A Quentin Tarantino movie you may have forgotten had Bruce Willis in it

After the collapse of the studio system, when actors were finally given more autonomy over their careers and were able to choose more freely the roles and types of films they would star in, the true test of an actor became what happened when and if they. achieved megastar status. Some stars love the limelight so much that they try to give the public what they think they want to see over and over again, and in the process can feel burnt out or overwhelmed. Others become much more withdrawn, either outright refusing easy-paying jobs or being extremely picky about their projects. Then there are those stars who manage to straddle the line between the commercial and artistic side of their calling, able to parlay their newfound clout into a mix of roles that showcase not only their range, but also their creative curiosity.

At the height of his screen career in the 1990s Bruce Willis was undeniably one of those starsbalancing his action hero persona as seen in 'Die Hard' and its several sequels with daring turns in films like 'Death Becomes Her' and '12 Monkeys', as well as appearing in envelopes such as 'The Color of Night,' The Sixth Sense” and “The Fifth Element”. These latter films demonstrated his interest in working with filmmakers with diverse voices, a desire that led him to join the ensemble cast of Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster Pulp Fiction. As Tarantino's career has continued since that award-winning successhe has demonstrated an interest in forming a kind of repertory company, with such specialists as Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and, most notably, Samuel L. Jackson appearing in three or more of his nine films to date.

Those with little knowledge of Tarantino's oeuvre might think the Willis/Tarantino team-up was a one-off with Pulp Fiction, but there's actually another collaboration between the two. However, you could be forgiven if you've never seen or heard of it; the collaboration in question is just an excerpt from the 1995 anthology Four Rooms, not a full-length film, and not only that, but Willis' look is unmistakable!

The Four Rooms segment, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, marks the first time the filmmaker tackled characters working in the film industry. That's right; before Stuntman Mike and the ladies of Death Proof, Bridget Von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds, and almost all of the main cast of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino makes direct comments during the segment “The Man from Hollywood.” about (and in this case mocking) show business. Tarantino plays a thinly veiled version of himself in his role as Chester Rush, a fledgling celebrity director who has rented the top floor of an antique (re: decrepit and disreputable) Hollywood hotel, the Hotel Mon Signor. Along with his friend Norman (Paul Calderon) and the mysterious woman from the previous segment of the film, Angela (Jennifer Beals), Rush parties with another friend, Leo, played by Willis.

” ), the apostate brothers decide they want to re-enact the script from the episode and the Roald Dahl short story it's based on. Namely, they want poor Ted Bellhop (Roth) to be the unbiased ax man in the bet between Chester and Norman: if Norman can't light his lighter 10 times in a row, Ted will chop off his little finger.

The segment gets its juice from the escalating, tangled build-up of tension and drunken mayhem as the offer is made to Ted and the bets are made. In this case, Willis' manager (or agent, or colleague of some sort) is a crucial component as he oscillates between a heated argument with his wife on the phone and a meltdown with the boys. It's a great gonzo performance from Willis, who takes Tarantino's signature crackling dialogue and amps up its intensity and humor. Where Tarantino is goofy, Calderon is laid-back, and Beale is restrained, it's Willis who provides the segment with the threat of much-needed violence, making it clear that anything can happen and allowing the segment's potential punchline to land that much harder. According to this Playboy interviewWillis took the role in just two days. Given his busy schedule at the time, it's fortunate that he was able to include “Four Rooms” so that he could lend his talents to it.

Four Rooms was generally dismissed upon its release and has not been widely rediscovered since, given that it has the uneven quality inherent in an anthology film. Despite the best efforts of its leads, Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, none of the segments stand out in the way that, say, Timo Tiagianto and Gareth Hugh Evans do. “Safe Haven” from “V/H/S 2” iswhich means that “Four Rooms” has not enjoyed continuous popularity or a wave of reappraisals. Perhaps now, in its 30th anniversary year, it will be appreciated even more, because while it's not great enough to be called a hidden gem of a film, it does have some great moments.

The biggest reason Four Rooms should be rediscovered is that it's actually a fantastic alternative New Year's Eve movie. Ted's plight, having just been hired by a rogue management and having to keep his sanity through the night, starts with a pack of witches (in an Allison Anders segment) and continues into the couple's weird psychosexual role-play (in an Alexander Rockwell segment) that involves babysitting a gangster rowdy kids (in Rodriguez's segment), and at the end of “A Man From Hollywood,” it's as good a chance that NYE parties can disappear from rails.

If nothing else, the film is fun to watch, especially with Willis' involvement. It's a shame he and Tarantino never worked together again, considering how much Willis' tough guy wooing fit Tarantino's dialogue like a glove. At least we'll always have Pulp Fiction and Four Rooms, and for those who haven't seen the latter yet, your New Year just got a little happier.