Quentin Tarantino: Definitive Guide To Homages, Influences And References

Reservoir Dogs

9. "Do You Like Music?"

Tarantino's filmography is crammed with nods to his all-time favourite movie The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and Reservoir Dogs (many of which appear on this list) is no exception. Just before Mr. Blonde goes to work on police officer Marvin with a razor blade, he asks his victim if he likes music and turns the radio on, then proceeds to torture him. This is reminiscent of the scene in The Good, The Bad And The Ugly in which Angel Eyes asks Tuco if he likes the music outside, then begins to torture him. Unlike Marvin, Tuco manages to keep his ear.

8. The Wizard Of Oz

Tarantino joins the rest of the world in a love for all things Wizard Of Oz just moments before Mr. Blonde meets his demise. Ready to set a fuel-covered Marvin ablaze with a lighter, he quotes the Wicked Witch of the West ("How about some fire, Scarecrow?") before being shot to death by the traitorous Mr. Orange. Mr. Blonde soaking Marvin in gasoline is also taken from a similar scene in Vigilante.

7. The Thing

During the flashback scene in which we see Freddy Newandyke describing his first meeting with Joe Cabot to his partner Holdaway, the newly named Mr. Orange compares the gangster's physical appearance to The Thing, a character from the Marvel comic book series The Fantastic Four.

Mr. Orange is also revealed to be a keen comic book fan later on when a Silver Surfer poster can be glimpsed during the scene set in his apartment. Incidentally, Tierney's casting is in itself a nod to the gangster/heist genre, as the hulking actor made a name playing tough mobster roles, including his first major role as the titular gangster in Max Nosseck's Dillinger (1945). Later he remarks that Mr Blue is "dead as Dillinger".