Four Rooms (1995)

This unbearable quartet of stories was written and directed by hot filmmakers Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi), Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging), and Alexandre Rockwell (In the Soup), which only proves that even the smart guys can really blow it sometimes. The anthology is linked by the hotel in which all the events are taking place, and by Tim Roth as a bellboy flitting from scene to scene. Nobody overcomes the insufferable air of self-congratulation that permeates this exercise in forced hipness. With Bruce Willis, Madonna, Lili Taylor, Ione Skye, Jennifer Beals, and Antonio Banderas. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

I'm in a situation I can't begin to explain

Ted the Bellhop: I'm in a situation I can't begin to explain

Four Rooms is a project where four directors each write and direct a segment, all dealing with Ted the Bellhop (Tim Roth) in a hotel on New Year's Eve. In this case, old acquaintances should be forgot, and the Bellhop is not getting a tip. Though Tim Roth is a good actor, he couldn't save this project, and with four directors, four directions, it was a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. In Tarantino's segment he refers to the movie "The Bell Boy," and Jerry Lewis' performance in which he never uttered a single word. Genius it was, but Tim Roth is no Jerry Lewis, nor is he a Charlie Chaplin, or even a Johnny Depp playing a lost soul with a Buster Keaton fixation such as he did in "Benny and Joon." The role was created with Steve Buscemi in mind, but even he couldn't have saved this project.

Since the duties were split four ways, the blame can also be divvied up, but Quentin seems to be the chief instigator, and he had the audacity to not only write, direct, and star in his segment, but he was annoying in all three capacities. Though it went nowhere, the first segment was entertaining for a few brief seconds, just because it featured a bevy of beauties, Madonna, Lili Taylor, Ione Skye, Amanda De Cadenet, etc., as a coven of witches; and Alicia Witt as Madonna's bratty young punque roque girlfriend. I heart Alicia Witt, because she is a smart and sassy red head. Kathy Griffin, another sassy red head, is also wasted in "Four Rooms." Flashdancer Jennifer Beals appears in two of the four rooms, but even though my niece said it was the best movie ever, I say it was just an excuse for a bunch of actors and directors to goof off.


Directed & Written by
Allison Anders (segment "The Missing Ingredient")
Alexandre Rockwell (segment "The Wrong Man")
Robert Rodriguez (segment "The Misbehavers")
Quentin Tarantino (segment "The Man from Hollywood")

Gas Food Lodging (1992) ... Directed by Alison Annders [Ione Skye was Trudi]
13 Moons (2002) ... Directed by Alexandre Rockwell [Jennifer Beals was Suzi]
El Mariachi (Special Edition) (1992) ... Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Grindhouse Presents, Planet Terror - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2007) ... [Quentin Tarantino's segment "Death Proof" Robert Rodriguez's segment was "Planet Terror"]
The Rachel Papers (1989) .... Ione Skye was Rachel Noyce [Amanda De Cadenet was Cathy]
Say Anything ... (1989) .... Ione Skye was Diane Court [Lili Taylor was Corey Flood]
River's Edge (1986) (as Ione Skye Leitch) .... Ione Skye was Clarissa
Flashdance (1983) .... Jennifer Beals was Alex Owens
Dogfight (1991) .... Lili Taylor was Rose
Playing Mona Lisa (2000) .... Alicia Witt was Claire Goldstein

Kiva: You're not my mother.
Elspeth: Yes I am.
Kiva: Then why are we sleeping together?
December 10, 2008

Four Rooms - Five Stars

Tarintino returns with his steady cast of players for another supremely entertaining show. Four Rooms moves the talent around with Tim Ross running with the lead.

The cast is, as always in Quentin's movies, fabulous.

The script, as always in Quentin's movies, fabulous.

A don't miss for Tarintino fans. A should see for just about everyone else 8 to 80. October 15, 2008

One room too many

Four Rooms is a collaborative effort with Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino all writing and directing a short film that concerns one bellboy in one hotel on a very weird New Year's eve. Ted (Tim Roth) is that bellboy who encounters everything from witches, one very jealous husband, a couple of misbehaving kids, and some very inebriated Hollywood players on this New Year's Eve which incidentally happens to be his first night on the job. In the first film directed by Anders entitled The Missing Ingredient six witches are planning on resurrecting a witch who died too young on her wedding night. Each witch is supposed to have brought something in order for the ritual to work stuff like breast milk, a virgin's blood and another ingredient which let's just say they need a man for. That man is Ted as one of the witches (Ione Skye) is in charge of relieving Ted of the ingredient. For me the Missing Ingredient in this film was Ione Skye's top. It was nice to see Diane Court letting loose of her inhibitions in this one. Other sexy witches included Valeria Golino, Lili Taylor, Alicia Witt, and unfortunately Madonna. Fun stuff to get this film going. The second and worst of the films is The Wrong Man directed by Rockwell and starring his then wife Jennifer Beals as a wife who accuses Ted of being the reason she is tied up and held at gunpoint by her husband who thinks she is sleeping with Ted. Beals does have one good monologue about Ted's gigantic member and David Proval has a few laughs as Siegfried the jealous husband but overall this one wasn't good. The last half of the film is left to Rodriguez and Tarantino as the closer. This film came before From Dusk till Dawn, Sin City, and the Grindhouse films in other words before these two started collaborating on every project. Rodriguez's the Misbehavers is certainly a preview of his Spy Kids films with two very mischievous kids whose parents (one of whom is played by a funny Antonio Banderas) hire Ted to put the kids to bed before midnight while him and the wife spend a night on the town. Needless to say these kids aren't interested in going to bed on time but are interested in getting into as much trouble as possible. I will just say that needles and a hooker factor into the equation. Finally Tarantino directs the Man from Hollywood which is a remake of an old Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode. A note to Tarantino detractors it is not surprising that he writes himself the biggest role in this short film (even though it is the longest of all of them). So if you can't stand the Q.T. you probably aren't going to watch him "act" in this one. Anyway he plays the new hot Hollywood writer/director who has so much money he is willing to bet his beloved Cadillac in a bet which involves a lighter and a machete. Bruce Willis is uncredited in his role of Leo and Jennifer Beals, barefoot of course, also appears in this one as well. This is a fun effort from not just Tarantino but everyone involved. There is clever writing, fun performances, and just overall weirdness that make Four Rooms a fun nostalgia trip for fans of Rodriguez and Tarantino. September 27, 2008

Eye's of the Bell Boy

A look at what a bell boy see's in 4 rooms in a hotel on his first night on the job and nothing goes right. Including murder. August 28, 2008

No masterpiece, but very entertaining.

Taking place in a hotel this movie is about Ted the bell boys experience working alone on New Years Eve with four different rooms occupied by some rather eccentric guests, each room directed by a different director.

I wont go into a description of each room, its been done a few times already but I must admit the first two rooms were moderately funny if not slightly boring but if your like me dont let it discourage you give the movie a chance. The last two rooms are in my opinion worth the wait completely, in fact I went out and bought the dvd after renting it because of them, movies dont often make me cry from laughter. Tim Roth is an amazing actor in basically everything he is in but his expression and movement alone was enough to make me laugh. Apart from him Antonio Banderas and Quentin Tarantino were both exceedingly funny in this move, Banderas especially his room is by far the most hilarious. I would recommend this to anyone who loves Tim, Antonio or Quentin and to people who just generally laugh easily at stupid or random things. August 25, 2008

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