In other reviews and editorials, I think I have made it pretty clear about how important I feel music is to a movie.  There are some directors that even agree with me, going so far as to treat the soundtrack as another character to be woven into the story.  Today’s memory has to do with one such director: Quentin Tarantino.

Just the mention of his name evokes strong reactions regarding his movies.  When being interviewed after the release of Pulp Fiction, he talked about how he wanted a certain sound to go with what was on-screen.  He had done this previously with Resevoir Dogs, the subject of this memory.  In the movie regarding a heist gone sour, Tarantino used 70s music to create links to movies like Dog Day Afternoon.  In arguably the most famous scene of Resevoir Dogs, Michael Madsen is in the process of torturing a cop.  Steven Wright, our “radio” narrator, introduces another classic from the 70s, “Stuck In The Middle With You” by Stealers Wheels.   As the song plays, Madsen starts dancing around and ends up chopping off the ear of the cop.

Just to give you an idea of how powerul this imagery is, I was watching Morning Glory the other day and heard Michael Buble’s version.  As soon as it started playing, I flashed for a second on Resevoir Dogs before returning focus to the movie.

So, whenever I hear “Stuck In The Middle With You,” I think of Resevoir Dogs…