This month's issue of Empire, on sale from Thursday, celebrates all things Reservoir Dogs. Quentin Tarantino's game-changing crime classic turns 25 this year, and alongside an oral history from the people who made it, the new issue unearths some extremely rare behind-the-scenes photographs, courtesy of Linda R. Chen, the unit photographer on set for the shoot.
The magazine features a whole clutch of rare or never-before-seen photos, but we're chuffed to share one with you here on the internets: here's Michael Madsen, aka Mr Blonde, covered in fake blood while executive producer Richard Gladstein peers over the scene.
According to Chen, Madsen's shirt "would have been razorbladed a little bit so that the little explosives popped out and didn’t implode into his body." Chen continues: "Michael, who was a big flirt, liked to point his prop gun at me. They were bored, basically. They’re little boys and they’re bored. With an ensemble movie, especially one full of guys, they’re all trying to outdo each other. And they all want attention, because they’re actors! Michael was the winner, absolutely.”
To see more from Linda's archive, plus a whole heap of brand new Reservoir Dogs details, pick up a copy of the December issue of Empire, on sale Thursday. Want to get your copy days before the shops, with exclusive covers like the one above? Subscribe to Empire here{