Review: "The Hateful Eight" is Like a Great Dinner Mystery Show, With Bloody Results

Scene from The Hateful Eight

It's easy to forget the impact that director Quentin Tarantino made back in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs. While Pulp Fiction would take most of the credit, the film introduced an American voice that mixed stylized violence, witty dialogue, and movie references into a blender and produced an impressive heist drama that featured none of the heist. It was a small ingenuity that made him the talk of the town, causing him to get even more high concept with each passing film. However, one cannot help but think of Reservoir Dogs when watching The Hateful Eight; being reminded of how powerful Tarantino could be with limited locations. Even if his latest structurally feels like it owes some debt to his debut, it's possibly his most ambitious attempt to make a real movie with real messages beyond the blood and guts.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the Quickest Film to a Billion Dollars at the Box Office

Scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

There is an old expression for very popular movies: Everyone and their mother has seen it. In the case of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, that may very well apply. Even if there are those out there who haven't seen it, the box office receipts point to an overwhelming sign of popularity. While many have long pitted the latest entry to be a success, it wasn't likely to be quite like this. Over the course of its first two weeks (12 days to be precise), the film has become the fastest film to cross a billion (yes, with a b) dollars worldwide. In America, its intake is only second to Jurassic World's cumulative gross. At this rate, it may very well be the highest grossing film from 2015 before it reaches the New Year. 

A Ranking of Every Film By David O. Russel

David O. Russell

With this past weekend's release of Joy, director David O. Russell once again returns with a film that establishes his attempt to be a populous auteur. Ever since his comeback film The Fighter in 2010, the director has made it his goal to make films about the every man; the middle class who strive for a better existence. In a sense, he is doing it more successfully than anyone else. In a time where romantic acting pairs aren't a thing, he has continually made Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper work as a box office draw. To an extent, he is doing the impossible by making throwbacks to feel good films, often with an edge that makes his experiences wholly unique. The following is a ranking of every one of his films from his earlier and angrier days of Spanking the Monkey to the more recent happy side of Joy. Even if these two films are wildly different, it doesn't mean that they're any less interesting as a progression of behavior and craft from a director not known to always be pleasant.

Birthday Take: Denzel Washington in "Malcolm X" (1992)

Denzel Washington in Malcolm X

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Review: "The Revenant" is Masochism Disguised as Art

Leonardo DiCaprio

In 2006, Jackass Number Two was released and featured some of the most vulgar images of self-destruction imaginable. Leader of the pack Johnny Knoxville got mauled by bulls and yaks; had a side of a building fall on his head; rode a rocket that almost killed him; and was bitten by snakes in a ball pit. The performer sacrificed his body for the sake of entertainment and received mostly negative buzz from awards season (IMDb only lists a nomination from "The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards"). What does this have to do with director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant? Subject-wise, not very much. However, our approach to digesting them as valued entertainment is itself problematic. The only difference between the two is that The Revenant has an actual story, lead by Leonardo DiCaprio's much-hyped performance that features health-risking stunts (you know, "for art")... and he is somehow supposed to earn an Oscar for it instead of going the route of Knoxville's comparatively humble, no awards approach where he ends up in the hospital countless times to a parade of laughter. The fact of the matter is that The Revenant is an ambitious film, but that's really all it is.

Nothing But the Best: "Chicago" (2002)

Scene from Chicago

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

R.I.P. Haskell Wexler (1922-2015)

Haskell Wexler

On December 27, 2015, cinematographer Haskell Wexler died in his sleep at his home in Santa Monica, California at the age of 93. Over his long and storied career, he became one of the most influential cinematographers in American film, having revolutionized techniques that were featured in films such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?, In the Heat of the Night, and even as director with Medium Cool. He was a gifted creator who claimed to make time stand still with striking images in films that are still revered to this day. His legacy lives on in his work, and the generation of film makers that he inspired as a result. There isn't likely to be another cinematographer like him, as he changed the world for the better.

Best Song: "The Morning After" (1972)

Scene from The Poseidon Adventure

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Review: "Joy" Gives Lawrence One of Her Career Bests

Jennifer Lawrence

There's something intriguing about director David O. Russell's work since The Fighter. Where his earlier career is mired in violent outbreaks and abrasive cinema, he has suddenly become one of the most wholesome/tolerable auteurs of populous cinema. It isn't that he plays it safe, but has found a formula and a cast that are willing to bring his stories of the underdog to life in the same ways that James Stewart did with Frank Capra (though more crass). While his work continues to remain wildly inconsistent, his latest Joy is the perfect encapsulation of what his career means in 2015. It isn't just his take on feminism and economics. It's a film that wants to look at the process of selling an implausible vision - such as Jennifer Lawrence selling retractable mops. With this film, he perfects his formula and makes one of his career bests with a story that's strong and a funny bone to match. 

Nothing But the Best: "The Sting" (1973)

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Nothing But the Best: "The King's Speech" (2010)

Scene from The King's Speech

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Why "The Godfather Part III" is an Underrated Film After 25 Years

Left to right: Al Pacino and Sofia Coppola in The Godfather Part III

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

It's a line uttered by Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) finding out that he's been wrangled back into the mafia lifestyle. However, it very well may be the motto for director Francis Ford Coppola and writer Mario Puzo, who decided to make The Godfather Part III following what can easily be seen as the franchise's main motivation: Coppola's other failing films. Following the box office failure of One From the Heart, he return to the beloved gangster franchise for a film that even he felt was unnecessary. It seems like almost everyone else feels the same way, as it has become considered a train wreck of a movie; a disgrace to the franchise. In the case of its 25th anniversary, it's time to consider one thing: it's actually good. Maybe not as good as its Best Picture-winning counterparts, but it's still not worthy of its problematic reputation. 

Theory Thursday: "Inglourious Basterds" is Tarantino's Best Film

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

The First "Everybody Wants Some" Trailer is a Throwback to Linklater's Beginnings

Scene from Everybody Wants Some

Last year was a pretty big moment for director Richard Linklater. After decades of making great films about average Joes, he finally made a dent at the Oscars with Boyhood: a film that received acclaim for spanning 12 years and capturing the first decade of the 21st century better than almost anyone else. For most, the question of what he would do next has been a curious one, especially since he's been on a roll, including a career best in 2013 with Before Midnight. With the first trailer for the Boyhood follow-up, Everybody Wants Some, it looks like he's going back to his earlier days when his films were less prestigious and more lackadaisical. It's a trip to the 80's that is very reminiscent of Dazed and Confused, but does it have any merit when compared to his Matthew McConaughey-finding classic?

James Cameron Claims That "Avatar 2" Will Come Out Christmas 2017

Scene from Avatar

There is a general reason why I don't report on Avatar 2 updates with a frequency. As it has been, director James Cameron has been supposedly planning to release the sequel in every year since 2014. With additional plans to build theme parks and dedicating his life to them, there's very little esteem that should be transferred onto this post. However, there is a certain enthusiasm that fans should be getting. There may be in fact a release date that is actually set in stone. During this past week, Cameron opened up about those planned sequels and what exactly he plans to do with them. The answers are pretty reassuring.

Should "The Force Awakens" Be Nominated for Best Picture?

Scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It seemed inevitable, but director J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened to predictably big business. If there was a box office record, it was likely beaten by now. The reviews are overwhelming, some even calling it the best of the franchise in over 30 years. In fact, it's tied on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes with the original for highest rated. While many have likely seen it (a few times even) and have discussed it to death, there's one argument that does seem ripe for the taking: can the film get any Oscar traction? There have been hints of it, but nothing really seemed plausible until this past week when the hype matched the film. Now, it seems like anything is possible.

Nothing But the Best: "The Godfather Part II" (1974)

Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Best Song: "Theme From Shaft" (1971)

Scene from Shaft

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Inglourious Basterds" (2009)

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Nothing But the Best: "Titanic" (1997)

Scene from Titanic

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.