The Hateful Eight

By: Robert Murphy

Have you ever wished that your westerns had a bit more of a murder mystery vibe to them? No? Well I didn't think I did either until I heard about Quinton Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. Set a short time after the end of the Civil War the movie centers around a reclusive mountain stop known as Minnie's Haberdashery where several men and one woman find themselves snowed in when death and mayhem breaks out.

Never has there been such a vipers den of characters when John Ruth "The Hangman" (Kurt Russel) finds himself in the possession of a bounty that is worth 10,000 dollars for one Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a career making catch to be sure and one that would set him up nice for the remainder of his days. Well, luck just doesn't happen to be on his side for long as he tries to outrun a massive snow storm on his way to Red Rock, he would also find himself bumping into a fellow brother in arms Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson). To make matters worse though the ride becomes even more cramped when former Confederate raider Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) comes along for the ride, coincidentally also on his way to Red Rock to become the towns new sheriff. All of it is moot however as the storm catches up to all of them and they must spend a treacherous night surrounded by unfamiliar faces, a prospect John Ruth doesn't like one bit. 

Those unlucky few who have already found themselves trapped in the cozy little mountain cottage go by the names of General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), a former Confederate commander who is looking for his son; John Wayne imitator and apparent mama's boy Joe Gage (Michael Madson); Bob (Demian Bichir) a Mexican ranch hand who is left in charge of the homestead while Minnie and her husband Sweet Dave are away; and finally Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth) an English gentlemen and hangman bound for Red Rock to take care of business there.

Like I said, it's a real vipers den of mixed faced characters and all of them have their own secrets that are just bubbling under the surface but it takes some time to get to that point. The greater portion of the beginning of the film moves along at a snails pace, John Ruth and Major Marquis' dialogue is rather stilted and I felt like there were much better ways of going about these two coming together. The introduction of Marquis' Abraham Lincoln letter that comes into play on the carriage ride does lead to finer moments later on but it hardly seemed worth it when the two are droning on. Mannix's introduction along the way doesn't change my opinion of these first twenty to thirty minutes but once the ball starts to get rolling it really goes out of control in the best possible way. 

Once the whole crew becomes acquainted with one another they realize that they are all not necessarily going to be the best of friends, some way more so than others as we soon find out. When you put two former Confederates in a room with an African-American Major who spent a lifetime of cutting down southern bigots, you are going to run into some issues and vice versa. But, what makes the situation even better is that two of these characters stories coincide with one another and leads to Samuel L. Jackson giving one of the best monologues I have seen since Pulp Fiction. Is crazy, bizarre and in some areas just horrendously wrong and by the end of it you will be left with your mouth open and the sudden urge to curl up just like General Smithers does during the entire scene. 

This whole ordeal really sets the story on it's path however even with the Tarantino brand of guns, gore and general insanity. Major Marquis steps into the limelight and becomes the driving force for the story once the murdering starts and he begins to piece all the little inaccuracies with everyone's stories together bit by bit. The scene plays out just like an old school interrogation in the common room where Marquis lays out all the facts and the players in the game realizing that someone is trying to free Ms. Domergue before she finds herself at the end of a short drop and sudden stop. It's a great mix of actual Sherlock Holmes style investigation but in a less serious with a whole mix of racial overtones and well more of what Tarantino truly does best. 

Despite all of the general calamity there was a deeper message laid into the script about race rights in America during this era. Major Marquis' is many years ahead of his time when it comes to being an African American in this post Civil War era and he isn't afraid to show this. Even still he carries around the aforementioned Lincoln Letter that he received from the President himself when they exchanged letters. It is only later we discover there is a hidden purpose behind him actually carrying around this piece of parchment and it's a bit of a doozy, especially when it burns the bridge of the only friend Marquis had in this situation, John Ruth. It isn't a huge message but it is there, hidden in the writing, and it made for some very interesting points during the story. 

In any case the entire cast preforms at top notch levels, even Channing Tatum, who only appears briefly in the film as a surprise character. I have already sung the praises of Jackson's Marquis who made the greater portion of the story the exceptional piece that it was but he wasn't alone. Goggins too finds his sweet spot once the bodies start piling up and arguably almost becomes my favorite character in the story. Russel and Roth also enjoy playing around with their roles, one the grizzly old bounty hunter and the other being an overly dramatic Englishman. It's exactly what you would expect from this star studded cast and add to it this era of gun-slinging and murder mystery story, it makes The Hateful Eight a potent combination. 

Good:

- Top notch performances by the cast

- Insights into race issues in this era

- Funny dialogue and banter

- A potent combo, gun-slinging cowboy action and a murder mystery

Bad:

- Slow to start with the real interest not kicking into at least 40 minutes or more

Scully Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Kingsman: The Secret Service

By: Robert Murphy

As if I didn't already have enough love for everything British, Kingsman: The Secret Service comes along and makes me fall deeper in love with it all and not only that but also becoming a spy and a high class gentleman. Man, I want that guys suit. The world is accustomed to the fast paced world of British espionage with all the James Bond films throughout the years but Kingsman takes a more modern approach and a bit more comical one as well. Harry Hart (Colin Firth) plays a senior agent to the secret organization known as Kingsman, the agency has worked behind the scenes protecting the world for generations. After the murder of one of their own, the Kingsman have an opening in their ranks and have to fill it immediately, saving the world and all that means you have to stay on top of things. Enter young and rebellious Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Taron Egerton) who has found himself in a bit of hot water after a joy ride in a stolen car. He contacts the Kingsman, unknowingly, by dialing the number on the medallion that he's had since childhood. This same medallion was given to Eggsy when he was a kid by Harry himself after Eggsy's dad died in the line of duty, this now gives him a chance to step up and follow in his father's footsteps.

Now, don't let my rudimentary wrap up of the films first twenty minutes discourage you as it all comes together quite nicely. Eggsy's father was a true hero and saved three agents with his last act and Harry is eternally grateful for it. This explains why he recruits a seemingly troublesome Eggsy into the refined organization of Kingsman, that and his exceptional skills brought up later. Kingsman is a prestigious organization even though it is a complete secret, members being named after knights like Lancelot and the like. So it is no surprise that when Eggsy stands next to the other recruits for the program, he is vastly out of place, appearance wise anyway. But, to the surprise of everyone, including the leader of the Kingsman, Arthur (Michael Caine) and the head instructor, Merlin (Mark Strong), Eggsy works his way through each challenge. Harry, in the meantime, faces the stories main threat. 

Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is a leading mind for the world and has spent billions of dollars trying to save the world. This is until he snaps to the realization that there is no cure, it's far too late for the Earth as it is now and it's time to purge it. The character is a funny one for the simple fact that this villain not only seems so mild mannered, his lisp and fear of any site of blood makes him projectile vomit being the key features. He brings big world leaders together to save them and reshape the world for the better. A plan that not surprisingly strikes many of the elite to be a good idea, one politician even states that "It would be nice to make an actual difference". Seeing all their heads pop off later certainly made me feel better though.

Yes, I did say pop off. This is just one of the gruesome scenes Kingsman has in it. Another particular gruesome scene involves Harry showing of his agent skills and completely taking out an entire hate group at a church in Kentucky. The whole affair involves fast paced choreography set to the song "Free Bird". Heads are severed, people get skewered and impaled with the American flag. While it may be a tough scene to swallow, I felt it was still incredibly done. An earlier, less bloody scene, that included Harry taking out some local thugs with the same style of fast paced action ended with my jaw on the floor. Colin Firth is deadly and great in his portrayal of gentlemen spy and I loved every moment he was on screen, even if the church incident raises a few eyebrows. 

The lighthearted moments and humor though are what also add to the Kingsman charm. While more modern sneering at bar hooligans come up, more well thought out jokes are present. Witty banter between Harry and Valentine that ensues between them about how they both love old spy movies. Which is obvious from Valentine's love of secret lairs, armies of henchman and beautiful but deadly assistance, his partner in crime being Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) a woman with metal appendages for feet that she can use with scary results. The obvious spoofing on good old James Bond is played throughout, right till the end when Eggsy beds a Swiss princess after saving the world. 

In conclusion, Kingsmen: The Secret Service was clearly made by though who know the Bond films from their hay day and poke a little fun at their ridiculous set ups. At the same time, everything good about those movies and amped it up to a different level that they never went to and merely implied all those years ago. It's a more modern and witty take on the gentleman's spy game and I loved it. 

Good:

- A fresh new look on the classic spy movie

- Great cast of characters, Colin Firth especially

- Fast paced action and styling

- Shows the more hardened aspects to spy craft that used to be implied


Bad:

- Those gruesome aspects I enjoyed may not go over well with others


Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Afro Samurai

In a clash futuristic yet feudal Japan, it is said that the one who wields the Number 1 headband is the fiercest fighter in the world and shall possess godlike powers and the only way to obtain the Number 1 headband is to challenge the current wearer of the headband and defeat him in combat. However, only the Number 2 can challenge the Number 1, while anyone can challenge the Number 2, which causes a constant struggle for the Number 2 headband wearer. Justice, the owner of the No. 2 headband and an all around ass, goes to fight the owner of the No. 1 headband, our main protagonist Afro's father. The two battle one another, ending with Justice decapitating Afro's father and claiming his headband, the young Afro being left to sob over the severed head of his father he now vows revenge against Justice.

“Afro Samurai” comes right out of the chopping block with the classic time told tale of a protagonist who loses the thing most precious to him and vows just worthy revenge on the one responsible for it. Afro, who is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson *hold for applause*, is placed in a semi futuristic world alongside traditional feudal Japan, where the way of the sword is still practiced but people have future technology like walk mans, guns and other technology. Afro travels across this mad and unique world and is repeatedly under from those who seek the fame of being the Number 1 warrior and want to take the Number 2 headband from him to do so. It’s a never ending blood bath world, filled with plenty of scenes where Afro is chopping down anyone who tries to get in his way of revenge and what is violence without a little gratuitous nudity splashed in, the world of “Afro Samurai” features a dash of dirtiness with well endowed woman, one who even seduces the often times stoic Afro.

“Afro Samurai” as many of you may already tell is more for a male audience, with gruesome death scenes preformed by Afro slicing off limbs like a knife through butter and also features some M rated material to pull you in as well. However this really doesn’t make for much of a show pleaser if you just have these components and the show isn’t much else, the shows key appeal being the voice over work by Samuel L Jackson but this gets thrown out the door as Afro barely gives off more than 2 words a episode. Another problem lays in the fact that the show is only 5 episodes long and only 25 minutes a piece and doesn’t give you much of a show to sit down and watch. Despite this what action there is in the show is highly enjoyable and the show inevitably does give off a message for viewers to follow, what that message is you’ll have to see for yourselves.

Good:
-Unique feudal/future world
-Gruesome and crazy fights
-Hey it’s Samuel L Jackson in an anime man what more can you say

Bad:
-Very short anime
-Not a lot of depth to show

Sully Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Watch "Afro Samurai" at: http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/afro-samurai-episode-1-online