True Romance (1993)

Starring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, 

Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Michael Rapaport, James Gandolfini, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Tom Sizemore, Chris Penn

Directed by: Tony Scott

Written by: Quentin Tarantino

Duration: 2hrs

Rating: 5 out of 5

Certainly in my top twenty favourite flicks, True Romance is the ultimate example of style over substance working in a movie’s favour.  It’s a joyously consequence-free exercise in male wish-fulfilment that throws classic scenes, star turns and great characters at you with such abandon that you just have to just soak it all up and enjoy the ride.

In fact, those supporting characters are so well-rounded that many could be the star of their own spin-off movie.  Christian Slater’s comic book store geek Clarence Worely is obviously a vicarious vessel for Tarantino’s adolescent wet dreams, but several of the others are strong enough to make the leap to protagonist themselves.

To wit:

Alabama Worley (Patricia Arquette)

"OKEY-DOKIE DOGGY-DADDY!"

During his personal ‘chapter’ in Reservoir Dogs, Harvey Keitel’s Mr White mentions a dame he knocks around with named Alabama.  Since characters often turn up in multiple places in the Tarantinoverse, it’s not a stretch to imagine that he’s talking about the same gal.  So what about a prequel, where Alabama and ‘White’ (real name:  Larry Dimmick) travel around the country living off his robbery takings, until one disastrous L.A. heist results in him dead and her fleeing to Detroit.

Clifford Worley (Dennis Hopper)

"SLOW IT DOWN, MAN!"

Before he retired to be a security guard living in a shitty trailer, Clifford was a maverick beat cop.  An alcoholic with a psychotic edge, Cliff was nevertheless devoted to law enforcement and got the job done with a steely efficiency and anti-establishment stance.  Frank Booth (from Blue Velvet) meets Frank Serpico.

Drexel Spivey (Gary Oldman)

"NAH, IT AIN'T WHITE BOY DAY."

New Jack City set in Detroit, the odious pimp’s Achilles' heel being his sensitivity to enquiries about his racial origins.

Virgil (James Gandolfini)

"SHIT, NOW I JUST DO IT TO SEE THEIR EXPRESSIONS CHANGE."

The early days of a pre-made, Tony Soprano-esque wise guy – including that first difficult hit that served as his initiation.

Dick Ritchie (Michael Rapaport)

"ALL I GOT IS FUCKIN' FLOYD."

The bumbling adventures of an east coast guy trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood, struggling to overcome disadvantages that include a mooching roommate, no talent and lack of pot or window.

Floyd (Brad Pitt)

"EXACTLY ROOM MATES."

Already covered in David Gordon Green's Pineapple Express.

Nicky Dimes (Chris Penn) and Cody Nicholson (Tom Sizemore)

“I LIKE THIS CLARENCE GUY, THIS KID'S CRAZY!”

The gritty but humorous exploits of two wisecracking L.A. narcotic cops.  In keeping with the theme of their own names, colleagues/perps could include Captain Dollar, Detective Pete Penny, and their ultimate nemesis, the nefarious coke lord Harlan Quarter.

Big Don (Samuel L. Jackson)

“I EAT THE PUSSY, I EAT THE BUTT,  I EAT EVERY MOTHERFUCKIN' THANG."

A Kinsey-style exploration of heterosexual male attitudes towards administering oral sex.

OK, I’ll stop now…  *****