Steve Buscemi’s star is rising fast. In Rotterdam this is clear form his striking roles in Reservoir Dogs (being screened as a Critics’ Choice) and In the Soup. In the case of What Happened to Pete, Buscemi is not only present as the protagonist, but also as director. His background as theatre-maker is clearly visible in this short film, which could be regarded as a one-act play; the acting takes first place. Buscemi plays the role of Pete, a customer in a quiet bar somewhere in dull small-town America. Pete needs money and he tries to sell the barman his collection of forties and fifties pulp. The long-winded negotiations about this transaction are interrupted by the arrival of a new customer. When the latter finds a picture of his ex-wife in one of Pete’s books, the covers of the novels come to life in a surprising way.
