"Reservoir Dogs" 10-Year Anniversary Special Edition DVD

Guide Rating -

Writer/director Quentin Tarantino made an immediate impact with his debut effort, "Reservoir Dogs." Though the film is about a diamond heist gone bad, viewers never actually see the heist. Instead audiences are treated to a 'heist' film sans the heist and featuring intelligent, believable dialogue and amazing acting from a high caliber ensemble cast.

The film's basic premise is about a collection of criminals who have no prior knowledge of each other and must work together as a cohesive unit to pull off a dangerous, daytime robbery. Harvey Keitel (Mr. White), Steve Buscemi (Mr. Pink), Michael Madsen (Mr. Blonde), Quentin Tarantino (Mr. Brown), Eddie Bunker (Mr. Blue) and Tim Roth (Mr. Orange) are assembled to pull off the perfect heist. When things go terribly wrong, they begin to question who among them is a snitch.

Is there any accolade you can attach to a review of "Reservoir Dogs" that's original and different? I wracked my brain and couldn't come up with anything worthy that hasn't been said many times before. The well-deserved, enthusiastic critical acclaim and cult following this film has garnered were probably the impetus behind this 10-Year Anniversary Special Edition DVD. Fans of the film are going to enter a nirvana-like state watching the 3+ hours of bonus features and viewing the film with the commentary on. To hear all the inside scoop - and to hear Chris Penn talk about the 'shooting' scene - would be enough to warrant adding the film to your DVD collection. However this 2-Disc Special Edition DVD doesn't stop there; it just keeps on topping itself. From the alternate angles of the infamous 'ear cutting' scene to original interviews with select members of the cast, "Reservoir Dogs" takes on even more meaning after watching the extra material.

As a huge fan of the film from its original theatrical release, this is one DVD that I was anxiously looking forward to adding to my DVD rack. Ten years after its release, "Reservoir Dogs" remains one of the best examples of a dialogue-driven, character-based film. This Special Edition DVD does justice to a film that tops a lot of fans 'Best Movie' lists.

Deleted Scenes:
-"Background Check" - Cops research the criminal history of Larry aka Mr. White;
-"No Protection" - Freddy gets angry about the police surveillance set-up and the lack of protection he'll have undercover;
-"Doing My Job" - Mr. White, Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie discuss getting medical help for Mr. Orange; and
-"Cutting Off the Ear" - Alternate Take A and Alternate Take B (both are more graphic than the scene that's actually used in the film, with Take B being extremely graphic).

DISC TWO:

Featurettes:
-"The Critics Commentaries" - Three critics discuss their interpretations of the film.
-"K-Billy Radio" - Short featurettes including exchanges between Quentin Tarantino and Steven Wright, and a segment featuring "Reservoir Dogs" action figures acting out the ear cutting scene.

Class of 92:
-Tarantino recalls the events surrounding the initial screenings of "Reservoir Dogs" at the Sundance Film Festival.
-Chris Munch, Tom Kalin, Katt Shea and Alex Rockwell talk about their 1992 Sundance Film Festival entries.
-Steve Buscemi and Quentin Tarantino act out scenes from "Reservoir Dogs" for the Sundance Institute.

Tributes and Dedications:
-Tarantino reveals his 'Tribute' list (including Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, Pam Grier, Roger Corman, Jean Luc Godard and Lionel White) from the second page of the original script;
-'Dedicated To' segments in honor of Lawrence Tierney and Eddie Bunker; and
-'Tributes' featurettes in honor of Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, Pam Grier and Roger Corman.

Additional Bonus Features:
-"Securing the Shot" - Location scouting with Billy Fox;
-Poster Gallery;
-"Small Dogs" - Creating the "Reservoir Dogs" action figures;
-"In Style With 'Reservoir Dogs';"
-"The Film Noir Web" - Directors discuss the genre;
-Five unique collectible DVD packages each themed after one of the film's characters; and
-2-Disc DVD Set with Wide-Screen and Full-Screen versions