ONCE UPON A TIME IN . . . HOLLYWOOD : Tuesday 20th August 2019

'ONCE UPON A TIME IN . . . HOLLYWOOD' which I saw this week is rated MA15+ and finally arrives amidst much fanfare and pre-release hype. This is the long awaited eagerly anticipated ninth film by Director, Writer and Co-Producer Quentin Tarantino who I'm sure needs no further introduction. This comedy drama film saw its world Premier screening at the Cannes Film Festival back in late May where it was in competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or, saw its general release in the US on 26th July and last week in Australia and the UK. On a production budget of about US$90M the film has so far grossed US$184M and has garnered largely positive Reviews. The film stars an ensemble cast that takes in Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Luke Perry, Al Pacino, Bruce Dern, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Damian Lewis, Damon Herriman, Scoot McNairy, Rummer Willis, Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Michael Madsen, James Remar and Quentin himself lending his voice.

It is February 1969, in Los Angeles, at the hey day of hippie Hollywood where everything is changing, including the film industry's Golden Age. As the former TV star of a popular '50's Western series called 'Bounty Law' Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double and best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognise anymore and are struggling to find any meaningful work that will restore Dalton's star status. In a pre-arranged meeting in a bar with Casting Agent Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino), Dalton is told in no uncertain terms by Schwarz that although he is a big fan, his Hollywood career is soon to be washed up and he should consider working in Italy on Spaghetti Westerns for which Schwarz has connections with whom he is happy to leverage. Dalton initially scoffs at the notion, believing that Spaghetti Westerns are the very bottom of the food chain.

Booth has worked with Dalton for nine or so years and is a war veteran who lives in a trailer with his well trained and attentive Pit Bull dog, Brandy, drives Dalton around town, housesits while he is away, fixes up things around his house and relies on him for work due to inside industry rumours that Booth killed his wife. Dalton has a crisis of confidence over hearing this news from Schwarz, and arriving back home, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and her new husband Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha) pull up in the driveway besides Dalton's house on Cielo Drive, and drive into their rented home right next door to Dalton's. This boosts Dalton's confidence once again, as he is hopeful with Polanski as his new neighbour, that he can wrangle his way into his good books and land a starring role in one of his upcoming movies.

Later that evening Tate and Polanski join a lavish party at the Playboy Mansion with many of Hollywood's A-listers. There they join Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch) a Hollywood hair-stylist and former boyfriend of Sharon Tate's, and Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis) who in voice over tells of the love triangle that exists between Sebring, Tate and Polanski. Meanwhile back home Dalton drinks himself into a stupor while rehearsing his lines for a shoot the next day. Booth picks up Dalton early the next morning and drops him off at the studio. Not needing his services for the remainder of the day Dalton asks Booth to fix the television aerial on his roof which blew over the night before in a storm. 

From on top of the roof while repairing the TV antenna Booth has memories of a sparring match he had on the set of 'The Green Hornet' with Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) after Lee, in front of the entire crew, was boasting that his hands were insured as lethal weapons and no man could beat him in a bout. Booth needless to say, proves him wrong but their fight is interrupted by stunt coordinator Randy (Kurt Russell) and his wife Janet (Zoe Bell) who is also a stunt coordinator who publicly chastises Booth for being a wife murderer. 

Also from on top of Dalton's roof, Booth sees Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) who drops by the home of Polanski and Tate looking for record producer Terry Melcher, who used to live there but has subsequently moved elsewhere, and is turned away by Sebring. With his work done, Booth is driving Dalton's car when he sees an attractive young hitchhiker named 'Pussycat' (Margaret Qualley) who is a member of the Manson Family, although Booth doesn't know it yet. She is seeking a ride out to the Spahn Movie Ranch out in Chatsworth, California. Picking her up, and agreeing to drive out to the ranch for old times sake, Booth explains that he is a stunt double and back in the day they shot several episodes of 'Bounty Law' there. 

Upon arriving at the ranch, Booth enquires about old man George Spahn, the owner of the ranch and whether he is still around. Pussycat tries to persuade Booth to stay, but he quickly becomes  suspicious of the large number of hippies seemingly squatting on the property, and suspects they are taking advantage of George. Booth insists on checking up on Spahn in his old ramshackle homestead and despite Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme's (Dakota Fanning) objections the now eighty year old and blind Spahn (Bruce Dern) is dismissive of Booth's concerns and orders to leave him alone having been woken up from his afternoon nap. 

Meanwhile, Sharon Tate has been out for an afternoon stroll, when she comes across a movie theatre showing her latest release 'The Wrecking Crew' with Dean Martin starring as Matt Helm. She makes her self known to the box office attendant and is granted complimentary access to the theatre to watch herself up on the big screen. The audience reaction to her scenes is positive, which makes the young Actress very happy. 

Dalton scores the role of a villain in the pilot episode of a new Western themed series called 'Lancer', where waiting for the cameras to roll he strikes up a conversation with his eight-year-old co-star, Trudi (Julia Butters). During one of his scenes with James Stacy (Timothy Olyphant playing Johnny Madrid Lancer), a hungover Dalton struggles with his lines. During a break in filming while Dalton collects his thoughts and after beating himself up in his trailer, Dalton returns to the set and gives a stirring powerful performance that impresses the shows Director, Sam Wanamaker (Nicholas Hammond), and Trudi, boosting Dalton's confidence once more.

Upon returning home from the days shoot, Booth and Dalton settle in to watch Dalton's guest appearance on an episode of 'The F.B.I.' over a couple of beers. The phone rings later on and Schwarz books Dalton to star as the lead in Sergio Corbucci's next Italian shot Western, 'Nebraska Jim'. Dalton takes Booth with him for a six-month shooting period in Europe, during which time he appears in two additional Westerns - 'Kill Me Now Ringo, Said The Gringo' and 'Red Blood, Red Skin' plus a European spy comedy - 'Operazione Dyn-O-Mite!', and ends up marrying Italian Actress Francesca Capucci (Lorenza Izza).

Upon their return home to Los Angeles, Dalton informs Booth he can no longer afford his services given his lavish life style while on location in Italy and now that he has a wife to support too. So after nine years together they agree to go their separate ways. They go out for drinks to mark the occasion and later return to Dalton's home, where Booth smokes an acid-laced cigarette given to him previously by Pussycat, while taking Brandy out for a walk. Meanwhile, Charles 'Tex' Watson (Austin Butler), Susan 'Sadie' Atkins (Mikey Madison), Linda 'Flower Child' Kasabian (Maya Hawke), and Patricia 'Katie' Krenwinkel (Madsen Beaty) pull up outside, in their smoke billowing and blowing Ford Galaxie, in preparation to murder everyone in Tate's house. Dalton hears the racket from the car, comes out, and angrily orders them to leave with a jug of freshly prepared Margahrita mix in his hand. They reverse out, and park up just down the street and out of view but Atkins hatches a plan to return and kill Dalton instead.

Kasabian, under the guise of having to return to the car to retrieve her knife which she had left behind, deserts the group and drives off. The remaining three carry on with Atkins' plan. They break into Dalton's house and confront Booth, who recognises them from the Spahn Ranch. While Booth is held at gunpoint by Watkins who proclaims 'I'm the Devil, and I came to do the Devil's business', he orders Brandy to attack and the dog instantly obeys his master and pounces into action ferociously biting Watkins in the crotch, then the arm, the hand, the leg and the face before returning to his crotch leaving Watkins in a bloody heap on the floor, at which point Booth shoots him dead. Booth then orders Brandy to attack Atkins who was already disabled by a can of dog food thrown squarely in her face, and is now being dragged around the floor writhing with a mad Pit Bull biting away liberally. Krenwinkel meanwhile was punched to the ground by Booth has got up and lunged at him sticking a knife deep into his thigh. Momentarily both are stunned, but Booth quickly regains himself and despite the knife protruding from his upper leg, repeatedly smashes her face against a telephone, glass picture frames, a wall, a coffee table and the cement surround of the open fireplace killing her. Atkins, who has now gone completely nuts and with gun in hand, crashes through a plate glass window by the pool, alarming Dalton, who was listening to music on headphones while floating on a lilo in the swimming pool, and completely oblivious to the ensuing mayhem inside his own house. By now Atkins has got up completely covered in blood from head to toe and with shards of glass sticking out of her face and fallen into the swimming pool where she is writhing about randomly discharging her gun. Dalton retrieves a flamethrower he had kept from his starring role in 'The 14 Fists of McClusky' film shoot, and promptly incinerates her to a blackened crisp.

The injured Booth is taken to the hospital by paramedics. After seeing Booth off outside, Sebring engages Dalton in conversation at the gateway to the drive of their house about what went down earlier that evening and Tate, over the intercom, invites Dalton up to her house for drinks with her houseguests, Sebring, Abigail Folger (Samantha Robinson) and Wojciech Frykowski (Costa Ronin) while husband Roman was delayed returning from London.

Anyone who is a fan of Quentin Tarantino will find a lot to like in his homage to the film making industry of yesteryear that is 'Once Upon a Time in . . . Hollywood'. Here he indulges his own upbringing, influences and touchstones with a film that meticulously recreates the Golden Age of Hollywood in every minute detail from the cars, to the costumes, the dialogue, the buildings, the furnishings, the neon, the poster art and so much more all underpinned by a strong cast, especially the never before seen pairing of DiCaprio and Pitt who both shine in their respective roles as do many of the strong big name supporting cast. A carefully interwoven story that goes behind the scenes of late 1960's film and television production together with one of the industries most shocking murder stories told with an alternative twist that when it comes does so like a steam roller in what is best described as brutally violent, yet visually stunning and outrageously funny. This may not be Tarantino's best work as it does meander in parts and the Charles Manson and Sharon Tate characters are a little undercooked, but nonetheless it does demonstrate that Tarantino is still at the top of his game, that he is supremely confident in his movie making prowess and that he knows how to craft a fine independent story that resonates with the movie going public and Critics alike. If Tarantino does hang up his hat after his tenth picture then that will surely represent a sad day in Hollywood, but at least he will have left behind a lasting legacy of great filmed entertainment, and this one is certainly up there. Brandy, Cliff Booth's Pit Bull incidentally, won the Palm Dog Award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

'Once Upon a Time in  . . . Hollywood' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

DEEPWATER HORIZON : Wednesday 5th October 2016.

I caught at an advance screening last week of 'DEEPWATER HORIZON', which for those who don't know, was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig owned by Transocean. Built in 2001 in South Korea the rig was leased to the British Petroleum Company (BP) from 2001 until September 2013. In September 2009, the rig drilled the deepest oil well in history at a vertical depth of 10,700m in the Tiber Oil Field at Keathley Canyon block 102, approximately 400kms southeast of Houston, in 1,300m of water. On 20 April 2010, while drilling at the Macondo Prospect, an uncontrollable blowout caused an explosion on the rig that killed eleven crewmen and ignited a fireball visible from 65kms away. The fire was inextinguishable and, two days later, on 22 April, the Deepwater Horizon sank, leaving the well gushing oil at the seabed and causing the largest oil spill in U.S. waters. The oil spill that resulted continued until 15th July 2010 when it was finally capped off. Subsequently, BP have made it known that they have had to pay of US$55B in clean up costs and fines and that aside from themselves, Halliburton, the services contractor, and Transocean as the rig operator were also at fault.

This film charts that story as Directed by Peter Berg and made for US$156M that takes place in the Gulf of Mexico with the events leading up to that massive human, social, ecological and financial disaster. Starring Mark Wahlberg as chief electrician and oil rigger Mike Williams (whom Peter Berg has Directed previously in 'Lone Survivor' and the upcoming 'Patriots Day') who returning from some family time with his wife Felicia (Kate Hudson) and ten year old daughter Sydney (Stella Allen) is looking at a three week shift on the Deepwater Horizon rig. He helicopter's in from the mainland, a journey that takes about 45 minutes, and upon arrival before he has even had time to get changed out of his civvies, he is thrust into an argument about rig safety tests and all the equipment malfunctions and maintenance requirements that need urgent attention. This sets the scene for the disaster that is to come a few short hours later!

Arriving with other shift starters there is Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) as the only female on the crew, Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) as the rig's chief supervisor and a couple of corporate type executives from BP Head Office arriving for a show & tell of the rigs operations and to determine why the drilling programme is 40+ days behind schedule at a cost of tens of millions of dollars. Soon afterwards we are introduced also to Caleb Holloway (Dylan O'Brien) as the rig's youngest crew member, and Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich) as the BP engineer and rig supervisor, all joining the 120 or so crew members on board the rig.

Straight away it is clear that there are some hostilities between the guys on the rig employed to drill for oil and supervise the proceedings and ensure everything runs tightly and safely, and the suited and booted executives who are chasing their Profit & Loss statements, and asking questions of the financial kind. The executives don't like hearing the truth about safety concerns and inadequate testing regimes, when they have to answer to their superiors back in London. With drilling set to commence, Harrell seeks a test to check on the integrity of the cement casing of the seabed rig which the BP executives give the all clear for, but Harrell is adamant he wants the test. As so a 'negative pressure' test is conducted which initially causes concerns but Vidrine provides a scientific explanation for which Williams and Harrell find plausible. Still not satisfied that everything is as it should be, a second test is ordered which proves positive and so an order is given to commence drilling operations.

Williams and Harrell go about their business - Williams connects with his wife via a Skype call and Harrell freshens up in the shower, after being presented with a safety award and a bottle of Scotch for his exemplary safety record. By now the evening is wearing on. At 9:45pm during the last stages of drilling an exploratory well, a geyser of seawater erupted from the marine riser onto the rig, shooting over seventy metres into the air and up the rig. This was soon followed by the eruption of a slushy combination of drilling mud, methane gas, and water. The gaseous element of that slushy mixture quickly formed into a fully gaseous state and then ignited into a series of explosions that tore through the rig and its living quarters. The resultant firestorm quickly took hold ripping out vital technical, safety and communications infrastructure and killing several men in the process.

Whilst all hands seek to escape the firestorm and head for the lifeboats, Williams recovers from being blown backwards in the explosion but protected by a door that falls across him. Harrell, was showering when the explosion ripped through his quarters and he is semi-conscious, naked, covered in broken glass and shrapnel, and blinded. Williams searches him out, and together they make it to the Bridge amidst ongoing explosions all around the them and the collapse of the rigs infrastructure, where Fleytas is alerting the Coast Guard and Vidrine has just arrived looking the worse for wear too. With power fluctuating, Williams agrees to make an attempt to fire up the emergency generators with the help of a volunteering Holloway. After several attempts they succeed for long enough for Harrell to operate a kill switch so detaching the drill from the rig, and to reposition the rig itself. The final defence to prevent an oil spill, a device known as a blind shear ram, was also activated but failed to plug the well.

As moments tick away the majority make it to the life boats to be picked up by a nearby vessel that has been stationed close by to take on board all the mud sludge pumped up as a by product of the drilling process. In the end this leaves just Williams and Fleytas on the fiercely burning rig that is rapidly disintegrating all around them in balls of flame, big explosions and twisted metal. The surrounding sea is also ablaze, and so the two need to make it to the helipad to be sure of a clear jump into the sea below and so avoiding being engulfed by flame. After some hesitation on Fleytas part, Williams man handles her off the rig and into the boiling sea below - to be picked up moments later and taken to safety.

We then cut to the next day with the survivors from the rig all holed up in a hotel with a media frenzy going on around them. Williams, Harrell, Holloway, Vidrine, and Fleytas made it out alive luckily, thanks largely to the bravery of Williams, but eleven men were less fortunate. Williams breaks down emotionally in his hotel room and is comforted by Felicia and Sydney, before making his exit from the hotel. On his way out he meets Harrell, stitched and bandaged up and now visibility restored, and he exchanges knowing glances with Holloway too.

Here Wahlberg plays the grounded everyman thrust into extraordinary circumstances to help rescue some of his co-workers while his family and the world watch on as ultimately the Deepwater Horizon  disappears into the ocean into a deep fiery grave. Featuring a top cast who do not overplay the heroics, top notch effects and a story that is a believable, authentic telling of human courage in the face of adversity writ large. For a relatively short running time of under two hours, the action when it come is immersive, gripping and well executed. It takes you right into the centre of the action as though you, the viewer, are there back then on April 20th 2010. See it on the big screen - you won't be disappointed, and well worth the price of your ticket.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 6th October 2016.

What is it about real life drama and true story disaster films that make them so compelling? Perhaps it is because we see everyday people thrust into extraordinary circumstances competing against all the odds to rise victorious, overcome adversity and conquer their fears in order to survive in situations that we may remember from television and media reports in the recent past, or yesteryear. As such they are relateable, memorable, and believable stories grounded in reality no matter how much poetic license or big budget expense Hollywood can throw at them, think 1997's 'Titanic' as the mother of them all! And even disaster epics based on fictitious circumstances can be as equally compelling - think 1974's 'The Towering Inferno', or 1972's 'The Poseidon Adventure' or 1962's 'The Day of the Triffids' to name but a few classics.

This year alone we have had six big screen renditions of real life disasters that I can think of quickly - those being :-
* 'The 33' - based on the 2005 Chilean gold and copper mine collapse leaving 33 men buried underground for 69 days,
* '13 Hours : The Secret Soldiers of the Benghazi' - based on the 2012 Islamic militant attack on the US Embassy in Libya, and how six soldiers engaged in fierce firefighting to protect the lives of American diplomats and operatives,
* 'The Finest Hours' - based on the 1952 voyage of the SS Pendleton which was ripped in two by a huge storm, and the US Coastguard rescue mission to retrieve 30 sailors stranded in the ships sinking stern section,
* 'Sherpa' - based on the 2014 Mount Everest expedition and told from the Sherpa's perspective when an avalanche killed sixteen Sherpa's, and the actions taken as a consequence,
* 'Sully' - based on the 2009 emergency landing of a US Airways Flight on the Hudson River by Flight Captain Chesley Sullenberger that saved every one of the 155 passengers and crew on board,
* 'Deepwater Horizon' - based on the 2010 oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that killed eleven people and caused an unprecedented oil spillage and environmental and social disaster, and as Previewed below.

This week there are just three new releases that first up tells the true story of an off-shore disaster that came at a significant human, environmental and social cost just a few short years ago; then a best seller adaptation of the domestic psychological thriller type that is sure to leave you guessing and on the edge of your seat just as 'Gone Girl' did before it; and finally from an acclaimed Russian Director comes this historical drama at the museum as two opposing sides join forces to save an art collection.

As always, you are warmly invited to leave your own cinematic critique when you have sat through your movie of choice in the week ahead, by leaving a Comment below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your film.

'DEEPWATER HORIZON' (Rated M) - for those who don't know, the Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig owned by Transocean. Built in 2001 in South Korea the rig was leased to the British Petroleum Company (BP) from 2001 until September 2013. In September 2009, the rig drilled the deepest oil well in history at a vertical depth of 10,700m in the Tiber Oil Field at Keathley Canyon block 102, approximately 400kms southeast of Houston, in 1,300m of water. On 20 April 2010, while drilling at the Macondo Prospect, an uncontrollable blowout caused an explosion on the rig that killed eleven crewmen and ignited a fireball visible from 65kms away. The fire was inextinguishable and, two days later, on 22 April, the Deepwater Horizon sank, leaving the well gushing oil at the seabed and causing the largest oil spill in U.S. waters. The oil spill that resulted continued until 15th July 2010 when it was finally capped off. Subsequently, BP have made it known that they have had to pay of US$55B in clean up costs and fines and that aside from themselves, Halliburton, the services contractor, and Transocean as the rig operator were also at fault.

This film charts that story as Directed by Peter Berg and made for US$156M that takes place in the Gulf of Mexico with the events leading up to that massive human, social, ecological and financial disaster. Starring Mark Wahlberg as electrician and oil rigger Mike Williams (whom Peter Berg has Directed previously in 'Lone Survivor' and the upcoming 'Patriots Day') who returning from some family time with his wife Felicia (Kate Hudson) and ten year old daughter Sydney (Stella Allen) is looking at a three week shift on the DWH. Arriving with other shift starters there is Gina Rodriguez as the only female on the crew, Kurt Russell as the rig's chief supervisor, Dylan O'Brien as the rig's youngest crew member, and John Malkovich as the BP engineer and rig supervisor. When a series of safety inspections don't yield the test results as expected or required, the worst fears of those on board the rig don't take long to become a horrifying reality. Here Wahlberg plays the grounded everyman thrust into extraordinary circumstances to help rescue some of his co-workers while his family and the world watch on as ultimately the DWH disappears into the ocean into a deep fiery grave. Featuring a top cast who do not overplay the heroics, top notch effects and a story that is a believable, authentic telling of human courage in the face of adversity writ large.

'THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN' (Rated MA15+) - this psychological thriller drama is based on the best selling book of the same name by British author Paula Hawkins. The book was Hawkins debut, and it remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for 13 weeks upon release in early 2015, and by August this year had sold eleven million copies worldwide. Now coming to a big screen near you, the book has been adapted for the big screen by Erin Cressida Wilson and Directed by Tate Taylor (who most recently brought us the James Brown bio-pic 'Get On Up' and before that 'The Help') and stars Emily Blunt as Rachel Watson - a divorcee with a drink problem who left her husband Tom (Justin Theroux) after she caught him cheating on her. Everyday she takes the train to work and muses about the apparent perfect life of her neighbours Scott and Megan Hipwell (Luke Evans and Haley Bennett). One day however, en route to work gazing out of her window seat she witnesses something suspicious and shocking and subsequently Megan goes missing and is later presumed dead. What's a girl to do? Also starring Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow and Rebecca Ferguson.

'FRANCOFONIA' (Rated M) - premiering at the Venice Film Festival back in September 2015, this drama Directed and Written by Alexander Sokurov who brought us the highly acclaimed single take 'The Russian Ark' in 2002 is out on a very limited release here in Australia and you'll have to hunt it down to catch it in all its majesty on the big screen. Set in 1940 its tells the story of The Louvre in Paris and how its museum director Jacques Jaujard (Louis-Do de Lencquesaing) and German Officer the Count Franz Wolff-Metternich (Benjamin Utzerath) work together to protect the precious and priceless artworks from the Nazi's. Beautifully filmed and richly rewarding this film interweaves the ravages of war with the need to preserve our history and culture through art.

With three top films from which to choose your night out at the movies, you would be hard pressed not to find something to like here, or amongst those out on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed here at Odeon Online previously. Whatever you decide upon, share your views with us here, and in the meantime, I'll see you at the Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE HATEFUL EIGHT : Saturday 30th January 2016.

Quentin Tarantino's 8th film - 'THE HATEFUL EIGHT' is set in Wyoming, in the depths of Winter around Christmastime, about ten miles or so from the town of Red Rock and for the most part in a little mountain stagecoach stopover called Minnie's Haberdashery. Plagued by some controversy early on this QT penned and Directed film was leaked to the media in script form in January 2014 having announced some months earlier that his next film had been written and it would be another Western, but not, as many had thought, a follow up to 'Django Unchained'. As a result QT cancelled the movie and let it be known in a lawsuit against those who leaked his screenplay, that they were to blame and that he was none too pleased! However, time is a great healer, and within a year, and after a successful live read of the script to a gathered audience in LA, filming began near Telluride in Colorado in early December 2014. Made for US$44M and so far raking in US$103M after its release in the US in late December, in the UK on 8th January and here in Australia on 21st January, the film has already scored 22 award wins and 70 nominations including three Oscar and three BAFTA nods still pending for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Score and Best Cinematography.

With a running time of almost three hours, this is a long drawn out film, but rest assured your patience will be rewarded. Split into six distinct chapters and featuring frequent collaborators including Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Zoe Bell and James Parks, the first half of the film is a characters study where little happens other that learning about the characters back stories, what drives them, and how they all come to be together at Minnie's Haberdashery caught in a blizzard that prevents their onward journey. Set sometime in the mid 1870's this is post US Civil War - but only recently, and the scars of that war still run deep amongst those we are about to meet.

In a snow covered mountain landscape we are introduced first up to a six horse drawn stagecoach where driver O.B.Jackson (James Parks) is at the reins, with only John Ruth a.k.a 'The Hangman' (Kurt Russell) inside and he is shackled to Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who he intends to bring to justice at the end of the hangmans noose in Red Rock and collect his $10,000 bounty reward on her head. En route the Stage encounters Major Marquis Warren a.k.a. 'The Bounty Hunter' (Samuel L. Jackson) on the road having lost his horse but sitting atop three dead bodies he is taking to Red Rock to claim an $8,000 bounty reward. He negotiates with John Ruth to let him aboard to escape the bitter cold and continue the journey, and it turns out they share some history going back eight months or so to a dinner party.

As the three get acquainted along the way and exchange war stories and tales of bounty collection, because the two are in the same business after all, it turns out that Warren is the recipient of a personal letter from President Abraham Lincoln that instantly makes him a point of interest as a black man in a white mans world. Later on through some mishap involving the letter and Domergue, the Stage comes to an abrupt halt and they find themselves with another stray caught in the snow and a long way from home - Chris Mannix 'The Sheriff' (Walton Goggins), who is seeking a ride to Red Rock where he will be sworn in as the new Sheriff. Reluctantly Ruth agrees, and again further back story is revealed of Mannix's family history and his war time stance against the blacks, and despite his ill feeling toward Warren, he is grateful for the ride.

In time with the blizzard conditions worsening, the Stage draws up at Minnie's Haberdashery which is known to Warren, but not the others. Minnie is however, nowhere to be seen which raises the suspicions of Warren instantly, but he is accepting (for now) of the explanation of the man left in charge, Bob, a.k.a. 'The Mexican' (Demian Bichir). Whilst O.B. and Warren tend to the horses with Bob outside, Ruth and his hostage Domergue and Mannix take refuge inside. Here we are introduced to Englishman Oswaldo Mowbray a.k.a.'The Little Man' (Tim Roth), Joe Gage a.k.a 'The Cow Puncher' (Michael Madsen) and General Sanford Smithers a.k.a. 'The Confederate' (Bruce Dern). And now our eight, are assembled!

Again, our characters stories are explored and unfolded as pieces of the jigsaw puzzle come together and we learn more of the dynamic of these eight individuals thrown together by circumstance and chance. The slow burning unfolding storyline continues as Ruth sets his ground rules for bringing Domergue to justice at Red Rock. Mowbray we learn is the official hangman who will see Domergue swing in a few days time once the blizzard eases, by which time Mannix will be instituted as Sheriff of Red Rock to oversee the proceedings, and pay out the rewards owing to Ruth and Warren for their collective $18,000 for which the two have made their own pact to safeguard each other to protect their investments. Who can they all trust and are there hidden agendas amongst this bunch of miscreants thrust together?  Ruth is very untrusting of just about everyone, and Warren has his suspicions already with Minnie being absent from her beloved mountain Haberdashery - where ordinarily Mexican's are not allowed to tread, yet there is a Mexican in charge!

As we ease in to the second half of the film cowpoke Gage has been alienated by Ruth, Warren has fallen out with 'The Confederate' because they were on different sides of the field at the Battle of Baton Rouge during the Civil War, Mannix has a distrust for Warren because he's black and believes his letter from Lincoln is a forgery, Warren's suspicions of Mexican Bob grow deeper, and Domergue needles away at Ruth, Warren, Mannix and Mowbray because they all potentially have a hand in her upcoming hanging. As the tension rises, sides are taken, truths are revealed and personalities exposed so there is the first blood letting, but, in self defence, which makes it OK in such august law abiding upstanding company!

By now the tension is ramped up as the body count slowly but surely begins to rise and Warren's suspicions are confirmed over Mexican Bob, Gage and Mowbray but to what end he still does not know except that they all seem to be in that one place at that one time with Domergue, so who is she in cahoots with?

At this point after further bloodletting, we have to go back to earlier in the day with a voice over narrated by QT himself to plug in some story gaps and introduce us to several new characters. These too have a major part to play in the story that unfolds later that day and some of which we have already seen, but this time from a different perspective. Here as the Stagecoach rolls in to Minnie's with Six Horse Judy at the reins (Zoe Bell) complete with Kiwi accent which is quickly explained, and Jody Domingray (Channing Tatum) the agenda slots into place as does the connection with Domergue and those others in the Haberdashery that we have met already.  Here once more the tension mounts and the body count rises leaving just three standing (well, hardly, as they all have bullet wounds that in fact prevent them from standing!), but ultimately justice is served but not in the way that was originally intended, and an unlikely bond is forged, but, will it stand the test of time given the wounds inflicted . . . fade to black!

Once again QT has delivered a great story with razor sharp dialogue, quick wit, and strong performances from Russell who chews up the first half, giving way to Jackson who owns the second half. Each character is allowed the time to evolve and unfold as we become acquainted with their history, personalities, motivation and incentives, and each is as colourful and diverse as the next. Goggins as Mannix is your archetypal cowboy that he portrayed also in 'Django Unchained' and looked at ease in his role and delivers it with conviction, Madsen as Gage as is laid back as ever and plays the smiling assassin, and Roth grated on me a little and was trying too hard for my money to emulate 'Dr. King Schultz' - the Christoph Waltz character from 'Django Unchained' but with an English aristocratic accent and mannerisms, that I though was just too familiar! Jennifer Jason Leigh as Domergue spends the whole film chained to the arm of Ruth and is well & truly put thorough the wringer at his hands being punched, smashed with a rifle butt, scalded with a bowl of steaming hot stew, shot, and mostly blood soaked with either her own, or someone else's. Worthy of all the Best Supporting Actress nominations she has so far garnered - she plays it stoic, menacing and emotional all at once.

With Ennio Morricone's score (his first Western soundtrack in 35 years), stunning snow scenes, his trademark eye for detail, award worthy dialogue, a rich story, strong performances and believable characters, QT has crafted another great film that you should see on the big screen while you can. With two Westerns in the can, will he surprise and delight us with a third - this Reviewer certainly hopes so!

-Steve, at Odeon Online