The Hateful Eight

Every time Quentin Tarantino comes out with a new film, it is a much awaited film, because each movie is always something to sink one's teeth into. From "Pulp Fiction" to "Kill Bill" to "Inglorious Basterds", his films continue to marvel and entertain us. So when "The Hateful Eight" was known to be Tarantino's eighth film, I had to make sure I saw this one.

Set six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his fugitive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as "The Hangman", will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), a southern renegade who claims to be the town's sheriff. Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie's Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie's, they are greeted not by the proprietor, but by four unfamiliar faces. Bob (Demian Bichir) who's taking care of Minnie's while she's visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), the hangman of Red Rock, a cow puncher Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) and Confederate General Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern). As the storm overtakes the mountain stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all.

Others to round out the cast are James Parks as O.B.Jackson, the stagecoach driver, Channing Tatum as Jody, Dana Gourrier as Minnie Mink, Zoe Bell as Six Horse Judy, Gene Jones as Sweet Dave and Lee Horsely as Ed.

This was brilliantly written and directed by Quentin Tarantino ("My Best Friend's Wedding" '87, "Reservoir Dogs" '92, "Pulp Fiction" '94, "Jackie Brown" '97, "Kill Bill Vol.1" '03, "Kill Bill Vol. 2" '04, "Grindhouse" (segment "Death Proof") '07, "Inglorious Basterds" '09, "Django Unchained" '12). Tarantino's body of work is so 'bigger than life' that it seems that there would be more films to his resume. The craft of this is equal to his predecessors in the fact that his direction allows his actors to come alive with a different character development than you would normally see in another film of the same genre. His purposed intention of going out on a limb time and again is certainly evident when it come to the writing. His premises, cohesiveness, timing, continuity, and style is always spot on, as with this film as well. Of course, his signature is the amount of blood he uses in his films. With his last 3-4 films, the blood has toned down to a degree, and used more wisely where it's actually needed depending on the scene. I feel that this is not Tarantino becoming more conservative, but rather it's his getting better as a talented filmmaker. Gone are the days where the blood is spewed everywhere and is in the majority of the running time. Remember "Kill Bill"? There was blood everywhere, and in many cases wasn't warranted is a good deal of the scenes. But now the blood has to be warranted--sure, there's still plenty, but not like the good 'ol days. This is one film that simply rocked!

Whether you're a Tarantino fan or not, there's something in this for all who like this sort of film. Certainly if one is a Tarantino follower, you will be in heaven. The best thing about this filmmaker is the ability to write and direct a well crafted film that usually has some sort of message along with the entertainment factor. And it's all filmed in a Super Panavision 70mm format to boot.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                Rated: R                 187mins., Panavision 70mm- 192mins.