9 Classic Movie Scenes That Were Awful To Film

Quentin Tarantino’s debut was an emphatic introduction for one of the world’s hottest directors. Reservoir Dogs was a startling debut and remains influential to this day. Its most noteworthy and controversial scene, however, was an arduous one for all involved.

In his greatest role, Michael Madsen oozes sinister charisma as the violent Mr Blonde. Having captured a copper, he torments the bloodied and bound Kirk Baltz before slicing off his ear with a straight razor. The scene, much of which was improvised by the pair, was especially tricky for Madsen.

Baltz’s role required him to plead with his captor, at one point screaming that he has a kid at home. It’s a nice piece of realism, but hit home for genuine new dad Madsen, who struggled to finish the scene. To his credit, he acts the psychopath with gusto, never letting on that he’s emotionally affected.

Adding in the fact that Tim Roth was all but glued to the floor by the fake blood, it’s a miracle that the scene came off as well as it did. It was a tricky day at the office, but the elements combined to come out with Tarantino’s calling card.