Reservoir Dogs

This article is about the film. For the video game, see Reservoir Dogs (video game). For the Bliss n Eso song, see Reservoir Dogs (song).

Reservoir Dogs
Theatrical release poster
Directed byQuentin Tarantino
Written byQuentin Tarantino
Produced byLawrence Bender
Starring
CinematographyAndrzej Sekuła
Edited bySally Menke
Production
companies
Distributed byMiramax Films
Release dates
  • January 21, 1992 (1992-01-21) (Sundance)
  • October 9, 1992 (1992-10-09) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.2–3 million[1][2][3]
Box office$2.9 million[1]

Reservoir Dogs is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarantino, and Edward Bunker as diamond thieves whose heist of a jewelry store goes terribly wrong. Kirk Baltz, Randy Brooks, and Steven Wright also play supporting roles. The film incorporates many motifs that have become Tarantino's hallmarks: violent crime, pop culture references, profanity, and nonlinear storytelling.

The film is regarded as a classic of independent film and a cult film.[4] Although controversial at first for its depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity, Reservoir Dogs was generally well-received, and the cast was praised by many critics. Despite not being heavily promoted during its theatrical run, the film became a modest success in the United States after grossing $2.9 million against its scant budget. It achieved higher popularity after the success of Tarantino's next film, Pulp Fiction (1994). A soundtrack was released featuring songs used in the film, which are mostly from the 1970s. It was named "Greatest Independent Film of All Time" by the British film magazine Empire, who in 2008 also named it the 97th-greatest film ever made.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hartl was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Reservoir Dogs (1992)". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. ^ Tobias, Scott (December 18, 2008). "The New Cult Canon – Reservoir Dogs". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  5. ^ "Empire Magazine's 500 Greatest Films of All Time (2008)". IMDb. Retrieved October 22, 2024.