2016 Royal Rumble results and reaction

2016 Royal Rumble

   Another year another Rumble in the books and guess what? We got a pretty good one this year! Sure the way it all ended with Triple H walking away as Champion was very disappointing since this was their chance to crown a new top guy but it could have been worse.....it could have been Roman Reigns. What we did get though was a card, for the first time in a long time, that didn't have a "filler" bathroom match in it and delivered from top to bottom. We got an awesome last man standing match between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens, New Day showing why they're basically everything in the Tag Team division right now and did i forget to mention the WWE debut of AJ STYLES!!!!! So lets get to the rundown shall we....

Damien Sandow/Darren Young vs. Dudley Boyz vs. The Ascension vs. Mark Henry/Jack Swagger

   The pre-show featured a 4 team tag match to determine which guys gained entrance into the Royal Rumble. Really tells you what the company thinks of you when you have to compete in a match to gain entrance into the Rumble but whatever. Its good to see Damien Sandow back to using his old gimmick again though and he was the one member of this match to get any kind of buzz on them. Match itself was OK, aside from the freeze frame botch the Ascension had about timing to break up a pin, with Mark Henry and Jack Swagger walking away as the winners. Sad state of affairs for these two former world champions that this is what they're reduced to but it is what it is and they move on.

Winner(s): Mark Henry and Jack Swagger

Intercontinental Championship Last Man Standing: Dean Ambrose(C) vs. Kevin Owens

   Next up is the Intercontinental Championship Last Man Standing match between Ambrose and Owens. What a match! Everything we hoped it could be and more. Its rare to get a burst of Indy and hardcore awesomeness nowadays with the PG era and all but these two showed you can still bring down the house. Kendo sticks, multiple stacked tables and chairs galore made this the match of the night, even more so then the Rumble itself. Want to see a top rope fisherman buster through a table? How about a running cannonball through the outside barricade? This match had it all and then some and really got the crowd into the show right away and they stayed hot all night. Anyway in the end Ambrose picks up the win by pushing Owens off the top rope through two stacked tables at ringside, yep that happened to. My only request is maybe don't mic up ringside so much because whoever the idiot was who was taunting Owens when setting up those tables was super annoying but other then that 5-Star match and a great look at the future of the company. Now lets take a look at some highlights shall we....

Winner and Still Champion: Dean Ambrose

Tag Team Championship:  New Day(C) vs. The Usos

   Next up we get the Tag Team Championship, a division now entirely about the awesomeness that is The New Day! I mean really they are everything for the tag team ranks right now. Sure the Lucha Dragons and Usos are talented teams but the entertainment level New Day brings steals the show every week. These guys took a terrible gimmick and have now made it all that is good in wrestling. Good job boys..

   Anyway the match itself was solid as was expected. Both the Uso's and New Day are great ring workers and showed why they're in the position they're in right now. It is sad though that the Uso's lost the momentum they had before Jey's shoulder injury and now kinda seem like also-rans. The New Day picking up the ball and running with it as they did didn't help but its also very obvious who the top dogs are now. In the end New Day picked up the win and all was right in the world.

Winner and Still Champion(s): The New Day

United States Championship: Alberto Del Rio (C) vs. Kalisto

   Next up is the US championship with a feud that kinda came out of nowhere. Well not nowhere exactly as it was born out of Sin Cara separating his shoulder and them needing something for Kalisto to do while he recovers. I must admit i was surprised though that Kalisto picked up the win here.  had this pegged as him putting up a valiant effort but ultimately falling short in the end and disappearing back down the card, his win here seems to show that management has some kind of faith in him to give him the win at the second biggest show of the year. The match itself was OK, nothing special but OK. Kalisto got jumped before the match by the rest of the League of Nations and then got dominated for the majority but was still able to pull it off. Good for him and i hope it continues, lets hope the Sin Cara botch gene isn't rubbing off though as Kalisto did blow a spot pretty obviously late but other then that a solid effort by both. It did include this move however which i hope ADR adds to his move set because its pretty brutal.

Winner and New Champion: Kalisto

Divas Championship: Charlotte (C) vs. Becky Lynch

  Next up we have the Divas Championship match. On paper, and going off the matches these two had in NXT, this should have been a candidate for match of the night but didn't end up that way. Don't get me wrong there was nothing particularly

Add your Frank Drebin quotes here 

   So after the interference Charlotte was able to turn it around and pick up the win, good for Charlotte but I'm afraid what this could mean for Becky since right after she lost this happened...

The Boss is back!!

   Yep Sasha Banks returned, put the boots to Becky Lynch and then took her spot against Charlotte for Fastlane. Sure its great to see Sasha back but i just don't want to see Lynch get buried. The downside of having so many great women wrestlers now is there's nowhere near enough room for them all. Anyway Charlotte picks up the win and its MAIN EVENT TIME!!!!

Winner and Still Divas Champion: Charlotte

2016 Royal Rumble

   Royal Rumble time it is!! OK before we get too far into it lets just get this out of the way now...

   AJ STYLES IS IN THE WWE!!! He made his debut last night and put on a pretty good showing too, not to mention getting the biggest pop of the night. Sure Styles wasn't able to hit the Styles Clash on anyone, that be Michelle McCools finisher for all you non-TNA people, but he still lasted about 30 minutes and got set-up with a ready made feud with Kevin Owens as Owens eliminated him. All together a great debut for AJ and lets hope WWE was listening to the way the crowd reacted to him as well.

I'm getting in one signature move dammit!!

   So lets get into the Rumble itself, what a great damn match it was!! Whether you like the idea of HHH winning and becoming champion again, which i did not, the match itself had allot going for it. I was a bit surprised their were no surprise "Legends" or surprise entrants this year as that's usually a good pop getter every year but they didn't need it. The Rumble itself actually felt almost like it was broken into sections. There were mini-story lines all over the place that made the match interesting, or frustrating as the Reigns "injury" portion was, and gave WWE not only an out to eliminate some favorites but also allowed them to set up Wrestlemania by kicking off a few feuds as well. 

   We had the Wyatt's dominating for a bit, particularly Braun throwing out Kane easily and then choking out Big Show before dumping him over the top rope, before everyone except Bray being eliminated by Brock Lesnar. This however led to the Wyatt's just jumping in the ring, beating Lesnar down, and throwing him over the top rope. This is obviously the start to a Bray Wyatt/Brock Lesnar feud for Wrestlemania and that sounds perfect! I was personally hoping for Bray to walk away with the gold but a main event slot at Wrestlemania will do.

Whoops wrong match

   Yeah this happened to R-Truth as well, but honestly it was a highlight so whatever. Added some much needed levity and didn't bury him at all, which is more then i can say for Swagger and Henry who both earned their spot in the Rumble only to both get eliminated immediately. We also got to see Kevin Owens reignite an old feud with a returning Sami Zayn who came back and then eliminated Owens. Here's hoping an AJ-Owens-Zayn match is in our 'Mania future, unless its all 3 in the Money in the Bank match in which case I'm also listening.

Lets do it!!

   Couple random thoughts before the main parts, Jericho had a surprisingly good showing as well. He stayed in almost an hour and made it to the final 5. Lets hope this is setting him up for some substantial coming up and not just a "Good job guy" booking. Only one member of the "Social Outcasts" were entered in but all 4 came down to the ring? Seems they should have done more with that and not just use them as punching bags. Same thing with the League of Nations although Barrett was the only one not to get in here. How did Titus O'Neill get entered but Darren Young had to earn his slot? Can we officially say Big Show and Kane are no longer threats to win despite what the announcers say?  OK so time for the main thrust.

 

   Yep they did they injury angle for Roman Reigns to get him out of the Rumble for awhile. I always hate when this gimmick gets used as its a dead giveaway whats on their mind. "Lets get Roman out so we can keep Brock away from destroying him before he wins". Sure Roman didn't win but it still was distracting they did it. Anyway he did eventually return and start clearing house for a bit but then the impossible happened...

   Yep got caught looking the wrong way and dumped. This also got the second biggest pop of the night which tells you where the WWE Universe is with Reigns. The final 2 were HHH and Dean Ambrose and I'll admit i was super excited. Even though it was pretty obvious which way they were gonna go a part of me liked the idea of Ambrose pulling off the upset, not to mention the cache he would gain by holding the Intercontinental and Heavyweight titles at the same time. It would have been a huge boost to Ambrose's character and made all 3 former Shield members legit World Champions. It wasn't to be however as HHH reversed Ambrose on the ropes and back body dropped him over the top to the absolute thundering silence that was the Amway Center in Orlando. Yep dead silence from a crowd who had been hot all night. Sure its the smart move business wise to put the belt on a known quantity heading into an injury depleted Wrestlemania but they still blew a huge opportunity to crown a new star without having to diminish an existing one. HHH winning is basically just spinning their wheels and playing it safe. This is corporate WWE however so playing it safe is what the do now fans be damned. We'll see if it helps ratings at all

Take this Smarks!!

Winner of 2016 Royal Rumble and New Heavyweight Champion: Triple H

   

   Overall the 2016 Royal Rumble was a very good show, the Owens/Ambrose match was amazing and the Royal Rumble itself was also fantastic. If they can keep this booking up maybe Wrestlemania won't be the disaster it looks like it might be. Anyway lets see where Monday Night Raw leads us heading into Fastlane, super excited to see.

**Movie Review** The Revenant

   Is revenge worth it? Does the actual act bring the satisfaction that would justify everything what you've done or given up to achieve it or is it a hollow act that won't change a thing? Further is it best to seek the revenge yourself and possibly lose everything about yourself with no gain or to let the universe play out as it would and "let god decide" what the fate/punishment should be. Its questions like this that lay in the heart of "The Revenant" and what makes it one of, if not the, best movie of the year.

   The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, in a soon to be Academy Award winning performance, as Hugh Glass. A trapper/scout in Lewis & Clark era America as he is leading a group of fur traders through the wilderness with his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck). After a escaping a raid by a group of Native Americans, who are searching for their Chief Elk Dogs (Duane Howard) daughter, Glass is savagely mauled by a bear. With Glass barely alive and slowing the remaining members of the expedition as they try to carry him to the nearest fort, Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) offers $200 to the 2 men who will stay behind with Glass until he dies and give him a proper burial. John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), a seasoned trapper who thinks the humane thing to do is kill Glass now and save him and themselves the pain/effort, and Jim Bridger (Will Poulter), a young and naive member of the party, take him up on the offer and offer to stay behind. After a few days, with Glass still clinging to life, Fitzgerald becomes restless as winter is closing in and they still have the tribe of Natives following them. Fitzgerald talks to Glass, telling him to just give up and die, and then attempts to kill him. Fitzgerald is interrupted by Hawk however and ends up killing him right in front of a incapacitated Glass. Fitzgerald then tells Bridger the Natives have caught up to them and they need to leave immediately, he then proceeds to halfway bury a still alive Glass and Fitzgerald and Bridger leave him behind to die. Glass however doesn't die and slowly regains his health as he sets out with the only goal of finding Fitzgerald and avenging his son.

You will pay for the Bane voice Hardy!!!!

   What follows is not only a revenge tale, though it certainly is that, but also an examination of the lengths of man's cruelty to each other and how much can will one man endure to achieve vengeance. This is shown not only through Glass's journey but also through Elk Dogs as he searches for his daughter. Elk Dogs men kill every group they come across in the wilderness in their search but have such tunnel vision they miss the obvious answer that's right in front of them. It also shows up the other side of the argument from Fitzgerald's point of view as we grudgingly admit that while we don't agree with all his actions his general idea of ones man's life not being worth two others is true. Why should three men die so one MIGHT live a few hours longer? Again its these questions that are subtly asked throughout that will stick with you long after you leave the theatre.

No bear i said no autographs!!!

   So lets get into the specifics here, this movie looks absolutely amazing. That the filmmakers went to areas never before seen on film and that they used entirely natural lighting give this movie an almost dreamlike beauty at times. Stunning snow covered plains and mountains give way to rivers and rapids that looks simply pristine. You can almost feel the cold coming off the screen at points, which only lends more credibility to the universally amazing performances we see throughout. All the rumors and stories of how difficult and demanding this shoot was paid off big time as this is a masterclass in cinematography and directing.

Such beauty and such isolation

   Lets get to the star of the show which is the acting. Leonardo DiCaprio is mesmerizing in the role of Hugh Glass. The anger, rage and pain he's able to show without words is incredible. For a huge chunk of this movie he doesn't say a word, and when he does its not always in English either. It turns out he doesn't need to though as his physical performance conveys exactly what he's thinking and feeling at any moment. You can feel his agony as he drags his mauled a body across the ground and feel the cold as he jumps into a river to escape capture/death. That's to say nothing of the other physical challenges of eating raw meat or taking a page out of "The Empire Strikes Back" to survive the night. DiCaprio went for broke in this movie and it paid off in a huge way, probably right to the Oscar. Not to be outdone Tom Hardy is also stupendous as Fitzgerald. While no doubt the villain in this movie Hardy is able to give the character a slight hint of sympathy as well. In his view everything he's done is just too survive, not out of any malicious intent. It makes you understand what he does even if you don't agree. The rest of the supporting cast also excel. Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter both excel in lesser roles but the true supporting star of the show is once again the scenery as it completely sucks you into the whole experience.

Soon to be dual Oscar winners maybe?

   So should you see this movie? Absolutely. Whether you prefer revenge flicks, actors movies or extremely gorgeous vistas this is the movie for you. There's a reason its nominated for 12 Academy Awards and will probably win allot of them. It is almost 3 hours long which can be a bit much for some people but its definitely worth it.

Skip the large drink or this will be you holding it in by the end of the movie

**Overall Score: 10/10**

2016 Academy Award Nominations

87th Academy Awards

   Well its that time of year, the 87th Academy Awards are closing in on us and the nominees have been announced. Below is a rundown of the nominees in the 5 main categories (sorry technical/behind the scenes people) and who i think is gonna walk away with the Oscar, who might pull an upset and a few snubs of folks who should be up there but aren't.

Best Picture

• The Revenant
• Bridge of Spies
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Big Short
• Brooklyn
• The Martian
• Room
• Spotlight
• Brooklyn

What Will Win: "The Revenant"

What Might Win: "Spotlight"

Snubs: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", "Sicario", "Creed", "Straight Outta Compton", "Carol"

   What an interesting mix of movies we have for the top award this year and one that still feels incomplete. Why the Academy decided to stop at 8 nominees when they are allowed to go to 10 is head scratching, even more so with the movies left out. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", "Sicario", "Creed", "Straight Outta Compton", "Carol" all deserved a nomination and the fact two slots were left unfilled makes no sense. From a pure business sense not having "Star Wars" , "Creed" or "Straight Outta Compton" in here when all 3 were loved by audiences and critics alike is a HUGE missed opportunity in terms of ratings and interest. Not having "Sicario" or "Carol" in those spots is equally as baffling but more in the artistic sense as both movies earned spots just for being amazing movies.

   Lets get back to what is nominated though. "The Revenant" is leading all movies with 12 nominations and appears poised to pull off a big sweep at the show. Its a lock for at least one acting award for DiCaprio and could pick up ones for Directing and Supporting Actor as well. That's to say nothing of all the technical awards its bound to win for cinematography and such. Its going to have a huge night which i think will conclude with the Best Picture award. "Spotlight" had all the momentum early on but has lost a ton of steam and doesn't have the buzz to pull off an upset. "Mad Max: Fury Road" being chosen is amazing, even more so when you consider it sat on the shelf for 2 years while it was worked on pre-release. Despite that the movie caught everyone by surprise over the summer and definitely earned its place here. "Bridge of Spies" is a surprise here but never count out Spielberg i guess. The other movies are all kind of in the "Happy to be nominated" mold as none have a realistic chance to win it all but its nice to dream ain't it?

Best Director

• Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - "The Revenant"
• George Miller - "Mad Max: Fury Road"
• Adam McKay - "The Big Short"
• Lenny Abrahamson - "Room"
• Tom McCarthy - "Spotlight"

Who Will Win: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "The Revenant"

Who Might Win: Tom McCarthy "Spotlight"

Snubs: Ryan Coogler "Creed", Ridley Scott "The Martian", Quentin Tarantino "The Hateful Eight"

   While the Academy has only given two Directors the award in back to back years (John Ford and Joseph Mankiewicz) they're going to have to do it again this year it seems. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu has made a classic American movie and done so in some of the harshest conditions for a movie ever. The fact him and his crew went to these locations that have never been filmed before, used no lights just natural and were able to craft this masterpiece in sub zero conditions is incredible. The notoriously and infamously hard shoot made many crew members quit but the fact AGI was able to hold this movie together while also getting the performance of a lifetime out of his star is more then deserving of the award.

   As for who didn't get nominated Ridley Scott's omission is surprising since "The Martian" is a great piece of work by the director and also a very difficult technical movie. Usually a combo for a nomination. Also would have been nice to see Ryan Coogler get a nomination for "Creed", i feel that would have happened had the movie been up for Best Picture but sadly not to be.

Best Actor

• Leonardo DiCaprio - "The Revenant"
• Bryan Cranston - "Trumbo"
• Matt Damon - "The Martian"
• Eddie Redmayne - "The Danish Girl"
• Michael Fassbender - "Steve Jobs"

Who Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio "The Revenant"

Who Might Win: Michael Fassbender "Steve Jobs"

Snubs: Will Smith "Concussion", Johnny Depp "Black Mass", Michael Keaton "Spotlight"

   While not quite the lock that say Heath Ledger was for "The Joker" its pretty close for Leonardo DiCaprio. NO WAY the Academy can send him home empty handed again. Not only is the entire build up to the show going to be "will Leo finally get his Oscar?" but he's incredible in the movie as well. Aside from his performance, the conditions he had to act under and the lengths he went through to make the movie are going to propel him to victory finally.  The dedication he shows throughout the movie is mind blowing and should be more then enough on its own to bring home the gold. 

   Michael Fassbender would most likely take home the award any other year but timing is everything as they say. Matt Damon is just happy to be here and Eddie Redmayne isn't going to win twice in a row. Surprised to see Bryan Cranston get the nod mostly because "Trumbo" received a rather cold reception from critics and audiences alike but good to see him make the jump from TV to film so successfully.

The lack of nominations for either Will Smith or Johnny Depp is pretty surprising and could be a case where poor box office numbers actually did hurt them. Would have been perfect time to nominate Smith though if for no other reason then to add diversity. Leo is still gonna win easy though.

Best Actress

• Cate Blanchett - "Carol"
• Jennifer Lawrence - "Joy"
• Brie Larson - "Room"
• Charlotte Rampling - "45 Years"
• Saoirse Ronan - "Brooklyn"

Who Will Win: Cate Blanchett "Carol"

Who Might Win: Charlotte Rampling "45 Years"

Snubs: Alicia Vikander "Ex Machina", Charlize Theron "Mad Max: Fury Road"

   The lead Actress category seems to be pretty cut and dry actually, Cate Blanchett is outstanding in "Carol, as she usually is, and the fact the movie was overlooked in the Best Picture category would lead me to think they'll reward it on the acting end instead. The rest of the crowd, while good, just isn't good enough or with enough buzz to take down a heavyweight like Blanchett. Would have liked to have seen Charlize Theron get the nomination over Jennifer Lawrence but other then that can't argue too much with choices.

Best Supporting Actor

• Sylvester Stallone - "Creed"
• Tom Hardy - "The Revenant"
• Christian Bale - "The Big Short"
• Mark Ruffalo - "Spotlight"
• Mark Rylance - "Bridge of Spies"

Who Will Win: Sylvester Stallone "Creed"

Who Might Win: Tom Hardy "The Revenant"

Snubs: Oscar Isaacs "Ex Machina", Idris Elba "Beasts of No Nation", Michael B. Jordan "Creed", Benicio Del Toro "Sicario"

   Man oh man this category. So Sylvester Stallone i think is going to take home the trophy for his amazing return as Rocky Balboa in "Creed". He's got the nostalgia factor working for him in addition to having done an outstanding job in the movie itself. Tom Hardy has a chance to get swept up in a "Revenant" sweep and pull a dark horse win but i doubt it. 

   The real issue here is who wasn't nominated. No Idris Elba, Benicio Del Toro and Oscar Isaacs were all overlooked and the fact every actor nominated in all categories is white makes it even more unbelievable. All three deserved it and Benicio Del Toro/Idris Elba both were viable winners had they got the nomination. How Mark Rylance, despite being good, got nominated ahead of any of them is just criminal.

Best Supporting Actress

• Rooney Mara - "Carol"
• Jennifer Jason Leigh - "The Hateful Eight"
• Rachel McAdams - "Spotlight"
• Alicia Vikander - "The Danish Girl"
• Kate Winslet - "Steve Jobs"

Who Will Win: Rooney Mara "Carol"

Who Might Win: Kate Winslet "Steve Jobs"

Snubs: Helen Mirren "Trumbo"

   Another pretty easy race for the ladies side to call here, Rooney Mara could have been nominated for Best Actress so the fact she's in this category makes her a virtual lock. Kate Winslet got the win at the Golden Globes though and the picture of her and DiCaprio both holding statues after the show could be enticing to the Academy. Still look for Mara to get the win.

Conclusion

  Overall a solid mix of nominees between the fan-friendly and critic friendly. The lack of diversity in the Acting nominations is worrisome but at the end of the day probably wouldn't have altered the eventual winners anyway so not gonna worry about it too much. Look for "The Revenant" to clean up and take home at least 7-8 awards if not more and its definitely finally going to be the night for Leonardo DiCaprio.

**Movie Review** The Hateful Eight

  Quentin Tarantino jumps right back into the Western genre with his latest offering "The Hateful Eight" but if you think you're just getting a rehash of "Django Unchained" then you have another thing coming. While very obviously a Tarantino movie (long dialogue scenes, swearing and gratuitous violence all very much present) it does have a certain old-time western feel albeit with a modern sensibility.

   The story revolves around John "The Hangman" Ruth (Kurt Russell) trying to deliver  Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the town of Red Rock so he can collect the $10,000 bounty on her head. Along the way he picks up Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), a renowned Civil War veteran with a personal letter from Abraham Lincoln, and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), a former Confederate solider who claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock. Due to the storm the 3 and their stagecoach driver OB (James Parks) are forced to stop at Minnie's Haberdashery to try and wait it out. Its here where the vast majority of the movie takes place as they are forced to share the space with a collection of characters who may or may not be lying about who they are and what they're really doing at Minnie's. There's Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), the quiet cowboy writing his life story in the corner with a candle and a bottle of liquor. Bob (Demian Bichir), a Mexican ranch hand who's in charge of the store while Minnie is away. General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), the former Confederate General who's come to bury his son and finally Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), English gentleman and current Hangman for the county. Cue the Murder and intrigue.....

Who can you trust?

   In true Tarantino fashion the movie is centered around not so much the violence, although there is plenty of that, but the characters and how they interact with each other. The cast he's assembled here is outstanding all the way through. Every character no matter how little of a role they play are all memorable and unique, not to mention perfectly cast. The best thing about watching Tarantino movies is seeing what great actors can do with great writing and when given a chance to make acting choices other directors may balk at. Tarantino casts his movie, gives them the script and then lets his actors add touches and flourishes that may not be on the page but still feel organic to who they are. While surely heightened versions it makes them more believable in a way and helps suck people into the world they live in, something lesser directors ignore doing.

   I can see why he wants to turn this into a stage production because other then "Reservoir Dogs" this has the most potential in that medium, as long as they got the actors to sell this material of course. "The Hateful Eight" outside of being a mystery is also a fascinating character study and one i have a feeling will only get better with multiple viewings once the secrets are revealed and you go back with informed eyes. Actions or motivations that once seemed odd or quirky can be viewed more menacingly or scared once you realize what is really going on. Its hard to make a 3-hour movie that begs for repeat viewings but Tarantino has done it here. You'll spend the first half of the movie trying to piece together what is going on through hints sprinkled throughout but its not until the reveal and re-watch that you can truly appreciate the subtlety involved in the performances.

   Subtle is not a word I'd use for either the violence or language however. While the first 2 hours is mostly dialogue and exposition the final hour does become what people think a Tarantino movie is with blood and bullets flying all over the place but it does add a refreshing change of pace in the movie itself and not is pointless and all does have a place in the story. Not to mention being extremely satisfying in a few cases. I will say though that the criticism Tarantino has been getting with his seeming ease at dropping racial slurs is becoming a bit distracting. I understand its time accurate and all but this movie, more then Django even really, seems to have no problem in dropping casual slurs at Sam Jackson (the only black character in the movie) but seems to shy away from any directed at our Mexican character Bob. Seems like racism of the time would be directed at everyone so its seeming focus on what group is a bit odd. Just something to keep an eye on Quentin.

Why ya picking on me?

   From a technical standpoint this movie looks great. I wish I'd have seen it in 70mm as intended because i can imagine it added an extra layer onto the already stellar atmosphere. The sound and view through the window of the blizzard outside as these people antagonize each other while having nowhere to go does a great job of adding tension. Helping that along is the excellent score by Ennio Morricone who came out of a 34 year Western retirement to write it. The unsettling beats as well as the setting reminded me of  John Carpenters score from "The Thing" and that's a good thing. Plus it has the added bonus of a legend going back to the thing that made him one in first place and good to see he hasn't lost it.

We talking scores now are we?

   Overall "The Hateful Eight" is an outstanding movie. While not as good as his last western "Django Unchained" this is a totally different kind of movie and stands out on its own as an excellent piece of film making. Do yourself a favor, set aside 3 hours and go check this one out.

Final Score: 8.5/10