Take the song “Stuck in the Middle With You,” heard blasting from an onscreen radio accompanying the torture of a uniformed cop at the mercy of a psychotic criminal, Mr. Blonde. A bubblegum hit of the 1970s recorded by Stealers Wheel and aimed at the teen and preteen market, the song by conventional measures is no more memorable any other catchy tune of that era. But in Reservoir Dogs it demonstrates how music can be a controlling force in determining how we respond to a film.
