Tribeca Retrospective: The 25th Anniversary Of RESERVOIR DOGS With Panel

With the festival entering its final day, and my screenings complete, I thought my time at the Tribeca Film Festival had come to an end. It had been a mind-blowing week full of every experience I could possibly fit in. Yet, just when I thought I was finished, I received an email inviting me (and a plus one!) to one of the festival’s most anticipated retrospective events – the 25th Anniversary Screening of Reservoir Dogs with Panel.

I could not believe the opportunity that was being offered, verifying it almost immediately. This particular retrospective panel, like many of the panels throughout the week, would include both director and cast. In this case, the participating members would include: Quentin Tarantino, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Steve Buscemi.

The added bonus was that I was able to bring my fiance, who ironically enough was the person to first introduce this film to me when we had started dating years ago. It was also amazing to finally be able to share a part of the festival with someone else, as most of the week my experiences and screeners had been a solo venture.

Reservoir Dogs with Panel Red Carpet

Arriving at the venue to pick up our tickets, we noticed a large white tent with beaming lights and a staged background. It looked like a red carpet event, but would the director and cast of this film really be arriving this early – would they really be watching Reservoir Dogs WITH us? Checking my schedule of red carpets, it was in fact the one for evening’s event and there in the distance stood Harvey Keitel, in a blazer and a pair of shades, speaking with reporters. Standing with an array of fans, all holding Reservoir Dogs memorabilia hoping for an autograph opportunity, there was such an energy and anticipation that reverberated throughout the air.

Still needing to pick up our tickets, we decided to walk around the back of the tent, making our way around to the pick-up booths down the street. Trying to peek through the crowds, we saw an open spot near the barriers, pausing momentarily to see if we could get a better look of tonight’s celebrities – and our timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

At that moment, Tim Roth left the security of the tented red carpet and his cast mates to indulge some hard core fans who had lined up near the exit. It was amazing to see him so close, and to see a celebrity break from the norm to indulge fans. Snapping photograph after photograph, I was amazed at how normal he seemed, even with all the masses of security protecting the event. While his time with the fans was brief, it was really great to see him take a moment from the spotlights and press questions for the film’s fans.

THIS. WAS. EPIC.

Leaving the red carpet, we made our way to a series of tents to pick-up our tickets. I was certain that I had messed up our reservation somehow (I mean this really is to good to be true) and was relieved when we were handed our tickets. Making our way to the theater and through security, we decided to locate our seats before acquiring refreshments. We were directed to the doors leading to the orchestra section, and noticing for the first time on our tickets, it turned out that we would be in the first row. Shocked and in disbelief, we made it to our seats.

Yet, this is where the excitement truly begins. We had been sitting there for a bit waiting for the movie to begin, when from the side of the theater we hear “Look out, excuse me” – one of the theater ushers calling repeatedly. As we turn to look at what may be blocking the usher, Quentin Tarantino walks quickly by us, practically tripping over our feet. I am embarrassed to say I was speechless, my mouth gaping for longer than was socially acceptable. My mind was already blown from Tim Roth on the red carpet and our unbelievable seating assignments – this just threw me into overload.

Walking to the middle of the the orchestra section, it is clear Tarantino is not only lending his 35mm copy of Reservoir Dogs to the festival, but that he will be viewing Reservoir Dogs with the audience. As the theater erupts into cheers for his arrival, we notice Tim Roth with him as well. It is safe to assume at this point that the rest of the cast is in attendance as well, but with everyone up on their feet in applause, we were unable to see them.

The viewing of Reservoir Dogs was exhilarating and exciting, the energy in the room at max level and fans feeding off of one another. With each cast announcement on screen, as well as key scenes within the movie, a chorus of cheers would erupt throughout the theater. The experience reminded me of midnight showings I had attended in the past for movies such as Indiana Jones 4, the Star Wars prequel and Twilight: New Moon – die hard fans going balls-to-the-walls with excitement and reaction.

As the credits begin to roll, the cast is swiftly escorted past us, this time not just Tarantino but all the members. Tim Roth, the last to walk by us, stops along the side, in front of us, taking out his phone and snapping his own pictures of the stage where the panel will be held, as well as pictures of the audience – who’s phones have all begun to illuminate in the dark in anticipation for pictures of their own.

The Panel

As the panel begins, each member is announced one at a time onto the stage, the crowd cheering and cameras clicking. It was incredible to see them all seated up there, ready to answer questions and share their stories. Each spoke with one another, as though no time had past between them.

Early into the panel, Quentin Tarantino was asked to recall his film’s first screening at the Sundance Film Festival. Laughing as he tells his story, Tarantino calls the premier a “disaster” with the incorrect camera for the film used so it was cutting off parts of the picture, as well as a power outage in the second week showing during the height of Reservoir Dogs’ intense climatic scene.

Continuing his talk with regards to Sundance and the screenings that would follow after, he recalls that at almost every showing, people would get up and leave the theater during the torture scene. The violence and gore was too much for the audience to take. He stated that he even began to count the number of people per screening that would get up and leave, thirty-three people his largest walk out. His most memorable screening where this occurred was when Wes Craven had been in attendance – he too left. “Like, the guy who did The Last House on the Left walked out?” Tarantino yelled out, still sounding in disbelief.

Talking about the auditions, the crew had an abundance of stories to share. Tom Waits had auditioned once, Tarantino having him read the Madonna speech “just so I could hear Tom Waits say it. Michael Madsen had originally wanted to be Mr. Pink, as did Tarantino – before relinquishing it to Steve Buscemi following his audition (who has Harvey Keitel to thank).

Returning to Michael Madsen, Tarantino laughed as he recalled Madsen’s audition. There were three scenes for the final audition that were required of the actors. When it came to Madsen’s turn, he walks in admitting that “yeah, I didn’t work on any of those two other scenes”. Annoyed, Tarantino still let him audition – his dedication and camera-ready performance solidifying the job for him.

Quentin Tarantino continues to discuss that the film was shot in 35 days, even though the influential power of Harvey Keitel (who’s name Tarantino says he still says wrong, including tonight) had brought in a substantial amount of funding, and they could have taken more time. After rehearsals, and just before shooting, Tarantino recalls leaving Keitel’s after dinner, admitting he was never happier than that moment, driving down Sunset Boulevard, thinking, “This thing I had been thinking about for so long, not just Reservoir Dogs but making movies in general, [I thought], ‘this might just work out'”.

The torture scene was also a hot topic of the evening, as this was the most shocking and memorable scene. Madsen will forever be plagued with requests to do the dance –  a dance, as we learned , that almost didn’t happen, was never rehearsed, as Madsen was intimidated by it (in the script it stated “Mr. Blonde maniacally danced around”), and only took three takes to shoot.

As time was up, questions were not taken from the crowd – even though one audience member tried. Nor was the dance performed, as we requested by another audience member. Standing the entire cast walked closer to the edge of the stage waving their farewells to the crowd, Tarantino even acknowledging he had not seen the audience in the balcony, the cast joining him in an extra wave to the audience assembled there. The entire cast leaves one by one, with the exception of Madsen, who briefly stopped to call out for his wife – which was interesting because in that moment he wasn’t Mr. Blonde, just a person like the rest of us lost in a crowd.

The End

As we walked back to our train, we were both in disbelief that this all had just happened. It was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it was epic. Epic is the best way to describe it. This was an experience that I will not be forgetting any time soon, and a mind blowing way to end the Tribeca Film Festival.