other work, but it's unremittingly black and acidic and takes few prisoners...

NICE GUY EDDIE
I don't even know a Jew who'd have the balls to say that. So let's get this straight. You never ever tip?
MR. WHITE
I don't tip because society says I gotta. I tip when somebody deserves a tip. When somebody really puts forth an effort, they deserve a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, that shit's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doin their job.
MR. BLUE
Our girl was nice.
MR. WHITE
Our girl was okay. She didn't do anything special.
MR. BLONDE
What's something special, take ya in the kitchen and suck your dick?

Such nice boys, to be sure... (for the fulls cript, check out http://www.godamongdirectors.com/scripts/reservoir .shtml)

Tagline: Five Total Strangers Team Up For The Perfect Crime. They Don't Know Each Other's Name. But They've Got Each Other's Number
Main cast-
Harvey Keitel - Mr White/Lawrence 'Larry' Dimmick
Tim Roth - Mr Orange/Freddy Newandyke
Michael Madsen - Mr Blonde/V
;ic Vega
Chris Penn - Nice Guy Eddie Cabot
Steve Buscemi - Mr Pink
Lawrence Tierney - Joe Cabot

There's one particularly nasty scene in this film (Hey, do you like the way I'm apeing the QT trick of cut ups and flash backs, I'm slick aren't I?) where the psychotic Mr Blonde slashes the captive cop, cuts his ear off and douses him with petrol (sorry, gas) in preparation for torching the MF (That's QT again, folks). Michael Madsen teeters nastily on the very precipice of vicious madness as he cuts away in between jigging about to Stealers Wheel's Stuck In The Middle With You, classic QT juxtaposition between high farce and bloody destruction, unnerving in the extreme and not for the squeamish, rest assured. QT doesn't give a flying one, and seems to have little compunction of flying in the face of decency and taste ... the nastier the better is his watchword.

This might have been a little excusable if there was actually any really valid reason for it, but at times QT just seems inclined to linking together set piece blood spilling and cursing in the mistaken impression that it creates a coherent whole and a tantalising atmosphere. Now with Pulp Fiction it worked, but Reservoir Dogs just smacks from start to finish of gratuitous violence and has few redeeming features. I don't really like it AT ALL, although I have to admit I remained glued to the screen with a certain obsessive fascination, and that's the thing with QT. Much like hard drugs, you know he's bad for you, but you can't help yourself and your grim love for the stuff.

Many find all this stuff truly wonderful - visit http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/r/reservo ir.html
and read as follows:

Tarantino's directing influences, from John Woo to Martin Scorsese, are all in evidence, and their synthesis creates a high-voltage style that's entirely his own. The writing is crisp and clean, providing line after line of snappy dialogue designed to leave the viewer alternately pondering and laughing aloud. The gallows humor and dark comedy are among many of Reservoir Dogs' defining elements. This is one of those rare motion pictures that's both intelligent and visceral at the same time.
Highly recommended with one caveat: those who are squeamish about blood should be wary. While the gore in this film isn't gratuitous, there's a great deal of it, and one particular torture scene is chillingly and vividly depicted. Gripping and gut-wrenching, Reservoir Dogs is likely to stay with you for a long time.

I suppose he's got an incey wincey point but for me QT just strays too far over the line with this one. That said, it is intriguing and gripping, smacking of real life and sharp dialogue and demands that you spare it at least some of your time.

Watch it and shudder...

PS Has there EVER been an actor who looks more unhealthy than Steve Buscemi?

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