Tarantino's Best film - he really has an Ear for coolness!

Rating: 8/10 (9 July 2000)

His first, and I think his best movie to date. Thank God for Keitel backing the movie and the Sundance Festival for showing it to a disbelieving audience.
Although it didn't hit the box office too hard either side of the Pond it has become something of icon for its legions of fans who can probably recite at least 10 lines of dialogue and own at least one of those cool RD film posters (me included).
Tarantino brought a little glamour and style to the gangster film genre, which critics felt made it alright to go out and shoot people so long as they wore black suits & ties and a pair of Rabans.
But for me Tarantino turns that argument on its head and shows us that criminals don't win in the end, but die a bloody death.
I also liked his choice of actors, although I wish James Woods had known about the movie because he would have made an excellent Mr Orange, rather than the rather lack lustre Tim Roth.
But this is balanced out by a truly riveting performance from Michael Madsen as the sinister & sadistic Mr Orange; and another strong performance from Keitel as usual.
But my two favourites would have to be Chris Penn's Nice Guy Eddie and especially Steve Buscemi as Mr Pink - a man so highly strung you'd think he'd shoot his own reflection in a mirror if he didn't no better.

We don't get much feedback from Mr Blue (Ed Bunker) or Mr Brown (a cameo from Quentin himself), other than at the start of the movie in the diner, which is a bit of a shame.

**** SPOILER STARTS ****** A lot has been said about the infamous "Ear" scene. But what exactly did we "see". Nothing, is the answer! That's the magic of Tarantino, he sets up the scene with the torture of the policeman and Mr Blonde produces a cut throat razor. He approaches the cop and takes hold of his head and then the camera moves away and we don't see anything except what our imaginations want us to see.
The only debatable point is the fact it's a cop that is being tortured, but the important thing is that there is nothing to see -no blood, no guts, nothing. So what's the big deal!
**** SPOILER ENDS *****
The only problem I had with the movie was how Mr Orange remained so alert during most of the movie even though he must have lost about 3 or 4 pints of blood judging by the state of the warehouse ramp he was lying on.
Nevertheless, Dogs is an excellent film, somewhat superior to his latter films of Pulp Fiction & Jackie Brown. And it sometimes makes you wonder how the man is ever going to keep the mommentum going.
Anyway, Let's go to work!
****/*****