The H8ful Eight thoughts (spoilers within)

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

I feel like kind of a negative nancy here just bashing Star Wars so if anyone wants to discuss a film I had a far more positive outlook of with me, thatd be nice too. I really love QT and his work. I first saw Pulp Fiction when I was 14 and it absolutely blew me away like nothing Id ever seen before or since. The snappy, quotable dialogue, the kinda Seinfeld esque "about nothing!" vibe, the non-linear narrative with a very subtle yet profound message of redemption...it was all really great stuff. Its very open to interpretation and rewatches. You start picking up some cool motifs like how every time Vincent goes to the bathroom something bad happens and things like that on repeated viewings, and even unplanned but delightfully out of place things like the band-aid on Marcellus Wallace's head allow for fun speculation. Anyway, since then Ive been a huge QT fan. I gotta say tho, the revenge fantasies were starting to get old since his last three films have been about that, without as much ambiguity and openness to analysis as PF and Reservoir Dogs. So Im really glad he moved away from that with this new film and did something a little different. Some of my thoughts:

1-I was a bit disappointed by the dialogue. It was decent, did what it had to do, but it wasnt QT-level. It didnt have that real life quality or the snappy quotability. This is partially why I hope his next film is set in the present or 20th century again. I feel like his trademark and biggest asset is lost doing Westerns.

2-I defended his use of the N-word in Pulp and Django. But in this one it felt a little forced. It was used a bit too much by too many characters. And while I know a lot of people talked that way then, it just seemed a bit too in-your-face shock value. Im not saying QT is a racist or we should censor the N-word or works that speak it. But I think it loses effectiveness when every other character says it a hundred times.

3-I loved how it was all in one room for the most part. Very very unexpected but cool change of style for him. Some have said the 70mm wasnt necessary because of this, and while I didnt see it in that format, Im sure he had his reasons. Perhaps its meant to be at least partially ironic and throw you off guard, to have such wide scope for a claustophobic story?

4-Sam Jackson, Kurt Russel and Jennifer Jason Leigh stole the show...with Walton Goggins initially seeming to be a one-note annoyance and ending up surprising me by the end. The others were good too, but they were the standout performances for me.

5-Ennio Morricone's score was great, but most of the movie was without music or at least it seemed that way to me.

6-Some have criticized QT's narration in the middle as unnecessary but I liked it. It was delightfully out of place, like a lot of moments in his films are. When we first learn Beatrice's name in Kill Bill and it cuts to her in a school role call, Hugo Stiglitz's name on screen and Sam Jackson's narration in Basterds, and Mia inexplicably drawing a dotted line square with her hands in PF for example. Its just another QT trademark. I liked this one because it wasnt obnoxious as some of his little moments are. It was fun, like he was getting so excited with the story hes telling he couldnt help but take us aside and explain it to us.

7-I wanted Daisy to come out on top in the end because of all the abuse she suffers and was slightly disappointed she didnt. I have to say also, I thought showing her hanged was a bit over the top. I have nothing against violence especially in a QT movie, but that scene just seemed unnecessary and mean spirited. I think had it ended just after Sam Jackson's monologue about the hangman and the need to hang her in his honor, it wouldve been more powerful. This seemed like an attempt to do the ending of Basterds again with the swastika carving but it just didnt work. I do like how the Sheriff overcame his racism and bonded with Sam Jackson's character in the end, but doing so over the letter (and referencing the Mary Todd part again specifically) seemed a little unearned and heavy handed.

8-Im a bit shaky on the reveal that everyone who didnt arrive in the beginning was in on the poisoning and working together. I feel like this reveal was somewhat...unneeded and opened up a lot of plot holes, like why didnt the bandits try to overpower them sooner since they had an advantage, why didnt the guy under the floor boards make a move sooner and why only shoot the one shot, why did two bounty hunters not recognize her gang members who are presumably wanted men, why didnt Sam Jackson make a move earlier when he knew Bob the Mexican was lying, etc. I think having just one or two of them be accomplices of Daisy's--or possibly having none of them be associated with her and the one who poisoned the coffee had their own motive which she'd then take advantage of wouldve worked out better. Less plotholes this way, and more ambiguity for the other guys instead of making them all bad guys by association with her. This reveal kind of ruins some of their earlier characterizations too, for example I've heard someone point out that the Undertaker's lines about the nature of justice lose all meaning on rewatches since he was really just a gang member bullshitting them rather than a complex morally gray mystery man with his own motivations. Things like that kinda bug me.

9-It may sound like I hated it reading all this, but I actually really enjoyed it. Its great QT is trying new things rather than another revenge story as I said, and the tension and atmosphere were spectacular. The shootout at the end was epic, the blowjob in the snow monologue was hilariously over the top, and as I said I loved the acting. Far from his best work, and not without some flaws, but a very good film. I think it couldve benefited from another draft or co-writer to point out the plot holes and inconsistencies to tighten the narrative up. QT is a great writer, but I think his strength is in big picture ideas and dialogue. Getting from point A to point B without creating plot holes or keeping character motivations straight seems to be his weakness, and for some reason that was more of a problem here than in his earlier works.

Anyone who saw it...what did YOU think?

[Michael Edwards Love]

You really captured many of the same thoughts that I had about the film. I thought it was very good, though it didn't climb the heights of some of his other films. I'd probably (on one viewing) place it about #6 out of 8 if I were to rank it against his others.

I thought the dialogue, while not as quippable as films past, was very good at establishing the characters and their motivations.

It was great to see Walton Goggins get such a meaty role and do something with it. Jennifer Jason Leigh knocked it out of the park. I quite enjoyed Tim Roth's performance, especially when it was revealed that he was a gangster, not a class act.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

You really captured many of the same thoughts that I had about the film. I thought it was very good, though it didn't climb the heights of some of his other films. I'd probably (on one viewing) place it about #6 out of 8 if I were to rank it against his others.

I thought the dialogue, while not as quippable as films past, was very good at establishing the characters and their motivations.

It was great to see Walton Goggins get such a meaty role and do something with it. Jennifer Jason Leigh knocked it out of the park. I quite enjoyed Tim Roth's performance, especially when it was revealed that he was a gangster, not a class act.

I think the pacing was far better than Django and possibly even Basterds, and again Im glad he didnt just do another straightforward revenge epic. Both of those movies dragged in places and there were whole scenes I thought couldve been cut, whereas this was 3 hours but flew by, and besides the final hanging scene I thought it was all good. The tone and atmosphere are probably the best of any movie he's done yet, but the script is possibly his most flawed. Its a brilliant setup, but I feel like he dropped the ball making everyone who was already in the cabin working together against them--wouldve been more interesting to have a lone accomplice for Daisy, or perhaps some other person trying to poison Kurt Russell or Sam Jackson with their own motivations (racism, taking their gun, whatever) and have the situation descend into chaos with Daisy gleefully taking advantage to escape. So personally...Im not sure exactly where Id rank it. Nothing's ever topped Pulp Fiction or even Reservoir Dogs, but I dont know if Id say this is better or worse than Kill Bill/Basterds/Django. It was better in some ways and worse in others.

Yeah, I just feel like there were no really amazing dialogue driven scenes as before. Pulp Fiction has more than you could count--the whole thing is one amazing conversation after the other. Literally, you could quote every single line from that movie, its that well written. RD has the tipping and comode story among others. Kill Bill has the wedding scene before the massacre and the standoff before she kills him. Basterds has everything with Hans Landa and the card game in the basement. Django has the standoff over dinner and the monologue about the skull. I guess this one has the blowjob but that was just so ridiculously over the top that it doesnt work the same way. Theres no dueling of words between two people, no iconic quotes, nor any "hey that sounds like how me and my friends talk" moments. If it were any other director, I wouldnt even be bringing this up, but with QT its his signature. Its what set him apart and what really grabbed me with Pulp Fiction in particular. It wouldve been great with this movie too because its almost like a play and the idea is all these different people forced to spend time together; amazing dialogue is what makes or breaks these kinds of movies. While it set up the character motivations, I thought it almost did that too exclusively. When Kurt Russell announced for the 5th time he was taking Daisy to be hanged, I was getting somewhat annoyed. Like, yes. We get it. Youve already said that half a dozen times. Lets move on.

I agree on Walton Goggins. I was initially rolling my eyes at his one-note racist caricature at first, but he increasingly got more complex and likeable as it went on. I like the idea of him and Sam Jackson having to rely on each other because theyre the only ones they can be sure arent out to kill the other. I wouldve liked that setup to be stretched a bit further. One thing I found hard to believe tho is why he wasnt more bothered that Sam Jackson killed his hero in cold blood. It seemed kinda unbelievable he would just accept that and not try to kill him, or demand he be cuffed and brought to justice once they reached Red Rock, or at least throw some kind of fit over it.

[KDS]

2-I defended his use of the N-word in Pulp and Django. But in this one it felt a little forced. It was used a bit too much by too many characters. And while I know a lot of people talked that way then, it just seemed a bit too in-your-face shock value. Im not saying QT is a racist or we should censor the N-word or works that speak it. But I think it loses effectiveness when every other character says it a hundred times.

Personally, I think Tarantino is very overrated as a director. 

I also find it interesting that he's the director that seems to use the N-word the most in his films, yet he's all over social media supporting the racist, hate-baiting Black Lives Matter movement. 

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

2-I defended his use of the N-word in Pulp and Django. But in this one it felt a little forced. It was used a bit too much by too many characters. And while I know a lot of people talked that way then, it just seemed a bit too in-your-face shock value. Im not saying QT is a racist or we should censor the N-word or works that speak it. But I think it loses effectiveness when every other character says it a hundred times.

Personally, I think Tarantino is very overrated as a director. 

I also find it interesting that he's the director that seems to use the N-word the most in his films, yet he's all over social media supporting the racist, hate-baiting Black Lives Matter movement. 

I think his use of the N-word was realistic and unintrusive UNTIL this particular film. As soon as Daisy said it...I was like Oh Boy, here we go. And then every single character started saying it every other sentence and it just got annoying. Its like ok, I get it. Youre edgy and put bad words in your films. America was racist. But do you need to shove my face in it every minute?

BLM...they have a good goal. The police in America ARE very unprofessional. There are literally hundreds of stories and videos of them using excessive force and killing, maiming, harming or otherwise terrorizing innocent people and animals. Someone absolutely needs to bring attention to that. The problem with BLM is theyre portraying it as purely a race issue when its not. Im sure black people suffer more from it, but it effects EVERYONE and white people shouldnt be blocked from speaking on it. Also, theyre going about it the wrong way, harassing college kids in their library, blocking air traffic, shutting down high ways and other misguided endeavors. And if you criticize them, you get called a racist. Ive literally lost friends on Facebook just for voicing this opinion, and called a bigot. Its absolutely ridiculous and the whole movement is actually setting race relations back decades. I dont think QT realizes that, I believe he's kept his commentary to merely criticizing the police--which is absolutely warranted. Im glad a celebrity is raising the issue of police brutality. More ought to as well, and politicians.

[KDS]

2-I defended his use of the N-word in Pulp and Django. But in this one it felt a little forced. It was used a bit too much by too many characters. And while I know a lot of people talked that way then, it just seemed a bit too in-your-face shock value. Im not saying QT is a racist or we should censor the N-word or works that speak it. But I think it loses effectiveness when every other character says it a hundred times.

Personally, I think Tarantino is very overrated as a director. 

I also find it interesting that he's the director that seems to use the N-word the most in his films, yet he's all over social media supporting the racist, hate-baiting Black Lives Matter movement. 

I think his use of the N-word was realistic and unintrusive UNTIL this particular film. As soon as Daisy said it...I was like Oh Boy, here we go. And then every single character started saying it every other sentence and it just got annoying. Its like ok, I get it. Youre edgy and put bad words in your films. America was racist. But do you need to shove my face in it every minute?

BLM...they have a good goal. The police in America ARE very unprofessional. There are literally hundreds of stories and videos of them using excessive force and killing, maiming, harming or otherwise terrorizing innocent people and animals. Someone absolutely needs to bring attention to that. The problem with BLM is theyre portraying it as purely a race issue when its not. Im sure black people suffer more from it, but it effects EVERYONE and white people shouldnt be blocked from speaking on it. Also, theyre going about it the wrong way, harassing college kids in their library, blocking air traffic, shutting down high ways and other misguided endeavors. And if you criticize them, you get called a racist. Ive literally lost friends on Facebook just for voicing this opinion, and called a bigot. Its absolutely ridiculous and the whole movement is actually setting race relations back decades. I dont think QT realizes that, I believe he's kept his commentary to merely criticizing the police--which is absolutely warranted. Im glad a celebrity is raising the issue of police brutality. More ought to as well, and politicians.

If you ask me, most of the issues brought forth by BLM could've been solved if the perceived victim had simply obeyed the orders of the police in question.  I'm not going to deny that there is some corruption among police, but it's not the rampant epidemic the media is making it out to me.  And you're right, the BLM is going about everything the absolute wrong way. 

But, BLM could be a whole other thread...back to your topic...

I'm by no means a prude.  But I just don't get the insane amount of vulgar language in movies by guys like Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Judd Apatow, etc.  I've always thought language like that has a greater impact when used at appropriate times, not all the time. 

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

They focus on the wrong cases, which is part of whats so frustrating about them. But make no mistake, plenty of innocent people are killed by police everyday. Do a little digging for yourself to see. I agree tho this should be its own thread.

Yeah, it wouldve been more effective if just the racist Confederate general and maybe the sheriff used the N-word. That would accentuate how racist they are, and how significant it was when the sheriff came around to respect him. By having everyone say it, it lost all impact. I agree the excessive use of it was a hindrance this time around. In Django it made sense, and in the other films it was only used a handful of times and usually by only one person so it wasnt annoying

[China Pig]

I enjoyed it but won't be rushing to see it again anytime soon. FAR too overlong. QT seems to love his dialogue to the point of being totally unwilling to edit down scenes. There was a great 90 minute movie hidden in there.
Acting wise - Goggins, Russell and Jason-Leigh were fantastic, Samuel L Jackson was just Samuel L Jackson and Madsen was rubbish as usual.