See it at the Movies

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

By Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 1/8/16

* * *

(Bloody, long

Tarantino western)

Director Quentin Tarantino is certainly an acquired taste. If you can stomach the bloody violence that he seems to be obsessed with, there is usually …

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See it at the Movies

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Posted

* * *

(Bloody, long

Tarantino western)

Director Quentin Tarantino is certainly an acquired taste. If you can stomach the bloody violence that he seems to be obsessed with, there is usually an interesting story in there.

Such is the case with “The Hateful Eight,” an over three-hour western epoch filled with twists and turns and an ending that changes everything.

The movie opens with bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) taking a murderess by stagecoach to be hung in Red Rock, Wyoming.

Along the route they pick up Major Warner (Samuel L. Jackson), another bounty hunter, and a strange man on his way to be sheriff of Red Rock (Walton Goggins).

A blizzard forces them to stay over at Minnie’s Haberdashery, where they encounter four more strange men. Unusual past encounters among the men surface in a long overnight, as the men fight the blizzard and verbally fight each other.

Prejudices between Northerners and Southerners emerge, as well as strong prejudice toward the black major. The “N” word is used ad nausea, along with constant profanity. Prominent in the tense moments is a black-hating former general (Bruce Dern). Frontier justice is prevalent, as threats of violence and killing run rampant among the men.

Who is lying and who is telling the truth? Who can you trust? And what’s with this mangy, unkempt Daisy (Jennifer Jason Leigh)?

Tension builds to a boiling point as politics, paranoia, prejudice and suspicion rule the conversation and actions of the characters. This all leads to a bloody shootout, and you think the movie is over.

But wait. Let’s go back in time and see what happens before the stagecoach arrives, leading to what really happened and another blood bath.

After a lot of blood is spilled, the movie ends with a big touch of irony in true Tarantino style.

Rated a very big R, with bloody violence, profanity, the use of the “N” word, and even some male frontal nudity.

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