Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay [Paperback]

Quentin Tarantino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2000

Quentin Tarantino's films have single-handedly revived and redefined American noir, bringing to Hollywood a new energy, irony, and cool. Tarantino has won awards and accolades around the world, earned a devoted following among critics, actors, and audiences, and paved the way for a new generation of young filmmakers. Tarantino's directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs, hit the screen with a freshness and brutal edge that left critics and audiences stunned. The story of a heist gone wrong, the film weaves a taut and menacing path, laced with bursts of absurd and unexpected humor, as an eccentric cast of urban outlaws attempts to identify the rat in their midst. The film established the groundbreaking aesthetic -- smart-ass, hard-edged, and ultravoilent -- that made Tarantino one of the most sought-after directors in the nation. As Newsweek wrote, "Reservoir Dogs leaves little doubt that you are in the presence of major league talent."

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; 1st Grove Press ed edition (June 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802136850
• ISBN-13: 978-0802136855
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strikingly original and well told., September 22, 2000

By 

Leslie Karen Rigsbey (Wood River, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay (Paperback)

This maximum script by Oscar-winning writer Quentin Tarantino offers a vivid portrait of the finished film, even if you haven't seen it! This is a brilliant scenario, with an informal introduction to boot, but it Tarantino's style of writing and his management of characters that makes it click. Enjoy.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "If you kill that man, you die next.", September 9, 2002

By 

Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay (Paperback)

"Reservoir Dogs" is one of my favorite movies. Just the acting, the writing, the mood, the setting, the characters....just everything about it I loved! After reading the screenplay for "Pulp Fiction," I decided to pick this up. "Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay" is a must-have for any "Reservoir" fan.

Tarantino's writing is so clever and realistic. These people talk like real people! If you see movies about criminals, they're always talking about the heist, how big and bad they are, and what they would do if the cops would try to take them down. Have you ever heard a criminal trying to explain the orgin of Madonna's "Like a Virgin?" Have you heard a criminal explain why he doesn't believe in tipping? Or, have you ever seen a criminal dance to the song "Stuck in the Middle with You?" just before brutally torturing a cop? Of course not! That's why the material works and is so original. We actually believe these characters created out of fiction are real. And that's what's so great about it.

Here's a quick description of the story: Things go horribly wrong when perfect strangers plan to pull off the perfect caper. As it turns out, they were set up...but by who? Now, they must uncover the rat in the house before the cops are able to get them. In a crime/noir where no one is safe and everyone fears each other, ANYTHING is possible.

The book includes photos from the movie, as well as things that were either cut out from the movie or added in later. Pretty cool, if you ask me. That way, it's like you're experiencing it for the very first time.

Tarantino is a master when it comes to writing and directing. If you loved the movie, then you are bound to enjoy "Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay," filled with humor, suprises, and a shocking conclusion.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever. Very Clever, October 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Reservoir Dogs and True Romance: Screenplays (Paperback)

Tarantino has picked up a metaphorical batton where Scorcese left, and used stimulating dialogue and complex storyline, with a feel good vibe at the end with a post sex 'Wow! That was great'. Tarantino's obsession with making crime more stimulating through black culture and drugs helped move this moveie along. Keitel was great, Roth was good. Not as great as Pulp Fiction, but you can see the stems of his talent in this movie, better than in True Romance.