Lend me an ear

Every slacker guy’s rocks-off fantasy of playing shoot ‘em up as a Rat Pack gangsta was indulged in Quentin Tarantino’s film debut, the trend-spotting, trend-setting 1992 Reservoir Dogs. Artisan Entertainment celebrates the 10th anniversary of this postmodern heist film about a bungled plan to lift a fortune in diamonds with the release of a special limited edition DVD that includes a variety of extra features.
DVD supplements include a humorous rehearsal of scenes between Steve Buscemi and Tarantino; a deconstruction of the film noir influences on Tarantino from experts like Robert Polito; and a tribute to wildman actor Lawrence Tierney.

Borrowing from filmmakers John Woo, Jean-Pierre Melville, Martin Scorsese, John Boorman and Lewis Milestone, Tarantino’s blown-kiss to tough guy-cinema has certainly seen some of its initial cachet diminish. The legion of Tarantino imitators and the kind of pop culture-dominated gum-flapping that he made his signature have since passed into the realm of cliche. But the film still boasts the great sounds, crackerjack performances and cool veneer that made it an indie-talent-makes-good legend.

The DVD also includes voice-over commentary from Tarantino, executive producer Monte Hellman (director of seminal ’70s films Two-Lane Blacktop and Cockfighter), cinematographer Andrzej Sekula and others, as well as interviews with Tarantino, producer Lawrence Bender and several cast members, including Michael Madsen, Chris Penn and petulant Tim Roth.

In his interview, Tarantino is frank about the element of luck and circumstance that set his first film in motion, recounting the six degrees of separation that finally landed his pecked-out script on Harvey Keitel’s lap. One of the best additions to the deluxe DVD has to be Tarantino’s recitation of how a nobody with an ear for catchy dialogue invested the tired convention of the heist film with enough fresh wit and rubberband storytelling to make it new again.

The evidence of Reservoir Dogs makes Tarantino’s filmmaking talent indisputable. And just as significant is its proof that Tarantino is a consummately American director wise to the hip, carefree nuances of American life as conveyed by rapidly flying movie references, vintage ’70s music and a retro-laced ambiance that blurred the cool of the past with the edgy attitude of the present.

Reservoir Dogs 10th Anniversary Special Limited Edition, Rated R, Artisan Entertainment. $26.95.