He was working in a video store in Manhattan Beach, California when he planned the making of 'Reservoir Dogs'. The title for the film came from a patron at the video store. Tarantino would often recommend little-known titles to customers, and when he suggested 'Au revoir les enfants', the patron replied, "I don't want to see no reservoir dogs!"
Lawrence Bender was going to double up as producer and an actor, playing a police officer chasing Mr Pink. Harvey Keitel became involved and agreed to act in the film and co-produce. With Keitel involved, Tarantino was able to raise $1.5 million to make the film.
'Reservoir Dogs' opened in 19 theaters and brought in $147,839 within the first week of showing in the United States. After a very successful run in Britain, the film was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. It was a ground breaking film that has inspired many other independent films. It has since played the key role in the development of independent cinema.
