The Quentin Tarantino Movie That You Probably Forgot Bruce Willis Cameoed In

After the collapse of the studio system, when actors were finally given more autonomy regarding their careers and were much more free to choose the types of roles and films they'd appear in, the true test of an actor became what happened when and if they reached megastardom. Some stars love the limelight so much that they try and give their public what it is they think they want to see over and over again, and can find themselves feeling burned out or too typecast in the process. Others become much more reclusive, either outright refusing easy paycheck jobs or being extremely picky about their projects. Then there are those stars who manage to straddle the line between the commercial and artistic sides of their vocation, and are able to spin their newfound clout into a mixture of roles that demonstrate not only their range, but also their creative curiosity.

At the peak of his screen career in the 1990s, Bruce Willis was undeniably one of these stars, balancing his action hero persona as seen in "Die Hard" and its several sequels with bold turns in movies like "Death Becomes Her" and "12 Monkeys" as well as appearing in envelope-pushing fare like "Color of Night," "The Sixth Sense," and "The Fifth Element." These latter films demonstrated his interest in working with filmmakers with distinct voices, a desire which led to his casting in the ensemble of Quentin Tarantino's breakout feature, "Pulp Fiction." As Tarantino's career has continued since that award-winning success, he's demonstrated his own interest in building a sort of repertory company of actors, with thespians like Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and especially Samuel L. Jackson turning up in three or more of his nine films to date.

Those with only a passing knowledge of Tarantino's oeuvre might consider the Willis/Tarantino team a one-and-done with "Pulp Fiction," but there's actually another collaboration between the two that's out there. You could be forgiven if you've never seen or heard of it, however; the collaboration in question is only a segment from 1995's anthology "Four Rooms," not a full-length feature, and not only that, but Willis' appearance is uncredited!

The segment of "Four Rooms" written and directed by Quentin Tarantino marks the first time that the filmmaker tackled characters who work in the film industry. That's right; before Stuntman Mike and the ladies of "Death Proof," Bridget Von Hammersmark in "Inglourious Basterds," and pretty much the entire main cast of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," the segment "The Man From Hollywood" sees Tarantino directly commenting on (and, in this case, satirizing) show business. Tarantino plays what feels like a thinly-veiled version of himself in his role as Chester Rush, a newly minted celebrity director who has rented out the penthouse of the vintage (re: decrepit and disreputable) Hollywood hotel, the Hotel Mon Signor. Along with his friend Norman (Paul Calderón) and a mysterious woman from an earlier segment of the movie, Angela (Jennifer Beals), Rush is partying with another buddy, Leo, played by Willis.

The premise of the segment involves Chester and his pals getting so sauced up on this New Year's Eve that, upon randomly seeing the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode called "Man from the South" (which the characters erroneously identity as "The Man From Rio"), the trashed bros decide that they want to re-enact the scenario from the episode and the Roald Dahl short story that it's based on. Namely, they want poor Ted the bellhop (Roth) to be an impartial hatchet-wielder in a bet between Chester and Norman: if Norman can't light his lighter 10 times in a row, Ted's going to chop his little finger off.

The segment gets its juice from the escalating, entwined increase of tension and drunken chaos as the proposition is made to Ted and the bet enacted. In this, Willis' manager (or agent, or colleague of some sort) is a vital component, as he vacillates between a heated argument with his wife on the phone and yucking it up with the boys. It's a great gonzo performance from Willis, who takes Tarantino's signature snappy dialogue and punches up its intensity and humor. Where Tarantino is zany, Calderón is laid back, and Beals is aloof, it's Willis who supplies the segment with its much-needed threat of violence, implying that anything could happen, and allowing the segment's eventual punchline to land that much harder. According to this Playboy interview, Willis shot his role in just two days. Given his busy schedule at the time, it's lucky that he was able to fit "Four Rooms" in so he could lend his talents to it.

"Four Rooms" was generally dismissed upon its release and hasn't been widely rediscovered in the years since given that it suffers from an uneven quality that is part and parcel of the anthology movie. Despite the efforts of in-their-prime Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, none of the segments are standouts in the way that, for example, Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Huw Evans' "Safe Haven" from "V/H/S 2" is, meaning that "Four Rooms" hasn't enjoyed a continued popularity or wave of reappraisal. Perhaps now, in the year of its 30th anniversary, it will find some more appreciation, for while it's not so great as to be labeled a hidden gem of a film, it's got some great moments in it.

The biggest reason why "Four Rooms" should be rediscovered is that it's actually a fantastic alternative New Year's Eve movie. The plight of Ted, newly hired by an unscrupulous management, having to keep his sanity through a night that begins with a coven of witches (in a segment by Allison Anders), continues through getting caught in the middle of a couple's bizarre psychosexual roleplay (in a segment by Alexandre Rockwell), involves having to babysit a gangster's rambunctious children (in Rodriguez's segment), and concludes with "The Man from Hollywood" is as great an encapsulation of the potential for NYE parties to go off the rails as any.

If nothing else, the movie is a fun one to watch, especially given Willis' participation. It's unfortunate that he and Tarantino never collaborated together again, given how much Willis' tough-guy patter fits Tarantino's dialogue like a glove. At least we'll always have "Pulp Fiction" and "Four Rooms," and for those who have yet to see the latter, your New Year just got a little happier.