Quentin Tarantino fans will have plenty to talk about this week as two of his iconic films are being shown once again in theaters. In commemoration of Reservoir Dogs’ 20 year anniversary, the film was re-released in theaters on December 4 and Pulp Fiction is set to follow on December 6. According to Derek Feit, the General Manager of the AMC Lowes Theatre in the Monmouth Mall, the re-releases are shown only once at 7 pm on the days scheduled.
Reservoir Dogs is Tarantino’s first motion picture that he both wrote and directed. The plot revolves around six men hired to participate in a jewel heist and are given code names to protect their identity. The film premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival and gave Tarantino recognition among the movie industry. Actors Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, and more star in the film along with Tarantino himself. The movie is just under two hours and is jam packed with witty dialogue and gruesome scenes that make Reservoir Dogs hard to forget.
The violent comedy Pulp Fiction was the second movie both written and directed by Tarantino. Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta play two mob hit men who find themselves in some messy situations that intertwine with the lives of other characters. Uma Thurman and Bruce Willis star in the film, which is just under three hours long. Pulp Fiction won Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen at the 1995 Academy Awards.
Professor John Morano, author of “Don’t Tell Me The Ending!”, a book for aspiring film critics, describes Tarantino as “Auterish”, meaning that audiences can expect certain traits in the film before they even enter the theatre. “For me, he’s unique among directors because he has films that I love like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs and at the same time he has films that I loathe like Kill Bill and others,” said Morano.
Tarantino’s long list of movie archives also includes Grindhouse and Inglorious Basterds. Audiences can expect gratuitous violence and comedic, character-developing dialogue from Tarantino films.
Associate Professor of Radio/TV Aaron Furgason said, “I think he, as well as Kevin Smith, gave hope to every independent film director. Their success suggests that you don’t necessarily have to attend film school to be a good screenwriter or director.”
Tarantino films also have a tendency to break the linear story sequence. “That randomness gives it excitement and possibilities, that style of writing I found really interesting,” said Morano.
“I think Quentin is the greatest example of a post-modern thief,” said Furgason. “What I mean by this is that Quentin loves to pilfer ideas, scenes and feel from a wide variety of influences (mainly Westerns and Hong Kong films). He takes all of this, mashes it up and spits out Kill Bill or Inglorious Basterds.”
Although Furgason isn’t necessarily a fan of Pulp Fiction, he does plan to show Reservoir Dogs in his summer Generation X Film Directors course and respects Tarantino’s willingness to take chances and risks with his films.
Junior Tyler Rosen said, “Quentin Tarantino is my favorite director, and Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs are two of my favorite movies. “
Rosen continued, “I think he is the best at writing character dialogue, and his directing style is instantly recognizable. I think it’s great that both of these classic films are being re-released in theaters since it will give people a chance to see them who haven’t already, as well as offering a difference experience to the people who have only seen them on DVD.”
“It also gives people a chance to become more familiar with Tarantino’s style before his newest film, Django Unchained is released in December,” said Rosen. Tarantino’s next film Django Unchained starring Jamie Foxx is about a slave who becomes a bounty hunter right before the Civil War. Django Unchained will be released in theaters on December 25.
