Meet the Hateful Eight
Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 10:00PM 
Tim here. For a director who doesn’t even have a movie in this year’s Oscar crop, this has been quite a full few days for Quentin Tarantino. First, the full cast of his upcoming Western (which hasn’t even started shooting yet), The Hateful Eight, was confirmed, and then he re-committed on Monday to his longstanding if vague plans to retire after his tenth film is completed (Hateful Eight will be his eighth... oh, I just got that). Calling film a “young man’s game”, Tarantino, who at 51 is less than half the age of currently active Portuguese director Manoel de Olivera, talked about wanting to leave them wanting more, and not wanting to lose his touch, and generally coming off like his own biggest fan in a way that’s kind of horribly off-putting. But what the hell, I’m looking forward to his next film, the last gasp of 70mm and extravagant widescreen as anybody.
So anyway, let’s celebrate Quentin’s ego with the following list of the Hateful Eight themselves, and a bonus guest star, ranked by Total Hatefulness. A totally subjective quality I came up with by combining the most hateful character the actor has ever played, along with the angriest photo of them I could find in a Google image search.
LEAST HATEFUL
1. Channing Tatum as “Character Whose Name Hasn’t Been Revealed Yet, and Isn’t One of the Core Eight”.
Most Hateful Role: “Pretty Boy Floyd”, Public Enemies (2009)
When the only even slightly bad guy you’ve ever played is barely a cameo, and when I couldn’t find a picture of you actually looking mad even when I searched “Channing Tatum very angry”, you’re clearly not in it for the hateful long term. But I guess that’s why he’s out the outside of the group. Hatefulness (of 10): 0.5
The Hateful Eight themselves after the jump
2. Kurt Russell as “John Ruth, The Hangman”
Most Hateful Role: “Stuntman Mike”, Death Proof (2007)
Getting your start as the face of Teenage Disney isn’t going to boost anyone’s hatefulness credentials, though unlike Tatum, at least he’s played outright villains. Hatefulness: 1.2
3. Demian Bichir as “Bob, The Mexican”
Most Hateful Role: “Mendez”, Machete Kills (2013)
He still hasn’t done too much that English-speaking audiences can appreciate, and the role that made by far the biggest splash, A Better Life, is the polar opposite of hateful. And he looks much, much too happy in pictures. But a strong actor, and I have no doubt that he’ll be up to whatever Tarantino throws his way. Hatefulness: 2.0
4. Bruce Dern as “Gen. Sandy Smithers, The Confederate”
Most Hateful Role: “Long Hair”, The Cowboys (1972)
Being the only man to ever kill John Wayne in a movie gives him plenty of hatefulness points, especially in a Western. That said, his characters tend to be stubborn, distant, or thoughtless, but rarely ever actually hateful, per se. Hatefulness: 4.6
5. Jennifer Jason Leigh as “Daisy Domergue, The Prisoner”
Most Hateful Role: “Hedra Carlson”, Single White Female (1992)
An actress who looks secretive and calculating more often than not, it’s surprising she hasn’t played more cruel, dangerous characters. When she does it, though, it’s terrific, and her nerve-inducing presence ought to be a wonderful fit with Tarantino’s love of tension and violence. But boy, does she not ever let herself be photographed looking hateful. Hatefulness: 5.7
6. Samuel L. Jackson as “Maj. Marquis Warren, The Bounty Hunter”
Most Hateful Role: So many to choose from! But I’m going with “The Octopus” from The Spirit (2008), both because he’s a Nazi symphathizer, and because The Spirit is the absolute worst damn movie.
Having appeared in five of Tarantino’s seven films to date, the actor is a Hall of Fame badass in good standing, though one that we tend to find more cool and awesome than hateful, even when he’s playing a villain. Hatefulness: 6.1
7. Michael Madsen as “John Gage, The Cow Puncher”
Most Hateful Role: “Mr. Blonde”, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Too prolific to pin down, but the thing he does best is the big, smiling bear of a guy who’ll take the first chance he gets to stab you between the shoulder blades. Now, this kind of psychopathy is arguably too happy to be “hateful”, but certainly, it is not full of love. Hatefulness: 7.8
8. Walton Goggins as “Chris Mannix, The Sheriff”
Most Hateful Role: “Wallace”, Shanghai Noon (2000)
Always an alarmingly tense presence in his many small That Guy roles, Goggins hasn’t had much exposure in film (he’s a major player on TV’s Justified). But when he does, he’s reliably explosive and angry, and he has by far the best assortment of nerve-wracking angry faces on Google. Hatefulness: 8.6
9. Tim Roth as “Oswaldo Mobray, The Little Man”
Most Hateful Role: “George Wallace”, Selma (2014) – sight unseen, but I’m guessing
A great hand at coiled-up psychos, hitmen, and decent fellas prone to violent explosions, Roth has proven his ability to wield a gun and Tarantino dialogue multiple times. Hatefulness: 9.2
MOST VIOLENT
How would you rank the Hateful Eight + Channing? And what are your thoughts on Tarantino's impending "retirement"?
Reader Comments (27)
Tim: He was also Shane Vendrell on The Shield, the biggest sack of crap on that show. He'll OWN Tarantino dialogue, though, and I LOVE that the guy has given him a spotlight.
I've got two feelings about this:
1.- I'm super happy that Jennifer Jason Leigh is doing this movie.
2.- I'm beyond tired of artists retiring and then coming back after six months or so.
Peggy Sue: Tarantino is saying he'll retire two films after this one he's currently making. If he keeps at his current pace (Inglourious 2009, Django 2012, this 2015, so one every three years), that places his retirement at 2021. Personally, I'd love him to slightly rescind that and say that his tenth film is just his last personal vision and he'll "sell out" from the 11th to the end. Maybe an MCU film if they're still around? (I'd LOVE to see his take on Ghost Rider, for example.) Or, if he wants to flat-out troll people and be super-tasteless, possibly an Avatar sequel?
I reckon that the year this film comes out, Bruce Dern is a contender to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Peggy Sue: Okay, forgot about Kill Bill being two films and My Best Friend's Birthday. The former is almost inexcusable, but counting the latter is bizarre, especially since it only really counts to him. Can't we get one more, at least, so you can go out on your tenth complete film the general public can see?
RobMiles: Of the men, I'd say Goggins and Jackson are the safest on-paper bets. Roth's, Madsen's and Dern's character descriptions sound way too easy to actually be one note gags (Napoleon Complex, generic redneck and stiff upper lip racist general (think period version of Ted Levine in Evolution and you've got the basic idea for Dern's worst case scenario) respectively) and Russell and Tatum are a bit too nice for this.
You didn't consider Madsen't role in Natural Born Killers to be more hateful?
I'll believe Tarantino is retiring when he's been gone long enough for people to stop talking about him.
1) Goggins, also hateful in Django Unchained.
2) Bichir, supremely hateful on Weeds (TV).
3) Roth, also crazy hateful in Burton's Planet of the Apes.
4) Lots of Tatum angry face in Foxcatcher (but see The Dilemma).
5) I salute Tarantino's decision. No, I extol it.
It's a good cast and Tim Roth &, of course, Sam the man have always been incredible in Tarantino pictures (esp. pulp fiction). I bet that will continue here.
Goggins is a wonderful tv actor - who's been knocking it out of the park for years (he was especially strong in the final seasons of the Shield).
Tatum, Jennifer & Bichir are can be very good and are all sort of underrated in one way or another - so I'm excited to see what we are bring. Although it'll be interesting to see how Tatum & Tarantino mix - that's a weird and unexpected pairing.
i am in love with this list... especially the least hateful part.
Everything PeggySue said -- we really need a more prolific JJL a la the 90s. Miss her! And a dose of Tatum never hurts, either.
Paul Outlaw: Did you actually just suggest someone see The Dilemma? Why would you be so cruel?! Just thinking about that turd makes a whole flood of other terrible old Channing Tatum movies/performances come back to me and I really want to like him now!
DrewB: The Dilemma</i< was one of the first times I really appreciated all of Tatum's qualities. And I mean all of them. He was great in that, no matter what one thinks of the rest of the movie,
Goggins, less hateful.
Oh, Channing. I've been a fan of his ever since "She's The Man" so a gal pal and I saw "Public Enemies" because we knew he was Pretty Boy Floyd. We were proud of ourselves for seeing such a masculine movie.
**SPOILER ALERT**
He has literally one scene in the first five minutes in which Christian Bale shoots him. I wanted to leave but my friend reminded me that we had already paid for the ticket.
It was an okay movie and I remember hardly anything else about it.
Uma Thurman, Pam Grier, Bridget Fonda, Uma Thurman again, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Melanie Laurent. Tarantino has created/directed some pretty great female roles/performances. I really think he can get something incredible out of Jason Leigh, one of my favorite actresses. There is no other actress like her, meaning she doesn't really fit into any category or mold - even though "they" tried. She has played an incredible range of characters and her complete abandon while never making it easy for us to watch, provides her creations with truth and specificity. Not to mention her lack of vanity - she is never asking to be liked (see Georgia or the choices to make Dorothy Parker and Amy Archer so intense). I think Tarantino's talents have been somewhat wasted in his last 2 or 3 movies (I actually like the writing in Death Proof), so I hope he finds a way to infuse more substance and less cinematic tomfoolery in the Hateful Eight and gives Leigh an opportunity to create an iconic character and be added to the list of women above.
Tim Roth in Rob Roy. Can't think of anything more hateful.***Shudder***
Didn't know the bit about QT retiring after his 10th. That makes me sad but even more anxious in wondering if the next two will ALSO be epic revenge tales because if they are... good luck to you, I'm not playing that game again. Five in a row is already much too much for me.
I miss the days when Tarantino cast more than one woman in his movies.
You didn't consider Madsen't role in Natural Born Killers to be more hateful?
No, because Tom Sizemore is in that movie instead.
This movie would be so much more interesting if it featured seven actresses and one actor.
I am still grieving Mr. Dern's Oscar loss. Please, could this be the one?
Suzanne and Hayden - I agree.
The last time Tarantino made a girl's movie people hated it: Death Proof.
^ That's the one that always peeves me when people talk about his "worst". Which is funny because it's probably his most instantly rewatchable. The length and kickass time are to blame. Plus, dat freeze frame ending.
For the record, it's up there with Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill for me - I love it, no shame. Tracie Thoms & Zoe Bell sell the shit out of it.
We've actually started to attack one of the few big directors that provides older actresses with meaty roles. No pleasing some people. Why does no one attack Spielberg?
Was planning on seeing the movie with some fiends as soon as it came out. Need to thank Tarantino though for warning me about the cops being killers. Afraid to see it now. Live in NY City and thought that maybe we could go to a Jersey site, but realized all cops are killers.
Will never see a movie in anyway associates by Tarantino. Will give the actors a pass on tis one because the Hateful Eight is completed, but will never see a movie that is associated with any actor that plays in a Tarantino film going forward.