Just got out of Lawrence and it might have been my favorite theater experience ever. The crowd was so much more into it than they were four years ago at the Regal. Highlight was the applause on the “and introducing Peter O’Toole as T.E. Lawrence” title card.
I’d give my eye teeth to see that in true 70mm.
The Hateful Eight- A second viewing has confirmed to me that this is Tarantino’s best film since Jackie Brown. A twisted stage play from hell shot on gorgeous Ultra Panavision 70mm, it find the director actually teaching for political and social subtext. It’s a knotty, meaty script, and though long, it moves with a tightness that the self-indulgences of Django Unchained and Death Proof needed. Sam Jackson continues his incredible partnership with QT, and the uniformly excellent cast, Robert Richardson’s gorgeous 70mm cinematography, and the Ennio Morricone’s score are all top-notch. Those expecting Tarantino’s usual grindhouse brutality may walk away disappointed-there’s vomited blood and exploding heads, but not as much as some exploitation-hungry viewers may be expecting. It’s a super-tense series of the director’s trademark dialogue set-piece verbal standoffs, indulgences, and ferociously incendiary language. I’m waiting to see if the roadshow cut comes out for Christmas, but damn, since this is likely to be the last major release on celluloid, it was privilege to see it, and at least 70mm is going out in fuckijg style. And John, when you get to hell? Tell them Daisy sent you. Jennifer Jason Leigh is almost demonic and feral. It may not have the scope of Fury Road, but there’s an apocalyptic undertone as it journeys headlong into hell.