THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015)

1/4/2016 - The Hateful Eight (2015) - 6+/7/10

It took me some time to process this one. I certainly had a good time watching it, but there was a quality of gauntness from over extension and perhaps a bit of poking the audience with the consternation stick. It was a near real good film that could have used a bit more hand from “Old OB”, reigning Quentin in and editing it down to a sharper and more decisive end product.

Gratuitous. Self-aggrandizing and self-reverential. The dialogue was stretched too thin and too repetitive, even within the context of the seeming necessities. This veritable filmed play could have used editing down and massaging. Too long and lacked cohesion.

The tagline of "Reservoir Dogs meets the Thing, in the west" is not altogether accurate or fair, but it also isn't without merit. The elements (composer, actors, ambiance, etc) were too on the nose to dismiss. But, that didn’t kill it, just a bit too referential instead of trailblazing.

I feel like the chapters and "Grindhouse wink 'n' nudge" worked the least in this film than his others, especially the sore thumb of a voice-over. Someone should tell him that his style doesn’t have to overpower the flavor of each film morsel.

N word didn't feel too much; felt a piece of a time and purposefully manipulative. But perhaps the gore for shock felt too demonstrative. I savored the carnage, but it was serving itself, not the story.

There have been a lot of negatives thus far, but there are plenty of terrific bits. Jackson. Atmosphere. Design. Characters. Plenty of the dialogue. His play with scope and film. The idea of the story and the “murder mystery in a locked room”. It is still a Tarantino movie. Even when it isn't amazing, it is still quality. I did enjoy the film. Hell, to be topical, I liked this/thought it was better than Force Awakens. But I would say this feels in the end more of a Tarantino miss than hit. Tough to shake the context of his own astounding work, being one of our seminal auteurs. Just not as crisp or tightly put together as it could have been. Did I like it: I think so. Love it: nope.

(Because any time a Tarantino film comes out, we all seem to speculate on our personal pedestal of his work)
Tarantino rank system (of his self-identified “his films”):
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Reservoir Dogs
3. Jackie Brown
4. Kill Bill 1
5. Inglorious Basterds
6. Kill Bill 2
7. Django Unchained
8. Hateful Eight