Before his job became dunking on Paul Dano, Quentin Tarantino did in fact make movies that weren’t just references to other movies. In fact, he even made a few good pictures, like his full-length debut that redefined crime movies for the whole Nineties. Every element that Tarantino later drives into the ground is fresh here, from snappy, irreverent dialogue to catchy retro needle drops that score a heist gone south. Harvey Keitel’s Mr. White and Tim Roth’s Mr. Orange form the homosocial center of the film’s lowlife ecosystem, populated primarily by iconic character actors including fellow kid Steve Buscemi. If only we could go back in time and somehow completely alter the events of history so Tarantino doesn’t lose his already limited marbles, but hey. At least there’s always the movies. – James Scott
