Reservoir Dogs

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 neo-noir 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] and was named "Greatest Independent Film of All Time" by Empire. 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 $2.8 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.

  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.