It has become fashionable to hate Quentin Tarantino. I don't get that, but then I guess people don't get how I can abhor Kevin Smith movies. Sure, QT borrows liberally from other styles and genres. However, he does so with considerable verve, wit, and energy.

I sometimes get a picture in my head of someone with shelves full of zombie books and movies complaining about how unoriginal Tarantino's movies are.

I finally got around to watching The Hateful Eight. I had to find the time to be able to indulge nearly three hours for it. Not an easy thing for me these days.

For what it's worth, I found The Hateful Eight to be among the best movies Tarantino has done. Perhaps even the best.

Yes, I am aware of the historical inaccuracies. For one thing, people didn't talk in such modern hip vernacular as is used in his period pieces. That doesn't bother me. Time is a slippery beast in the world of Quentin Tarantino.

The performances are, as usual, first rate. Kurt Russell is magnificent, and I found myself wondering how he would have done in the True Grit remake as opposed to Jeff Bridges. Bridges was excellent, but I can't help but think that Russell would have been at least as good.

Jennifer Jason Leigh turns in another gutsy performance, which had to be a difficult job. Tim Roth was good as well, even if I kept picturing Cristoph Waltz in the role. Tarantino regular Samuel Jackson is his usual entertaining self, and it's always good to see broody Michael Madsen in any movie. Walton Goggins is excellent as a character you both hate and grudgingly admire.

The cinematography is always stunning. How wonderful it is to watch a genuine film in this era of sterile digitality.

And then there is the score from longtime film composer Ennio Morricone. True to the spaghetti westerns that he helped make famous, it is rich and vibrant.

Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger rightfully receive star-like billing for the phenomenal special makeup effects.

The Hateful Eight is a neat puzzle that kept me guessing. It's funny when the tension needs to be broken, and when the violence comes, it's as brutal as anything Tarantino has ever delivered.

I also hear people complain about the bloating running time of Tarantino movies, but I love stories that take their time and that allow audiences to know the characters and feel the mood. I personally would not edit a single minute from The Hateful Eight.

I was looking forward to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but now I am practically salivating.

Written by Mark Sieber

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