Tarantino wants to improve you

The Hateful Eight is both typically and atypically a Quentin Tarantino movie. It is full of his usual flourishes, beautiful panoramas, witty verbal skirmishes and bucketload of blood. And it’s a little different.

I loved it. You can read our full review here, but read further to find out why this film should be watched in the way that Tarantino intends for viewers to – in glorious 70mm Ultra Panavision.

What does this mean?

A 70mm lens has only been used to capture 12 or so films, and one of its most famous uses was on this. It is a projector-based film (not digital like practically everything else these days). Most films are filmed in 35mm, so even non-mathematicians can discern that 70mm is wider, making for that trademark panoramicviewing experience. The reason why directors go nuts for 70mm is that the imagery is brighter and clearer than anything else, allowing us to take in little details which would not be so recognisable in 35mm – perfect for a film that has a large and important cast in a stunning wintry frontier setting. The Hateful Eight is also scanned at a larger resolution of pixels – which means every detail is made up of more colour and imagery. The reel of The Hateful Eight was made up of 252,221 individual frames. Mind-blowing.

I’ve lost you 

You just want to see a movie. In layman’s terms – this is a better experience; bigger, more-defined and encompassing. The viewer can see more of what the director and cinematographer intended, and lose themselves within the events on screen.

Go Tarantino

Yay! Who doesn’t want to see Samuel L Jackson point-blank shoot someone’s head off with two shotguns (sorry, was that a spoiler…?). Actually, Christoper Nolan screened Interstellar in 70mm in certain world venues. Nolan didn’t seem to scream about it though. Ultra Panavision is expensive and requires the correct projector, which doesn’t lend itself to mass market penetration.

However, like all good Tarantino movies, the man himself has something extra up his sleeve.

What else?

Tarantino – rumoured only to be making 10 films before he quits Hollywood to write other things – has started to think outside of the big screen box and make his movie something more than just heavy celluloid. He has brought back the roadshow. This means that the film is touring. The 70mm Ultra Panavision film is – literally – carted around the world.

I’ve lost you again

For those who choose to visit an Odeon (in the UK) or participating cinemas elsewhere they’ll be treated to 20 minutes more film, a gripping opening overture from Morricone’s award-winning score and an intermission. Yes a break to digest, talk it over and prepare yourself for the second part. It sounds obvious, but it improves the experience. This makes watching The Hateful Eight less of a fast-food movie (although hot-dogs and popcorn are in plentiful supply) and more of an event, worthy of the material.

I came out feeling invigorated, not just about the film, but about the state of modern cinema. The Hateful Eight roadshow treats viewers like kings, who wouldn’t want to try it?