The Hateful Eight: My New Favourite Christmas Movie

I just came back from watching what I genuinely consider a work of art, a piece of cinematic craftsmanship that I haven't seen in a while. The Hateful Eight, Tarantino's 8th masterpiece was just released this Christmas, and is being shown in select theatres in 70 mm. It's honestly such a throwback experience- from the overture to the intermission, you can't help but feel like you're part of a time period where going to the movies was a real event.

Not to worry, I'm not writing this review as a way to give out any spoilers-in fact I'd rather be as vague as possible with what went on in the movie.

The Hateful Eight is a whole mish-mash of Tarantino epicness: part Western, part whodunit, and part exploitation movie all tied up in a nice and crisp 70 mm display. With wide panoramic shots of freezing cold post-civil war Wyoming as a backdrop and a gorgeous orchestra by Ennio Morricone, Tarantino preps us for what can only be described as an epic and bloody tale that'll stick with you long after the credits role. 

With a stellar cast of familiar faces from previous Tarantino movies (Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Kurt Russell, and Michael Madsen to name a few) and some newcomers (Channing Tatum, my jaw dropped that he pulled it off), the director gets his characters to spin such staple Tarantino poetry that it had the entire audience of die-hard nerds (myself included) practically salivating. 

Besides the start in which you see the gorgeous outdoor panoramic shots, the majority of the movie takes place in a local haberdashery, where two bounty hunters meet up with 5 other angry characters, to wait out a snowstorm. In classic Tarantino fashion, all of these characters are awful- there isn't anyone to root for. You honestly don't care. This is an experience akin to seeing a play, and you're watching these actors spin magic. The movie is Tarantino's piece de resistance, a throwback to the days of Reservoir Dogs where all he needed was a room and a phenomenal story. The dialogue is perfection, and will definitely keep you mesmerized. Tarantino also stays true to his non-linear storytelling everyone knows to love, even if you do spend more than half of the movie wondering why everything is going in chronological order so far.

I also have to give the violence an honorary mention: this movie sure does deliver and even pays homage to classic exploitation flicks; from heads being blown open to outrageous projectile blood. Tarantino is a man that stands for everything cinema represents- he's a lover of it and pays tribute to film in everything he does. 

I genuinely urge everyone to partake in watching The Hateful Eight, it's an experience that is unlike any other movie you'll see this year.Tarantino has offered up a Christmas gift to the entire world and will have fans left in a state speechlessness, as this him going back to his roots that we all so dearly adore.

PS; I can now safely say this is my favourite Christmas movie!! With a nice piano rendition of Silent Night and Michael Madsen's character explaining he just wants to spend Christmas with his mother, this is reason enough to turn The Hateful Eight into my annual must-watch Christmas movie. Slick, I know.