Tarantino’s 8th film popped up online as a leaked script and completely ruined the entire set up of what was originally supposed to happen. QT himself even considered not making this film at all and only using it as a play; which he did one time in Los Angeles with the cast he wanted in the film. There’s been rumors about who actually leaked the script but when it landed online I was one of those people who got right into the script and read it that night. It was pretty solid. But with the uncertainty of whether or not Tarantino would make the film, he eventually decided to do the film and present it in the Panavision 2.76:1 aspect ratio on 70mm during a “Roadshow” across the country where for a month only theaters with 70mm projectors were playing the film.
Side Note: A “Roadshow” was the technique of marketing used back in the Golden Age of Hollywood where the cast and creators of the film travel to the major cities across the country promoting their new movie. This is another technique, similar to “Grindhouse,” that will definitely reemerge in a futuristic concept due to the theater-going experience going down now that streaming as taken over. Back to the article.
Originally the story was supposed to have Django as the main character, but the more Tarantino wrote, the more he realized that Django didn’t fit into the story properly; he then made the role for Samuel L. Jackson (who is the lead of the film). The supporting cast is filled with previous Tarantino collaborators such as Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), Kurt Russell (Death Proof, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood), Bruce Dern (Django Unchained, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood), James Parks (Kill Bill), Zoe Bell (Death Proof, Django Unchained) and Walton Goggins (Django Unchained); and some new actors, with an all-star performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh (Netflix’s Atypical, Fast Times at Ridgemont High), a surprise appearance by Channing Tatum (Magic Mike, Foxcatcher), and Demian Bichir (Machete, Showtime’s Weeds).
It’s a simple story that contains all of the characters trapped by a blizzard in Minnie’s Haberdashery where anyone can be considered an enemy, but the mystery comes down to who is trying to help Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character: Daisy Domergue (a horrible witch of a woman). Not everything is perfect about the film, but the mystery is lively and it made a significant difference witnessing the film during the “Roadshow” where there was a musical overture that utilized the Ennio Morricone score (composer for Dollars Trilogy, Once Upon A Time in the West, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) along with an intermission after “Chapter 3” concludes. These nostalgic moves made the experience of watching the film a million times better and is the reason this film is ranked higher than Death Proof.
This seems to be the story that is filled with some of the most unique characters, in a unique situation, and keeps the comedy to slice through the tension of the suspenseful build up. The blizzard almost plays its own character. Once the coffee is poisoned and the bodies begin to hit the floor, the movie shifts into an all out brutal battle between the group that believes they have nothing to do with Daisy Domergue and the group that actually is there to save her.
The standout scenes really come down to the moment Samuel L. Jackson confronts Bruce Dern and the exchange they have keeps you glued to the screen, but it also happens to be the intense scene that leads to the intermission and the coffee being poisoned. Tarantino presents the situation (coming back from intermission) perfectly breaking down the stakes and getting the audience back into the story. A fun and violent movie that leaves the haberdashery in shambles. The real standouts in the movie are Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Walton Goggins. Kurt Russell is great but also not in the film enough to play a “huge” role but he brings out the most laughs when he gets the chance to command the scene.
There’s not a lot to say about the film without completely giving away the ending so SPOILER ALERT!
Let’s be real: the movie is cool. Cold might be the better word due to the blizzard. The ending works with the themes and the conversation between Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, and Kurt Russell in the beginning of the movie. “When John Ruth the Hangman gets ya, you hang.” The only “survivors” (if you can even call them that due to them bleeding out on the floor) make sure to carry out the sentence against Jennifer Jason Leigh, but everyone in this Haberdashery during this blizzard met their demise and some were great (like Bruce Dern’s death) and some didn’t matter (Tim Roth and Michael Madsen). The best kill has to be when Kurt Russell drinks the coffee. It’s a fun delightfully violent movie and everyone laughed when Channing Tatum shows up only to get his head blown off just as fast.
It’s a fire movie when watching it from the perspective of film history during the “Roadshow” style in 70mm. Outside of that, most people watch the film in the theatrical version is missing scenes and doesn’t truly encompass the full story. It’s recommended to watch the multi-episode version that was released on Netflix or seeing the movie when Tarantino shows it at his Beverly Cinema. It’s worth multiple watches in 70mm but outside of that, it should of been a play, and seems kind of like a waste of one of the ten films Tarantino has said he will make; especially with the script leaking. However, it still holds more weight than Death Proof in being a thoroughbred of the Tarantino style and entertainment.
The 8th film by Quentin Tarantino is Rank 8 on this list. It’s not bad by any means, there’s just a particular way people should watch this film because my family and I were Vegas visiting cousins for the Holidays and we made a huge event out of going to see it. We received pamphlets and everyone (whether they really like the movie or not) were completely entertained by the shenanigans and situations Tarantino creates in this wild film of his tenured career that finds a way to standout and revisit the “one location” setting that was used in his first film.
Now, which film is next? Films left: Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood