All right ramblers, let's get ramblin'
Thirty years ago, American independent film met Reservoir Dogs, a sudden gut shot nobody saw coming followed by the cheeriest ear amputation you’ve ever seen. It was a film that, perhaps more than any other, helped redefine what independent cinema could be. Where before the independent film landscape was rife with B-movie action knockoffs, auteurs like Quentin Tarantino were now striking out beyond the major studios to make “indie films,” movies that were real, edgy, intelligent, and boundary pushing art.
Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?
There’s more talk than action in Tarantino’s debut, a heist film that dispenses with the heist in favor of dialogue, character and tension. Its fragmentary collection of scenes featuring eccentric felons arguing about Madonna and tipping etiquette that paints a character-driven picture of a robbery gone wrong.
Harvey Keitel as Mr. White, Tim Roth as Mr. Orange, Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde, Chris Penn as Nice Guy Eddie, Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink, Lawrence Tierney as Joe Cabot, Edward Bunker as Mr. Blue, Quentin Tarantino as Mr. Brown.
However, like most of Tarantino’s filmography, what also sets the film apart is casting. Few filmmakers know how to so deftly employ the English language while placing it in the mouths of actors who so embody the characters quite like Tarantino. Reservoir Dogs is no exception, featuring star turns from the likes of Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Madsen, all taking turns chewing on the dense monologues and idiosyncratic characters with colorful aliases like Mr. Pink or Mr. Blonde.
So, break out the shades, put on a black suit and spend an evening with us at the Senate, watching this iconic indie classic for its 30th anniversary. We’ll even call you by whatever color you like, provided you believe in tipping.
Doors – 7:00 PM
Film – 8:00 PM
Tickets - $6
1hr 39min | R | Crime/Drama | USA
The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and The National Endowment for the Arts.
