Tarantino's THE HATEFUL EIGHT Gives a Different Take on a Merry Christmas!

Coming to theatres Christmas day from writer/director Quentin Tarantino and The Weinstein Company comes a western with more twists than a candy cane with THE HATEFUL EIGHT.

In post-Civil War Wyoming, John Ruth (Kurt Russell) is on a mission, to get Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the town of Red Rock to hang for her crimes. Taking a private stage coach and running from a blizzard, they come across Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson),another bounty hunter who lost his horse. Ruth recognizes Warren and begrudgingly agrees to share the stage coach to Red Rock.

Getting back on their way, Ruth and Warren converse about their last meeting and about prisoner Daisy. That’s when driver O.B. (James Parks) alerts them to another man walking in the snow. Introducing himself as the soon-to-be Sheriff of Red Rock Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), he also needs a ride.

The coach arrives at Minnie’s Haberdashery where they are met by Senior Bob (Demian Bichir) and inside the cabin is the hangman Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) and General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern). As the blizzard bears

down on the haberdashery, it becomes clear that suspicions run high and each one has a story.

It is a puzzle that can only be told - western style!

Russell as Ruth is just plain frakken amazing. Of course I have been a fan since we were both kids and there isn’t a film he has done that I don’t like. In THE HATEFUL EIGHT he exudes the character of John Ruth, bounty hunter, from his speech, attitude, suspicious nature and attire and I loved every minute of it. Even in his softer moments I thoroughly enjoyed watching Ruth evolve and the way his mind works. Oh I’ll just say it - he rocks!

Jackson as Major Warren once again gets the chance to play a badass in every way, shape and form that could be. He is suspicious of everyone along with Ruth. When the story is told it is easy to see why he has an itchy trigger finger and has no problem taking care of business. From beginning to end the character of Major Warren will not be silenced and doesn’t mince his words.

Goggins as Mannix is just one hot mess and again, loved every minute he is on screen. Mannix gives the illusion of being a smart man but there are moments I question that. He seems to side with who ever will keep him alive. Goggins is an actor who just continues to thrill with every character and performance he gives. His three most amazing performances has been as Boyd Crowder in the television series JUSTIFIED, his stellar performance as Venus Van Dam in the series SONS OF ANARCHY and now this role of Mannix in THE HATEFUL EIGHT.

Bichir as Senior Bob brings humor along with his Christmas piano playing. Madsen as Joe Gage is the quiet type who seems to rub a few people the wrong way. Dern is the slightly off centered General who sits in his seat observing until he hears a story that is shocking. Parks as O.B. is hilarious and I don’t think I’ll ever look at a cabin door the same way again.

The huge standout here for me is Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy. This is a woman who speaks her mind and doesn’t mind an elbow in her face when she does spout off. There are moments of brilliance that I would speak about but I’m not into ruining some of the best acting I’ve seen from Leigh. If there aren’t nominations for her performance then something is really, really wrong with voters. An excellent performance that I will be watching again.

Other cast include: Zoe Bell as Six-Horse Judy, Dana Gournier as Minni, Lee Horsley as Ed, Craig Stark as Chester Smithers, Belinda Owino as Gemma and Channing Tatum as Jody.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give THE HATEFUL EIGHT four tubs of popcorn out of five. From the moment the Interlude appears on the screen I know this is going to be a film that will bring out every response from me possible. Tarantino has a way of doing that and I wouldn’t be disappointed as he takes on the vengeful nature of eight very unsavory characters who apparently didn’t get enough Mommy-time in childhood!

THE HATEFUL EIGHT is shocking, delightful, funny, gory, smart, and kept me along for the ride. The intermission half way through the film gave me a chance to soak up everything I experienced and catch my breath for the second half. Keeping the film in the cabin meant actually listening to every word spoken because, as my grandmother said, the devil is in the details - and there is a ton of details!

The cast is stellar and from beginning to end and the performances knocked me out. The drawn out camera shots of the stage coach in the snow, the choice of music, keeping the story within the cabin walls giving me a bit of claustrophobia, the amazing costumes and set added up to my thrill of the film. I can guarantee not everyone will agree with me on the like of the film but that doesn’t change how I feel about it one bit.

I caught myself laughing out loud, had my breath taken away a few times, a couple of ‘oh hell no!’s in there, one or two jaw drops and a head smack! Does Tarantino push the limits? Absolutely. Do I mind? Not in the slightest. It became clear with INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS and DJANGO UNCHAINED that I knew what I was in for. You could say I set myself up for every bit of this willingly - all 187 minutes.

Tarantino’s films have become so iconic with RESEVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, KILL BILL I & II, GRINDHOUSE, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (my personal favorite) and DJANGO UNCHAINED. Fans of the KILL BILL films are waiting for KILL BILL: Vol. 3!

In the end - spend the holidays with someone you hate!