Moderated by Chris Hardwick (the coolest Nerdist I know), I was jumping with glee once Tarantino was welcomed to the stage. After explaining how this movie was shot in 70 mm (using some of the same lenses from Ben Hurr), we were privileged to watch several minutes of unseen footage.
Without getting into too much detail, this is going to be a very claustrophobic film. Since the characters are trapped in the snow, I sensed The Thing resonating across the screen. Even the footage was accompanied with a thumping score similar to the John Carpenter musical theme (Coincidently, Morricone will be scoring The Hateful Eight). From the few clips we were privy to, the characters suffer from paranoia, they want to kill each other, and they're unsure who's really the "bad guy" among all these crumudgeons.
After Tarantino talked, we got to meet the cast of The Hateful Eight:
-John 'The Hangman' Ruth (Kurt Russell): With another tie to The Thing, I can't wait to see Kurt Russell in another Tarantino Film especially after doing a fantastic job as Stuntman Mike.
-Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins): I loved him as Boyd Crowder in Justified. Now I can't wait to see him play on the "good side of the law."
-Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh): As Travolta was to Pulp Fiction, I believe Leigh will be to The Hateful Eight... except a whole lot scarier. Plus if you check out this old blog entry (click here), Jennifer has given one of the best female performances I've ever seen.
-Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth): Overly dramatic, Roth is really pushing the theatrics and I think he's going to provide much of the comedic relief.
-Joe Gage (Michael Madsen): In any Tarantino film, Madsen always plays a despicable character... so I don't expect anything different here.
-General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern): I'm not sure what to expect from his performance, but Dern is a Hollywood Legend and had lots of kind words to say about Tarantino as a director.
-Bob (Demian Bichir): Originally this character was supposed to be a Frenchman, but Tarantino decided on a Mexican instead. However after talking with Robert Rodriguez, Demian was recommended since he's truly a "Tarantino Actor"
-Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson): Unfortunately Sam Jackson was the only member of the "Hateful Eight" who was not there in person. However, he did leave a message and described how this film will be presented as a road show - For the first few weeks, the film will only be shown across select theatres in 70 mm. So after some Christmas cheer, I'm dragging Angie on a road trip.
Before we left the panel, we were given tickets to pick up a Movie Lobby Card. Since I love Demian in The Bridge and Machete Kills, I chose a card pictured with Bob (collecting lobby cards could become another addicting hobby).
Although shaking Tarantino's hand can't be crossed off my bucket list, at least I can say I saw the man from the distance. But in the meantime, I'll patiently wait for Christmas Day to see a truly monumental film - Because whenever there's a new Tarantino film, just going to the movies is an event.
