Customer Reviews

Reservoir Dogs

5 star:		(338)
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3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

Just wanted to leave a helpful review for those that are trying to decide whether they should buy the new 15th edition if they already own the 10th. Well, the transfer is much much better than the abysmal one that was put on the 10th. The 10th anniversary edition transfer was a very dull one at best, a step down from the bare bones dvd that was first released by Live when they were still around. The blacks in the Dogs' suits were more dark grey and the overall look was faded. I was never sure if this was a creative choice or that it was simply screwed up. There was plenty of online debate when the disc came out as to the worth of it. This new transfer remedies all of that, the picture is anamorphic, with rich colors, making the film look exactly like what I saw when I used to watch it in the 90s. The 10th also, for some inexplicable reason, dropped a line of Mr. White's dialogue ("I think he's just passed out") but it is thankfully restored here. So if you want the most solid transfer of Reservoir Dogs ever on DVD, this is your buy.

The extras, unfortunately, pale in comparison to the 10th, and this is why you'll probably want to keep the 10th around if you're a filmmaking fan. The 10th edition has a documentary interviewing most of the key players in the film as well as some priceless footage from Tarantino's filmmaking lab workshops at Sundance where he (poorly) played Mr. White(!) These are all missing on the new 15th disc, but the new 15th disc carries over "Reservoir Dolls," the torture scene played out by Reservoir Dogs action figures. The 15th also has retrospective commentaries by some of the cast and crew, 2 movie critics, and a film historian all on separate tracks while watching the movie. Rather interesting too. There are a couple of retrospective documentaries discussing the film's impact on the cinema world. There are also deleted scenes carried over from the 10th, but other than that, mostly fodder to get you excited about Reservoir Dogs, including a short featurette about the new video game.

So, I suppose I would recommend this double dip if you're a hard-core fan of the film, especially with the superior transfer. You can get it at Circuit City for $12.99 this week which is an excellent price for what you get, but I would hold on to the 10th edition for the filmmaking extras which were not carried over. Oh, and if you're into packaging, this is the best packaging I've ever seen. An aluminum gasoline can where the top comes off and the discs are inside in a large matchbook (I believe the matchbook is limited edition). Sick and brilliant.

Acting that will blow you away and characters that disgust you even though you're drawn to liking what little likeable part of them remains.

Depraved criminals that are racist, sadistic and keenly intelligent are somehow very human and compassionate on one hand and disturbingly evil on the other.

This movie is not for those with weak stomachs. Although the psychological element of fear is much stronger than anything you actually see in this film, there are a couple of gory scenes that will scar your memory forever once you see them... the type of deliberate, up close & personal cruelty to another human being that surpasses the desensitizing we've been through by watching other violent scenes on tv and movies. The isolation of the movie taking place almost entirely in one room makes even the most tame scenes un-nerving and uncomfortably intense.

Tim Roth's performance is definitely the most piercing. Michael Madsen, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn and the rest of the ensemble cast are also riveting.

You will never listen to the song "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel the same way again. A song I once really liked still gives me the willies each time I hear it.

"Reservoir Dogs" is another one of my favorite movies. Despite what critics think, this is a Tarantino masterpiece with unforgettable characters, smooth and cool dialogue, and a shocking finale.

I had the older version of this movie on DVD, and it was all right. The picture wasn't too bad, sound was so-so, and there were virtually no special features. So when I found out that a new remastered and fully-loaded version of the movie was coming out, I knew I had to have it. And I am very glad that I did purchase it.

Since this is a crime flick, the plot and storyline isn't that complex or deep, and there is no reason for it to be. It's pretty simple. Perfect strangers plan the perfect crime, but end up in a bloody set-up. With only four of them left alive, they must uncover the rat in the house. But which one is it? That is something they must find out before the cops get a hold of them in this unforgiving and spectacular crime/noir movie.

The writing is off the hook. Tarantino is a master when it comes to dialogue. Why? Because the characters talk like real people. In ordinary movies, all the characters ever talk about it the plot or scheme. In THIS movie, they talk about everyday normal things that we would talk about, which makes them seem more realistic and convincing. His writing reminds me a lot of Raymond Carver, except with more humor.

The cast is terrific. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, and Steve Buscemi all did their roles justice. Michael Madsen is awesome and cool as Mr. Blonde, who will always be remembered for that very particular role. Buscemi is hillarious, and your eyes never leave his sight when he's on screen. But really, everyone is outstanding in this movie.

The DVD itself is very high quality, including two disks. The picture is remastered in high definition, which really makes it clear. Ten times better than the other version. You can either watch in widescreen or in fullscreen. The sound is also much, MUCH better. You can watch it in dolby digital or in DTS. Considering that this was a really low-budget film, the movie looks and sounds amazing. You will especially appreciate it if you had the previous DVD of the movie.

And there are tons and TONS of extras that will keep you more than happy. Way too many for me to list, but the ones I liked the most were the interviews. (Watch the one with Michael Madsen. That has to be one of the funniest interviews I have ever seen. Just trust me and watch it! I don't want to give too much away.) So, if you are a big fan of bells and whistles, this DVD is the one for you. You will not be disappointed.

Overall, I was more than pleased with this edition of "Reservoir Dogs." I did not mind re-buying it at all. If you still have the original DVD and love this movie very much, GET THIS ONE AS SOON AS YOU CAN! You will not regret it. This is one of my favorites, and proves just how talented Quentin Tarantino is when it comes to writing and directing.

This is the third version of Reservoir Dogs that I've owned, so I was hesitant to buy it. I loved the 10th anniversary edition so when I saw this one I wasn't sure if it was a trade up or not. The packaging is really cool and the actual movie itself seems to have been improved upon from both previous versions. Those are the positive aspects of the disc. The negative are the new special features. If seeing Harry Knowles heap praise on "Res Dogs", or having a tipping scale to see how much the characters would tip a server, or seeing an interview with a game designer are your ideas of great special features then this disc is for you. However, if you would actually like to see the cast and crew talk about the making of the movie then go with the 10th anniversary. The new specials on this one suck. All in all if you're a big fan of the movie, having both versions is probably the best bet because of the new transfer. If you simply want a copy of Reservoir Dogs with some cool special features, go with the 10th anniversary.

Many say he's just an overrated hipster who rips off other movies. Well, in my opinion (and I've seen a lot of movies), Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs had a lot of originality to them (as did Natural Born Killers and to a lesser extent True Romance), but he does have influences. There's nothing wrong with that. He makes good movies and is developing his style. Reservoir Dogs stand as possibly his best movie.

First the background: Reservoir Dogs was based on an obscure Chinese film called City on Fire, which was about a detective who infiltrated a jewel thieving ring and went with them on their big heist. Reservoir Dogs is, at it's most basic, the last part of City on Fire. However, the characters and dialogue are all Tarantino's own. And those are the two things that make the movie great. The writing is outstanding. The performances are very good, especially Harvey Keitel as the doomed Mr. White, Michael Madsen as the pscyopathic Mr. Blonde, and Steve Buscemi as the nervous Mr. Pink.

As I said above, the dialogue is great. The way the criminals talk is exactly how you'd expect them to, and they play off each other very well. The very minimal plot moves along rapidly, and the movie never lets up for a second, although there is some time distortion concerning flashbacks of the characters (pre-heist and during the heist).

Reservoir Dogs is a classic crime movie, and quite essential.

The great thing about DVD is that you may be able to program the order of the chapters, which is very useful for a Quentin Tarantino film.

This is why people should own DVDs of Tarantino's films. Reservoir Dog DVD owners should try something new when watching this film. Try watching it in chronological order. Set your DVD player in Program mode, set and play the chapter in this order: 8, 11, 17, 18, 19, 15, 16, 1, 2, 20, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 21, and 22. If you play the chapters in this order, you will discover a different experience. You will see a slow build up of the characters into a violent explosion. And check my review for Pulp Fiction for the chronological order.

Presented in its original aspect ratio, with a DTS HD audio and Dolby 5.1 tracks included and with English and Spanish subtitles, 'Reservoir dogs' is presented in Bluray format.

The question I had before getting this was if it would be worth to purchase again a movie I already owned in 2 anniversary editions in DVD, well after watching it I can tell you it is definitely worth the upgrade. The HD transfer is excellent, even though you can tell it is a movie from the 90's the level of details and color quality is eye-popping. As you can imagine and if you are familiar with Quentin Tarantino's movie soundtracks, the audio also presents a major upgrade over its DVD counterpart.

A feature called the 'Pulp factoids viewer' is included which made me rediscover the movie, a lot of information on the movie appears on screen while you watch it, the Tarantino references to Scagnetti, the snake charmer (Bill from 'Kill Bill') as well as fun and technical facts were fun to read while watching the films. Besides this feature 2 documentaries are included: 'Playing it fast and loose' and 'Profiling the reservoir dogs'. Other than that, not all the special features from the anniversary DVD editions are included, which is a shame as that is what is making me keep my original DVD copies of the same movie.

With a price that is quite insulting to the quality of this release, as a fan of the movie I can tell you the Hi-Def presentation improves the experience of watching 'Reservoir dogs' again.

Although I found Pulp Fiction maybe a touch more entertaining, on a critical level, Reservoir Dogs is better of the two, and although most of the reviewers here are happy enough to lavish it with praise, I think it is generally underappreciated. This is probably due to Tarantino's stark, violent, off-putting style. But I would agree this should be on AFI's list, (not that I really care about AFI) -- every time I see the movie I am left thoroughly impressed. The performances are really, really good, all around, and the aesthetic precision with which each scene is handled is incredible. Film geeks whine about the fact that the story idea was culled from City On Fire, and if that's so (I haven't seen City On Fire) then I agree it should've been credited. But that doesn't change the fact that this is an astoundingly imaginative and well-done movie. It does boast some very difficult-to-watch scenes, but the stark, non-gloss quality of Tarantino's violence is what makes it so remarkable. I think that the fact that the violence in Tarantino's movies *does* inspire reaction from the viewer, and that certain sequences *do* make the viewer uncomfortable, are to the filmmaker's credit. Violence *should* be a bit difficult to watch, instead of being dramatized and glorified by slow-motion and balletic choreography (not that I'm totally opposed to such techniques, if done well, and in the right context.) Anyhow, Reservoir Dogs is a remarkably well-made film.

Ever since I purchased a PS3, I have been itching to start a blu ray collection. I previously owned Resevoir Dogs on DVD and this is a classic Tarantino flick that needs to be in every man's video collection. You have such great actors like Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi and Christopher Penn; and, the simple fact that it is much more difficult for blu ray movies to be damaged is a big plus.

Although this is a classic, there isn't much of a difference in your viewing experience even if you were to watch this film on a 40" flat screen LCD screen. There aren't any big explosions or fancy special effects like in Star Wars or The Fast and the Furious, but as I said before, this is a classic you simply have to pick up if you're starting a blu ray collection. This film is on the same level as Full Metal Jacket, Scarface or the Godfather.

Whether you get this movie on blu ray or dvd there isn't much of a visual difference. Simply get the film and add it to your video collection...you won't regret it.

One of my favorite films, and definitely Tarantino's finest (I love `Pulp Fiction' but in all seriousness I just like this one better), `Reservoir Dogs' is a landmark in modern cinema. I'm ashamed that this was not the film to garner Tarantino his first Oscar nomination for, while `Pulp Fiction' may be a more intricate work, `Reservoir Dogs' is a stronger work. At times `Pulp Fiction' can seem to be all over the place (the script is pure genius, don't get me wrong, but you have to admit it really pushes it sometimes) `Reservoir Dogs' is a much cleaner film in that it follows its main objective very closely and allows the audience to keep focus and never find themselves lost.

`Reservoir Dogs' follows a group of criminals after a jewelry heist they were all in on goes terribly wrong. Mr. Orange (you'll notice that none of the men know each others names and all refer to one another by colors) is bleeding to death, Mr. White is trying to get a handle on the situation, Mr. Pink is panicking out of control, Mr. Brown is apparently dead, Mr. Blue is missing and Mr. Blonde, who apparently started the bloodbath that was the heist, seems determined to make matters worse. As we are introduced to these men and given a little background information on them we are caught up in the same game as the criminals, trying ourselves to uncover the rat, the leak, the man responsible for tipping of the cops.

There you have it; that's the movie in a nutshell. What makes `Reservoir Dogs' so amazing though, is that that is not all there is. It may seem like your average gangster type film, but it's not. Tarantino masterfully uses his humor, his values and his visual stylings to bring us a gangster flick that is superior to most all other gangster flicks. In fact, I'm tempted to go ahead and say that Scorsese only wishes he could direct this kind of masterpiece.

Ouch.

The violence is extreme if not mostly implied rather than grotesquely embellished. The heart of this film is not the blood spilled but the blood running through the veins of these mad men. When these men are faced with the possibility of a rat within their midst we begin to see their true colors. There is a certain code of honor that swallows these criminals whole, and then that code is broken they start to unravel one by one.

The film hinges strongly on the performances by the ensemble cast, most notably that of Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Tim Roth. Michael Madsen is effortlessly collected as the ruthless killer Mr. Blonde. His calm veneer gives way to the psychotic madness running loose behind his gaze. When he snaps you tell yourself that you saw it coming yet you're so utterly winded by it that you can't believe all that you're taking in. Steve Buscemi (who won the Independent Spirit Award for this performance) is marvelously on edge throughout the entire film. His nerves are shot through his skin as he prances around as if on broken glass trying to figure a way out for himself. It's a brilliant performance, one that is eye-catching and very real. Tim Roth has that explosive opening sequence where he's covered in blood and screaming for his life in the backseat of the car and that scene alone is award worthy in its own right, but he continues to build his characters pain and guilt and fear so that he becomes a fully fleshed out participant in the film instead of merely falling into token gimmicky territory.

And then there is Harvey Keitel.

In an ensemble piece with no clear leading actor, Keitel ultimately dominates the audience's attention with his marvelous portrayal of Mr. White. White becomes the moral centerpiece of the film and really the one character that establishes the point of this film. His dedication and loyalty to his partners, especially to that of the dying Mr. Orange is noteworthy and moving. He conquers all emotions, from irritation to sympathy to desperation to mortal disappointment, always following through one-hundred-percent to deliver a rich and commanding performance. His final scene is devastating to watch because you know everything that is running through his head at that very moment.

Quinton Tarantino is a brilliant director, we all know this. The opening sequence alone cements that belief. As White, Orange, Brown, Blue, Blonde and Pink sit at a diner with Joe, the man responsible for setting up this rendezvous, and Eddie (Joe's son), they discuss the meaning behind Madonna's classic `Like a Virgin' and the end result is one of the most entertaining scenes in Hollywood history, and a scene done so efficiently and so masterfully that it alone should have garnered Tarantino a directing Oscar.

From his smash hit `Pulp Fiction' to his stunning follow up `Jackie Brown' to his marvelous `one-two-punch' that is `Kill Bill', Tarantino is always on point and ahead of his game. His visual flare is uncompromised and incomparable and his sick sense of genius shines through with reckless abandon on everything he touches. `Reservoir Dogs' marks the beginning of his illustrious career, and honestly, it is the best thing he's ever done.