The Hateful Eight (70mm) - Your reviews?

[richg101]

I thought I'd start a topic relating to The Hateful Eight.  I'll start with my opinions of the movie...  **I'll aim to not spoil the movie for those yet to view it. But please stop reading if you feel I start going too deep into things**

 

I watched the 4th screening on the first day of opening in the UK, at Leicester Square Odeon, London. - The only theatre screening in 70mm in the UK!  We were sat close to the optimum position - second row of the Royal Circle, 4 seats from the centre position.  The most expensive seats in the house. It cost me £25 for the ticket, £60 for the return train, and £70 for a bed in the hotel across the road from the theatre.  So to view the movie I paid a lot of hard earned cash.  I went in after 3 beers so was adequately lubricated and relaxed.

 

Plot - Basic and simple.  But I didn't feel it lacked anything in the way of entertainment.  

Characters - Very Very good indeed.  Every character was loveable (in a QT character type of way).  Each were given superb amounts of great dialogue.  The dialogue felt very theatrical.  The dark humour and dialogue drove the movie for the duration of the 3hours and I didn;t for one second start wondering when the movie would end.  The Goggins/Jackson building of friendship and trust throughout the movie stole the show for me.  

Aesthetic - Stunning.  IMO I felt that the overall resolution was somewhat limited.  It certainly felt as if the Panavision lenses weren't quite sharp enough to fully take advantage of the 65mm format.  I've seen 2.8k Alexa acquired movies projected digitally that felt higher resolution and more refined.  I felt the 65mm non anamorphic imagery from 'The Master', 'Interstellar' and '2001' totally outdoes the overall image from The Hateful Eight.  HOWEVER! - in no way did the perceived lack of sharpness affect the viewing experience.  if anything I think it added to the feel.  I expect if the film had been shot 65mm spherical and delivered in native 5perf/65mm 2.2:1 the overall image would have looked 'technically' superior.  

If anything I'd have liked to see a little more variation in the landscapes.  Visially the whole movie felt very much like a homage to John Carpenters 'The Thing'.  The isolation, the bleak and unvarying landscape, the small shooting quarters where most of the film takes place, the characters and the ending too.  The lack of trust between characters and in particular Goggins and Jackson dieing on the bed at the end was very similar to how Childs and MacReady go to sleep in the snow. 

Music - Ennio Morricone's music was superb - they even used one of the themes from his soundtrack to The Thing -and it felt so right!.  The way only a small amount of Ennio's music was used in a looping fashion felt a bit like Tarrantino had told Ennio that he was going for some type of humorous reference to the way John Carpenter only used limited material from the soundtrack Ennio wrote for The Thing.

Visual Effects - Practical.  Lifecasts of heads full of pig guts being blown up.  The gore effects were second to none.  

Dialogue - too much of the N word IMO.  I'd have liked to hear a bit more variation.  I'd have used c**t a few times to break things up a bit.  Goggins' friendly line to Jackson "I'm not dead yet you black bastard" was very funny.    

    

Comparison to Pulp Fiction - I know it wont have nearly as much rewatching potential as Pulp Fiction does.  My viewing made me come away knowing it was meant to be a theatrical type experience rather than a watch at home type of experience.  Pulp can be viewed on a pc monitor without the overall experience being harmed.

Comparison to Inglorious Basterds - Better characters but lacks the varied scenery and very very refined lighting of Inglorious.  If anything its a shame Inglorious wasnt shot in Ultra Panavision 70.  I felt budget of The Hateful Eight was consumed by the logistics of 65mm.  The need for way more light, the snowy locations, etc.  Some of the side-on shots of the stage coach going through the snow looked like they cost a fortune, but don't have the impact that some of the scenery from Inglorious has.

Comparison to Django - About on a par overall.  If I gave Django a 7.8/10 i'd give The Hateful Eight an 8.4.  I bloody love Christopher Waltz, but felt Tim Roth in some way filled the gap playing a role I feel Waltz would have filled very well.  

 

Intermission - Perfect.  without the intermission the movie would feel too long.  It was a refreshing change to be able to stretch legs, grab a fresh coca cola and talk about the movie.  

 

Overall - One of the best cinema experiences I've ever had.  On a par with my childhood/teen cinema experience of Jurassic Park, Independence Day and Titanic.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rudolf]

Thank you Rich for sharing your thoughts! My anticipation is increasing...  I somewhere read that some cinemas had technical  issues and had to show the digital version of the movie. That is really a pity! I cannot recall where but maybe it was written here on the forum. 

I nearly bought tickets for a cinema in a small town five hundred miles from Hamburg but luckily I noticed the movie is also shown in Hamburg (my hometown). I am really looking very forward for the experience. I rarely go to the cinema since they were forced to switch to beamer projection. This was really very tough for the cinemas especially the smaller ones. The costs (especially cooling) for the beamers are much much higher than maintaining reliable old projectors. But for the motion picture companies it is much cheaper to stream the videos. It is a sad thing that there are only a few real cinemas left. But there is increasing demand for premium cinemas which are more dedicated to the "grown up" visitor rather the average customer drinking/eating tons of coke and popcorn throughout the whole 3d video. Example:

http://www.savoy-filmtheater.de/savoy-filmtheater/bilder.html

That was also the first Todd-A-O cinema in Europe

 

 

 

Overall - One of the best cinema experiences I've ever had.  On a par with my childhood/teen cinema experience of Jurassic Park, Independence Day and Titanic.

 

 

 

 

 

That makes me feel rather old... my childhood cinema experiences were Star Wars, Inframan, tons of Godzilla and Bruce Lee flicks.

But the great thing is I can enjoy them today on HATEFULL Super EIGHT in my home cinema sometimes even in Scope

[Zak Forsman]

Yeah, i really enjoyed the experience as well. All the actors were SUPERCHARGED. I could have watched another three hours worth. Having the intermission was wonderful. I liked having the opportunity to talk with my wife and friends about what we'd sen so far, as well as, grab more popcorn. 

[graphicnatured]

I liked some of the dialog and the acting, but as far as QT movies go, it is pretty far down on my personal list. I may have a different opinion when I watch it again, but after the first time I was a little disappointed.

[Zak Forsman]

yeah, I know a lot of people who didn't like it. I have a feeling my ranked list of Tarantino's movies would be more or less inverted when compared to most. I still count Jackie Brown amongst his best.

[AaronChicago]

Jackie Brown is awesome. Tarantino plus Elmore Leonard is a match made in heaven. I loved the acting and costumes in Hateful Eight. The 70mm version was beautiful. It wasn't one of my favorite Tarantino movies overall though.

I personally would love to see Tarantino direct/write a 10 episode series for HBO or any other paid cable channel. This is the first year where I feel like I've enjoyed more television series' than movies.

[Zak Forsman]

yeah, I'm still reeling after watching season 2 of The Knick. it was awesome. 

[wolf33d]

I loved the 8ful8, a masterpiece for me! 

 

[Mattias Burling]

Sitting on the train home

First impression is good. Lots of feelings. Feels wierd to rute for murdering basterds. And to feel sorry for the execution of a murdering basterd.

Loved alot of the movie. It will definetelly be my favorite QT film for a while. If it stays number one infront of KB1 remains to see. KB is a film easier to rewatch imo. This might be a bit to heavy.

But no doubt, will preorder a Blueray copy as soon as Im done typing this.

The trip

Regarding the experience it was top noth. Took a first class train to Stockholm. Met with some fellows I make films with from time to time.

We had seats on the VIP balcony, first row, dead centre. Captains chair with plenty of leg room and a glass of red wine.

Its no secret that Im a sucker for film.

So yeah, an awesome night.

 

[graphicnatured]

Thats one of the great things about QT movies. Everyone feels so differently about their favorites. For me personally, if I were to put them in order it would probably be as follows:

1. Reservoir Dogs

2. Pulp Fiction

3. Inglorious Basterds

4. Kill Bill Vol 1

5. Django Unchained

6. Hateful Eight

7. Jackie Brown

8. Kill Bill Vol 2

9. Death Proof

10. Four Rooms

I haven't seen his early work, and if we counted his writing credits, True Romance would be 3rd or 4th on the list for me.

[AaronChicago]

I'll rate his 8 that he considers "his films".

1. Pulp Fiction

2. Inglorious Basterds

3. Resevoir Dogs

4. Django Unchained

5. Jackie Brown

6. Hateful Eight

7. Kill Bill Vol 1

8. Kill Bill Vol 2

[Mat Mayer]

I was also a bit let down, but I think that is just because there was so much hype and I was expecting something with more locations. I look forward to watching it again and fully expect to love it next time. 

[Mattias Burling]

My list (currently).

1. Hateful 8

2. Kill Bill 1

3. Death Proof

4. Jackie Brown

5. Pulp Fiction

6. Inglorious Basterds

7. Kill Bill 2

8. Reservoar Dogs

(Django has been sitting in its Bluray box on my shelf since release. Dont know why I havent seen it yet.)

 

[Raafi Rivero]

Here's my list:

1. Pulp Fiction

2. Jackie Brown

3. Django Unchained

4. Reservoir Dogs

5. Hateful 8

6. Kill Bill 2

7. Inglorious Basterds

8. Kill Bill 1

(haven't seen Death Proof). While the cinematography of H8 was predictably great (Bob Richardson on 70mm film), the film didn't have that much to actually say about the human condition. Further, though he recycled the technique and setups from the best two sequences of Inglorious Basterds, the film failed to maintain the pot-boiling intensity of those sequences. The film didn't have the same outright ingenuity and originality of some of his other masterpieces either. Sure there were moments where resurrecting old film techniques felt fun, without being kitschy. But there weren't enough "movie" moments like when Django is revealed in the purple suit, or when Vincent stabs the adrenaline into Mia's heart. That said, it's Tarantino through and through. He's one of the best to ever do it. And I will watch his worst over most directors' best any day of the week.

[richg101]

My list (currently).

1. Hateful 8

2. Kill Bill 1

3. Death Proof

4. Jackie Brown

5. Pulp Fiction

6. Inglorious Basterds

7. Kill Bill 2

8. Reservoar Dogs

(Django has been sitting in its Bluray box on my shelf since release. Dont know why I havent seen it yet.)

 

Interesting preference list.  I agree that Death Proof is certainly up there as one of my faves.  Out of curiosity, why do you place Hateful Eight as number 1?   

[chris24g]

This is my first post (although a long time lurker).

Tarantino movies are fun because he is all at once so irreverent and a purist. He made this movie for film nerds like himself. But mostly for himself. Unfortunately, I feel the film was celluloid masturbation on his part. He had the power and the clout to make Panavision rescue some old glass, so he did. Good for him for saving those ultra lenses. I like vintage glass too. That's why we're here, no? But to shoot movie that is 95% interior in anamorphic 65mm is like using a 4x5 camera for passport photos. The panoramic shots he did get off were very nice, albeit a bit stark. 

Not his best movie, but Samuel Jackson with a Tarantino script is like chocolate unicorn malted milk. Whole milk, not soy or almond or that 1% bullshit. And in a tall glass.

IMHO, he should have traded cameras with Alejandro Innaritu. I cannot even fathom how The Revenant would have looked in ultra 70. Don't get me wrong, I loved how he rocked that Alexa with the wide lens for most of the movie.

sigh...

Well, maybe Mr. Innaritu is eyeballing those nicely refurbished lenses now.

 

[Mattias Burling]

Interesting preference list.  I agree that Death Proof is certainly up there as one of my faves.  Out of curiosity, why do you place Hateful Eight as number 1?   

SPOLIERS

Which is my favorite changes all the time but KB1 has had the spot the most times and the longest. So that its nr1 now can be mostly because its the newest and "freshest". As time moves on it may or may not slip down.

But the reasons its competing in the top:

Message
Compared to many of his films its not a "saga" with a series of events that are entertaining. In this I felt a strong message.

It made me think a lot about the current situation in the US and why it is like it is.
That leads me to think about the goods and bads of my country and finding the historical events, situations, and times that formed my society. 
For me it was a movie about racism, life and death, justice, death penalty, gun control, value of a life, police brutality, etc.
All big topics right now. Maybe more in the US than other places but its definitely on the agenda here as well.

Feelings
Also I like movies that provoke all kinds of feelings. Not just laughter, sadness and scariness. But also disgust, rage and anxiety.
It was weird to route for some of them when they are all total murdering and hateful basterds that all deserves to get locked up.
And also in the absolute final scene, to feel that she didn't deserve it, even though she certainly deserved it more than the other two.. or did she?
I need to see it more times before I will ever be able to make that call. 

Mystery
Im a sucker for a good old fashioned murder mystery. "The killer is in this very room", love that sort of stuff. My copy of "Murder on the Orient Express" is one of my most watched films. I watch Midsumer Murders etc.

Its fun afterwards to finally connect dots and think, yeah that's what I suspected (Mexican guy and the chicken was enough to know he was lying) but not really getting the jelly bean (I thought it meant someone else was there, which was kinda true but not in the way I thought).

Cinematic
Ad to that, nice dialog, strong characters, awesome cinematography, great music, phasing etc and you have a movie at the top of my list. Some might say story is everything, I say no. A good story will not help a movie if you can barley pick up what they are saying and the DP left the lens cap on.
A great film has both.
Now that doesn't mean that a great movie needs 65mm and a huge budget. Imo The Hurt Locker has the best look of all films, Ingmar
Bergmans Seventh Seal is looking awesome and don't get me started on Noir

[Mat Mayer]

1. Reservoir Dogs (not my most watched but the one that had the biggest effect on me at the time)

2. Pulp Fuction (a perfect 10/10 movie)

3. Django (fun, sprawling epic on a par with my favorite ever movie: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly)

4. Jackie Brown (amazing music and Jackson in a lead role)

5. Kill Bill (lots of interesting techniques and styles)

[Teemu]

SPOILER ALERT!

I finally could read this topic after seeing the film last night. Want to share my thoughts.

First of all I have to mention my experience have been a bit different from others. Here in Finland there is none movie theater that could show 70mm film, sad. But that is the truth and I have to accept it. Also noticed others talked about "intermission" between movie, not in this screening.

I like Tarantino's older movies (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown) but after those Kill Bill 1&2, Death Proof, Inglorious Basterds didn't like. And don't get me wrong there is good things for example I think Inglorious Bastards beginning sequence is masterful and the table scene later on the movie. But overall those movies are not the best Tarantino for me.

In my mind Tarantino is reacting after two of his latest movies like George Costanza (Seinfeld serie):

 

I thought: "Tarantino will make a comeback to roots, but maybe at older age...". After seeing Django I was really happy and excited because I thought that was the right direction. And now Hateful Eight, I liked it. A lot. Great characters. Great acting. Good looking images. Length didn't bother at all. I loved the tension building. Great soundtrack.

Things that I didn't like: Tarantino's voice over. Now that I heard there was intermission during the screenings in other cinemas I can understand the voice over a bit better. I believe the intermission was just before the first voice over in the movie where he tells about the poison, am I right?

The problem with the voice over was that it pushed me away from the movie feeling. It was first time I noticed sitting in theater. I didn't like it. Also I think it could have been better if the poison taking action on John Ruth&Bob was revealed just as a surprise from nowhere. And after that it could have been told as flashback.

Film looked great. Must be even better from 70mm screening. One stupid thing caught my attention in the first half of film: there was noticeable overexposing in the snow in few shots. Maybe because theaters digital copy or settings or was that the case in film screening? Anyway, not important in the big picture. Just stupid camera nerd attention

And here is my Tarantino list:

1. Pulp Fiction

2. Jackie Brown

3. Reservoir Dogs

4. Hateful Eight

5. Django

6. Deathproof

7. Inglorious Basterds 

8. Kill Bill

9. Kill Bill 2

 

[andy lee]

Ive seen it 5 times now , its a great film one of his best , amazing cinematography , worth seeing just to see the opening vistas

Great story - taking the Agatha Christie murder mystery format and placing it in a different context -

Lots of classic Tarantino split diopter shots too .

Cant quite believe its been so passed over by the Oscar Nominations this year - no that many nominations .....