The Hateful Eight

The Bounty Hunter. The Hangman. The Prisoner. The Sheriff. The Mexican. The Little Man. The Cowpuncher. The Confederate.

All in glorious 70mm.

It takes an excellent storyteller, writer, and director to craft an entertaining 3 hour movie that predominantly takes place in two locations - a one-room haberdashery and the blizzard outside of it.

This movie also introduced me to the word "haberdashery", which definitely scores it some points.

For his 8th film, Quentin Tarantino goes big. This was the first movie I've ever seen with an intermission. It was well executed - the perfectly placed 11 minute break gave me time to stretch my legs, visit the pee pee palace, ponder the thrilling events of the past, and speculate on the infinite possibilities for the future of the movie.

The Hateful Eight feels like an epic - 5 sprawling, yet increasingly intriguing chapters filled with brilliant Tarantino dialogue that can only flow from the mouths of a stellar cast - Kurt Russell's mustache is at it's peak and Sam L. Jackson is, well, a western Sam L. Jackson. No complaint there. 

It's nice to see Tim Roth and Michael Madsen work together again - something we haven't had the pleasure of seeing since Reservoir Dogs. Walton Goggins stole the show and conveyed an impressive character arc - and I'd never even heard his name before.

Jennifer Jason Leigh, who hasn't been in anything huge lately, was perfectly cast. She's creepy, hilarious, and very easy to hate. I would love to see a best supporting actress nom for her performance.

Ennio Morricone, who also composed the score for The Thing, composes another beautiful score for The Thing's western, more human counterpart. The two movies would make for a great double feature.

The death toll is high, the violence is plentiful, some parts are tough to stomach, and it's a movie you'd never want to watch with your mother - everything you need for a great Tarantino flick. It's not as good as Inglorious Basterds or even Django - but it's not losing by much. 

This is an awesome mystery movie about human nature, racism, and manipulation - filled with dramatic tension throughout. I left the theater more than satisfied and once more blown away by Tarantino's ability to write and tell a story. 

If you have the chance to catch one of the 70mm Roadshow showings, take it! The colors are lush, the use of light is noticeable, and Tarantino fills the wider aspect ratio with purpose. With the Roadshow experience, you get an overture, an intermission, and an awesome little collectible booklet filled with great pictures and fun facts about the movie. This was no doubt my second favorite theater experience of the year (behind Star Wars of course).

"Spend the holidays with someone you hate."

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (NO SPOILERS)

"Have you felt it?"

Star Wars is back in every way.

Regardless of your feelings on the infamous prequel trilogy, it's a fact that it divided the Star Wars fanbase. The Force Awakens is just what the saga needed - unifying Star Wars fans once more.

This was the best movie experience I have ever had. After waiting 12 hours in line, the atmosphere of the opening night was filled with wondrous anticipation. There were costumes and lightsabers, people laughing and strangers mingling. A guy in our theater flew around a remote controlled Millennium Falcon to the crowd's delight. Kids playfully dueled in the open space in front of the mammoth IMAX screen. 

It was the best audience - there were times the cheering drowned out the surround sound - but at the most important moments, you could hear a pin drop.

The Force Awakens has all the charm of a Star Wars movie. The characters it introduces are extremely lovable and the characters it brings back somehow become more lovable.

It's hilarious, action packed, and sincere - you can see the passion that was poured into each performance, the set design, and all of the film's effects - both practical and computer-generated.

Some of the moments do feel strongly reminiscent of earlier movies, and the film does hit some of the beats from A New Hope, but it is different in more ways than similar. I've heard TFA described as "an awesome mixtape of the original trilogy". Isn't that what Star Wars is about? Telling an old story in a new, fresh, exciting way?

Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis - these talented people bring their roles to life in a way that their characters seamlessly become iconic.

In short, this is movie magic at its finest - an enthralling, thrilling, passionate ride that was blended perfectly - reminding old fans of what makes the saga so special and roping in a whole new generation of fans (who now have 6 other movies to explore while we wait for VIII).

Of course it's not a perfect movie, but I couldn't have asked for a better one.

The force has awakened, working in new, fascinating, and mysterious ways. 

John Williams is back. 

BB-8 is adorable, Kylo Ren is terrifying, and Luke Skywalker is - well, you'll have to see for yourself.

Thank you to everyone who cared about making this movie. It shows.

In the words of Patton Oswalt, "JJ did it".

Now, the waiting game begins again - only 521 days to go until Episode VIII.

At least we'll have Rogue One to tide us over.

May the force be with us.

Krampus

The opening scene to Krampus is a glorious slow motion montage of Black Friday shoppers in a frenzied rage. Suffice it to say, I was thoroughly entertained throughout this movie.

Krampus is funny - Adam Scott and David Koechner bring many cringy and dark-humored laughs along with the rest of the cast (including an irritated mom, a drunk aunt, and some quirky child actors). Sometimes I couldn't tell whether to laugh or be terrified.

I did wish it got to the action a little quicker - but Krampus's first appearance was well worth the wait.

The effects were great fun and fit the movie like a glove. From the terrifying practical effects of Krampus himself and a few of his helpers to the mischievous CGI gingerbread men, there was always something fun/scary to look at.

I've heard Krampus described as a "purposeful B-movie", and I think this is pretty accurate. It's absolutely crazy in every regard, but it pulls it off for the most part.

The ending is fun to talk about. But no spoilers here.

Sadly, when I left the theater, I didn't feel any more Christmas-spirited than when I walked in (the opposite of how I felt after seeing "The Night Before").

It's a fun, fun movie, and you should definitely take some friends to see it if you're into goofy horror - but I probably won't see this one next year when Christmas rolls around again.