"Reservoir Dogs" was Quentin Tarantino's arrival on the scene as an independent filmmaker, and it immediately proved that he was a director to watch. A low-budget pressure cooker of a movie that centers on the crew of would-be criminals in the aftermath of a robbery gone horribly wrong, the film was the origin of some of Tarantino's filmmaking trademarks, including witty dialogue and hyper-violence. The excellent cast helped Tarantino's debut massively, which boasted a level of acting talent leagues above what most directors can obtain for their first feature film. Actors like Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, and the legendary Harvey Keitel anchored the picture.

Of course, securing such a stellar cast was a process of its own. Luckily for Tarantino, Keitel was on board with the movie from the moment he read the script, even volunteering to produce the movie to help it get off the ground. If...