Everyone loves to root for the outlaw in some of the best Westerns of all time, right? One of the great things about the genre is that usually the lines are clear, there are good guys and bad guys. White hats and black hats. Often, the guys wearing the black hats are not only the more interesting characters, but they are actually the ones fighting for good, or revenge, or whatever the supposed "good guy" is doing to harm. This is a list dedicated to those guys, the guys who are so bad they are good.

And don't worry, I've included a handful of movies that are Western-adjacent that make sense for this list too.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

While it's not one of my favorite movies (despite loving Robert Redford and Paul Newman), there isn't a better example of rooting for the outlaws than the classic Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid from 1969. It was an era where much of society was fighting the establishment, so it makes perfect sense that the outlaws would be the heroes at the time.

Young Guns

One of the most notorious, and weirdly beloved outlaws in the Old West was Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez in Young Guns)and his gang, which included gunslingers like Doc Scurlock (played by Kiefer Sutherland), José Chávez y Chávez (Lou Diamond Phillips), Dick Brewer (Charlie Sheen), and more. It's a defining Western of its era.

The Outlaw Josey Wales

You knew this one had to be on the list. In fact, there are a whole bunch of Clint Eastwood movies that belong here, but this one actually has "outlaw" in the name, so you know exactly what you're getting into with The Outlaw Josey Wales, a classic Spaghetti Western.

Unforgiven

Decades after Clint Eastwood first made his name in Westerns, he directed and starred in maybe his best one ever with Unforgiven. With co-stars like Morgan Freeman and the late Gene Hackman, this Best Picture-winning film is a true masterpiece.

The Sting

The Sting isn't technically a Western, but it sure feels like one in every way. Two "outlaws," played by Robert Redford and Paul Newman, go up against a villain in a series of gambling events in this classic crime caper. It might have been set in a time just after the end of the "Old West," but the vibe remains for sure.

Desperado

Robert Rodriguez's modern Western Desperado hit the indie film world with a giant explosion when it was released in 1995. It might be set in the '90s, but it's still a gunslinger looking for revenge for the murder of his lover. It doesn't get more classic than that.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Technically, Clint Eastwood plays "The Good" in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but he's a pretty hard-bitten bounty hunter who you just know has done some sketchy stuff in his past. He may not be the actually outlaw, but he's not a true "white hat" either (though he does wear one, of course).

Eddington

One of the most interesting Westerns in recent years has to be Ari Aster's Eddington. It's a little tricky to pick a true "outlaw" in this one, as Joaquin Phoenix is a lawman, which would traditionally be a white hat (as he wears in the movie). On the other hand, he murders some people in dramatic way, pushing him to the dark side. Still, at the end of the movie, you can't help but sympathize with his plight.

Django Unchained

While traditionally Westerns have had very clear sides, the more modern iterations of the genre, like Django Unchained, blur the lines in the best way. Is Django (Jamie Foxx) good or bad? Well, clearly he's both.

The Dirty Dozen

The best War movies and great Westerns often have similar DNA, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the classic The Dirty Dozen. Sure, it's set during World War II, thousands of miles from the Old West, but in every other way it feels like a Western.

Hell Or High Water

While many modern Westerns blur the lines between good and bad, Hell or High Water, from director David Mackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan, is clear. The outlaws, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, are on the run from a Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) after robbing a bank. It might be set in the 2010s, but it has a timeless Western quality.

Star Wars

Star Wars is part Sci-Fi classic, Part space, and yep, part Space Western. A ragtag group of outlaws fighting the establishment is the definition of a classic Western. There is no need to really explain a movie everyone has seen multiple times.

Ned Kelly

A young Heath Ledger leads a fantastic cast, including Orlando Bloom and Naomi Watts, in this 2003 Australian film about a legendary Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly, fighting back against prejudice in 19th Century Australia. It isn't set in the American West, but it definitely belongs on this list. It's also one of Ledger's movies that many haven't seen, but it shows just how great an actor he was at such a young age.

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

There is no more notorious outlaw in the Old West than Jesse James. In The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, James is played by Brad Pitt, and the story of the end of his life is a spectacular example of a 21st-century Western.

The Magnificent Seven

Director John Sturges is the king of Hollywood Westerns, and The Magnificent Seven might just be his most beloved film. The outlaws are a who's who of huge Hollywood names in 1960, including Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson. It's a stone-cold classic.

No Country For Old Men

Picking an outlaw in No Country for Old Men, like many modern Westerns, can be tricky. Obviously Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is an easy choice, and you can make the argument that Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is the "good guy," but no one in the movie is totally innocent, and we're all rooting for Llewelyn, who has stolen a lot of money.

The Hateful Eight

Okay, let's get real here, pretty much every character in The Hateful Eight is repugnant. I guess we're supposed to be rooting for Jennifer Jason Leigh's character, and she's technically the outlaw here, so it'll work for this list.

The Quick And The Dead

Sam Raimi's The Quick And The Dead, starring Sharon Ston,e might be a nineties movie, but it definitely has the vibe of a classic Western. It's also unique in the genre as the protagonist, the outlaw we're rooting for, is a woman.

The Warriors

This is another stretch, sure, but in many ways, the cult classic The Warriors has all the elements of a great Western. A gang of outlaws gets on the wrong side of other outlaws and has to make a run for the border (or, in this case, Coney Island). What isn't a "Western" about that? It's one of the best cult classics of all time and a quintessential '70s flick.

A Fistful of Dollars

There are a ton of classic Westerns starring Clint Eastwood that belong on this list, and A Fistful of Dollars is definitely one of them. This was the Spaghetti Western that really made the genre great, and is the first in the "Dollars" trilogy, along with For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

El Mariachi

Before he remade it as Desperado, Robert Rodriguez made his name with the low-budget indie El Mariachi. It follows the same story, but El Mariachi is much more raw in every way. It's not as flashy, but that works in its favor. Westerns weren't something that Indie filmmakers were making in the '90s, so that makes this one extra special.

The Wild Bunch

Director Sam Peckinpah was known for his use of violence in his movies and was a real pioneer of 1970s cinema. One of his best, and most popular movies, has to be The Wild Bunch about a gang of outlaws at the tail end of the "Old West" trying to find their way in the early 20th Century. Like much of Peckinpah's work, it's a very different take on a classic genre.

Bonnie And Clyde

There are a lot of parallels between the Great Depression era and the Old West. Outlaws were folk heroes, and everyone rooted for them to take down the establishment. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker are the quintessential example of that, and the 1967 movie based on their crimes, starring Warren Beatty as Barrow and Faye Dunaway as Parker, is a classic modern take on an old Western vibe.

Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

Long before there was a wild west, there was Sherwood Forest, where Robin Hood and his band of merry men fought the law, and most of the time, won. Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves is maybe the best version of this ancient tale that closely resembles a Western.

Maverick

1994's Maverick, starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, and James Garner, is an adaptation of a '50s TV show of the same name starring Garner. The movie is set on a riverboat during a poker tournament, and while there aren't any cattle rustlers, it's still a wonderful example of a Western where you root for the outlaw. Or outlaws in this case.

American Outlaws

Colin Farrell stars as Jesse James in American Outlaws, a Western from 2003 that hardly anyone remembers, but if you love movies about outlaws in the Old West, it's a movie you'd probably enjoy. It's not the best movie you'll ever see, but it is a really fun Western

Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid

Sam Peckinpah made some really fun Westerns in the early '70s, and recruiting Bob Dylan to not only have a role in the movie, but also provide some music (including his classic "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"), was a stroke of genius in Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid. The title pretty much gives the movie away, as it's about the legendary lawman Pat Garrett's (James Coburn) hunt for the outlaw Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson). Of course, you're gonna root for Billy!

Silverado

Kevin Costner has starred in some great Westerns over the years, and his first, Silverado, is still one of his best. Costner plays a young gunslinger who gets involved with a gang of outlaws in this classic. The cast alone is worth the watch, including Kevin Kline, Rosanna Arquette, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Brian DennehyScott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, and, in a surprisingly great performance, John Cleese.

The Long Riders

There are quite a few movies about Jesse James, but The Long Riders is unique because of the casting. The James brothers are played by real-life brothers Stacey and James Keach. The Younger brothers are played by David, Keith, and Robert Carradine. The Millers are played by Dennis and Randy Quaid, and the Fords are played by Nicholas and Christopher Guest. It's super fun.

Young Guns II

We couldn't leave Young Guns II off this list. Sure, it's not as legendary as the first movie in the series, but in a lot of ways, it's more fun. The cast is epic, and they are all clearly having fun making this sequel.

Smokey And The Bandit

There is nothing more classic in a Western than the outlaw wearing a cowboy hat trying to outfox and outrun the law while falling in love with a runaway bride. So, you tell me, is Smokey and the Bandit a Western? I say the answer is a resounding yes, even if the bandit has traded his horse for a Trans Am.

High Plains Drifter

After making his name in the Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s, Clint Eastwood made one of his first American Westerns as a director with High Plains Drifter in 1973. It's the second film he directed, and it led to a fantastic career as both star and director.

Over the years, countless filmmakers have given us movies where almost no one makes it out alive (or no one at all). We’ve seen it in some of the best horror movies, a few Best Picture winners, and in oh so many crazy disaster films. There’s just something about the whole “safety not guaranteed” aspect that keeps drawing us in.

That said, if you want to check out 32 movies where almost no one makes it out alive, stick around because we’re about to break it all down…

Titanic (1997)

Rose DeWitte Bukater (Kate Winslet) and several historical figures who survived the real-life 1912 sinking survived Titanic, but the vast majority of the characters we met during James Cameron’s massive box office hit sank with the doomed ship. Only if the epic’s protagonist had saved some room for her third-class lover on the infamous door.

Scarface (1983)

As soon as Al Pacino’s Tony Montana was introduced in Scarface, we all knew this rags-to-riches story was going to end in a hail of gunfire. And it did just that, as the film’s antihero is massacred alongside most of his men in his massive Miami estate in the film’s explosive and bloody final scene. Tony wasn’t alone, as all but a few of the characters introduced in this iconic crime film bite the dust before it’s over.

Much like the book on which they are based, the various adaptations of All Quiet on the Western Front have all been dark, terrifying, and heartbreaking antiwar films that show the true cost of combat. Edward Berger’s 2022 take on Erich Maria Remarque’s landmark novel is particularly harrowing, especially in the final moments when a last-minute charge of death and destruction shatters hope and survival.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, one of the best movies in the franchise, is admittedly a little bleak with its depiction of a doomed band of spies trying to steal the plan for the Death Star, but there is some hope in their act of sacrifice. The blast of an operational battle station in the final moments is an awesome show of power and a dreadful end for characters we came to know and love.

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s The Thing is a masterclass in tension and paranoia, with its story about a remote research base being taken over by a mysterious shape-shifting alien. If that wasn’t bad enough, the main characters begin getting picked off one by one as the survivors (it ends up only being two in the end) are left trying to make sense of the madness and not knowing if they can trust each other or themselves.

Night Of The Living Dead (1967)

George A. Romero put himself on the map in 1967 with the transformative zombie movie, Night of the Living Dead. On top of introducing heroes that go against the status quo in ‘60s Hollywood, the start of Romero’s legendary horror franchise ended with one of the bleakest moments in horror history.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

It’s hard to say how many of the thieves from the ill-fated diamond heist in Reservoir Dogs make it out alive, but we know that the vast majority of the color-coded crew don’t make it out alive. Either at the hands of their former partners or the police chasing them down, these lowly criminals meet a violent yet unsurprising end in Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut.

The Grey (2011)

Joe Carnahan’s 2011 survival thriller, The Grey, is honestly one of the most intense movies to come out in the 2010s. Starring Liam Neeson as a sharpshooter at an oil facility in Alaska, the movie follows the grieving man and a group of other roughnecks as they attempt to survive a plane crash in a remote part of the state. If that’s not bad enough, the wounded and weary men are targeted by a pack of hungry wolves.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Thanks to a clever and very impressive marketing campaign, The Blair Witch Project felt less like a found-footage horror movie and more like a documentary about a trio of filmmakers getting lost and dying in the woods. With one of the most shocking endings in horror history, this trailblazing 1999 movie left no one alive.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1968)

Though we never see Paul Newman or Robert Redford’s characters die in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it’s all but guaranteed that these two outlaws die in the final shootout. With figures like this, did anyone expect there to be survivors?

The Departed (2006)

Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime epic is a remake of a Hong Kong movie called Internal Affairs, but it totally feels like a modern take on a Greek tragedy. Before this one comes to a close, all but a couple of the main characters are in the grave. Heroes, villains, and random characters in one or two scenes, they are all taken down in this Oscar-winning classic.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

A movie primarily set in one location, The Hateful Eight doesn’t hold back with the violence and mayhem. Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 Western introduces and kills characters at such a high rate of speed that you’ll find yourself pausing and rewinding to make sense of all the carnage.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

One of the best examples of a disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure follows a group of survivors as they attempt to escape a capsized cruise ship. Though there are thousands aboard the ship before a wave tips it over, only a handful of passengers and crew make it out of this race against time.

Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead introduces some of the best zombie movie characters of all time, but going in, you know most are going to either die or turn into an undead ghoul. By the time everything is said and done, only two survivors make it out, which is far cheerier than what Romero originally had planned.

The Northman (2022)

Based on the ancient legend that inspired William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Robert Eggers’ 2022 epic revenge film, The Northman, is a bloody, violent, and mind-bending experience. And just like any tale of vengeance, it’s not one with a happy ending or a lot of survivors.

Alien (1979)

One of the best things about Ridley Scott’s Alien is how the crew of the Nostromo is picked off one by one by the mysterious and deadly xenomorph after each of the Weylan-Yutani employees is introduced and given time to shine on screen. In fact, it’s only Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley and Jones the cat who make it out alive.

Sunshine (2007)

Sunshine, an oft-forgotten collaboration by director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, follows eight astronauts as they try to reignite a dying sun. Though the movie does give you some hope that the core cast – Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, and Michelle Yeoh – will survive the mission, it becomes clear that this is a one-way trip to save humanity.

Hereditary (2018)

Ari Aster’s Hereditary is one of the most traumatizing and terrifying horror movies of the past decade, and one that doesn’t leave a whole lot of survivors. In fact, pretty much the entire Graham family is killed in some bloody, fiery, or devastating fashion by the time this is over and done with.

Cloverfield (2008)

When it comes to disaster films with the largest body count, Cloverfield has to be up there on the list. Not only do all the main characters get squashed, eaten, mutated, or killed by the invading alien creatures, but pretty much all of New York City is wiped off the map once the military gets involved.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Don’t let Don’t Look Up’s darkly comedic tone fool you; the 2021 Netflix satirical end-of-the-world disaster film is full of death, destruction, and heartbreak. Even as the members of the ruling class learn centuries after the destruction of Earth, there’s no escaping death.

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is one of the funniest satirical dark comedies of all time. It’s also a political movie with a whole lot of death, especially with the whole ending sequence of atomic warheads detonating around the world, sending what survivors are left into a nuclear winter of epic proportions.

The Alamo (2004)

Before even pressing play on The Alamo back in 2004, we all knew how John Lee Hancock’s historical drama was going to end. One of the most told stories in American history, the Battle of the Alamo in the Texas Revolution, has become the stuff of legends (just don’t ask about the basement). Some 200 Texans, including Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), Jim Bowie (Jason Patric), and Bill Travis (Patrick Wilson), sacrifice themselves for freedom in this epic.

300 (2007)

Few movies kill off the main character like 300, which sees Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas (and his Spartan soldiers) go out looking awesome. Yeah, it’s sad to see these brave warriors get defeated by the Persian army, but it took A LOT to bring down this king.

The Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

The Return of the Living Dead has to be one of the best horror comedies of all time, as well as a movie that doesn’t end on the happiest of notes. After a zombie outbreak turns Louisville, Kentucky, into a wasteland of brain-eating ghouls, the military gets involved in an attempt to sweep it all under the rug.

Knowing (2009)

Blending elements of sci-fi, thrillers, and disaster films, the 2009 Nicolas Cage movie, Knowing, centers on the discovery of a manuscript that can help predict various disasters in the future. Those familiar with this setup know that survival isn’t likely in this scenario, and that’s what happens when a solar flare turns everyone on the planet into ash.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

The Cabin in the Woods is one of the wildest, silliest, and most unique horror movies of the 21st century, and one that kills a lot of people. One by one, a group of college students is killed off by different monsters as they unknowingly become part of a plan to save the world from old gods.

Open Water (2003)

Inspired by true events, Open Water follows a couple as they are mistakenly left behind while scuba diving on vacation. Left alone in shark-infested waters and deteriorating conditions, the couple attempts to survive the situation, which is no easy task.

Silent Night (2021)

Camille Griffin’s Silent Night is one of the funniest, strangest, most brutally honest, and unsettling dark comedies of the past decade. When a deadly fog rolls into England and offers no chance at survival, a group of friends decides to have one final holiday party before dying. But there’s a twist…

Final Destination 5 (2011)

Like its predecessors, Final Destination 5 is a movie about cheating death and what happens if you evade the grim reaper’s touch. Well, in this 2011 installment, a group of survivors think they’ve cheated death for good when they board a plane. However, it’s not just any plane but instead the doomed flight from the first movie.

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)

With a title like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, it should be no surprise that this 2012 romantic comedy starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley was going to end with everyone dying. Despite the obvious ending, this charming little movie has a whole lot of heart and soul.

Melancholia (2011)

There are disaster movies and then there’s Melancholia, Lars von Trier’s 2011 drama about two sisters coming to terms with their lives and past decisions days, hours, and minutes before a planet crashes into Earth. With a heavy focus on the inner and more psychological aspects of impending doom, opposed to the collapse of society outside their picturesque escape, this frightening yet awe-inspiring meditation on life and death is a sight to see.

This Is The End (2013)

This is the End, an over-the-top end-of-the-world disaster film starring Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and some of the biggest comedians of the late 2000s and early 2010s, is an absolute bonkers movie. Going in, you know everyone and their mother is going to die. But it’s what comes after death in this one that’s so much fun.

Quentin Tarantino is a master at using old TV shows and movies as references to get his point across in his dialog. Sometimes, it's wildly obscure (that's what years watching movies in a video shop will get you), but often they are unique and fun ways to refer to the things that people grew up with, especially Gen Xers. This a list of some of those references, both the obscure and the obvious, that Tarantino peppers into so many of his movies.

Green Acres - Pulp Fiction

The diner scene in Pulp Fiction has a bunch of fun references and maybe the best comes from Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) when he is explaining why he doesn't eat pork to Vincent (John Travolta). Jules calls pigs "filthy animals" and to not be, they'd have to be "ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres," referring to the old TV show.

The Lost Boys - Reservoir Dogs

While Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) is rehearsing the story he's going to tell while he's undercover - to sell his character, he explains at one point that he is just trying to watch one of the best vampire movies of all time, The Lost Boys, at home.

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry - Jackie Brown

Tarantino loves to throw in obscure movies that many of us might have missed, Such is the case with Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, a heist movie from 1974 starring Peter Fonda. It's shown briefly on TV as Bridget Fonda (Peter's daughter) and Robert De Niro blankly watch TV. Sneaky Quentin!

The Street Fighter - True Romance

Obviously Tarantino loves Kung Fu movies. Kill Bill is a tribute to genre, but he peppered in references to it much earlier in his career. True Romance was directed by Tarantino, but he wrote it, and he managed to get a reference to not one, but three Kung Fu movies, The Street Fighter series. In the movie, Clarence (Christian Slater) meets Alabama (Patricia Arquette) at a triple feature of the movies.

Twins - Pulp Fiction

This one is great. The legend goes that in a nod to Danny DeVito, who was a producer on Pulp Fiction, Tarantino named Travolta and Jackson's characters Vincent and Jules, respectively, as a tip of the hat to DeVito's movie Twins, where the titular twins played by DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger were named Vincent and Julius. It may or may not be true, but the possibility is too good not to include here.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Four Rooms

The film Four Rooms was a unique moment in '90s cinema when four hot directors joined forces to tell four stories over one night in a hotel. Tarantino based his story directly on an old Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode called "The Bellboy." Taratino's version gets messier, of course.

Convoy - Death Proof

Death Proof ranks pretty low on a list Tarantino's movies, though it has it's moments, and if you love old road movies from the '70s, there are lots of fun inside jokes, like referring to the classic Convoy, a movie created from a hit song that isn't the best movie, but is very memorable.

Top Of The Pops - Reservoir Dogs

In Reservoir Dogs, Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn) makes a strange reference. Instead of referring to a show like Dick Clark's American Bandstand when deriding pop music, he chooses to make mention of Top Of The Pops, a British show of the same ilk as Bandstand. It makes it clear he doesn't like pop music, however.

The Great Escape - Reservoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

It's pretty obvious that Tarantino loves the 1963 classic The Great Escape. He's made reference three times. First, in his own monologue about Madonna in Reservoir Dogs, then, in Inglourious Barterds, he cribs a famous line from The Great Escape ("We have all our rotten eggs in one basket," and finally in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood when we see Rick as starring in the Steve McQueen role.

Tora! Tora! Tora! - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Unsurprisingly, Once Upon a Time has many references, both directly and in the background. For example, the billboard for the World War II film Tora! Tora! Tora!

Kung Fu - Pulp Fiction

Many years after Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino cast David Carradine as Bill in Kill Bill. In Pulp Fiction, he made reference to Carradine's most famous role, as Caine in the '70s TV show Kung Fu when Jules takes about giving up his criminal life. It's so great that it comes around full circle.

The Green Hornet - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Kill Bill

Bruce Lee's first role that brought him prominence in the US was in The Green Hornet. Tarantino first referenced this in Kill Bill, but it made a much bigger appearance in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood when Cliff (Brad Pitt) fights Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) on the set of the '60s TV show.

Get Christie Love! - Reservoir Dogs

Get Christie Love! is a classic deep cut from Tarantino. It's mentioned a few times in Reservoir Dogs. Get Christie Love! started as an ABC movie of the week, capitalizing on the popularity of the Blaxploitation genre. It was turned into a short-lived TV show in the mid-'70s. Though it's an obscure reference, the show was notable for starring Teresa Graves as one of the first Black female leads in a network show.

BJ And The Bear - Death Proof

BJ And The Bear is one of the most ridiculous TV shows of all time since it co-stars an actual monkey as part of a truck-driving team. Its reference in Death Proof is perfect, however.

Speed Racer - Pulp Fiction

Sometimes, Tarantino's references are really subtle. In Pulp Fiction, Eric Stoltz's character wears a very cool vintage Speed Racer t-shirt. Honestly, it's a super cool shirt, and at the time, before The Wachowskis made the 2008 movie, Speed Racer was more obscure than it is today.

The Killer - Jackie Brown

There are multiple scenes in Jackie Brown where characters are watching movies, and apparently, one movie that De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson's characters watch too much is The Killer, a relatively recent movie (by Tarantino standards) released in 1989 by director John Woo.

The Mack - True Romance

Gary Oldman in True Romance is one of the greatest examples of an actor looking completely unrecognizable in a role. In that famous scene, his character is watching The Mack and Clarence makes sure that Oldman knows he'd seen it years before.

The Wizard of Oz - Reservoir Dogs

You wouldn't expect a reference to The Wizard of Oz in Res Dogs, but in the most infamous scene in the movie, when Mr. Blonde is torturing the cop, he asks, "How 'bout some fire, scarecrow?" It's a clear reference to the famous movie, and it adds a brilliant, twisted dimension to an already messed-up scene.

Rebel Without A Cause - Pulp Fiction

The restaurant scene in Pulp Fiction is full of pop culture references. Steve Buscemi makes an appearance as a waiter dressed like Buddy Holly and the emcee is an Ed Sullivan impersonator. Another waiter in the scene is clearly dressed like James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.

TJ Hooker - True Romance

It's TJ Hooker, but it's the new TJ Hooker. Such is the show that Clarence's friend Dick Richie (Michael Rapaport) is auditioning for in True Romance. Classic Tarantino, laying in the other show William Shatner starred in.

The Bellboy - Four Rooms

1960's The Bellboy starring Jerry Lewis is a classic slapstick comedy that also marked Lewis' debut as a director. In a number of homages to the movie, Tarantino references in his part of Four Rooms, which, of course, makes perfect sense.

Hullabaloo - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

In the mid-1960s, pop music variety shows were all the rage. ABC's American Bandstand was the most popular and still the best remembered, but NBC tried to get into the game with Hullabaloo. It didn't last long, however, only airing 2 seasons as opposed to the 30 Bandstand aired on ABC. The show is referenced in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Force Five - Pulp Fiction

"Fox Force Five" is the name of the fictional TV show that Mia Wallace starred in the pilot of in Pulp Fiction. The name of the show is a reference to a very short-lived syndicated show called Force Five that, unless you grew up in New England, you've probably never heard of. Who knows how Tarantino even knew it, it was hardly on anywhere,

Bullitt - Death Proof

Bullitt is one of the best car movies ever, so referencing it in Death Proof is a no-brainer. It also features some of the best car chases in any movie, ever. That was the goal of Death Proof, too, and while it's not Tarantino's best movie, you can't say the car chases aren't great.

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - The Hateful Eight

It's hard to slip references and easter eggs of films into a movie set in the 19th Century, like The Hateful Eight. Still, Tarantino manages to slip in some, including the classic western 3:10 to Yuma from 1957. In both movies, the stagecoach is named the "Butterfield Overland Stage."

The Kid - Inglourious Basterds

There are a lot of connections between Charlie Chaplin and Hitler (that's weird to type), but not only did they share the same style in facial hair, but Chaplin also starred in The Dictator, which was a contemporary satire that took shots at Hitler before most were willing to do so. Referencing one of Chaplin's most famous movies, The Kid, in Inglourious Basterds is perfect.

Natural Born Killers - Kill Bill

Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers was originally based on a script by Quentin Tarantino. Though Tarantino was reportedly unhappy with the end product and even chose to only go with a partial credit, he made reference to the movie later in his career. In Kill Bill, Bill tells Beatrix that she's a "natural-born killer," and there's no way that's a coincidence.

Wanted: Dead Or Alive - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

In the 1950s, Hollywood loved making Western TV shows. One show, which happened to be an early role for Steve McQueen, was Wanted: Dead Or Alive. Though it's not directly mentioned, it's clear that the show within the movie that Rick is the star of, Bounty Law, is based on the McQueen hit.

Baretta - Reservoir Dogs

The 1970s show Baretta is an old network show that no one talks about much these days, but Tarantino was talking about it decades ago in Reservoir Dogs. That was before the show's star, Robert Blake, was charged with murder.

Stroker Ace - Death Proof

One of the most obscure references in Death Proof has to be Stroker Ace. It's a movie from the early '80s starring Burt Reynolds as a NASCAR driver. It was a huge bomb, but it was a staple on cable TV in the early '80s. It has its charms, but maybe the best thing about it is getting references in this Tarantino movie.

Happy Days - Pulp Fiction

The reference to Happy Days in Pulp Fiction is one of the most quoted lines in the movie. In the diner robbery at the end, Jules wants everyone to settle down and tells them that they are all going to "cool like Fonzie." Fonzie, of course, is one of the coolest characters in TV history.

A Fistful of Dollars - Kill Bill

This is one of the most subtle - just a reference to the iconic music in honor of The Bride going after her revenge.

I’m not going to debate with anybody on what Tarantino's best movie is–It’s Pulp Fiction.

However, when it comes to ranking the rest of his movies, you can start having discussions. While Tarantino has never made a bad movie (Death Proof has its merits!), he has so many good ones that you could make an argument for any movie in his filmography as his next best film.

However, while some flicks always float close to the top–Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, and Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood are usually next in line–I, for one, have always felt that his eighth film, The Hateful Eight, is his next best movie after Pulp Fiction, and I don’t think it gets nearly enough credit. Here’s why.

The Movie Does So Much With So Little

By every metric, one might say that The Hateful Eight is rather small in nature. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Taking place almost entirely in one location, The Hateful Eight’s closest cousin is probably Reservoir Dogs when it comes to the size and scope of its setting.

This might be why I love The Hateful Eight, since Reservoir Dogs is my third favorite Tarantino film. The story takes place in a haberdashery in the middle of a terrible storm. In one of his best roles, Tarantino regular Samuel L. Jackson plays a bounty hunter named Major Marquis Warren with three corpses in tow.

By happenstance, he meets up with his old friend, John Ruth - “The Hangman” - played by Kurt Russell, in a stagecoach. Ruth is currently handcuffed to the fugitive “Crazy” Daisy Domergue (played expertly by Jennifer Jason Leigh), on the way to having her hanged, and a new sheriff named Chris Mannix (Played by Walter Goggins) hitches a ride with them. They’re all going their separate ways, but the storm gets so bad that they end up at the haberdashery together, along with four (or so we’re led to believe) others.

And, that’s it. It doesn’t seem like much, but what follows is one of the wildest rides Tarantino has ever taken us on. A lot of this is because the tensions are sky high, as there’s racial tension (Which I’ll get into later), but also the tension of former Confederate soldiers in the same tight space as Northerners.

The events that follow are like a powder keg. And, even though it’s not as bombastic as World War II (Inglourious Basterds), as expansive as slavery (Django Unchained), or one of the best martial arts movies of all time (Kill Bill), it still manages to be Tarantino’s second most thrilling movie for me, right after Pulp Fiction. It’s that good.

It Is Samuel L. Jackson's Second Best Tarantino Character, Right After Jules Winnfield

One could argue that the best role in Samuel L. Jackson’s career was as Jules Winnfield. Effortlessly cool and ruthless, but also the kind of guy who could change, Jackson’s role in Pulp Fiction is the kind of career-defining role that only comes once in an actor’s lifetime…if they’re lucky.

Jackson has found himself in most of Tarantino’s films, but The Hateful Eight is arguably his only leading role (Pulp Fiction comes close, but there are so many moving pieces in that movie that I don’t feel comfortable calling him the main protagonist).

In The Hateful Eight, he plays a conniving bounty hunter who makes friends with white people by showing them a fake letter from Abraham Lincoln. He’s also the kind of guy who would goad a racist into pulling out his gun by telling him an elaborate tale of how he sexually abused and killed his son.

And all the while, you can tell he’s having a good time the whole way through. He’s the kind of character who you feel that Tarantino must have written the role with him in mind, and Jackson delivers each line with the kind of verve and attitude that only he can.

I loved Jackson in Jackie Brown, but I think this is Jackson’s second-best role in a Tarantino film. He’s just so much fun to spend time with.

This Movie Has Some Of Tarantino's Best Dialogue…Though It's SUPER Problematic

I was really upset when I heard that Tarantino’s supposed tenth and final film, The Movie Critic, was canceled. This is mostly because I look forward to every Tarantino flick since it means that we’ll get some of the best dialogue in the business.

And, speaking of some of the best dialogue, I think that The Hateful Eight has some of Tarantino’s finest…but I say that with a caveat. Even though I really love the conversations in this film (you can really hear the different walks of life of every character by the way they speak), I also think this is one of Tarantino’s most problematic screenplays, and it’s mostly because of the racial tension in the film.

Now, look. I get it. This is a film with a Black lead character and racist people from the South. And, with Tarantino’s 7th movie, Django Unchained, we had actors like Leonardo DiCaprio (In one of his best movies) dropping the N-word on more than one occasion. Hell, Tarantino himself dropped the N-word in Pulp Fiction. It’s something he’s been criticized a lot for in the past.

That said, it just feels particularly icky in The Hateful Eight. Maybe it’s because of the context. In Django Unchained, we had a slave who rose up and took vengeance. But, with the Civil War having ended by the start of The Hateful Eight, it just feels a bit worse.

That said, the dialogue is still authentic, even with how uncomfortable it makes me feel (It definitely isn’t satisfying like Django Unchained). Outside of the racism, though, it’s just a joy to listen to, probably more than any other Tarantino film for me.

The Ensemble Cast Is Probably The Best Tarantino Has Ever Assembled

I think there’s something to be said for a director who always seems to have the best actors in their films. One could argue that Tarantino himself just manages to use actors to their full potential (Like, what American even knew who Cristoph Waltz was until he delivered his Oscar-winning performance in Inglourious Basterds?).

That said, I think there’s even more to be said of a director who can not only use the best actors, but also have them work in an ensemble cast. I mean, that takes immeasurable talent, but Tarantino has done it on multiple occasions. Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, and Jackie Brown all showcase great ensemble casts, and they all work.

Aside from Pulp Fiction, I think The Hateful Eight has the best cast that Tarantino has ever assembled. And that’s because each actor has something to offer. I’ve already talked about Jackson, but Kurt Russell is fantastic as “The Hangman.” He’s both stalwart, but also a little dim. Bruce Dern as a dying Confederate General has a real spark, and Tim Roth worms his way into the story in the best way possible.

As one of the only females in the film, Jennifer Jason Leigh was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance, and it was well-warranted.

I mean, just across the board, everybody’s great, which is important, since this is one of Tarantino’s most challenging films to watch.

It Goes Down As Tarantino's Most Mean-Spirited-But Also One Of His Most Fun-Movies In His Filmography

I just said that The Hateful Eight is challenging to watch, and it is. But, not because it’s not fun, as it's very fun. The scene with the poisoned coffee while Ennio Morricone’s music plays (Did I mention the soundtrack is amazing?!), is one of my favorite moments in any Tarantino film ever.

Even so, The Hateful Eight is a really mean-spirited movie. The abuse Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character goes through is hard to stomach, even despite her evil ways, and the way the film ends on such a down note really doesn’t make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And, as I already mentioned, the racism is a bit harsh in this film. None of the characters are good people, and to have them all stuck in one claustrophobic environment really does start to wear on you after a while.

So, even though I love this movie, I have to admit that it’s a hard film to sit through. But that also makes it even more interesting since it’s such a pleasure to watch, even when you’re wincing all the way through. What art!

But, what do you think? Are you somebody who also gives The Hateful Eight its flowers? For more news on all things Tarantino-related, be sure to swing by here often.

Is it possible to make a great movie out of a story that is, fundamentally, not much more than just two or more people talking? Absolutely, and we have assembled plenty of examples of the most riveting conversations captured on film to prove it. The following are just a few of our picks for the best dialogue-heavy movies ever made.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Writer and director Quentin Tarantino proved he had a knack for crafting captivating dialogue by debuting with a movie that was little more than dialogue called Reservoir Dogs. The unique crime thriller is the story of a jewelry heist that we never actually see but learn about through conversations between the violent thieves involved (some of which were improvised) in scenes taking place before and after the ill-fated job.

Coherence (2013)

The less you know about co-writer and director James Ward Byrkit's Coherence – which follows a disastrous and confusing dinner party on the night a comet passes over a quiet suburb – the more rewarding the experience is. The cast, including Emily Baldoni and Nicolas Brendan, improvised 100% of their dialogue in one of the most cleverly constructed Multiverse movies ever made.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Co-writer and director Richard Linklater redefined romance movies in the mid-1990s with Before Sunrise, in which a young American man (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy) share an adventure through Vienna after a chance meeting on a train. It was followed by 2004's Before Sunset and 2013's Before Midnight, which follows later pivotal moments in their romance nine years apart.

Breathless (1960)

Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless is one of the most important films from the experimental French New Wave movement for its realistic approach to prioritizing dialogue over plot. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as a crook on the run trying to persuade an American student journalist (Jean Seberg) to run away with him to Italy.

12 Angry Men (1957)

The most interesting moments in a legal case do not take place in the courtroom, as demonstrated in Sidney Lumet's directorial feature debut, 12 Angry Men. The film features a star-studded cast as a jury that erupts into a heated frenzy when one man (played by Henry Fonda) disagrees with the nigh-unanimous decision to convict an 18-year-old of murdering his abusive father.

Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith became an inspiration to aspiring indie filmmakers everywhere with his debut feature, Clerks – a comedy that is simple in concept but uproarious in execution. Save one action-packed rooftop hockey match, some sick dance moves courtesy of Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), and one unexpected death, the film consists mostly of conversations between convenience store cashier Dante (Brian O'Halloran), video store employee Randal (Jeff Anderson), and others about love, the Star Wars movies, and other minor and morbid topics.

Women Talking (2022)

Based on the true story that inspired Miriam Toews' 2018 novel of the same name, Women Talking is a drama about a group of female Mennonites who discuss whether or not they should leave their village after a heartwrenching case of abuse in 2010. Writer and director Sarah Polley received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for crafting a captivating and timely drama out of this harrowing story.

Conclave (2024)

Never could we have imagined that a film about the democratic selection of the Catholic Church's next Pope would be considered one of the best movies of 2024, yet here we are. Director Edward Berger's adaptation of Robert Harris' 2016 novel, Conclave, is a thoroughly riveting thriller offering profound commentary on faith and political discourse, featuring stirring performances by Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini.

Mass (2021)

One of cinema's most powerful statements about gun violence comes from a movie by writer and director Fran Kranz (of The Cabin in the Woods fame) called Mass. The acclaimed, low-budget drama depicts a conversation between the parents of a school shooting victim (played by Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton) and a couple (played by Ann Dowd and Reed Birney) whose son was the perpetrator.

My Dinner With Andre (1981)

Perhaps the quintessential example of how a simple conversation can amount to a moving and memorable cinematic experience is director Louis Malle's My Dinner with Andre. Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn (who also penned the screenplay) portray fictional versions of themselves discussing various funny and provocative topics over a meal at a New York City restaurant.

Phone Booth (2002)

Imagine the most awkward and frustrating phone call of your life. It is probably not nearly as bad as what transpires when New York City publicist Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) answers a ringing phone booth in Times Square only to find a deadly sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) on the opposite end who threatens to kill him if he hangs up. As tensions escalate and the police try to intervene, Stu struggles to negotiate with the psychopath for a chance to save his own life in director Joel Schumacher's Phone Booth.

The Two Popes (2019)

Andrew McCarten adapted his own play, The Pope, into director Fernando Meirelles' acclaimed Netflix original film, The Two Popes. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce give powerhouse, Academy Award-nominated performances as Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis), who try to reach common ground during a pivotal turning point for the Catholic Church.

Locke (2013)

In the underrated, great A24 movie, Locke, Tom Hardy stars in the title role of a construction foreman taking an evening drive to London that will change his life forever. Told in real-time, writer and director Steven Knight's drama is a thoroughly absorbing one-person show told entirely through Locke's phone conversations with people played by Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Tom Holland, and more.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Quentin Tarantino took the dialogue-heavy concept of 1992's Reservoir Dogs and, somewhat, reimagined it into one of the best Western movies of the 21st Century, The Hateful Eight. An all-star ensemble – including Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Oscar nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh – plays a group of people holed up in a cabin during a snowstorm, where no one is quite who they claim to be, in post-Civil War Wyoming.

The Invitation (2015)

One of the best horror movies that meaningfully address grief is Karyn Kusama's The Invitation, starring Logan Marshall-Green as Will, who is attending a dinner party hosted by his former wife (played by Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband (Michel Huisman). As time goes by and conversations bring unusual revelations to light, Will begins to suspect that there is a sinister ulterior motive to this gathering.

Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (1967)

One of the best and most important Sidney Poitier movies is Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, in which the Academy Award winner plays John Prentice – a Black doctor who travels with his white fiancée, Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton), to meet her parents (played by Spener Tracy and Katharine Hepburn). Eventually, the Draytons meet John's parents (played by Roy Glenn and Beah Richards) and what ensues is a staggering, groundbreaking discussion that ultimately proves love breaks through all racial barriers.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Teenagers are often categorized by different superficial designations – i.e. brains, athletes, basket cases, princesses, and criminals – but if you were to put one of each group in a room and let them talk amongst themselves, they would come to realize they are not so different underneath. Evidence of this social experiment lies in, arguably, the greatest high school movie ever made, John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, which takes place during one life-changing Saturday morning detention.

The Big Chill (1983)

Few films have captured the essence of catching up with old friends more authentically than co-writer and director Lawrence Kasdan's influential dramedy, The Big Chill. The likes of Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum, Glenn Close, and more star as a group of thirty-somethings coming together for the first time since college for the funeral of a friend, where they learn more about each other, and themselves.

Carnage (2011)

The hilarious, Tony Award-winning play, God of Carnage, follows two couples who, after discovering their respective children got in a fight, agree to discuss the incident for a meeting that grows increasingly volatile as the conversation goes on. The film adaptation, simply titled Carnage, stars John C. Reilly, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, and Kate Winslet and expertly captures its satirical depiction of disputes over class, parental philosophies, and more provocative themes.

Rope (1948)

One of the more underrated Alfred Hitchcock movies, Rope (which is amusingly shot to appear as one continuous take), is the story of two men (played by John Dall and Farley Granger) who try to convince themselves that they can get away with murder by hosting a party just moments after committing the crime. However, as the night progresses, their old school teacher, Rupert Cadell (James Stewart) begins to suspect that something is afoot.

Coffee And Cigarettes (2003)

Coffee and Cigarettes is a movie anchored by, not just one conversation, but a series of conversations that each have the eponymous objects in common. Each of writer and director Jim Jarmusch's grayscale vignettes stars a different pairing or trio of celebrities as fictionalized versions of themselves discussing a myriad of topics in a hilariously surreal fashion.

Sleuth (1972)

Anthony Shaffer adapted his own Tony Award-winning play, Sleuth, into a film starring Sir Laurence Olivier as a detective novelist who invites his wife's younger lover (played by Michael Caine) to his estate where he challenges him to a diabolical battle of wits. Caine would also star in Kenneth Branagh's 2007 adaptation, this time playing the older gentleman opposite Jude Law.

The End Of The Tour (2015)

Jason Segel gives one of his best serious performances as David Foster Wallace in director James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour. Instead of a conventional biopic, the A24 and Sony-produced drama provides a mere snapshot of the life and career of the late Infinite Jest author by dramatizing a revealing interview he had with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) in the mid-to-late 1990s.

The Guilty (2018)

When a German police officer (played by Jakob Cedergren) assigned to work as a dispatcher receives an alarming call from a woman claiming to be kidnapped, he cannot help himself but attempt to take matters into his own hands from behind the phone in co-writer and director Gustav Möller's The Guilty. Three years later, director Antoine Fuqua released an English-language adaptation on Netflix starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role.

Tape (2001)

One of director Richard Linklater's darkest and most intense cinematic experiments (and most overlooked films of his career) is Tape. The drama takes place entirely in one motel room and features only three characters (played by Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman) who discuss the most unsettling moments from their pasts.

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande (2022)

In the Hulu-original dramedy, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Daryl McCormack plays the title role – a male escort hired by the widowed Nancy Stokes (Oscar winner Emma Thompson) to help bring some adventure into her life. While the content does get racier with each of the characters' intimate sessions, the film's most powerful moments come from their intimate conversations with one another, lending beautifully to this inspiring story of self-discovery.

Buried (2010)

Ryan Reynolds has shared in interviews that he is claustrophobic, which is why it is shocking that he agreed to star in director Rodrigo Cortes' Buried. The entire film takes place in a coffin placed six feet underground where Reynolds' Paul Conroy, equipped with a cell phone and little else, struggles to negotiate with his captors and find help before he runs out of oxygen.

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

From writer and director Sam Levinson, the Netflix original movie Malcolm & Marie is far from your typical romance film. It stars John David Washington as a filmmaker who returns home after his latest movie premiere with his girlfriend (played by Zendaya), with whom he engages in a challenging conversation regarding the state of their relationship throughout the night.

Circle (2015)

Writing and directing duo Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione's Circle is a movie kind of like Saw but more appropriate for those who prefer psychological thrills over gore. The story follows a group of 50 strangers who wake up in a mysterious chamber where they must collectively decide who among them deserves to be the sole survivor.

Lifeboat (1944)

John Steinbeck wrote the story for Alfred Hitchcock's Oscar-nominated, World War II-era thriller, Lifeboat. It is a survival story of more than one kind, following a group of people struggling to survive their harsh environment and each other while floating on open water.

Margin Call (2011)

The beginning of the 2008 financial crisis is seen through the eyes of employees at a Wall Street investment firm over the course of 24 hours in Margin Call. From writer and director J.C. Chandor, the drama features Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, Jeremy Irons, and others as financial analysts who must rush to save their company from the brink of collapse.

Slacker (1990)

Richard Linklater made his directorial feature debut with Slacker. He also stars in the quirky comedy as one of several young Texans discussing god-knows-what, one conversation at a time, over the course of one day.

Since the 1980s Samuel L. Jackson has been providing some of the most memorable moments on screen. With hundreds of credits to his name, he is one of the most recognizable actors of all time. This list is dedicated to some of his best moments in some of his most famous movies. For the sake of the children, we've left off some of his more memorable moments using the colorful language he is good at. But no matter, these moments are all fantastic as well!

Jurassic Park

As the computer tech in Jurassic Park, way too much falls on Samuel L. Jackson's shoulders to save the park and possibly the world. Still, the chain-smoking character does all he can. That includes rebooting the whole system, which means everyone needs to "hold on your butts."

Django Unchained

Jackson's character in Django Unchained is, well, unhinged. The scene where he has Django strung up and explains what kind of slave he intends to make of Django is one of the most insane scenes in a movie full of craziness. It's scary... and fantastic.

Avengers: Infinity War

Throughout the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jackson's character Nick Fury has provided many amazing moments. One of the best is at the end of Avengers: Infinity War after Thanos snaps his fingers. Just as Fury is turning to dust along with half of the universe, he starts to utter the words that have made Samuel L. Jackson famous that involve a mother... only he disappears before he can get the words out.

Coming To America

Well, there isn't much you can quote from his short scene as a potential stick-up man in Coming To America and still keep this list rated PG, so we'll just have to hope that you know exactly what we're talking about here. If you know, you know. And if you don't, we might be forced to thrash you.

A Time to Kill

In a career filled with intense scenes, the one when Jackson's character is on the witness stand during his murder trial in A Time To Kill may be the most intense. When he can't help but burst out why he felt he had to murder the men accused of assaulting his daughter and where he hopes they are burning is just an incredible bit of acting.

Die Hard With A Vengeance

There are a lot of cool scenes in Die Hard With A Vengeance but one that shows exactly what kind of person Jackson's character is when he must answer a phone from the puppet master while facing down a cop who doesn't know what is going on. He HAS TO ANSWER THAT PHONE.

Thor

The post-credit scene in the first Thor movie is great. It's classic Nick Fury, one step ahead of every. Well, everyone but Loki. Still, his cool, calm, and collected demeanor is on full display here.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Throughout the prequel Star Wars movies, Mace Windu could have been a lot cooler. It's just one of the many things to criticize about those films. One thing you can criticize is how cool his death is and how close he came to changing the entire future when he takes on Palpatine in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Had he not been betrayed by Anikin at the moment, there might not have been a need for the rebels, as the Empire would have been dead on arrival. So close, yet so far.

Shaft

Shaft isn't Samuel L. Jackson's best movie, but there are still only a handful of actors who could have ever pulled the role of the private...detective... that won't cop out when there is danger about. He's awesome in the role and while there are plenty of pretty great action scenes, it's the moments like the one in the coffee shop when he confronts the gang members and shows zero intimidation. It sums up all that is John Shaft.

Pulp Fiction

There really isn't a question here - not only is the Ezekiel 25:17 speech his coolest moment in Pulp Fiction, but it's one of the coolest moments in any movie, ever. He's got some other amazing moments in the movie, like his negotiation with the two robbers in the diner at the end, but come on, nothing touches that opening scene in the movie.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

Nick Fury is mostly the guy behind the guys in the MCU. He's the guy motivating and planning for the superheroes and rarely a superhero himself. That isn't the case in Captain America: Winter Soldier when he is attacked in his truck and audiences get to see why he is who he is and why he is trusted to run the whole shebang.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

In Kingsman: The Secret Service, Samuel L. Jackson plays a most unconventional villain. The weirdest moment of the movie has to be when he orders all the McDonalds to eat. It's weird, and yet somehow works in a hilarious way, only adding to his unconventional take on the role. Odd? yes? Memorable? Without question.

Snakes On A Plane

It's clear what scene we're talking about here. It's that scene where he's just had enough. He's sick of all the uh...annoying snakes on the... uh, plane. Snakes on a Plane shouldn't have been the hit that it was and that line, and his delivery of that line, is 100% made it a hit. Truly memorable.

The Great White Hype

Some people don't appreciate The Great White Hype. Many haven't even heard of it, but it's one of the more underrated comedies of the '90s and in it Jackson plays a boxing promoter loosely based on Don King. His negotiation with the #1 contender for a title shot is one of the funniest scenes in the movie, with Jamie Foxx matching Jackson line for line, but Jackson's character coming out on top, of course.

Menace II Society

The poker game in Menace II Society is scary. Though Samuel L. Jackson only has a supporting role as the gangster father of Caine, everything a viewer needs to know about him is shown in that one scene when he gets angry at another player for owing him money and shoots him dead right there at the table. In front of his young son.

Do The Right Thing

Samuel L. Jackson is the epitome of cool in Do The Right Thing as the DJ of the local station. The opening monologue sets up the movie beautifully and it's a voice you can listen to all day, just like the characters in the movie do.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Nick Fury is not only known for being tough as nails, he also provides a lot of comic relief in the MCU. Take, for example, his exchange with Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Fury can't believe he's ended up in Parker's bedroom arguing with a teenager. We feel you, Nick.

The Banker

The best scene in The Banker isn't the golf course scene, but getting to see Samuel L. Jackson in 1960s golfing attire makes it the most memorable. It's just so great you want to spend the whole movie there, watching him in that getup.

Argylle

2024's Argylle was met with mostly mixed reviews and while some loved it, others found it just too meta and annoying. Like his role in another Matthew Vaughn film, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Jackson is really only seen a few times on screen and each time is memorable, like when has his eyes scratched out in what has to be a nod to the MCU, right?

Iron Man

At the time, no one could have known just how big the MCU would become, but Nick Fury seemed to know all along when, in the post-credit scene in Iron Man, Fury shows up at Tony Starks home and proposes the "Avenger Initiative." It's among the most memorable scenes in the whole franchise and we didn't even know it at the time.

The Hateful Eight

Director Quentin Tarantino clearly loves writing characters for Samuel L. Jackson as every time he's in one of Tarantino's movies, it leaves a lingering impression. Like the scene in The Hateful Eight when Jackson's character tells Bruce Dern's character that he knew the day Dern's character's son died, it was the day he met him. It's a line you'll never forget.

xXx

xXx is a way better movie than a lot of critics give it credit for. Sure it's completely ridiculous and "over-the-top" doesn't even begin to describe how off-the-wall it is. But it's got some amazing action sequences, like the one in the diner when Jackson's character recruits the titular "XXX" played by Vin Diesel.

The Avengers

Nick Fury has a lot of inspiring moments in the MCU and at the top of the list of his best is the speech he gives to the assembled Avengers after Phil Coulson is killed. There is no doubt you want to run through a wall for both Nick and Phil after that speech in The Avengers.

Patriot Games

Sometimes people forget that Samuel L. Jackson is even in Patriot Games, despite being in a scene that everyone remembers. After Jack Ryan returns to teaching after thwarting the attack on the Royals in London, he is presented the "Order of the Purple Target" by his fellow teachers at the Naval Academy, namely one played by Jackson.

Jackie Brown

Samuel L. Jackson's character in Jackie Brown has a wild look and an even crazier disposition. That attitude comes through most clearly in the scene Jackson shares with Chris Tucker where he convinces Tucker's character to get into the trunk of his car so he can murder him. Talk about unforgettable...

Captain Marvel

At the end of Captain Marvel, after we all learn how Nick Fury lost his eye, we learn something else - how he named The Avengers Initiative. It turns out, it comes from Carol Danvers' call sign etched on the side of her plane that he has a photo of. It's a pinnacle moment in the series, and we learn about how important Captain Marvel was from the very beginning.

Hard Eight

Samuel L. Jackson really makes the most out of a somewhat small, but very pivotal role in Paul Thomas Anderson's debut film Hard Eight. Though his character meets an unceremonious end, it's not until after he has an amazing scene with Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) after confronting him about some old business.

Black Snake Moan

Jackson's role in Black Snake Moan is... hard to take. The whole movie is pretty hard to watch and even if you understand his character's motivations, his actions don't really justify the means to the end. Still, that scene in the beginning when his character is rocking out on stage is at once very cool, but also a little bit scary as Jackson really shows the audience both sides of the character.

Sphere

Sphere really could have been a great movie. The film was adapted from the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, but it all felt a bit rushed like it was produced and filmed too quickly to cash in on the hype of Jurassic Park. Still, it has some cool scenes like when Jackson's character confronts the realization that they all may die down in the deep.

Long Kiss Goodnight

Long Kiss Goodnight is a decent action flick with some great comedic moments between the two co-stars, Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson plays a detective hired by Davis' character to find out about her past, which she doesn't remember prior to being found washed ashore eight years early. It turns out that Davis' character is a former CIA assassin and like Jason Bourne has retained her training, if not her memory. In one scene she scolds Jackson to "take lessons" on fighting someone and he responds that he "took lessons!"

Rules of Engagement

There is something about Samuel L. Jackson on the stand in a court of law that really brings the best out of the actor. Just like in A Time To Kill, he's at his best in Rules of Engagement when he is being interrogated and it's a completely unforgettable scene, admitting he did what he was accused of doing but having good reason for it.

True Romance

Even if a movie is only written by Quentin Tarantino but not directed by him, like True Romance, it's like the words were only supposed to be delivered by Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson really only has one line in the movie and each word is dirtier than the last as he explains what he likes to do with the women he hooks up with. It's one of the most iconic moments in the movie, even if it's only a minute or so long.

Quentin Tarantino has garnered a reputation for a lot of standout elements in his work. Foul language and violence are always part of the equation, as are eclectic soundtracks and sharp, pop culture-centric dialogue. He’s also amazing at inventing characters – and not just lead protagonists and key supporting players, but characters who only appear in a limited number of scenes and/or find a home in the background. It’s to celebrate those particular and special creations that we have put together this feature.

From Reservoir Dogs to Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, who are the best Quentin Tarantino side characters? We’ve highlighted 32 of them for you below.

Lawrence Tierney As Joe Cabot In Reservoir Dogs

There’s a scene in Reservoir Dogs where Tim Roth’s Freddy Newandyke describes Lawrence Tierney’s Joe Cabot a la The Thing from The Fantastic Four, and it’s perfectly apt. Though Cabot only appears in a trio of scenes (the beginning, the end, and a mid-movie flashback), his projected energy is so imposing, massive and memorable that he might as well be made out of orange rock.

Steven Wright As K-Billy DJ In Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino helped change movie soundtracks forever with his jukebox approach to music in Reservoir Dogs, and the cherry on top is Steven Wright’s voice-only performance as the unnamed DJ for K-Billy’s Super Sounds Of The ‘70s. His unmistakable monotone is a strange flavor introducing tracks like “Little Green Bag” and “Stuck In The Middle With You,” but the casting choice is perfection.

Harvey Keitel As Winston Wolfe In Pulp Fiction

“That's thirty minutes away. I'll be there in ten.” In a crisis, you always want to be working with a person who knows how to both move fast and keep their cool, and that’s Pulp Fiction’s Winston Wolfe in a nutshell. The practically magical fixer character makes clean business out of dirty work, and his swagger is captivating.

Christopher Walken As Captain Koons In Pulp Fiction

Considering how incredible Christopher Walken’s career has been, it’s actually a bit wild that one of his greatest performances is what could practically be called a cameo in Pulp Fiction where he spends a single scene talking directly to the camera. Captain Koons’ commitment to delivering the Coolidge family watch showcases him instantly as an honorable man, but the way in which he tells young Butch the story of the timepiece makes him unforgettable.

Frank Whaley As Brett In Pulp Fiction

What were Brett and his friends planning on doing with the contents of Marcellus Wallace’s mysterious briefcase? We have no idea, but that ambition is a great layer of the character to chew on while also appreciating the guy’s futile attempt to stay cool while being interrogated by Samuel L. Jackson’s Jules Winnfield.

Eric Stoltz As Lance As Brett In Pulp Fiction

Eric Stoltz’s Lance may be a total skeeze, but he proves to be a perfect character to have in the mix when Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace is experiencing a drug overdose. He’s the perfect blend of knowledgeable and incompetent to keep things interesting in the big panic sequence with John Travolta’s Vincent Vega.

Dennis Hopper As Clifford Worley In True Romance

In most movies, there is epic conflict when a cop discovers that his son has committed a crime, but I love that Dennis Hopper’s Clifford Worley in True Romance breaks from that trope and simply opts to help his boy (Christian Slater’s Clarence) and his new blushing bride (Patricia Arquette’s Alabama).

Brad Pitt As Floyd In True Romance

The fact that Dick Ritchie’s stoner roommate is played by future A-lister Brad Pitt in True Romance is fun to recognize, but Floyd is independently a great side character: so totally zonked that he doesn’t know he is putting his friend’s lives in danger.

Christopher Walken As Vincenzo Coccotti In True Romance

Dennis Hopper’s Clifford Worley is tough as nails and really loves his son, and that warmth is perfectly contrasted with the coldness of Christopher Walken’s Vincenzo Coccotti, who comes into True Romance for a single scene and raises the stakes of the movie through the roof with his icy demeanor and threatening presence.

Val Kilmer As Elvis In True Romance

It’s pretty wild that True Romance cast Val Kilmer to play a completely off-screen, imagined version of Elvis Presley, but it’s one of the bits of brilliance in the film, as it’s the King’s words that ultimately motivate Clarence toward the life of which he dreams.

Gary Oldman As Drexl Spivey In True Romance

In the context of the story in True Romance, Drexl Spivey is a terrible person and a bona fide stain on society, but boy, does he make an immortal impression during his limited scenes. It’s Gary Oldman at his character actor best.

Chris Tucker As Beaumont Livingston In Jackie Brown

Samuel L. Jackson’s Ordell Robbie in Jackie Brown is a wannabe kingpin who is unwilling to have anybody mess up his ambitions by talking to the police… and Chris Tucker’s Beaumont Livingston makes for a phenomenal conflict character in this respect. His motormouth clearly demonstrates him as a threat – and fortunately for Ordell, he can’t recognize the danger that the antagonist represents.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. As Winston In Jackie Brown

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.’s Winston is principally a presence in Jackie Brown, but damn, what a presence. He is the hulking partner of Robert Forster’s Max Cherry and adds muscle to the bail bondsman operation.

Sonny Chiba As Hattori Hanzō In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Kill Bill Vol. 1 features two sides of Sonny Chiba’s Hattori Hanzō during his brief role, and they are both amazing. One side is the restaurateur who has reached his limit with his disrespectful employee (Kenji Ohba), and the other is the exceptionally gifted swordsmith who elegantly crafts the weapon that The Bride employs in her roaring rampage of revenge.

Chiaki Kuriyama As Gogo Yubari In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Chiaki Kuriyama’s Gogo Yubari is a shocking and awesome study in contrast: her youth and schoolgirl uniform suggest innocence, but she is quite possibly the most craven character in all of Kill Bill and makes terrifying use of a custom flail.

Michael Parks As Ranger Earl Mcgraw In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Not only does Ranger Earl Mcgraw have a special veteran lawman swagger that makes him pop in the opening scene of Kill Bill Vol. 1, but the Michael Parks character also happens to be key connective tissue in the larger canon universe created by Quentin Tarantino – also appearing in the Tarantino-scripted From Dusk Til Dawn and both titles in the double-feature Grindhouse.

Daryl Hannah As Elle Driver In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Daryl Hannah’s Elle Driver graduates to a full-on supporting character in Kill Bill Vol. 2, but she is kept as a colorful side character in Kill Bill Vol. 1, and she is instantly cemented as one of Quentin Tarantino’s greatest stylistic touches. The eyepatch is a killer look by itself, but her nurse disguise is top-notch, and her proper introduction to the film via a Brian De Palma-esque split-screen sequence is unforgettable.

Gordon Liu As Pai Mei In Kill Bill Vol. 2

Quentin Tarantino properly unleashes Gordon Liu as the dangerous Johnny Mo in the bloody House of Blue Leaves sequence in Kill Bill Vol. 1, but it’s in Kill Bill Vol. 2 that the actor gets to truly shine playing Pai Mei: the whispy-haired, exceptionally strict kung fu master who teaches Um Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo all of her most deadly skills.

Michael Parks As Esteban Vihaio In Kill Bill Vol. 2

Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a film with a much different, slower energy than its predecessor, but it’s because of characters like Michael Parks’ Esteban Vihaio that it works, as his scene provides unexpected depth for the world Tarantino has created and a terrific backstory for the movie’s titular antagonist (David Carradine).

Mary Elizabeth Winstead As Lee Montgomery In Death Proof

Is Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Lee Montgomery meant to be pitied or seen as spared? She has a great introduction into Death Proof as a bit of a ditz (good for a few laughs), but when she is left behind as Zoë Bell, Abernathy Ross (Rosario Dawson), and Kim Mathis (Tracie Thoms) go out for their fateful ride, it’s unclear if she dodged a bullet or is left to experience her own special terror with Jonathan Loughran’s super creepy Jasper.

Michael Fassbender As Lieutenant Archie Hicox In Inglourious Basterds

I’m perhaps a bit biased here as a person who professionally writes about film, but it’s a spectacular thing to see a movie expert become enlisted as a military hero – and nothing is harmed by the fact that Michael Fassbender imbues Lieutenant Archie Hicox from Inglourious Basterds with classic cool that oozes off the screen.

Jacky Ido As Marcel In Inglourious Basterds

Jacky Ido’s Marcel is an underrated hero in Inglourious Basterds. Because there are so many moving pieces and perspectives in the epic war film’s grand finale, one can forget that Marcel has a key role in the revenge plot orchestrated by Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), and his deep love for her is one of the most beautiful parts of the movie.

August Diehl As Sturmbannführer Dieter Hellstrom In Inglourious Basterds

We all love to hate Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, but August Diehl’s Sturmbannführer Dieter Hellstrom is able to inspire similar feelings in much more limited screen time. The fear he instills when he interrupts the clandestine meeting between Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) and Archie Hicox is deliciously awful (thankfully, Til Schwiger’s Hugo Stiglitz delivers him the end he wholly deserves).

Mike Myers As General Ed Fenech In Inglourious Basterds

It’s a touch silly to have Mike “Austin Powers” Myers cast to play a British general in charge of recruiting talent for a top secret mission, but it’s a credit to Quentin Tarantino’s vision that it plays so well. Myers’ Ed Fenech brings a “classic British war movie” energy to what is a very exposition-heavy scene in Inglourious Basterds, making interesting what otherwise might be dry material.

Walton Goggins As Billy Crash In Django Unchained

There are a lot of sick and twisted characters in Django Unchained who end up meeting properly terrible fates, but Walton Goggins’ Billy Crash is a standout. Not only is he a hateful and violent monster, but the audience wants to see him punished for the audacity of his powerful swagger.

Zoë Bell As Six Horse Judy In The Hateful Eight

As an ensemble piece mostly set in a single location, The Hateful Eight isn’t a movie abundant with what I would define as side characters, but Zoë Bell’s Six Horse Judy does fit the bill. She ultimately meets a tragic end, but her verve is superb while she is alive in the film’s flashback sequence, as is her great confidence in her horse-wrangling skills.

Margaret Qualley As "Pussycat" In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Between Poor Things, Drive-Away Dolls, Kinds Of Kindness and The Substance in the last few years alone, Margaret Qualley has firmly established herself as one of the best young actresses currently working, but years before all of that, she successfully entranced audiences with her single-scene turn as Pussycat in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – getting a ride from Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth to Charles Manson’s encampment on Spahn Ranch.

Al Pacino As Marvin Schwarz In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

“What a picture!” That line from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has become a meme, but part of the reason why it pops is because Al Pacino’s Marvin Schwarz is such a terrific character: an old-school Hollywood casting agent with a passionate love of cinema.

Kurt Russell As Randy Miller/The Narrator In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

After starring as the deadly Stuntman Mike in Death Proof, Kurt Russell plays a stuntman with a totally different kind of energy in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and it’s a delight. Randy Miller is infused with Russell’s veteran charm and charisma, and his voice carries over to be a terrific guide through the period epic when he is featured in the movie as the narrator.

Julia Butters As Trudi Frazer In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino’s movies don’t generally feature many child characters, but that’s just part of what makes Julia Butters’ Trudi Frazer stand out in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Primarily featured opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, she not only demonstrates remarkable professionalism for such a young person, but totally blows Rick’s mind with her respect for his acting skills.

Damian Lewis As Steve McQueen In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

It’s no secret that Quentin Tarantino has a great love of Steve McQueen movies, and the writer/director brings the legendary actor to life with a single great scene in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood where he smoothly provides the audience with everything we need to know about Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate.

Austin Butler As "Tex" In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Before he became Elvis Presley or Feyd-Rautha, Austin Butler made an awesome impression as Tex in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. His intense devotion to Charles Manson’s cause makes it all the better when he gets taken down during what ends up being a botched murder attempt.

I’m a huge fan of horse operas, and I’ve watched many of the best westerns of all time.

However, one thing that has always kind of bugged me about the genre is that a number of classic westerns either A: Don’t feature any Black characters whatsoever, or B: feature Black characters, but in a minute role, or in a demeaning fashion (I’m looking at you, 1931 Cimarron).

That’s why when I see Black characters featured prominently in westerns, I get super excited. So, here are just a few such examples. Yah!

Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) - Unforgiven

The story of a disfigured sex worker, and the bounty her friends put on the men who did it to her, Unforgiven is often seen as a meditative western, starring none other than Clint Eastwood. It’s one of my all-time favorites, and I often go back and forth on whether I think The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, or Unforgiven is the better western.

Eastwood, who also directed the Oscar-winning film, is the star of the picture, and he plays William Munny, a former outlaw who has a failing farm and needs the money. He enlists the help of his friend, Ned Logan, played by Morgan Freeman, as well as a rather green cowboy who goes by the name of “the Schofield Kid”.

Well, unlike Munny, who still has the heart of a killer, Ned doesn’t, and he’s conflicted about coming back into the field. In one pivotal moment, he shows he can no longer kill a man, as he truly did leave that life behind. And, I just love how three dimensional his character is. Ned is a man who wants to help – both the sex workers, as well as his old riding buddy – but he really struggles because he feels like he can’t anymore.

Unfortunately, Logan comes up against the villainous Little Bill (who is definitely a cop who doesn’t follow the rules), and his story is a tragic one. But, it’s also memorable in a genre that doesn’t always have memorable performances for Black actors.

Cuffee (Danielle Deadwyler) - The Harder They Fall

In this predominantly Black western directed by Jeymes Samuel, a cowboy named Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) seeks vengeance against a terrifying outlaw named Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). As a plus, basically all of the principle characters are based off of real people, so this story doubles as historical fiction.

With a cast as stacked as this one, I literally could have picked any of the characters, but I’m choosing Cuffee, played by Danielle Deadwyler, since she’s the most fascinating to me.

Based on the real Cathay Williams, who was the first (and ostensibly only) woman to serve in the U.S. Army during the American Frontier Wars (she posed as a man), Cuffee is interesting because she is probably the best shooter out of the bunch of sharpshooters. Hers is a tale of being both underestimated, but also feared, for her proficiency with a firearm.

My favorite moment is when she squares up against Cherokee Bill (Lakeith Stanfield), since it has all the hallmarks of a battle for the quickest hand. Honestly, I wish there were more excellent roles for Black women in westerns. We don’t get nearly enough of them. Speaking of which…

Moses “Mo” Washington (Letitia Wright) - Surrounded

In a post-Civil War America, Mo Washington (Letitia Wright) is a free woman looking for gold. But, due to unforeseen circumstances, Washington has to stay with an outlaw (Jamie Bell) as others go out for help after her stagecoach was attacked.

Wright, who I first learned about through Black Panther, is an indomitable force in this movie. You know she’s tough since she plays a former Buffalo Soldier, but her toughness is put to the test when dealing with Jamie Bell’s character, who offers a pretty ostentatious performance.

But, Mo plays it cool. As a Black woman, there are many who don’t take her seriously. That is until she whips out her pistols and makes them take her seriously.

Much like Cuffee in the last entry, Mo understands that she’s underestimated, which is why it’s all the more satisfying when she puts ignorant men in their place.

Buck (Sidney Poitier) - Buck And The Preacher

In this exciting western, which was also Poitier’s directorial debut, he plays a former soldier named Buck who helps get other Black people across the country through indigenous territory. Buck has struck a sort of agreement with the indigenous people, which comes in handy later when white bounty hunters try to get Buck to stop his work. It all culminates in an exciting conclusion.

Buck and the Preacher is a really fun film, and I regret that I didn’t mention it in my list of Sidney Poitier’s best movies after he passed. Also starring Harry Belafonte as the “Preacher” (I put it in quotes since he’s not really a preacher), and Ruby Dee as Buck’s wife, the film is action-packed and humorous in all the best ways.

One thing I love about Buck is that he sticks to his guns and doesn’t run from his duties to help other African Americans. I also like that he always seems two steps ahead, and that he has formed a sort of kinship with the indigenous people, as they both find a common adversary who they can rally against.

There may be more recognizable Sidney Poitier movies, but when it comes to westerns featuring Black characters, Buck and the Preacher is certainly one of the best.

Daniel Holt (Jeffrey Wright) - Ride With The Devil

Ang Lee's Ride With the Devil is a western like no other.

Telling the story of the warring factions between the Jayhawks and the Bushwackers back in Civil War times, Ride With the Devil tells a complicated tale of white men killing each other.

So why, pray tell, is it on this list, then? Well, because of Jeffrey Wright's character, Daniel Holt, a former slave who is fighting on the Confederate side since his freedom was bought by his Southern friend.

This is definitely one of Jeffrey Wright's best roles because he plays such a complex character. And this is because he's not conflicted about which side he's chosen. He'd rather fight beside his friend than fight for his potential future, which is a unique perspective, to be sure.

Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) - Django Unchained

In this revisionist western from Quentin Tarantino, a former slave (Jamie Foxx) is enlisted by a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to hunt down some suspects, only to eventually become a bounty hunter himself; unchained, as it were.

I like to watch Django Unchained during Black History Month, because it's just so satisfying to watch as a Black man.

Django goes from being shackled to shooting a plantation owner dead in his own mansion. What's not to love?

Django is a particularly fascinating character, though, since he flourishes so wonderfully. My favorite part is when he's decked out in that fancy blue outfit, and he kills a racist jerk with gusto. I mean, seriously. How cool can you possibly get?

Major Marquis Warren, "The Bounty Hunter" (Samuel L. Jackson) - The Hateful Eight

In yet another western by Tarantino (which was supposedly a sequel to Django Unchained before Tarantino scrapped the idea), a collective of people with different motives are stuck in a cabin together during a snowy winter day. Violence ensues.

Some might say that Tarantino did Jackson dirty in Django by making him an Uncle Tom-esque character, but if so, he did right by him in The Hateful Eight, where Jackson is arguably the coolest character in the movie.

Playing a bounty hunter this time around, Jackson manages to get one up on pretty much everybody he encounters. This makes an argument for Major Marquis Warren being one of the greatest characters in Jackson's lengthy career.

Not everybody adores The Hateful Eight when considering Tarantino's filmography, it's actually my second favorite movie of his (right after Pulp Fiction, of course), and Jackson's character is definitely the reason why.

For more news on any future westerns, be sure to swing by here often!

Few film genres capture both the beauty and brutality of the human experience more so than the Western. For as long as people have been making movies, acclaimed directors like John Ford, Sergio Leone, and Quintin Tarantino have taken moviegoers from all corners of the Earth and transported them to the Old West.

“But what is the best Western?” is a question that has come up countless times over the years, and the topic was recently brought up at CinemaBlend where we love discussing everything from the greatest war films ever made to the top 100 ‘90s movies, and just about everything else. Several of us sat around a digital cookfire and went through the history of the genre and picked out what we believe are the best Westerns of all time.

From classics like Once Upon a Time in the West and the “Man with No Name” trilogy to more contemporary neo-Westerns like No Country for Old Men and Hell or High Water, we’ve come up with quite a list. Saddle up and hold on tight because this is going to be a ride you won’t forget…

30. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

The Coen Brothers’ most underrated movie (and we’re sticking to that), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is as unconventional as you can get. Unlike their remake of True Grit, which is also on this list, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an anthology western featuring six unique tales that offer a wide range of tones. 

You have your somewhat hokey and fun vignettes, like the titular segment, and “Near Algodones,” but then you have your dour and dreary ones like “The Mortal Remains” and the deadly serious, “Meal Ticket.” In the end, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a Western like no other, which makes sense, coming from the Coen Brothers. 

29. Dances With Wolves (1990)

Kevin Costner isn’t exactly Clint Eastwood, but his dalliances with the Western genre, on screens both big and small, have earned him a seat at the table of Hollywood frontier legends. Dances With Wolves is the star’s directorial debut and a true labor of love, one in which he starred, directed, and produced in order to tell the story of a Civil War Lieutenant who discovers a new purpose when he encounters the Sioux tribe. When Costner told Westerns, he aimed for the sweeping grandeur of the American plains, making Dances With Wolves as gorgeous and virtual spectacular as it was moving and traditional.

28. 3:10 To Yuma (2007)

James Mangold makes excellent pictures. Too many of them get labeled as “Dad Cinema,” but that just means his movies – from Ford v. Ferrari to Cop Land – tend to speak to a masculine demographic, though one that also contains a brain and a beating heart. You find both ingredients hard at work in Mangold’s 2007 action drama, 3:10 to Yuman, during which a soldier turned rancher (played by Christian Bale) must track and detain a known felon (played by Russell Crowe) in order to pay off some stifling debt. Mangold’s movies are meat-and-potatoes offerings, with little flair but hearty helpings of character development, moral intrigue, and terrific central performances. You know what you get, and what you get is great.  

27. Brokeback Mountain (2006)

Possibly Ang Lee’s best movie, Brokeback Mountain definitely isn’t your “typical” Western, in that there aren’t any shootouts, nor does it take place in the past. Instead, this Academy Award-nominated masterpiece is about two cowboys (played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) who fall in love, despite their knowledge that many people (including their wives) would view their relationship with disgust. 

But that’s what makes Brokeback Mountain so effective. It plays with the tropes of a Western being “masculine,” as what even is masculinity? These men work hard jobs, but they’re also in love with each other, which makes the ultimate outcome all the more difficult to swallow. All these years later, and we still can’t quit this film. 

26. Bone Tomahawk (2015) 

If you want a mean-spirited, gritty movie, then look no further than Bone Tomahawk. Categorized as a horror western, Bone Tomahawk certainly is a western. But it’s also scary! Directed by S. Craig Zahler, and starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Lili Simmons, and many others, Bone Tomahawk doesn’t romanticize the American West. 

Instead, it portrays an indigenous tribe of cannibals, and a sheriff’s hunt to rescue people who were captured (and hopefully not already eaten) by them. Bone Tomahawk is not for the faint of heart. It doesn’t shy away from gruesome imagery, and there is always an impending sense of dread throughout. We’ve seen many Westerns, but none are like this one.

25. Wyatt Earp (1994)

Not to be confused with Tombstone, which came out just six months earlier, Wyatt Earp tells the epic and sprawling story of the titular lawman (played by Kevin Costner) as he makes a name for himself in the Old West and eventually becomes the sheriff of Dodge City and Tombstone. Gun battles, incredible mustaches, and another reenactment of the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral make Lawrence Kasdan’s 1994 biographical drama a fun yet often forgotten Western experience. Sure, it’s not as much fun or fondly remembered as Kurt Russell’s Tombstone, but this three-hour love letter to the West is a gem.

24. The Wild Bunch (1969)

Set in the dying days of the Old West, where cowboys and gunslingers are becoming a thing of the past, Pike Bishop (William Holden) and his band of outlaws prepare to pull off one final heist and ride off into the proverbial sunset. But upon finding out that the robbery is all one big setup by his old partner, the aging cowboy attempts to flee for the wild and untamed lands of Mexico.

Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch is one of the best movies that focuses on the final chapter of the Old West and features some incredible characters who are trying to come to terms with a changing, more modern world and their place in it. This classic is wild, it’s violent, and it’s enchanting.

23. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)

There are Spaghetti Westerns and then there is Once Upon a Time in the West, Sergio Leone’s masterful 1968 epic that is not just one of the best Westerns from an Italian director, but one of the genre’s touchstone moments. Set in the fictional town of Flagstone, the movie follows various killers, drifters, and strangers who all find themselves in the same place at the same time, resulting in cinematic gold.

From Tonino Delli Colli’s beautiful cinematography to Ennio Morricone’s legendary score to Henry Fonda playing against type and portraying the film’s villain, a vicious outlaw named Frank, the movie is perfect in every way.

22. The Searchers (1956)

John Wayne and director John Ford are two of the most iconic names in Western film history. Together they made 14 movies, and one of their undisputed masterpieces is The Searchers from 1956. The plot is a classic Western, a Civil War vet, Ethan Edwards (Wayne) and his nephew search for his niece (played by Natalie Wood) who is abducted by a Comanche tribe. 

Now, let’s be clear, there are a LOT of problems with this movie from a social perspective. The depiction of Native Americans is offensive, especially by Wayne’s character, and that cannot be ignored. However, the filmmaking by Ford is breathtaking and cemented Ford’s place in the pantheon of American directors, and maybe the finest Western filmmaker of all time. 

21. Tombstone (1993)

Tombstone may be based on a true story, but that doesn’t mean the story is accurate, but that doesn’t matter, that’s not why anyone watches this movie. Its story is actually kind of irrelevant, though it is great. No, Tombstone is about all the fantastic performances by a cadre of amazing actors at the peak of their talents delivering some of the most memorable lines in movie history. 

You don’t tussle with Kurt Russell, especially as Wyatt Earp. Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Dana Delaney, Sam Elliott, Charlton Heston, Billy Bob Thorton, Micheal Rooker… the cast list goes on and on. You can’t find a better cast, and you’re a daisy if you do. 

20. Shane (1953)

George Stevens’ marvelous Western, Shane, stars Alan Ladd as a mysterious and skilled gunfighter who rides into a small town in Wyoming Territory and slowly changes the lives of everyone he meets. This is especially true for Joey Starrett (Brandon deWilde), the young son of a couple of settlers who takes a liking to the cowboy and tells him about the bad players who have been preying upon the town making life difficult for its inhabitants.

There’s a lot that makes Shane one of the best Westerns of all time, including the showdown with Jack Wilson (Jack Palance), a notorious gunslinger. It also doesn’t hurt that the movie features what could be the most emotional endings of all time with the young Joey crying for Shane to “come back.”

19. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

More than anything else, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ranks as one of the most gorgeous pictures you will ever see put to film. Legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, Skyfall) makes magnificent use of light and shadows to stage this breathtaking Western about outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt), his adoring patron Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), and the contention forming between the men that led to the former’s murder. Andrew Dominik’s feature is moody and visceral, but also complicated regarding its approach to history, legends, and how one can be distorted to influence the other. Still, Pitt and Affleck are tremendous, and Deakins deserved the Oscar (which he lost to Robert Elswit and There Will Be Blood).

18. High Noon (1952) 

Directed by Fred Zimmerman, and starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, and many others, High Noon is a classic amongst classics. It’s also the kind of Western that you might watch in a film class since it can be seen as an allegory for the McCarthyism that was going on at the time. The story of a marshall (played by Cooper) who has to make a difficult decision, High Noon still resonates today in a big way since it deals with themes of bravery and heroism. 

It also begs the question, should you fight for others, or should you fight for your own survival? In the end, there are many different ways to look at the situation, but it’s effective here because of the constant ticking clock. A lot of Westerns like to take their time, but not High Noon. It’s tense to the very end. 

17. The Quick And The Dead (1995)

If the climactic, practically obligatory gun duel is your favorite scene in any Western, The Quick and the Dead — which takes place during a gunfighting tournament — must be a heavenly blessing in your eyes. Sharon Stone stars as a mysterious sharpshooter who blows into the quaint village where the deadly competition is held, setting her sights on defeating its wealthy, ruthless leader, played by Academy Award winner Gene Hackman.

What makes this one of director Sam Raimi’s best movies is the way the Evil Dead franchise creator keeps every last stand-off sequence feeling fresh by incorporating his one-of-a-kind, nearly cartoonish visual style, but without ever downplaying the scenes' emotional impact. Also featuring great performances by future Oscar-winners Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, The Quick and the Dead is a good, old-fashioned, wildly entertaining slice of high-stakes Western cinema.

16. True Grit (1969) 

Here’s the thing. Should John Wayne have beaten Jon Voight or Dustin Hoffman for Best Actor at the 1970 Academy Awards? No. Of course not. Either Voight or Hoffman should have won for Midnight Cowboy. But, when we’re talking about cowboys, then there probably isn’t one who is more iconic than the Duke. 

The story focuses on a teenage girl (played by Kim Darby) who hires a U.S. Marshall (played by John Wayne) to hunt down the man who killed her father, and what makes this movie special is the relationship between them, as you get a sense that Wayne’s character is protective over his new client, even though she can very well take care of herself. Add in a Texas Ranger (played by Glen Campbell) who is also on the hunt for the same man, and you have a Western that feels timeless. 

15. Back To The Future: Part III (1990)

When Robert Zemeckis ended Back to the Future Part II, he concluded on a cliffhanger that sent Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) back to the old West, forcing Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) to program their DeLorean to travel back decades to save his best friend. It was all an excuse to let Zemeckis, his team, and his crew stage a modern Western, one that playfully recycles the story beats of the first two Back to the Future films – the introduction of Biff, Marty meeting a female relative, a combustive third-act chase – but adds in hilarious Western tropes. What we didn’t expect, however, was a winning love story woven into the Part III screenplay between Doc and Clara (a delightful Mary Steenburgen), a schoolteacher with a taste for science-fiction. A sweet conclusion to a terrific time-traveling trilogy. 

14. The Magnificent Seven (1960)

When asked to picture your favorite scene in any Western, you might conjure the image of a tense stand-off pitting one gunslinger against a dastardly foe. Director John Sturges elevates that cliche to an even more exciting effect by pitting seven gunslingers against an army of dastardly foes in The Magnificent Seven.

Inspired by one of the best samurai movies, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, the film stars Yul Brynner as a gunfighter who enlists the help of six other men with similar talents (played by Steve McQueen, Horst Bucholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and James Coburn) to defend a Mexican village from a group of tyrannical bandits led by the ruthless Calvera (Eli Wallach). It is a wonder in itself to see some of the most legendary action stars of their time fighting side-by-side, but the exhilarating magic they create onscreen is what makes this an essential tale of good vs. evil worth revisiting again and again.

13. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

On a Mount Rushmore of Western movie icons, there is undoubtedly a spot for Clint Eastwood, whose most famous contributions to the genre are his characters from Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy. However, allow us to present our case for why his most definitive Western role is the eponymous anti-hero of The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Eastwood also directs this spellbinding, Oscar-nominated adaptation of Forrest Carter’s book — also one of the best Civil War-era movies — about a farmer whose family is killed in cold blood, transforming him into a vengeful, cold-blooded killer himself with a sharp aim, a sharper tongue, and a menacing scowl. The Man with No Name (as the actor’s Dollars Trilogy characters are collectively called) is a calm, cool cat, but Josey Wales is one mean, unforgiving son of a gun, which is exactly the kind of role Eastwood plays best. 

12. A Fistful of Dollars (1967) 

The first movie in Sergio Leone’s “The Man With No Name” trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars is really just the Akira Kurosawa movie, Yojimo, but set in the West. And it’s awesome! The movie that made Clint Eastwood a movie star, this Spaghetti Western is about an anti-hero named Joe (so, he DOES have a name!) who pits two different groups against each other in order to take the gold at the heart of the conflict for himself. What makes this movie work though is just how cool it is. 

Clint Eastwood’s trademark stare is here in all of its glory, and he carries the film from being what could have just been a standard western, into a classic. Sure, it may be the weakest in the trilogy, but as a launchpad to two other great westerns (and Clint Eastwood’s career), it’s WAY up there on the scale. 

11. Logan (2017)

The best superhero movies are basically chapters in different genres, be it the 1970s political intrigue of Captain America: The Winter Soldier or the crime-gangster epic of The Dark Knight. So when director James Mangold accepted the challenge of telling a final Wolverine story for Hugh Jackman, he borrowed the formula of the Neo-Noir modern Western, making Logan essentially a Man with No Name modeled after Clint Eastwood in the Spaghetti Westerns of his Italian era. And it helped to make Logan one of the best comic book adaptations of the time, a gritty survivalist story about a grizzled mentor giving it all to protect a young charge (Dafne Keen), with stunning performances from both Jackman and Patrick Stewart in roles they’d worn comfortably for years. It’s a little sad this no longer serves as Jackman’s farewell to the part, but we’ll always have Logan as some form of sendoff.

10. For A Few Dollars More (1965)

The second in Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy starring Clint Eastwood as the Man with No Name, For a Few Dollars More follows the legendary Spaghetti Western icon as he reluctantly teams up with another bounty hunter by the name of Col. Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) to find and take out the murderous El Indio (Gian Mari Volonte) and end his reign of terror. From Eastwood’s iconic entrance to the epic duel at the end of the movie, this classic doesn’t let off the gas.

The gunfights, the shaky bond shared by the Man with No Name and Col. Mortimer, Sergio Leone’s attention to detail, and an all-time great score by the late Ennio Morricone make For a Few Dollars More not only one of the best Westerns of all time but also a crowning achievement of 20th-century cinema. No wonder the movie, like other titles in the trilogy, is so beloved nearly 60 years after it first hit the big screen.

9. Django Unchained (2012)

There is a case to be made that every Quentin Tarantino movie is a Western in some respect, but his first undisputed contribution to the genre — and still, arguably, his best — is Django Unchained. Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx stars in the title role as a slave who is offered freedom by German-born bounty hunter King Schultz (Inglourious Basterds’ Christoph Waltz in his second Oscar-winning role) in exchange for help identifying a pair of notorious criminals. When Schultz learns that Django has been separated from his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), he offers to help rescue her from cruel Mississippi plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Like Tarantino’s previous efforts, Django Unchained not only aims to pay homage to the iconic Spaghetti Westerns of yesteryear with its rousing score, dazzling gunfights, and cold-blooded revenge plot, it also rips the classics to shreds with the filmmaker’s signature silver-tongued dialogue, cheeky dark humor, and choice to make a Black man the sharp-shooting hero of a story set in the pre-Civil War United States. That alone makes this deliriously entertaining thrill ride one of the most powerful and satisfying revenge stories of its time.

8. True Grit (2010)

Usually, we frown on remakes. Why try and mess with something that worked well the first time, as was the case with John Wayne’s 1969 classic True Grit? We had The Duke in an eye patch, being hired by an adolescent girl to track down a murderer in hostile territory. Now that’s a Western! But lo and behold, every once in a while, a remake improves on the original, and drastically. That’s what happens when you hire Joel and Ethan Coen to breathe new life into the classic tale. Their take on True Grit soars under the leadership of a brilliant Jeff Bridges, playing Rooster Cogburn, and pairing him with the masterful, young Hailee Steinfeld – an instant star. 

Everything about True Grit worked, from the way that brilliant cinematographer Roger Deakins captured the sprawling landscapes of the American West, to Carter Burwell’s triumphant, emotional score. I’m not sure why we ever doubted the Coen brothers. Mauve because of The Ladykillers. But we delight in revisiting this magnificent tale because of the beautiful chemistry shared by Bridges and Steinfeld, a pair in which we shall invest for decades to come.

7. Blazing Saddles (1974)

Let’s get this out of the way at the top: Blazing Saddles is purposefully and hugely un-PC. It doesn’t want to be, and it’s not, at all. It’s incredibly hard to walk a line between funny and offensive when one wants to make a move like this, but director and writer Mel Brooks and co-writer Richard Pryor are no ordinary mortals. It takes talent on that level to make a movie this racy, this beloved. It’s both of its time and timeless. 

People often ask if you could make a movie like Blazing Saddles today and the answer is yes, but you better have the skills of Pryor and Brooks. It also helps to have actors like Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder just chewing up the scenery (in a good way) as well. Comedic Westerns are rare, and they rarely work, but not only is Blazing Saddles one of the best comedies of all time, it delivers as a Western as well, with shootouts, cowboys, horse stunts, and everything else you want in one. 

6. The Hateful Eight (2015) 

Though The Hateful Eight isn’t Quentin Tarantino’s best movie that would be Pulp Fiction, of course, it is high on his list of films. What’s great about this movie, which stars the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, and a whole host of other talented actors, is that this is one of the greatest bottle movies of all time. And why this works is because it plays against conventions. 

Westerns typically take place in wide-open vistas. We’re really supposed to get a sense of the land, as it is often a character in its own right. And it’s a character in The Hateful Eight as well, but a deeply confining and claustrophobic one. We feel just as trapped as the characters, which works wonders when it comes to character development. Plus, the dialogue is phenomenal, but what else would you expect from a Quentin Tarantino movie?

5. Hell Or High Water (2016)

In 2016, a couple of years before Taylor Sherdinan introduced audiences to the world of Yellowstone, the prolific actor, writer, director, and producer nearly won an Academy Award for his tense and poignant neo-Western, Hell or High Water. In what is essentially an old-school Western set in modern times, the David Mackenzie-directed crime drama follows brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) as they pull off a series of bank robberies in West Texas for a surprisingly righteous cause. Though they’re pulling off daring heists for a good reason, the fact remains that they’re breaking the law, which draws the attention of a soon-to-be-retired Texas Ranger by the name of Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges).

What follows is an intricate cat-and-mouse game where absolutes like right and wrong are thrown out the window and blow together like a tumbleweed where such lines are blurred and become one mess of humanity. As violent as it is heartfelt, this modern classic is a step above most Westerns as of late.

4. Unforgiven (1992)

Clint Eastwood made his bones in Westerns early in his career and over the years, he’s starred in some of the best. None are better than Unforgiven. Eastwood directed and starred in this stone-cold classic alongside Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and Richard Harris. Eastwood plays Will Munny, a retired and reformed outlaw trying to live his life in peace on a farm in Kansas. Reluctantly, Munny agrees to join a young bounty hunter to make some money for his family and asks his old friend Ned (Freeman) to join in the hunt. 

What follows is a classic Western revenge ride after Sheriff "Little" Bill Daggett (Hackman), beats up Will and later kills Ned. There is nothing you want from a Western that Unforgiven doesn’t deliver on and that’s why it’s one of the few in the genre to win Best Picture at the Oscars in 1992, adding Best Supporting Actor for Hackman, and Best Director for Eastwood to its awards haul. 

3. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)

Paul Newman and Robert Redford. They aren’t the last movie stars to walk the planet. It just feels like some classic era of Old Hollywood went out the door when these two stopped making movies… and stopped collaborating on screen together. In their defense, it would be near impossible for the duo to keep raising the bar on movies such as The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Best to go out on top. 

That’s not how Butch and Sundance go out, as the final shots of George Roy Hill’s vintage Western suggest the legendary criminals went out with the guns blazing. But the entire movie proves to us why these outlaws were notorious – and why Newman and Redford were two of the most charismatic, magnetic screen presences the industry had ever seen. Essentially, Butch and Sundance is one long chase, with the title characters fleeing from a posse following a botched train robbery. The pursuit is relentless, and the adventures these men reluctantly find themselves on make for one unforgettable story. Hill’s movie doesn’t adhere to the mold of many other Westerns, but by breaking out and doing his own thing, the director struck a picture that stands the test of time.

2. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1967) 

Sergio Leone’s best Western, and quite frankly, one of the greatest Westerns of all time, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is such a good movie, that even people who claim not to like the genre usually like this film. That’s the power of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Starring Clint Eastwood as “the good,” Lee Van Cleef as “the Bad,” and Eli Wallach as “the ugly,” this epic starts with an unlikely partnership, only to crescendo into one of the most satisfying duels ever put to film. 

What are the characters fighting over? Well, money, of course, which makes sense since this is the third film in the “Dollars trilogy” (also known as The Man With No Name trilogy), which began with A Fistful of Dollars. The films don’t necessarily connect, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly can be viewed as a singular story, but as the final film in a trilogy, it definitely works. Also, you just gotta love those long shots and close-ups. Plus, that Ennio Morricone score is the chef’s kiss. This is a Western for the ages!

1. No Country For Old Men (2007)

When imagining the quintessential Western, the otherwise beloved Neo-Western thriller No Country for Old Men is probably not the first that comes to mind — given that its setting, tone, and narrative structure are a far cry from the genre’s more traditional elements. However, that is a key reason why the Best Picture Oscar winner has managed to impress us over the more familiar classics — let alone every other detail that makes it one of the greatest movies of the 2000s and one of the most perfectly constructed films ever made..

Joel and Ethan Coen’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel follows three men united (but kept physically separate) by volatile consequences — a magnificent Josh Brolin as retired hunter Llewellyn Moss, Javier Bardem’s Academy Award-winning role as the sadistic hitman chasing after him, Anton Chigurh, and Tommy Lee Jones as aging Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who is looking for both of them in 1980s Texas. However, the one true protagonist is Bell — already grown disillusioned and downright terrified of the violence consuming his life and society even before blood hits the screen. Yet, amid the brutal, but beautifully constructed action sequences, it is the quiet moments in No Country — including its polarizing ending — that lend best to the powerful commentary on violence that secures the film’s supremacy in a historically violent genre.

Remember that episode “Fly” on Breaking Bad? I know some people call that episode “a masterpiece," while others call it the worst episode in the entire series. But you know what? I respect both opinions. It’s definitely debatable. 

I'll tell you what's not debatable. “Fly” is what’s considered a “bottle episode.” What that means is that it’s an episode that costs a lot less to make than most of the others, and is usually confined to just one or two locations.  

And guess what! Bottle movies exist as well. For example, the Quentin Tarantino cult-classic Reservoir Dogs would be one such film. And while yes, there’s more than one location in that movie, like with that famous opening diner scene, the film primarily takes place in a warehouse. So, what are some other fantastic bottle movies out there? Well, you’re about to find out!    

Rope (1948) 

The oldest bottle movie on this list, Rope, was one of the best Alfred Hitchcock movies I watched while I was still in my Hitchcock phase. The setting is a single apartment, and two upper class friends have just murdered a man. But, here’s the catch: they’re so cocky (or at least, one of them is), that they decide to host a dinner party in that same apartment that very night. Honestly, this one is kind of hard to watch, it’s so suspenseful.   

The movie is bolstered by a great performance from Jimmy Stewart, who plays the two young men’s former prep school housemaster. He has a morbid sense of what a human’s purpose in life is. 

And you gradually see the horror of when he finally realizes what he might have awoken in these two young men, as he used to talk to them about philosophies such as Nietzcsche’s concept of the Ubermensch. It’s a staggering movie, and it only takes place in one location. Which reminds me. I really need to watch Lifeboat next.  

12 Angry Men (1957)  

Directed by the late, great Sidney Lumet, (His directorial debut no less! Which just goes to show that some directors can make a great movie on their very first try.) 12 Angry Men is one of the most famous bottle movies ever made.  

The film centers around 12 jurors who are in a single room deliberating on whether an inner city kid is a murderer or not. It seems like an open and shut case as 11 of the jurors are utterly convinced that the kid is guilty, but one single juror (Henry Fonda, who was seriously robbed of an Oscar) disagrees.  

The movie is a whirlwind of emotions, and by the end of it, you’ll feel like you’ve gotten a true taste of the city without even leaving that room. I’ll tell you, for a movie that came out in 1957, it still packs one hell of a punch.     

The Breakfast Club (1985) 

John Hughes’ classic, The Breakfast Club, is one of the quintessential movies of the ‘80s. Starring Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Emilio Estevez, the film is about five wildly different teenagers (who may not be as different as they think), who have to spend a Saturday detention being monitored by a nasty vice-principal, played by the late Paul Gleason.   

The film primarily takes place inside the high school, and throughout the story, we learn about all of the various characters, and just why they’re in detention in the first place. 

But even though they all just seem like your standard archetypes on the surface, they all have rich backstories of either abuse or neglect, and they end up bonding with one another over the course of its run-time. There’s a reason why this ‘80s gem is still talked about today. It’s fantastic!  

Clue (1985) 

Best movie based off of a board game ever? Well, yeah, but it’s not really all that hard when your closest competition was the shameless movie, Battleship. 

Directed by Jonathan Lynn, and starring a whole host of great actors, including Eileen Brennan, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Lesley Ann Warren, and of course Tim Curry, just to name a few, the movie truly embraces the mystery side of the board game by having a number of twists and turns (and multiple endings!) that one would expect from a movie based on such a family favorite game.   

The film takes place within the confines of a New England mansion, but it feels so sprawling and immense that it’s easy to forget that we’re in just this one location. Oh, and it’s silly. So, so silly. It’s little wonder that it’s become such a cult classic. Don’t trust anybody, and especially not the butler!  

Clerks (1994)  

Quite possibly Kevin Smith’s best movie, Clerks seems like the kind of flick that wouldn’t work, but does. Starring Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson as the clerks in question, and Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith himself as Jay and Silent Bob, respectively, Clerks takes place both inside and outside a convenient store, and a video shop.  

The story is infinitely relatable (“I’m not even supposed to be here today!”), and uniquely comical. There were two sequels, but neither was able to quite capture the hilarity of the original.   

Buried (2010) 

Do not, I repeat, do not watch this Ryan Reynolds movie from 2010 if you are in any way claustrophobic. Because you might seriously pass out if you watch it. I’m dead serious. Directed by Rodrigo Cortes, Buried finds Ryan Reynolds’ character literally buried alive in a coffin for its short (but satisfying) runtime.

What makes Buried one of the greatest bottle movies of all time is that it’s literally just Ryan Reynolds in a cramped space on a cell phone, and it still manages to be one of the most compelling and riveting movies you will ever see in your entire life. I was genuinely breathless by the end.  

The Hateful Eight (2015)  

Well, look who it is. Quentin Tarantino, who began his career with a bottle movie in Reservoir Dogs, returns to the format with this western starring Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, and many others. The Hateful Eight takes place in a cabin, and the tension becomes as thick and as deep as the snowstorm that they’re trying to escape. 

What makes The Hateful Eight work, and my second favorite Tarantino movie (because nothing will ever surpass Pulp Fiction) is that each character is so uniquely different, and multilayered. 

The dialogue is phenomenal, because duh, it’s a Tarantino movie, and the tightness of the cabin that our characters are stuck within brings new meaning to the Sartre quote, “Hell is other people.” What a movie!    

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) 

It’s kind of funny that 10 Cloverfield Lane is seemingly, somehow in the same franchise as 2008’s Cloverfield, and 2018’s The Cloverfield Paradox. I say it's funny since Cloverfield is a giant monster movie, and The Cloverfield Paradox is an outer space horror flick, while 10 Cloverfield Lane is a bottle movie that takes place in a bunker. 

What’s also kind of funny is that out of the three movies that I just mentioned, 10 Cloverfield Lane is arguably the best of the three. 

Directed by Prey’s Dan Trachtenberg, and starring John Gallagher Jr., Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane is about a woman who gets into a car crash and wakes up chained to a wall. What follows is paranoia, rage, and…well, I’ll save that for you to discover, since the whole film makes you wonder what’s actually outside of the bunker. But, it’s a taut film with excellent performances, and a concept to die for.

There are many other bottle films that I could have mentioned  (Locke and Hitchcock’s Rear Window are two others), but I thought eight was a nice number. For more news on all things cinema, be sure to swing by here often!  

SPOILER WARNING: This retrospective of rivals-turned-right-hands gives away the endings of several movies and crucial details from various TV shows, so we recommend you proceed with caution as you read on. 

Is there anything more satisfying in a movie or TV show than when the hero catches the villain? How about when the foes, instead, join forces?

We looked back on some of our favorite examples of when a “good guy" (or at least the main protagonist) combined efforts with a rival they were pitted against (or personally despised) to amazing effect. While many of these epic enemy team-ups come from classic action movies or in great superhero movies, for instance, some come from more surprising genres, but are no less thrilling. 

Ah Jong And Li Ying (The Killer)

In 1989’s The Killer, hitman Ah Jong (Chow Yun-Fat) takes one more assignment to afford an operation for a lounge singer he accidentally blinded in a shootout, while Inspector Li Ying (Danny Lee) is hot on his trail. However, after discovering the assassin’s moral character, the cop chooses to help him fight off the gangsters who want him dead, costing him his job, but earning our approval in John Woo's intense action thriller.

Batman And Catwoman (The Dark Knight Rises)

The live-action Batman movies have depicted the vigilante's relationship with Catwoman as -- in addition to flirtatious -- either adversarial (Batman Returns) or advantageous (The Batman), but 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises gives us a mix of both. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) initially catches Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) robbing him, but would have never prevented Gotham’s destruction at the end of Christopher Nolan’s finale without her help.

Billy Butcher And Homelander (The Boys)

Antony Starr’s Homelander may be just the worst and Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher is a bit reckless, but both look pretty good when compared to Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, whom Butcher initially recruits to kill Hoemlander. But, when he harms Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) -- Homelander’s son with Butcher’s late wife -- the end of The Boys Season 3 turns into a stand-off with Soldier Boy at the receiving end of their laser blasts, whose brief alliance puts Solider Boy back in cryo-sleep.

Blade And The Bloodpack (Blade II)

Blade (Wesley Snipes) was born with abilities similar to a vampire, but also an intense grudge against them that he would be forced to set aside in director Guillermo del Toro’s second installment of the Blade movies from 2002. The Marvel character begrudgingly collaborates with a crew of vampires originally formed to kill him called the Bloodpack in order to stop a worse threat feeding on both humans and bloodsuckers known as Reapers.

Blondie And Tuco (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly)

In, arguably, Sergio Leone’s best western movie, 1966's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the “good” refers to Clint Eastwood’s Blondie; the “ugly” refers to Tuco (Eli Wallach), whom Blondie personally delivers to a sheriff at the beginning; and the “bad” is a hitman known as Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef). Each wants to get their hands on buried loot first, but the lawman and the outlaw come out on top after forming an uneasy alliance against the sadistic killer.

Butch Coolidge And Marsellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction)

In the second segment of, arguably, Quentin Tarantino’s best movie -- 1994's Pulp Fiction -- Marsellus (Ving Rhames) chases Butch (Bruce Willis) after he wins a boxing match he promised he would lose, until they both find themselves at the mercy of rapists Zed (Peter Greene) and Maynard (Duane Whitaker). Butch manages to escape, but soon returns with a samurai sword to kill Maynard and interrupt Zed’s violation of Marsellus, making things “cool” between them again.

Clarice Starling And Hannibal Lecter (The Silence Of The Lambs)

In the terrifying Best Picture Oscar winner, 1991's The Silence of the Lambs, FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is certainly intimidated and often intentionally belitted by cannibalistic former psychologist Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), but I would not necessarily called them “enemies." In the end, he is cooperative in assisting with her search for Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) and even she admits he would consider it “rude” to come after her when she learns about his escape.

Daniel LaRusso And Johnny Lawrence (Cobra Kai)

It took decades for Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) fierce rivalry in the Karate Kid movies to end. The third season of the acclaimed sequel series, Cobrai Kai — also its first as a Netflix exclusive — saw the martial artists’ common foe, John Kreese (Martin Kove) join the titular dojo, which eventually led them to become partners and even friends.

Danny Ocean And Terry Benedict (Ocean's Thirteen)

Even after stealing $160 million from him, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) convinces Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) to finance his latest scheme in Ocean’s Thirteen. Yet, the casino magnate conspires to do some double-crossing of his own, which Danny, luckily, anticipated from the beginning, leading to a comical twist ending with Danny donating Benedict’s cut of the loot to charity.

Darth Vader And Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi)

The sixth movie in the Star Wars franchise (in order) is less a story of enemies becoming allies, but a family reuniting — namely Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. At the climax of 1983’s Return of the Jedi, Darth Sidious’ (Ian McDiarmid) cruel abuse of the young warrior (Mark Hamill) convinces the Sith Lord to renounce the Dark Side, remove his helmet (revealing Sebastian Shaw as Anakin Skywalker), and have one moment of peace with his son before his death.

Willis Davidge And Jeriba Shigan (Enemy Mine)

In one of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the ’80s, Dennis Quaid is a futuristic space explorer stranded on a dangerous planet with a member of an alien race his people have been at war with for years, played by Louis Gossett Jr. But, Davidge and “Jerry's” relationship evolves from hateful, to a forgiving truce and, eventually, to brotherly in Wolfgang Peterson’s timelessly and heartwarmingly poignant parable,  Enemy Mine.

Frank Abagnale Jr. And Carl Hanratty (Catch Me If You Can)

In one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies of the 21st Century so far, Catch Me If You Can, FBI's Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) chases after young con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the 1960s. After their cat-and-mouse game finally ends, Hanratty realizes Frank’s expertise in check fraud would make him a great agent — an offer that comes with a promise of friendship from his former pursuer.

Godzilla And Kong (Godzilla Vs. Kong)

Kong was the clear victor of his first big screen battle with Godzilla, but it was harder to predict who would win in director Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021. By the end of the blockbuster, both won against Mechagodzilla by forming an alliance that will continue in the forthcoming 2024 follow-up, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Luke Hobbs And Deckard Shaw (Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw)

The Fast and Furious movies are, essentially, a series about enemies becoming allies -- especially Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). The former DSS agent and rogue MI6 agent became the stars of their own spin-off in 2019, in which they are thrown together as partners to stop a cybernetically enhanced terrorist (Idris Elba).

Jack Sparrow And Hector Barbossa (Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End)

Seeing Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) join forces with Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in a last bid for piracy itself seemed like a perfect way to end the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in 2007. However, At World’s End was not that, nor the last time these rivals became reluctant allies — having also searched for the Fountain of Youth together in 2011’s On Stranger Tides and for Poseidon’s Trident in Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017.

Jerry And Newman (Seinfeld)

Most of Wayne Knight’s funniest moments as Newman on Seinfeld involve his attacks of the eponymous comedian, but Jerry Seinfeld once sought to help his nemesis for a chance to say, “Goodbye, Newman.” Jerry tries to increase Newman’s chances of transferring to Hawaii by taking over his route, which backfires when those people receive more mail than normal.

Captain Kirk And Commander Kang (Star Trek)

Starfleet joining forces with Klingons is nothing surprising today, with Michael Dorn’s Worf as chief of security in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yet, it was almost completely unheard of on the original series before Season 3's “Day of the Dove,” in which James Kirk (William Shatner) and Commander Kang (Michael Ansara) must work together after their crews are both affected by a conflict-inciting entity.

Scar And Alexa Woods (Alien Vs. Predator)

In the presence of the Alien movies' Xenomorph, you would want a more complex and, overall, totally badass extra-terrestrial like the titular hunter from the Predator movies on your side. "Lex” Woods (Sanaa Lathan) had that advantage in 2004's Alien vs. Predator after earning the respect of visiting Predator, Scar.

Professor X And Magneto (X2: X-Men United, X-Men: Days Of Future Past)

Some of  the best X-Men movies see Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr (reluctantly) playing for the same team, such as when the telepath (James McAvoy) breaks his former friend (Michael Fassbender) out of prison in 2014’s Days of Future Past. Also, in 2003’s X2, the metal-bender (Ian McKellan) helped the X-Men take on anti-mutant extremist, Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox), who sought to use Professor X (Patrick Stewart) to exterminate others like him.

Raylan Givens And Boyd Crowder (Justified)

U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) and career criminal Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) have shared many great moments on Justified that prove they do care for one another. For instance, in the first season finale, the frenemies become embroiled in a woodland shootout that ends with Raylan being saved by Boyd, who calls the lawman “his only friend" before leaving scot free.

Rey And Kylo Ren (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Despite its polarizing fan reception, 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi boasts great lightsaber battles pitting Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) against the slain Snoke's (Andy Serkis) Praetorian Guards. While the Jedi trainee discovered this truce was meant to coerce her into leading the First Order with him, at least they would make-up to take on Palpatine at the end of The Rise of Skywalker.

Rocky Balboa And Apollo Creed (Rocky III)

The first two Rocky movies were all about the rivalry between the eponymous boxer (Sylvester Stallone) and Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), but everything changed in the third chapter. With Creed’s much-needed help, Rocky regains his title against Clubber Lang (Mr. T), sparking a friendship tragically cut short in the next film, but revived vicariously when Rocky trains Apollo’s child, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), in the Creed movies.

Peter Parker And Harry Osborn (Spider-Man 3)

Harry Osborn (James Franco) as the New Goblin is not quite one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, mainly because most would prefer his heroic turn near the end of Spider-Man 3. Having forgiven Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) for his father's death, he aids him against Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace) and even puts himself in the way of his bladed glider to save his life.

Det. Del Spooner And Sonny (I, Robot)

As a technophobe, I understand why Del Spooner (Will Smith) was quick to suspect the “unique” robot known as Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk) might be a murderer in 2004's I, Robot. Yet, by the end of this underrated futuristic thriller, I actually found myself warmed by the sight of man and machine coming together against the real enemy: a tyrannical A.I. named KIKI.

The Terminator And Sarah Connor (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

Despite being one of the best '80s movie villains, Arnold Schwarzengger's time-traveling killing machine would be seen in a whole new light in 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is, at first, understandably hesitant to trust a duplicate of the cyborg sent to kill her years earlier, which has been programmed to protect her and her son (Edward Furlong).

Thor And Loki (Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok)

The real heart and soul of the Thor movies might actually be Loki (Tom Hiddleston) -- who might also be the first great MCU villain, but the times he aided his brother (Chris Hemsworth) have been equally satisfying. Their truce made for a heartbreaking supposed death for the God of Mischief in 2013’s The Dark World, but their alliance to save Asgard from Hela (Cate Blanchett) in 2017’s Ragnarok spawned some of the most memorably fun moments for either Marvel character.

Walter White And Hector Salamanca (Breaking Bad)

In order to defeat drug kingpin Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), meth manufacturer Walter White (Bryan Cranston) was forced to turn to another person who despised him, Hector Salamanca (the late Mark Margolis). Lucky for Walt, Hector hated the Los Pollos Hermanos founder enough to let him rig his wheelchair with an explosive he could detonate when Fring came to visit him in one of the best Breaking Bad episodes, “Face Off."

Marquis Warren And Chris Mannix (The Hateful Eight)

From the moment they meet, it seems that Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) will make up the central rivalry of Quentin Tarantino’s visually remarkable 2015 western. However, in one of the many dazzling twists from The Hateful Eight, the unlikely pair end up being the only ones who can trust each other among the loathsome lot of people they are forced to take shelter with, let alone the only survivors.

Wendell "Bud" White And Edmund "Shotgun Ed" Exley (L.A. Confidential)

This masterful period crime thriller puts an amusing spin on the “good cop, bad cop” dynamic by pairing aggressive "Bud" White (Russell Crowe) with straight-laced Ed Exley (Guy Pearce). While not being able to stand each other for multiple reasons, they end up being the only ones who can get to the bottom of an insidious case of corruption in the LAPD in Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential.

Woody And Buzz (Toy Story)

The groundbreaking animation style of the first, and arguably best, Pixar movie, 1995’s Toy Story, is not all that made it a hit. Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear's (Tim Allen) evolution from bitter rivals of Andy's attention to friends desperate to escape a sadistic toy abuser together is a beautiful, captivating story, no matter the medium.

Sometimes friendship (or, at least, mutual respect and understanding) can come in the most unlikely places, and these 30 pop culture enemy team-up are solid proof.

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Going back more than 50 years, Kurt Russell has been in some of cinema’s most treasured titles. From all those badass characters in films like Escape From New York and Big Trouble in Little China to hilarious and timeless romantic comedies like Overboard, and even sci-fi adventure flicks like Stargate, there’s a lot to choose from when thinking about Kurt Russell’s best movies. And while a lot of us have seen the best the former child actor-turned-action hero has to offer, there are some out there who either haven’t seen the man’s best work or perhaps haven’t seen some of these in years.

Luckily for everyone (myself included), I have put together this list (which is about as close to definitive as possible) of Kurt Russell’s best movies, where you can stream them, rent or buy them digitally, and purchase physical copies for those fearsome of world in which streaming services go by the wayside. There’s a lot to tackle here, so let’s get started.

Tombstone (1993)

Tombstone happens to be not only one of the best Westerns but also in the top tier of Kurt Russell’s library of work. Despite its notoriously difficult production, the George P. Cosmatos-directed tale of lawman Wyatt Earp (Russell), his brothers (Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton), and the iconic Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) protecting the town of Tombstone is just as much fun as fun can be. With more memorable lines than anyone can count, formidable villains, and the best mustaches you’ll see on screen, there are plenty of reasons this movie is so beloved nearly 30 years later.

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Get Tombstone on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Escape From New York (1981)

John Carpenter's Escape From New York is one of the oddest, bleakest, and most violent movies to come from the sci-fi boom of the early 1980s. When the President of the United States is taken hostage in a walled-off New York City (which is now a massive prison colony), it’s up to the most reluctant of all reluctant heroes, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to get the job done. And boy does he. This movie, which features some crafty James Cameron visual effects work, is worth of every line of praise it’s received over the years.

Stream Escape From New York on HBO Max.

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Get Escape from New York on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Thing (1982)

The sci-fi horror classic The Thing (which is actually a remake) brought John Carpenter and Kurt Russell together for their third of five collaborations in 1982. Set in a remote research facility at the South Pole, the movie follows a group of scientists, support staff, and an alcoholic and nihilistic helicopter pilot by the name of R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) as their space is overtaken by a shape-shifting alien threat that could potentially wipe out all life if left unchecked. This movie has it all: a great cast, engaging story, insane animatronics work, and an unsettling tone. No wonder The Thing is considered one of the best horror movies of all time.

Buy/Rent The Thing on Amazon.

Get The Thing on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Big Trouble In Little China (1986)

In 1986, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell made perhaps their funniest movie together when they reunited for the cult classic Big Trouble in Little China. Russell’s Jack Burton, the cocky truck driver who finds himself in one hell of a situation, brings an oversized ego and impeccable comedic timing to this fantasy sci-fi action-comedy about an ancient sorcerer searching for a green-eyed woman to break a curse that has held him hostage for centuries. One of the best parts about this movie is its runtime (a swift 99 minutes) that doesn’t waste any time getting to the heart of the story.

Buy/Rent Big Trouble In Little China on Amazon.

Get Big Trouble In Little China on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

There are plenty of reasons why James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is one of the best sequels of all time, but right there near the top is Kurt Russell’s portrayal of Ego, aka “The Living Planet.” As soon as he introduces himself to Guardians and reveals himself to be Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) father, you know there is going to be some funny business down the road. And boy, is there. The way Ego’s true nature and motivations are revealed to the characters and the audience make rewatching the 2017 MCU film the gift that keeps on giving.

Stream Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 on Disney+.

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Get Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Overboard (1987)

My grandma had two tapes in her VHS collection when I was a kid: Sister Act and Overboard. She was obsessed with Gary Marshall’s 1987 romantic comedy about a wealthy amnesiac (Goldie Hawn) who is made to believe she’s the wife of a widowed carpenter (Kurt Russell) and mother of his pack of near-feral children. The on-screen chemistry shared by the two stars (who became a real-life couple a few years earlier) is off the charts here and their timing is perfect, especially during their first meeting aboard a yacht. Time to watch it again and think about my grandma, who hopefully has a better copy up in the Great Beyond.

Buy/Rent Overboard on Amazon.

Get Overboard on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Backdraft (1991)

Ron Howard’s 1991 drama Backdraft tells the story of Chicago firefighter Brian McCaffrey (William Baldwin), who spends his entire life trying to get out of the shadow of his older brother Stephen (Kurt Russell) who just so happens to be one of the greatest firemen in the city’s history. Despite their best efforts, the two can’t stay apart long as they are tasked with uncovering an arson conspiracy that could leave more than building damaged. This riveting and emotional exploration of what it means to be a hero will absolutely gut you by the end.

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Get Backdraft on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Death Proof (2007)

Though it’s probably not anyone’s favorite Quentin Tarantino movie, his addition to the 2007 Grindhouse double-feature, Death Proof, features one of the most insane, unlikable, and menacing characters in Kurt Russell’s library, Stuntman Mike. The way the stuntman with a souped-up, reinforced death machine stalks and attacks his villains goes beyond creepy, but his tenacity does lead to an awesome chase sequence, which is only made better when the tables are turned. Often overshadowed by its counterpart, Planet Terror, Death Proof is still one hell of a ride.

Stream Death Proof on Amazon.

Rent/Buy Backdraft on Amazon.

Get Death Proof on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 character study that is The Hateful Eight features a few of the filmmakers most memorable (and unsavory) characters to date, with Kurt Russell’s John “The Hangman” Ruth near the top of the pack. And even though his treatment of everyone else, especially Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), leaves a bad taste in my mouth, his commitment to the character (and his not so friendly ways) is a testament of his talent and love of his profession. Just watch out when smashing guitars in the future, Kurt.

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Silkwood (1983)

The 1983 biographical drama Silkwood, which was co-written by the late Nora Ephron, tells the story of the final days of nuclear whistle-blower and activist Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) leading up to the one-car accident that claimed her life after she exposed alleged wrongdoing of the plutonium plant where she worked. The supporting cast, which is led by Kurt Russell and Cher, and multiple other acting greats, put on equally amazing performances and do a tremendous job of telling the tragic story.

Get it on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Executive Decision (1996)

Not to be confused with Air Force One, which would follow a year later, the 1996 action thriller Executive Decision follows U.S. Army specialist David Grant (Kurt Russell) and Austin Travis (a still-in-his-prime Steven Seagal) as they attempt to prevent a hijacked plane from reaching its destination: Washington, D.C. This movie is about as mid-'90s as it gets, which could be a good thing or bad thing depending on your preferences.

Rent/Buy Executive Decision on Amazon.

Get Executive Decision on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

Before he was Ego and even before he was Snake Plissken, Kurt Russell had a remarkable run as a child actor, appearing in numerous Walt Disney productions and as beloved by the old man himself. One of Russell’s most memorable roles is that of Dexter Riley, the teenager who becomes one with a machine in 1969’s The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. This family-friendly comedy has a little something for everyone.

Stream The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes on Disney+.

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Get it on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Miracle (2004)

One of the great hockey movies, the 2004 Disney (on ice) sports drama Miracle tells the unbelievable story of the 1980 U.S. Men’s Hockey team who shocked the world when they defeated the overmatched Soviet team at the Winter Olympics. With drama on and off the ice, some amazing performances, and one of the greatest speeches in sports movie history by Kurt Russell’s Herb Brooks, there is a reason Miracle is just as loved now as it was when it came out 17 years ago.

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The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Santa Claus movies are a dime a dozen, but the 2018 Netflix adventure film The Christmas Chronicles paints jolly Saint Nick as full-on badass Kurt Russell stepping in to take the reins of the mythical sleigh. What starts out as a ploy by two siblings to capture Santa quickly turns into a race against time that involves some heroics and badassery by the film’s Kris Kringle.

Stream The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix.

Stargate (1994)

The 1994 sci-fi action film Stargate follows professor Daniel Jackson (James Spader) and retired Army Colonel Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell) as travel through an interstellar gateway (a stargate, if you will) and end up on an alien world that looks a hell of a lot like ancient Egypt (but with nifty technology and deadly futuristic weapons). What follows is a series of adventures experienced by the central heroes, those who joined them, and the inhabitants of the mysterious planet that looked really, really cool when it came out more than 25 years ago.

Stream Stargate on Hulu.

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Bone Tomahawk (2015)

On the surface, Bone Tomahawk looks like another western featuring Kurt Russell and a badass mustache, but once you peel back the layers, you quickly discover why S. Craig Zhaler’s thriller is considered one of the best horror movies of 2015. Everything about this movie is extremely brutal and it doesn’t really hold back in its depiction of the ways of the west or the evil that awaits Kurt Russell’s Sheriff Franklin Hunt on his mission to rescue a group of people held captive by cave-dwellers.

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Tango And Cash (1989)

The 1980s gave the world a few of the best buddy action movies of all time, one of those being the 1989 pairing of Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone in Tango and Cash. The movie follows two rival narcotics detectives with extremely different methods who are forced to team up after being framed for a crime neither committed. With their reputations tarnished and no one else to depend on, the once-enemies come together for one hell of a good time.

Rent/Buy Tango And Cash on Amazon.

Get Tango and Cash on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

Captain Ron (1992)

Best movies is a subjective term, right? Well, if so, then the 1992 comedy Captain Ron deserves a spot on this list. When a family comes into a vintage yacht by way of inheritance, they hire Captain Ron (Kurt Russell) to help sail the ship from the Caribbean to Miami, adventure (and misadventure) are not too far behind.

Rent/Buy Captain Ron on Amazon.

Get Captain Ron on DVD/Blu-Ray on Amazon.

The Fox And The Hound (1981)

The 1981 Disney animated film The Fox and the Hound starts off with one of the most joyful stories in the studio’s history but quickly turns to anything but when Tod and Copper, the one-time pals, are driven apart by their respective natures and places in the world. When the story shifts its focus to the adult versions of the central characters, Kurt Russell, who appeared in Escape from New York the same year, lends his voice to Copper following his heartbreaking turn against his former friend.

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Well, those were just a few of Kurt Russell’s best movies that are available to watch right now. This didn’t even go into films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the Fast & Furious franchise, or other movies where Russell appeared in a smaller capacity. Now we just have to wait and see if the successful actor shows up in any of the upcoming 2021 movies.

Though it sports the runtime of an epic, Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight is a very intimate drama. An overwhelming percentage of the movie takes place in one location, with characters verbally and physically sparring with each other in what is essentially a locked-room mystery. Because of this, it's easy to believe that the cast and crew had the chance to get really close during production – but you still might be surprised to learn that the ensemble still regularly keeps in touch years later.

Samuel L. Jackson, who played protagonist Major Marquis Warren in the 2015 film, was honored last week at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, and during a virtual panel discussing his career he revealed that he has a closer relationship with the cast of The Hateful Eight than any other group of actors he's worked with over the years. Talking about the friends he's made along the way, but not mentioning any specific names, Jackson said (via Entertainment Weekly),

In the post-Civil War-set The Hateful Eight, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and James Parks play a collection of strangers/acquaintances who all find themselves trapped in a haberdashery during a terrible Colorado blizzard, and hunker down together while waiting out the storm. Unfortunately, the circumstances are far from lacking in tension, as there is overwhelming suspicion that one or more of the characters isn't who they say they are and have ill-intent planned once the snow stops.

Aiming for authenticity, Quentin Tarantino actually shot the majority of the film on location in Colorado, and that meant that the cast had a lot of opportunities to spend time together both on and off set. Clearly it made an impact on the actors individually, as five years later they are still checking in on the well-being of their co-stars and ensuring that everybody is safe and happy.

Obviously what makes this story particularly delightful is how it runs in contrast to a lot of other stories you hear about the production process. Because of the collaborative process of filmmaking, casts and crews can get really close, but once the job is done most everyone moves on to the next project/the next chance to make strong working relationships. The bonds created don't always withstand long distance, but The Hateful Eight is apparently an exception.

As fans will be quick to note, one friendship that Samuel L. Jackson went into the production with was his long-standing relationship with Quentin Tarantino, as the movie was their sixth collaboration as actor and director. Their streak working together was broken last year with the arrival of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Jackson was too busy filming Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home to be involved), but hopefully the two men will work together next on whatever Tarantino has cooking up next – and perhaps the production can bring back some of the other Hateful Eight actors as well. As of right now we have no idea what the writer/director's plans are for his tenth feature, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Ennio Morricone, beloved Italian composer for more than 50 years and a contemporary of director Sergio Leone, has died at the age of 91. News broke early Monday that Morricone had died following an accident. His last moments were spent in a hospital in Rome and he ultimately passed away at dawn at the age of 91.

A representative for Ennio Morricone, his lawyer Giorgio Assumma, said that he had deteriorated at a hospital after falling and breaking his leg. The fall and the injury to his femur originally occurred last week, per the New York Times. (Italian outlet ANSA initially broke the news.)

Over his prolific career Ennio Morricone was responsible for creating more than 500 scores, though those coming of age in recent years may know him for his work on The Hateful Eight. It was his collaboration with Quentin Tarantino in 2016 that led him to finally win an Oscar for Best Original Music Score. He had previously been nominated five times prior, for Malena, Bugsy, The Untouchables, The Mission and Days of Heaven.

Some of his best collaborations were with his fellow countryman and creative partner Sergio Leone. The two worked together on many movies, including several well-known projects starring Clint Eastwood, like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More, all premiering in the 1960s. He and Leone also collaborated on Once Upon A Time in the West, Once Upon A Time in America and plenty of other projects. The two had known one another prior to their working relationship, having attended school together as young men. Sergio Leone died in 1989 at the age of 60.

Ennio Morricone won the Academy Award in his late eighties at the culmination of a long career, though he still put work out in 2020. His speech, though in Italian, is overcome with emotion and is very touching.

Antonio Banderas, who had been a part of the 1989 film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, with music by Ennio Morricone, shared a tribute to the longtime composer on Twitter, noting,

A great producer of music, Ennio Morricone has worked with a lot of big names in the business of Hollywood, including a wide number of major directors, from the already-listed Sergio Leone and Quentin Tarantino to John Carpenter, Brian De Palma, Oliver Stone, Warren Beatty and a good many more. His music spans decades and covers many different genres of films, ranging from horror to the spaghetti westerns he was perhaps most known for and much in between. He'll leave behind a large body of work and a slew of scores many are familiar with. In short, he will be missed.

Cinema history is filled with brilliant director/actor team-ups, from Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro to Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart, and one of the truly great contemporary examples is Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson. The two first came together in the early 1990s, and the relationship has been fruitful from the get-go, as Jackson earned his one and only Academy Award nomination from the collaboration, while Tarantino won the award for Best Original Screenplay. They have been close ever since, collaborating on a total of six different features over the years out of the writer/director’s nine total.

Each time the two men get together the result is memorable magic – but how do those performances and characters stack up against one another? Using “Badassness” as a yardstick, we set out to answer that very question, and what you’ll find below are our results. From Pulp Fiction to The Hateful Eight, here is how we rank the work of Samuel L. Jackson and Quentin Tarantino’s in their time together.

6. Stephen (Django Unchained)

One would imagine that most of you would agree that “badassness” makes for a fine metric when it comes to judging Samuel L. Jackson’s Quentin Tarantino characters, but that means that the first role discussed is the one who isn’t badass in the slightest. While Tarantino generally casts Jackson as cool guys who have the capacity to turn real mean, Stephen in Django Unchained is a messed up piece of work. The man is a life-long slave who chooses to sympathize with his captor instead of his fellow captives, and he goes to some horrible lengths to help his sadistic master. Watching the movie you can’t help but really hate Stephen, and while means that Jackson very much does his job with his performance, it also means that he is ranked last on this list.

5. Narrator (Inglourious Basterds)

That’s right: Django Unchained’s Stephen is such a noxious characters that we’ve even ranked him behind Samuel L. Jackson’s only incorporeal role in a Quentin Tarantino movie – which is his part as the narrator in Inglourious Basterds. It’s not a big role, but it’s certainly a notable one, as Tarantino has Jackson tell the audience the legend of Til Schweiger's Hugo Stiglitz, a German Nazi hunter who is recruited by the titular group in the midst of their European mission. The role not being a fully-formed individual, there’s not a great deal that we can say about the “performance,” but what is undeniable is that Jackson’s voice is iconic and badass in its own right, which is enough to qualify it for inclusion on this list instead of just being skipped. It’s frankly too bad that Tarantino doesn’t have Tarantino do more voiceover work when he doesn’t have a role for Jackson carved out, like with Death Proof and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

4. Ordell Robbie (Jackie Brown)

Badassness is always easier to appreciate when its being wielded by a protagonist instead of an antagonist, so as we move to the middle of this list it’s time to give the spotlight to Samuel L. Jackson’s other great heel turn in a Quentin Tarantino film: Ordell Robbie from Jackie Brown. Ordell certainly isn’t the smartest character on this list, as he is consistently outfoxed in the film by Pam Grier’s eponymous heroine, but the guy gets respect for his hustle as he works to achieve the millionaire lifestyle through the illegal arms trade. As demonstrated through his relationship with Robert De Niro’s Louis, he can be a chill guy and cool to hang out with, but he can also be a scary dude when things don’t go his way, and that energy goes a long was in making the third act of Jackie Brown one of Tarantino’s most thrilling.

3. Rufus (Kill Bill)

Like the aforementioned Narrator, Rufus in Kill Bill isn’t exactly the biggest part played by Samuel L. Jackson in a Quentin Tarantino film, but the character leaves a lasting impression as a result of his metaphorical wheelbarrow full of badassness. Appearing at the start of Vol. 2, he is the piano player at the church where Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo plans on getting married, and he’s a guy with the capacity to capture the attention of every single person in the room whenever he speaks. At the end of the day we don’t get to know much about him personally, and he ultimately meets a grisly end courtesy of Bill and the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, but he’s still not a guy you quickly forget, and that earns him a high rank on this list. Simply put, he’s the man.

2. Major Marquis Warren (The Hateful Eight)

With The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino had the idea to tell a story by taking a selection of some of the best actors working today and jamming them together in a small haberdashery during a blizzard – and yet Samuel L. Jackson still walks away from the project having delivered the film’s most memorable performance as revenge-seeking bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren. The character fascinates from the very start, seated upon a stack of dead bodies in the cold while waiting for a ride, and he’s consistently crafty enough to keep you perpetually smiling from ear-to-ear as he spins yarns about his Lincoln letter and a notable Confederate soldier who tried to take him out. Warren is a pure blood badass and one of the key inspirations for this list, and would be number one if not for one of Tarantino’s most iconic protagonists.

1. Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)

You probably could have predicted from the beginning that Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction would top this list, as, frankly, the character could justifiably rank as one of the great badasses in cinema history – not needing either “Samuel L. Jackson performances” or “Quentin Tarantino movies” as qualifiers. Far more than just a hitman trope, Jules is a guy who sees the world for all of its vivid colors and various shades, made curious by the mysteries of the universe and looking for its deeper meanings as his life is miraculously spared during what should be an ordinary job. Even given the non-linear, anthology-esque structure of the story, he still winds up having a powerful arc in the film, going from assassin to philosopher as he starts to understand the depths of existence, and it’s an epic journey to follow that’s made ever delightful having a total badass at the center of it.

What’s your favorite Samuel L. Jackson performance in a Quentin Tarantino film? Do you agree with our rankings, or would you put them in a different order? Answer our poll, hit the comments section with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates and news about Jackson and Tarantino’s upcoming projects.

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If there’s one thing that Quentin Tarantino has proven throughout his career, it’s that he’s a unique director who’s very passionate about his work. This was certainly the case when he was developing The Hateful Eight. During the development process, Tarantino met with Universal Pictures to discuss possible distribution of the film. However, an unexpected suggestion caused the Kill Bill director to storm out of the room.

Quentin Tarantino had major plans for The Hateful Eight, as he was aiming for a large budget and hoped to shoot on 70mm film, according to The Wall Street Journal (via IndieWire). So you can imagine he was thrown for a loop when Jeff Shell, who at that time was the head Universal executive, pitched the idea of releasing the film on iPhones. In response, Tarantino replied with a simple “great,” and immediately walked out of the meeting.

Needless to say, things didn’t pan out between Tarantino and Universal, and The Hateful Eight was ultimately distributed by The Weinstein Company. Although, the film would actually deal a financial blow to the company, as it would only bring in $155 million worldwide at the box office.

Jeff Shell’s proposal was definitely radical at the time but, in the long run, it actually proved to be somewhat progressive. Since then, mobile devices have become a part of the film and TV experiences. This includes content being released to phones or even being shot with the use of them. At present, Shell is still making polarizing moves, particularly when it comes to the release of films on multiple platforms.

Given the unusual nature of his idea at the time and Quentin Tarantino’s dedication to shooting on film, one can understand why he was down for releasing The Hateful Eight on iPhones. And those who have seen the film knows that -- in typical Tarantino fashion -- he takes full advantage of all the thrills and stunts that come alive on the big screen.

But the film still had its share of problems when it hit the big screen, and they weren’t just financial. Because Tarantino wanted the film to be screened on special vintage projectors for 70mm films, some reported problems of broken projectors in theaters. This idea was later downplayed by theater executives. Despite all of that, the film still garnered a nice following and scored an Oscar win for Best Original Score.

This wasn't the only disagreement that Quentin Tarantino has had with a studio executive and, due to his status as a cinephile, it probably won’t be the last. Still, the director did team up with Netflix for an extended Hateful Eight cut, so maybe we could see him exploring multiple content platforms in the near future.

The Hateful Eight is currently available to stream on Netflix.

If one is looking to understand the power of cinema, the great suspense films are a perfect place to start. After all, as an audience watching the story unfold, you have a full understanding that everything you’re seeing isn’t real, and that the characters aren’t real people. And yet, the various twists and turns cause your heart to race and your spine to tingle as you get fully invested in what’s happening on the screen. It’s a delightful sensation and realization, and it’s also an easy itch to scratch thanks to Zodiac and other great suspenseful movies on Netflix.

David Fincher’s modern crime classic arrived this month on the popular streaming service, and its appearance got us thinking: what other awesome edge-of-your-seat features are currently available to subscribers? It turns out that there are a number of them, and we’ve highlighted a wide variety of them below:

Zodiac

Having already mentioned it, David Fincher’s Zodiac feels like a logical place to start with this feature. The epic, star-studded mystery centers on the years-long hunt in California for the notorious serial murderer known as the Zodiac Killer. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers one of the best performances of his career as Robert Greysmith, a cartoonist whose search for answers winds up unraveling his own life, and the supporting cast is absolutely stacked, including Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., John Carroll Lynch, Donal Logue, Chloe Sevigny, Anthony Edwards and Brian Cox. And once you’re done with the journey, if you’re still craving more of the style you can immediately click over to the Fincher-produced Netflix series Mindhunter.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Hush

Cinema history is filled with many excellent home invasion thrillers, but Mike Flanagan’s Hush is a wonderful modern standout in the genre thanks to the added twist that’s thrown in. Our lead is Maddie Young (Kate Siegel), an author who lives a life of solitude in her remote home, and over the course of one night she experiences incredible terror as she is made the plaything of a sadistic killer (John Gallagher Jr.). That seems pretty normal, but what makes Maddie a different kind of protagonist is that she is deaf. It’s a super quick 81 minute feature, and keeps you on the edge of your seat for almost its entirety.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Guest

John Carpenter is one of film’s great creators of suspense, but while none of his movies are currently available on Netflix, Adam Wingard’s The Guest makes for a wonderful substitute given that it exists as an homage to Carpenter’s work. Featuring a brazenly creepy synth score, the movie follows David Collins (Dan Stevens), a soldier who winds up moving in with the family of his best friend following his death overseas. All seems well at first, as David makes for an amiable if not a bit intense house guest, but we slowly learn that he isn’t exactly the man that he presents himself to be.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Cape Fear

There are few antagonists as blood curdling as Robert De Niro’s Max Cady in Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear – a psychotic killer who is motivated by getting revenge against the defense lawyer (Nick Nolte) whom he believes is responsible for sending him to prison. The film is one filled end-to-end with iconic moments, from Max riotously enjoying a movie to get his target’s attention, to a terrifying encounter featuring Illeana Douglas, to the big boat-set final showdown. It is an absolute must-see for any suspense film enthusiast.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Cop Car

When watching a suspenseful film, sometimes having a bit of comedy spliced in to ease things up a bit can be a wonderful thing, as the laughs can have the effect of lulling the audience into a sense of security. This is a trick utilized exceptionally well by director Jon Watts in Cop Car, which follows two preteens as they steal what they believe is an abandoned police vehicle. Not only is the car very much not abandoned, but it belongs to a corrupt sheriff (Kevin Bacon) who will stop at nothing to get it back due to something important that is being kept in the trunk. You’ll chuckle quite a bit, but you also may find your fingernails are a little shorter by the time the end credits roll.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Drive

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is a hypnotic experience. With its pulsating soundtrack and long driving sequences that tour audiences through the streets of Los Angeles at night, it quickly puts you under its spell… and then has the effect of punching you multiple times in the chest as the unnamed Driver (Ryan Gosling) tries to navigate his dual life as a stuntman and wheelman so that he can try to escape to be with the woman he loves (Carey Mulligan). Playing against type, Albert Brooks is at the top of his game as our hero’s employer, and the brilliant supporting cast also includes Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Green Room

Being a member of a punk band that does a show at a white supremacist compound before witnessing a murder and being trapped on the premises is a situation that no human in their right mind would ever want to be involved in, but damn does it make for some incredible entertainment. Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room is a movie that grabs you by the throat and throttles you up against a wall, and it doesn’t stop until it’s playing out its intense and amazing conclusion. Patrick Stewart makes for an awesome antagonist as the leader of the skinheads, and Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots deliver great lead turns.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Uncut Gems

It’s borderline surprising that there aren’t more reports of frailer moviegoers experiencing coronary episodes as a result of watching Josh and Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems. Not only is it heart attack-worthy to see Adam Sandler deliver such excellent work, but the film basically operates by stacking precarious situation on precarious situation, and then playing a game of Jenga. There are moments that make you want to scream in pain, frustration and joy, and the whole thing is just pure cinematic bliss. Following its strong performance in theaters at the end of 2019, the movie is now destined to become a cult-favorite thriller, and it’s a club you should gain entry to sooner rather than later. And if you think you can take it, you can follow up your viewing with a screening of the Safdie brothers’ incredible Good Time, which is also available on Netflix.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Taxi Driver

What is there to be said about Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver that hasn’t already been said by hundreds, if not thousands of film critics over the last 44 years? After nearly half a century later, the movie still stands as one of the greatest character pieces ever committed to celluloid, chronicling the journey of disillusioned Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) as he just tries to get by living in New York – dealing with his chronic insomnia as a late-shift cabbie, becoming infatuated with both a presidential candidate (Leonard Harris) and an underage prostitute (Jodie Foster). It’s not exactly a movie that you can just watch at random on a Thursday night, but that’s part of its mystique.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Gerald’s Game

Few storytellers know how to dig into the human psyche at get at our most nightmarish thoughts quite like Stephen King, and he unleashed a doozy with Gerald’s Game – adapted absolutely perfectly by Mike Flanagan as an original film for Netflix. It’s a high concept plot, following a woman (Carla Gugino) who finds herself in a horrific position when her husband (Bruce Greenwood) shockingly dies shortly after handcuffing her to the bed in their remote vacation home, and there isn’t a beat in it that doesn’t have your heart beating in your ears. You’re 100% arrested as you watch the protagonist not only try and find a way to escape, but also to survive – all the while being victim to the various terrors that are able to make their way into the house because the front door is left unlocked.

Stream it on Netflix here.

The Hateful Eight

Thrillers are always more thrilling when suspicious characters are loaded into a space that none of them can leave, and Quentin Tarantino juices that circumstance for all its worth in The Hateful Eight. It’s a nearly three-hour drama that totally flies thanks to your ability to become totally invested in the fate of the characters – as you constantly have to wonder who is trustworthy and who isn’t. After years of playing supporting roles in Tarantino movies, the film is really Samuel L. Jackson’s moment to shine, but he is surrounded by talent including Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Given that Netflix does a refresh on its catalogue of films every month, we here at CinemaBlend are regularly publishing features about the various titles that are available and that we recommend checking out. Be on the lookout for more of them on the site, as they are definitely a regular thing, as hit the comments section with the list of movies from this list you think you’ll be checking out while they are available!

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Snake Plissken. Wyatt Earp. John "The Hangman" Ruth. Any given actor would give an arm and a leg to just to play one of these badass characters, but longtime Hollywood staple Kurt Russell has portrayed all three, plus dozens of other characters just as brash, quick-witted, and well-equipped as three legendary ass kickers.

Throughout his career, Kurt Russell has brought some of the most daring heroes (and a few villains) moviegoers have ever seen. Just think about it, John Carpenter turned to the actor not for just one movie, but five over the course of the pair's nearly 20-year partnership that produced some of the best action heroes the likes of which haven't been seen since. But the badassery doesn't stop there. Outside of his collaborations with the acclaimed filmmaker, Russell has shown up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Fast And Furious saga, and countless other franchises, many of which are included on this list of the most badass Kurt Russell characters.

10. Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey - Backdraft

In terms of movies about firefighters, it doesn't get much better than Ron Howard's 1990 drama Backdraft about two brothers in the Chicago Fire Department hot on the trail of a serial arsonist wreaking havoc across the Windy City. Kurt Russell plays the older Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey, a fearless, no nonsense veteran fireman who stops at nothing to save lives and extinguish fires, both on and off the job.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: After Bull and his younger brother fall down trying to save a young boy, Bull looks at his younger brother and says, "Don't take that kind of shit from it, don't let it know you're scared," before running into the flames.

9. Jonathan "Jack" O'Neil - Stargate

Kurt Russell had already proven his sci-fi and action movie prowess by the time he was cast as Jonathan "Jack" O'Neil in Roland Emmerich's 1994 epic Stargate. In the film, Russell's character suffers from suicidal depression after his son accidentally shoots and kills himself, but the broken and grieving father finds new meaning in life with the discovery a stargate that connects our world to the ancient Egyptian-like planet of Abydos.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: After being confronted by the Horus guards, O'Neil looks up, says "How ya doing," winks, and blasts him with his rifle.

8. Stuntman Mike McKay - Death Proof

Kurt Russell and Quentin Tarantino have worked together quite a bit in the past two decades, but that relationship got off to an insane start with the 2007 Death Proof, a high-octane throwback to the exploitation horror movies of the '70s, in which Russell plays the depraved Stuntman Mike McKay, a lunatic behind the wheel of a reinforced death machine. Though not Tarantino's best work, this fantastic thrill ride of a murder movie is a hell of a lot of fun.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: I feel wrong talking about a badass moment from such a reviled and horrible character, but the first time you actually get to see Stuntman Mike's stunt car that is only "death proof" for the driver, but the visual of him speeding like a madman and then slamming on the brakes, killing his first victim, is despicable at best, but it does set up the rest of the movie.

7. Sheriff Franklin Hunt - Bone Tomahawk

Bone Tomahawk is essentially what you get when you make a venn diagram consisting of westerns, cannibals, and oversized mustaches. Kurt Russell stars as Sheriff Franklin Hunt in this 2015 thriller that CinemaBlend previously described as being a horror take on John Ford's The Searchers in which a group of men go out to locate and rescue a group of people kidnapped by cannibals.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: Sheriff Hunt is a badass pretty much through the entire movie, but his sacrifice at the end of the film speaks volumes.

6. Gabriel Cash - Tango & Cash

Although critics seemed to take a crap all over this movie, Tango & Cash is probably one of the most absurdly fun buddy cop movies from the '80s not called Lethal Weapon. Kurt Russell appears as Gabriel "Gabe" Cash alongside Sylvester Stallone as Raymond "Ray" Tango, two narcotics detectives framed for murder. Finding themselves on the other side of the law, these former rivals must put their past aside and clear their names.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: Does the boiler room brawl ring any bells?

5. John "The Hangman" Ruth - The Hateful Eight

Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight is one of the best westerns to come out in the 21st Century, and the reason behind it is the stellar cast, which includes Kurt Russell as the feared and consistent bounty hunter John "The Hangman" Ruth. Although his treatment of Jennifer Jason Leigh's Daisy Domergue is more than a little unsavory, is pretty badass up until his death.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: During the introduction of John Ruth, it's told that he doesn't shoot you in the back to collect the bounty, he makes it a point to see you hang.

4. Jack Burton - Big Trouble In Little China

Big Trouble In Little China is one of those movies that could only exist in the '80s, even if they're trying to make a remake. A lot of that has to do with the look of the film, the underworld in the middle of San Francisco, and martial arts, but let's be real, Kurt Russell's Jack Burton is a badass through and through. Sure, he doesn't get a lot of things right the first time, and yeah, he did kind of fall into the plot, but the hair, the tank top, and the attitude make up for it.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: I'm just going to say that Jack Burton catching a knife and throwing it back directly in the middle of David Lo Pan's forehead should do the trick.

3. R.J. MacReady - The Thing

John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi classic The Thing follows a group of American researchers who come face to face with the shape-shifting alien simply referred to as the "Thing." Kurt Russell appears as the station's helicopter pilot, R.J. MacReady who stops at nothing to wipe out the threat even if it means that he'll die too.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: There are only a couple other moments in Kurt Russell's filmography that will live up to MacReady's confrontation with the "Thing" in which he yells "Fuck you, too," before blowing the alien to smithereens.

2. Wyatt Earp - Tombstone

We might never know exactly who really directed Tombstone, but for now, let's just focus on the badassery of this western classic. With a cast that includes Val Kilmer (in his prime), Bill Paxton, Sam Elliott, and countless others, one name stands above them all: Kurt Russell in his portrayal of real life lawman Wyatt Earp. This movie is just as enjoyable and badass today as it was in 1993.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: Picking just one moment of badassery exhibited by Earp is no easy task, but nothing beats out the scene where the lawman slaps Billy Bob Thornton's character and says, "Are you gonna do something? Or just stand there and bleed?"

1. Snake Plissken - Escape From New York

Was there ever going to be any other Kurt Russell as badass as Snake Plissken in John Carpenters 1981 classic Escape From New York? You could make a case for Wyatt Earp or R.J. MacReady, but neither of those characters glided into a prison the size of a city, saved the President of the United States, and kicked all sorts of ass while wearing an eye patch.

Ultimate Moment Of Badassery: You could say the fight scene in the wrestling ring is Snake Plissken's most badass moment, but you really see what the character is made of during his introduction where he remains defiant even with the President being held captive.

Those are just 10 of Kurt Russell's most badass characters. Do you agree with my ranking or do you think that Captain Ron or Dean Proffitt from Overboard should have been included on the list? Make sure to fill out the poll below and sound off in the comments.

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While it is not quite the dominant film genre it used to be, there are many Western movies on Netflix (one of the best streaming services to subscribe to today) that prove epic shootouts, foreboding acoustic guitar chords, and a fair share of 10-gallon hats still make for a great cinematic time. At the moment, the best movies on Netflix under said category are primarily more modern productions and some even take place in modern times, but they are just as exciting as any old-school classic from Hollywood’s Silver Age. Take a look at all the best Western movies that a Netflix subscription can offer.

Silverado (1985)

In the 1880s, four men (played by Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, and Kevin Costner) become heroes to a small town.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Also one of the best Western movies on Netflix, Silverado sees Kevin Costner play sharp-shooter Jake, marking the beginning of his relationship with the genre.

Stream Silverado on Netflix

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

The search for their village’s kidnapped local doctor (played by Lili Simmonds) leads four men (played by Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, and Matthew Fox) to come face-to-face with a tribe of cannibals.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: In addition to being a modern Western masterpiece, writer and director S. Craig Zahler’s Bone Tomahawk also counts as one of the best horror movies on Netflix for scenes of haunting brutality.

Stream Bone Tomahawk on Netflix.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

An assortment of mean, ugly, nasty folks take refuge from a ferocious snowstorm at a cabin where nothing is quite as it seems in post-Civil War America.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: The jury might still be out on what is the best Quentin Tarantino movie under the Western category, but The Hateful Eight – also available as a four-hour miniseries cut on Netflix – makes a great case with its stunning performances by its star-studded cast and suspenseful mystery plot.

Stream The Hateful Eight on Netflix.
Stream The Hateful Eight: Extended Version on Netflix.

Concrete Cowboy (2021)

A troubled teen (played by Caleb McLaughlin) is sent to live with his estranged father (played by Idris Elbra) in Philadelphia, where he is introduced to the city’s community of Black horse riders.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Based on a true story, Concrete Cowboy is unlike any other Western on Netflix (or elsewhere, even), being a modern-day coming-of-age drama set in a modern, urban setting, but with a certain tone and imagery that firmly cements its place in the genre.

Stream Concrete Cowboy on Netflix.

The Quick And The Dead (1995)

Mysterious sharpshooter Ellen (Sharon Stone) enrolls in a small village’s annual gun-slinging tournament, but her real target is the town’s ruthless leader, Herod (Gene Hackman).

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Essentially a series of spine-tingling gun duels wrapped in an old-fashioned revenge tale, The Quick of the Dead is not just one of director Sam Raimi’s best movies, but one of the best Westerns of the ‘90s.

Stream The Quick and the Dead on Netflix.

Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher (2021)

A Native American cattleman (played by Martin Sensmeier) contends with great struggles while attempting to establish his own ranching empire along the Chisholm Trail.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Following his roles in 2016’s The Magnificent Seven and HBO’s Westworld, Sensmeier leads his own Western movie as the real-life Montford T. Johnson in Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher – an inspiring biopic from director Nathan Frankowski.

Stream Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher on Netflix.

The Killer (2017)

Diogo Morgado plays a lone, vengeful drifter who becomes a hired gun to a tyrannical Frenchman in 1940s Brazil.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Not to be confused with another Netflix original movie from David Fincher, writer and director Marcelo Galvão’s The Killer is the platform’s first Brazilian film and really packs a punch with its brutal gunfighting sequences.

Stream The Killer on Netflix.

The Big Ugly (2020)

After discovering his girlfriend murdered, a London mobster (played by Vinnie Jones) sets his sights on the son of his boss’ new business partner: a West Virginia oilman.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: From co-writer and director Scott Wiper, The Big Ugly is part British crime drama, part Neo-Western, and all badass revenge tale.

Stream The Big Ugly on Netflix.

Strange Way Of Life (2023)

Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke play former lovers who reunite when one needs the other’s help liberating his son, who has been accused of murder.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Writer and director Pedro Almodóvar's 31-minute short film, Strange Way of Life, is a far more suspenseful and action-packed Western with LGBTQ+ themes than Brokeback Mountain.

Stream Strange Way of Life on Netflix.

The Power Of The Dog (2021)

Charismatic, but belligerent, ranch worker Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) becomes unexpectedly close to his new sister-in-law’s son (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee).

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Jane Campion became the third woman to earn the Best Director Oscar for helming Netflix’s stirring adaptation of Thomas Savage’s novel, The Power of the Dog, which also stars Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst in Oscar-nominated roles.

Stream The Power of the Dog on Netflix.

The Harder They Fall (2021)

Jonathan Majors stars as a slick outlaw who learns that an enemy from his past (played by Idris Elbra) is being released from prison.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Co-writer and director Jeymes Samuel’s Netflix original The Harder They Fall may bear a familiar plot description, but – with its stunning aesthetic and predominantly Black cast – it’s one of the most refreshingly unique Westerns in a long time.

Stream The Harder They Fall on Netflix.

The Furnace (2017)

A young Afghan man (played by Ahmed Malek) joins forces with a bushman (played by David Wenham) on the run with stolen gold in 1890s Australia.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Not all of the best Westerns are set in the American West, as writer and director Roderick MacKay’s The Furnace can vouch for.

Stream The Furnace on Netflix.

The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Joel and Ethan Coen returned to the Western genre with this collection of six tales set in the Old West – including one of a traveling entertainment promoter, another about a pair of bull-headed bounty hunters, and one of a gunman who likes to sing.

Why it is one of the best Western movies on Netflix: Even those who would not claim classic cowboy tales as their primary cup of tea can be whisked into the Coen Brothers’ underrated Netflix original, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – an anthology that incorporates a unique mix of traditional Western themes with startling violence, offbeat comedy, and even an Oscar-nominated musical number.

Stream The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix.

We reckon that, for anyone who calls themselves a fan of Western movies, it would be in their best interest to check out these movies on Netflix.

Even in an age when big brands and franchises are totally dominating the cinematic world, the work of writer/director Quentin Tarantino has a special draw for movie fans. In the last 27 years he has been one of the most consistent voices in filmmaking, building one of the most impressive filmographies in modern Hollywood, and regularly produced brilliantly entertaining and unique stories that also happen to be fueled by violence and overflowing with adult language. Of course, there’s also a love-him-or-hate-him side to things, but there is no denying the impact that he’s made – and that’s only been further proven with the release of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

The ninth film from Quentin Tarantino (and supposedly his penultimate as a big screen director), the new movie just had the biggest opening of the filmmaker’s career, and has inspired chatter among cinephiles all over the world. It’s with this in mind that we figured now would be the perfect time to take a look back at Tarantino’s career, and rank his epic contributions to the artform so far:

9. Death Proof (2007)

Death Proof may be the lowest ranking title on this list, but don’t get it twisted – it’s a fantastic film. It just also happens to be the weakest Quentin Tarantino movie. Released as part of 2007’s Grindhouse along with Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, it’s Tarantino offering audiences a lesson about a special particular period of cinematic history close to his heart, while also delivering a balls-out thriller that features some of the best car stunt work of the 21st century. Getting to operate both in his wheelhouse and distinctly outside of it, Kurt Russell puts on one of his most memorable performances as the killer Stuntman Mike, and paired with the ridiculous over-the-top energy of Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, and Tracie Thoms we get one of the most satisfying conclusions of any offering from the filmmaker.

8. Django Unchained (2012)

If Quentin Tarantino goes the rest of his career without making a traditional superhero project, at the very least audiences can be happy with 2012’s Django Unchained mostly fitting the bill. The film has the same myth-making style storytelling as many other titles in the genre, as Tarantino crafts an epic about a would-be folk hero (were he actually ever alive): the freed slave who fought back. It’s fun and thrilling as a revenge story, while also a deeply emotional look back and the true horrors of American slavery – brought to life by some of the best performances featured in a Tarantino movie. If it weren’t for a bit of plot/pacing janky-ness at the end of the second act it might be ranked higher on this list, but instead it has to settle for being the eighth best from the writer/director.

7. The Hateful Eight (2015)

After more than a decade of making genre adventures much larger in scale than the stories that launched his career, Quentin Tarantino decided to tell a more intimate tale when crafting his eighth feature film. He put aside exciting car chases and continent-spanning revenge missions in favor of a plot centering on a group of individuals in post-Civil War Wyoming who get stranded together during a blizzard and slowly learn that not everything is as it seems. And the end result is magnificent. The Hateful Eight was a gamble for Tarantino, as it’s not easy to create a nearly three-hour-long movie almost exclusively set in one location, but with brilliant performances from Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh; a series of tight, dark twists; an Oscar-worthy Ennio Morricone score, and genius punctuation moments of violence, it still remains one of the filmmaker’s most thrilling works.

6. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Quentin Tarantino came up in the industry at a time when a lot of other insanely talented filmmakers were getting their movies shown, as the rise of independent film brought us names like Sam Raimi, Richard Linklater, the Coen brothers, and Robert Rodriguez, but watching 1992’s Reservoir Dogs it’s easy to understand how the filmmaker immediately distinguished himself. So many of his greatest auteur qualities are right up on the big screen from jump street, from the sharp, pop culture-obsessed dialogue, to the long tracking shots, to the eclectic song choices on the soundtrack. Telling the story of a group of mysterious thieves in the aftermath of a job gone horribly wrong, the feature is simply one of the greatest directorial debuts in history, and is filled with iconic moments and lines from end-to-end.

5. Jackie Brown (1997)

The legacy of Quentin Tarantino in Hollywood will always be primarily centered around his contributions as a filmmaker who specializes in original stories – but this should do nothing to undercut the immense value of Jackie Brown, which arguably exists as the writer/director’s most underrated work. The filmmaker combines the Elmore Leonard-authored source material with a fantastic modern take on Blaxploitation, and weaves an intensely fun crime caper busting at the seams with amazing characters. Samuel L. Jackson’s Ordell Robbie is easily one of the best antagonists featured in a Tarantino movie, while both Pam Grier and Robert Forster deliver the two best performances of their respective careers. It’s a gem filled with iconic moments literally from beginning to end (the moving walkway opening at LAX is a stunner, as is the achingly romantic and painful final sequence), and it’s the best big screen adaptation of a Leonard novel – which is saying a lot when you consider the greatness of Out Of Sight and Get Shorty.

4. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

After nearly 30 years of watching his movies, you’d think that we’d have a solid beat on everything Quentin Tarantino… but then he comes along and directs a film that is completely different from the rest of his filmography as his ninth feature. The fact alone that it’s not a plot totally steeped in violence makes it a work apart, but simultaneously Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is one of Tarantino’s most passionate and personal releases in telling the story of two best friends – an actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a stuntman (Brad Pitt) – who have come to the understanding that the world has passed them by. It has an excellent, explosive finish courtesy of the Manson Family subplot that is strung throughout, but the great takeaway is that it’s a work of real poignancy from the writer/director, and analytically a fascinating inward look from a guy who sees himself slowly approaching the end of his career.

3. Kill Bill (2003 & 2004)

Though some confuse it with plagiarism, what makes Quentin Tarantino particularly fascinating as a filmmaker is his shockingly deep knowledge of motion picture history, and his ability to first totally understand why certain choices are made, and then apply those lessons learned to his own work. Kill Bill is perhaps the greatest example of this: Tarantino is an uber-passionate fan of martial arts cinema, and every ounce of that passion is distilled into the two-part epic following Beatrix Kiddo a.k.a. The Bride (Uma Thurman) on a roaring rampage of revenge. The end result is one of the greatest films the genre has ever produced--and he considers what was released as two movies to be one film. Between its action choreography, general stylistic flair, and amazing cast, there’s endless things to love about it, but arguably the most impressive is just how different the first and second halves are while still coming together as a stunning cohesive whole.

2. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Just about everyone has pondered the question of going back in time to kill Adolf Hitler, but in 2009 Quentin Tarantino took that idea an extra step further with Inglourious Basterds. In it, the filmmaker imagines an alternate world history where the efforts of allied forces result in the assassination of the Nazi leader… and one could make a case for it being the most entertaining World War II movie ever made. In its three-pronged story – following a squad of Jewish guerrilla fighters; a theater owner executing a mission of vengeance; and a Nazi colonel maneuvering against both of them – there is absolutely everything you could want from a 1940s-set revenge story. It famously ends with the seemingly self-referential line, “I think this just might be my masterpiece,” and we would totally agree… if it were not for one of Tarantino’s other titles.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)

As noted above, Reservoir Dogs proved to be a perfect start for Quentin Tarantino’s career, immediately telling audiences what he’s all about and what he can deliver as a filmmaker, but it was Pulp Fiction that quickly proved to the world that the writer/director is one of the all-time greats (which is pretty insane when you consider it was just his sophomore effort). Broken down it’s a non-linear collection of vignettes with shared characters telling a variety of tales around Los Angeles, but the way in which in brings everything together was revolutionary in the mid-1990s, and it became a total game-changer. This movie defined the shift into the post-modern era for the crime genre, and its influence can be found in hundreds if not thousands of features released since. It’s one of the most important films of all time, and Tarantino’s greatest to date.

How do you rank the films of Quentin Tarantino? Does your rundown line up with ours, or are there some key differences? Hit the comments section below with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about the writer/director's cinematic future.

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OK, this one took quite a bit of time. It's not that researching Samuel L. Jackson’s memorable filmography is a trying feat. It is just that there are just so many great movies he has been a part of, it's difficult to narrow down which are among his best.

The man, who is making a return to the Shaft franchise this week, has 183 acting credits listed on IMDb and only 11 of them are labeled as “uncredited.” Even a few of those uncredited appearances are still widely praised, such as narrating Inglourious Basterds or Nick Fury’s post-credit Marvel movie cameos.

It seems that no matter what the task may be, Samuel L. Jackson is most likely to say “yes,” an answer that usually makes a film automatically better. Would you have seen Snakes On A Plane without the actor and its now iconically profane flagship quote?

Needless to say, there are A LOT of Samuel L. Jackson movies and compressing his best work down to just 10 movies took a couple of trips up and down memory lane before a final decision could be made. Whether or not the result is a stupid-ass decision and you elect to ignore it is up to you.

Here are the picks for the top 10 best Samuel L. Jackson movies. Hold onto your butts:

10. The Hateful Eight (2015)

Quentin Tarantino owes a lot of his career to Samuel L. Jackson, who turns the writer-director’s brutal and sometimes trashy words into poetry with ease. Still, somehow, it took QT more than 20 years to actually give Jackson the top billing in one of his films and it made for an epic display.

Samuel L. Jackson is one of eight despicable, dastardly, and vile people from both sides of the law holed up in a “haberdashery” during a deadly snowstorm in post-Civil War Wyoming. Tensions begin to rise between the bunch as they question each others' true natures and what brought all of them there in the first place.

Samuel L. Jackson takes the reins of this western-twist on Quentin Tarantino’s own film debut Reservoir Dogs, with his explosive performance in an already “bombs away” ensemble cast. The Hateful Eight may be a slow burn running at 168 minutes, but it is a welcome return to the shockingly gritty westerns of a long-abandoned era of cinema.

9. A Time To Kill (1996)

It is easy to picture Samuel L. Jackson as the strong-willed, rebellious figure of authority he has made into his signature persona. Yet, the Hollywood Foreign Press seemed very pleased by his more vulnerable portrayal in A Time To Kill, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

This Mississippi-set adaptation of John Grisham’s 1989 novel sees Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) as a father put on trial for murdering two men who, as Hailey claims, "deserved to die [and] burn in hell," for raping and beating his young daughter. His representation, Jake Tyler Bigance (Matthew McConaughey) and Ellen Roark (Sandra Bullock), must question their morality and commitment to the case in the face of controversy and racial tension.

From director Joel Schumacher, A Time To Kill is considered by many to be one of the finest Grisham adaptations of the 1990s. It boldly enforces deep questions regarding justice and consequence with earth-shattering conclusions.

8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Nick Fury, the man responsible for putting the Avengers together, is such a perfectly portrayed character that any of Samuel L. Jackson’s starring roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe could have fit this list. I would say, though, that if you want Nick Fury at his best, it’s right here.

Anthony and Joe Russo made a spectacular first impression with their first MCU film, putting Captain America in a 1970s-style espionage thriller that turned everything you assumed about S.H.I.E.L.D. on its head. Meanwhile, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers is also shocked by a bitter reunion with a figure from his past.

As the first sign of proof that Captain America is at his best when he is sharing the wealth, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is every bit a Nick Fury movie (or a Black Widow movie) as it is a Cap movie. Thanks to Fury (whose assault at a New York intersection may be his best MCU scene) Captain America would have never discovered S.H.I.E.L.D.’s dark secrets or learned the consequences of trust.

7. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

By 1995, Bruce Willis had appeared in two films with Samuel L. Jackson, but without ever sharing any scenes together. That changed with Willis’ second reprisal of Die Hard hero John McClane.

John McTiernan returns as director of Die Hard with a Vengeance, the third in the series, in which mysterious terrorist Simon (Jeremy Irons) threatens New York unless McClane participates in his game of “Simon Says.” After Harlem store owner Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) botches one of Simon’s tasks for McClane, he becomes roped up in the action, turning it into the Die Hard series’ first buddy movie.

Die Hard with a Vengeance is sometimes praised as the second best of the franchise, mostly due to Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis’ great chemistry as reluctant, bickering partners. It was great to see them finally headline a film together, and even better the next time they did...

6. Unbreakable (2000)

Samuel L. Jackson is always at his best when playing a bad man. Usually, “bad” just refers to his character’s rebellious and resilient nature, but in M. Night Shyalaman’s follow-up to The Sixth Sense, Jackson’s character is straight-up diabolical.

After security guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) becomes the only survivor of a fatal trainwreck, comic book enthusiast Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) becomes fascinated by him, believing him to be an individual with abilities much like the costumed heroes he read about growing up. Once Dunn accepts Price’s push to embrace to embrace his gift, he learns that Price’s intentions may not just be out of sympathy.

Not only does Unbreakable serve as a potent, thought-provoking indictment on comic book tropes, but also a commentary on the dangerous effects of obsession. If you ask me, Samuel L. Jackson’s return as Elijah Price in 2019’s Glass was fun too.

5. Django Unchained (2012)

As I said before, Samuel L. Jackson is at his best as a “bad” man, and since there are rarely any “good” roles in any of Quentin Tarantino’s films, he remains one of the director’s go-to actors. QT usually casts Jackson as, at least, a likable bad guy, though, with Django Unchained being the biggest exception.

In Quentin Tarantino’s pre-Civil War era western, slave-turned-bounty-hunter Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) and partner Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) are on a covert rescue mission to save Django’s enslaved wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The only thing in their way is Candie’s shockingly loyal house slave, Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson).

Stephen just may be the most evil character Samuel L. Jackson has ever played, with his complete lack of empathy or respect and his unquestioned subservience to his vile master. Reportedly, what we see from Stephen in the final cut of Django Unchained is not even the worst his character was originally meant to do. Yikes.

4. The Incredibles (2004)

Before he was putting the Avengers together as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Samuel L. Jackson was a costumed vigilante himself. His enduringly entertaining turn in the animated classic The Incredibles has grown to be Hall-of-Fame role for Pixar.

Set in a world in which superheroes exist but have been outlawed for years, Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) is stuck in a mid-life crisis, desperate to relive his glory days as the super-strong, agile Mr. Incredible. When his chance finally comes, he takes it, not realizing that it is part of a sinister plot that will soon put the world and his super-powered family members in danger.

Samuel L. Jackson’s Lucius “Frozone” Best is the “coolest” superhero in The Incredibles and also provides some hilarious commentary on comic book tropes in a few scenes. Most notably, the iconic “Where is my supersuit” scene finally introduced a Sam Jackson quote children could repeat without shame.

3. Jurassic Park (1993)

Samuel L. Jackson’s performance in Steven Spielberg’s prehistorically-minded classic may be one his more low-key appearances. However, he still manages to steal every one of his scenes in Jurassic Park as a chain smoking computer technician with a penchant for blunt delivery of bad news.

Paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and his colleague Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) are invited, among other guests, on a preview tour of a billionaire’s one-of-a-kind theme park featuring real, live, cloned dinosaurs. When the park suffers a major power breakdown, the park’s creatures become a danger to the guests.

Of course, people fondly remember Jurassic Park's revolutionary visual effects and spine-tingling suspense. However, every time I watch this movie, I most look forward to hearing Samuel L. Jackson breathe brilliant life into the words, “Hold onto your butts.”

2. Do The Right Thing (1989)

Spike Lee has cast Samuel L. Jackson in many of his films over the past few decades. His second time working with the prolific filmmaker may be the first grand display of his robust onscreen presence.

Do The Right Thing, which Spike Lee wrote, directed, and stars in, is an urban morality tale set in Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year. As the temperatures rise, so does racial tension between citizens, that slowly bottles up into an explosion of violence.

Samuel L. Jackson opens the film with his dazzling portrayal of radio DJ Mister Señor Love Daddy. His energetic performance provides welcome levity to this otherwise bleak commentary on modern-day prejudice, and that is the ta-ruth, Ruth.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Unless, perhaps, you are a 7-year-old Marvel fan, it is nearly impossible to think of Samuel L. Jackson without picturing his defining role that earned him his sole Academy Award-nomination. Actually, if you ask me, Jackson’s portrayal of contract killer Jules Winnfield is the defining performance of Pulp Fiction, although John Travolta gets the top bill.

Quentin Tarantino made his machine gun blast of a mark on the world of cinema with his sophomore effort that not only paid tribute to Hollywood, but also redefined it forever. Telling three interweaving stories featuring an ensemble of shady Los Angeleans, Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece whose influence refuses to yield nearly three decades later.

In my opinion, the secret weapon to Pulp Fiction’s enduring iconography, however, is Jules Winnfield, whom Samuel L. Jackson embodies to unwavering perfection. His monologues at the film’s opening and closing moments, quoting scripture with his own theatrical spin, are so chilling and expertly crafted they stay with you long after the third, fourth, or even tenth viewing.

At 70 years old, Samuel L. Jackson is still giving us one memorable performance after another with no sign of stopping yet. You got a problem with that? Didn’t think so.

It’s been almost three and a half years since Quentin Tarantino’s last movie, The Hateful Eight, was released in theaters. Like a lot of movies nowadays, it’s been available to stream now and then, and can currently be watched on Netflix.

However, it was announced a month ago that an extended version of The Hateful Eight would also be hitting Netflix in April, only rather than it being the Roadshow Cut that had a limited theatrical release, the story is instead told as a four-episode miniseries.

Now Quentin Tarantino has opened up about how The Hateful Eight miniseries came to be, revealing that Netflix approached him about adding extra footage into the original version of the movie so that it could be divided up as episodes. Tarantino thought this would be an “intriguing” creative endeavor and was willing to give it a shot. He recalled:

Quentin Tarantino never felt the need to release The Hateful Eight’s Roadshow Cut because it was its own thing that was specifically intended for 70mm screenings. But with the miniseries, he found a compelling enough reason to revisit his creation and sprinkle in extra footage in a different way.

And speaking of extra footage, Quentin Tarantino also commented on the inaccurate and “frustrating” claim online that there’s no new content in The Hateful Eight miniseries. Continuing in his interview with Slashfilm, he noted that there’s approximately 25 minutes of additional material in the miniseries, and that results in certain sequences playing “very different.”

The director provided an example for how The Hateful Eight miniseries flows differently from the original movie, saying:

It’s up to the individual viewer to decide whether The Hateful Eight miniseries is superior or inferior to the movie, but at least Quentin Tarantino enthusiasts now have the opportunity to compare the two versions. And since Tarantino put this miniseries together at Netflix’s request, that almost certainly means the streaming service will be its exclusive home, as opposed to also being made available on Blu-ray.

The Hateful Eight, which took place a little over a decade after the American Civil War and followed eight strangers who were stuck together in a cabin during a blizzard, featured an ensemble cast that included Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Demian Bichir, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern. Although it only made over $155 million worldwide, it collected numerous accolades, including one Oscar win and two nominations.

Quentin Tarantino’s next movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, opens in theaters on July 26. If you’re curious about what other movies are opening later this year, head to our 2019 release schedule.

There are a lot of movies and shows that go up whenever Netflix does its monthly refresh. But out of the ones that get thrown into the mix, there are those vaunted few that the folks at home will get to say hello to when that moment comes. April brings yet another opportunity for subscribers to get some new thrills from the comfort of their own home. The cream of the crop is what we're focusing on here, so get your pencils ready, as the following movies should be on your to do list.

Bonnie and Clyde

Now here's a pick that's the best example of perfect timing. Just as the Netflix original The Highwaymen is about to tell the story of the law enforcement agents that chased down the outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, the classic 1967 film version of the criminal side of the equation will be available just a couple short days after. An iconic, if not entirely accurate romp, it's one of the films that made Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty household names. So find a partner in crime, and make it a double feature to remember!

Deliverance

While Burt Reynolds was mostly known for being one of the most laid back comedy talents this side of the Mississippi, he was known to be quite the dramatist when he got the right material. You can bet on Deliverance being the right material, as he not only got to kick some revengeful ass with his friends in the Everglades, he even did one of the most dangerous stunts of his career and got a nice trip to the hospital because of it. Burt Reynolds didn't have to go that hard so early in his career. But then again, if he didn't, would this tale of backwoods savagery and retribution be the legend it eventually became?

I Am Legend

It's an oft overlooked film in the Will Smith canon, but I Am Legend showcases some of the actor's best work for a solid majority of the film. Playing a doctor who's lone goal is to survive the byproducts of a viral apocalypse, seeing Smith playing off of some mannequins and a dog for two thirds of a major blockbuster is a pretty impressive feat. Based on Richard Matheson's legendary novella of the same name, the film definitely took liberties with the source material. But what it lacks in direct adaptation, it gains in a modern context that sees Will Smith play more of a remorseful hero, rather than his usual comedic self.

Valkyrie

Going into any discussion of Valkyrie, it's going to bring up the fact that there are some problematic people that made this film about the real life attempt on Adolf Hitler's life. But special context aside, the film stands as a fantastic historical drama that focuses on the intricacies that went into Operation Valkyrie, and the lengths that Col. Klaus Von Stauffenberg and his conspirators would go through. Valkyrie also boasts one hell of an ensemble, as Tom Cruise is joined by the likes of Eddie Izzard, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Kenneth Branagh to tell this important story.

Pineapple Express

It's probably just a coincidence that Pineapple Express happens to be coming to Netflix in the month of April, right? Surely there isn't an unofficial holiday then that would require a film with an extremely pro marijuana message for celebration. But, even if there were, or even if you aren't the type to partake in such a ritual, this Seth Rogen / James Franco comedy is still enough of a gutbuster to have a good, sober time. No pressure, but there are multiple options with this one.

The Hateful Eight

Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is set to debut this summer, bringing the director's self imposed ten movie limit ever so closer. But this is the same conversation we were having when The Hateful Eight was first announced and eventually released to a public eager for smart dialogue and liberal blood splatter. The big difference between those two films is, you can actually watch The Hateful Eight on Netflix next month. And what makes this occasion even more special is the fact that the version hitting the streaming world is the extended, roadshow version shown in theaters.

Burning

Burning is a film that wasn't a widely released blockbuster, but earned a lot of recognition as a potential candidate for Best Foreign Film at last year's Oscars. While those hopes sadly were never realized, the film is about what starts as a reunion of childhood friends, but turns into something more dangerous, and possibly deadly. With The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun in its cast, this film was bound to turn some heads; but the air of mystery surrounding the picture makes it all the more tantalizing to dig in ourselves and enjoy.

Snatch

Everybody likes to fall back on Lock, Stock, and Two Smokin' Barrels when it comes to picking a Guy Richie film. While that's not a bad choice, it is one of the reasons why those who've seen Snatch, Richie's second film, tend to bind together in mutual admiration. A funny, frenetic, and weird film about fixed boxing matches, angry gangsters from both sides of the pond, and a man who actually has teeth made out of the bullets that were used in his attempted murder, so you can kind of see where this is going. But if you're going to see Snatch for one reason, and one reason alone, it has to be Brad Pitt's inspired performance as a boxer with one hell of an accent.

Freddy vs. Jason

Is Freddy vs. Jason the scariest of either the Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street franchises? Not in the slightest. Is it the culmination of one of the most anticipated slasher movie match ups of all time? Oh yes, it is! Let's face it: this movie was going to happen some day, and in the wrong hands, it would have been dismal. But what we got instead was one gigantic showdown between the dream master himself, and the goalie from Hell. It's just a shame we can't get a sequel, but at least there's this one, special film to hold onto for all dear death.

The Fifth Element

Sometimes, when you make a film inspired by a property that you're itching to get the rights to, the new version plays better than the source material. It's what happened to Luc Besson, as The Fifth Element was what happened when his wishes to make Valerian: The City of a Thousand Planets was thwarted in the 1990s. So, instead of whomever the '90s equivalent of Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne were tearing up the big screen, we got Bruce Wills and then newcomer Mila Jovovich as the mismatched pair trying to prevent the end of the galaxy as we know it. And you know something? We're probably all the better for it.

If you're ready for more Netflix action in the month of April, you can find it by looking through the total lineup of April's incoming content. We'll see you again next month, when a new crop of excellent films will be brought to everyone's attention.

UPDATE: Ennio Morricone has responded to Playboy Germany's article, which quoted him as insulting director Quentin Tarantino. Morricone said he never gave an interview with Playboy Germany, and all of their information is "totally false." He went on to say that he considers Quentin Tarantino "a great director," and he's very fond of their collaboration in The Hateful Eight.

Here's Ennio Morricone's full statement (via IndieWire), attempting to set the record straight:

Original post:

Quentin Tarantino is busy making Once Upon A Time In Hollywood for a 2019 release, but this time around it's unlikely he'll be enlisting the efforts of veteran composer Ennio Morricone. Morricone scored The Hateful Eight back in 2015 after working with Tarantino on some of his various other projects, but in a recent interview with Playboy.de he revealed he doesn't have super fond thoughts about the prominent American director. In fact, he went so far as to call Quentin Tarantino a "cretin." Here's his comment, roughly translated from the original German.

My German is not as smooth as my English; however, the word "kretin" really jumps out in this statement. The popular Italian composer has also worked on a slew of popular films, including Sergio's Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time In America, films which Once Upon A Time In Hollywood's title is clearly modeled after. It doesn't really seem as if he respects that sort of nod.

This isn't the first time Ennio Morricone has had some blunt thoughts about The Hateful Eight director. He previously revealed Quentin Tarantino had asked him to work on Inglorious Basterds, but that he wasn't interested due to the grueling schedule he'd worked on previously on projects like Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, movies he landed soundtrack credits on. At the time, Tarantino just chose to use a song they'd worked on previously. Then, Morricone changed his mind and did music again for The Hateful Eight. In fact, after the first comments rolled around, Morricone said they were taken out of context and that he has "great respect" for Tarantino, so perhaps he also didn't choose his words carefully this time around?

Either way, the 90-year-old composer has been in the business a long time and has seen a lot of famous directors come and go. While he says he prefers "greats" like John Huston and Alfred Hitchcock, Ennio Morricone also admits that some of his issues with Quentin Tarantino may have stemmed from the way both men like to work. Tarantino seems to play things fast and loose while Morricone admits he prefers more time to prepare a composition. Morricone also told Playboy.de:

Working with various creative types is not always a walk in the park, and it is clear from these comments Ennio Morricone does not have a ton of fondness for regarding the times he worked with Quentin Tarantino as a director. Elsewhere in the December issue interview, he even refers to the prominent Hollywood director as "trash." He also doesn't seem to have any love lost for the Hollywood and the United States in the interview, also noting he doesn't miss its "self-inflated pomposities."

Ennio Morricone is still very much a fixture in Hollywood, and is doing the music for the upcoming animated feature The Canterville Ghost, with Hugh Laurie, Freddie Highmore, Imelda Staunton and more. As for Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is expected to debut on July 26, 2019. To see more of what is coming up next year, take a look at our full schedule.

Welcome to the 22nd edition of The Cord Cutter Podcast! With the fall finale of Star Trek: Discovery coming up this weekend, now seems like a good time to give our thoughts on the newest entry in the Trek franchise! After an interminable hiatus of 12 years, fans finally have new Star Trek on television, and this week Mick, Adrienne and their guest Mike Reyes will discuss whether or not Discovery is a worthy successor to the franchise. And, after they discuss this week's streaming news and go over what they've each been streaming lately, you can count on this trio to get down to the nitty gritty and talk about everything that's got us excited (or not so excited) about the freshman season of Star Trek: Discovery.

After eight episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access, some fans have made a lot fuss over the fact that the show, which is a prequel that takes place 10 years before The Original Series, not only has a look that's more advanced than that show, but also features some tech that either seems like it shouldn't be around or that doesn't show up in later Trek shows. They'll be getting into that thorny discussion, as well as talk about their favorite characters, if they think the serialized storytelling works, Captain Lorca, the new Klingons, that F-bomb and what exactly is up with two characters who might not be quite who they seem anymore, along with many more intriguing conversational points. Ready to dive in? Great! Read on to get the lowdown on this week's podcast and then listen for yourself above!

2:57 -News (Netflix cuts ties with Kevin Spacey, Netflix email scam, Lord of the Rings TV show)

12:52 -The Weekly Queue (The Hateful Eight, Sleight, Hart of Dixie, Stranger Things S2)

19:32 -Star Trek: Discovery full spoiler discussion

25:17 -The dynamic of following a non-captain character

30:07 -Can Michael ever become a captain?

32:49 -The controversial F-bomb

34:40 -Captain Lorca

37:08 -Serialized vs Episodic storytelling

40:57 -The Klingon War

48:25 -What's up with Stamets?

51:45 -Favorite character(s)

57:39 -Game Time! The Klingon Language Lesson

Now, get in on the fun and have a listen to The Cord Cutter Podcast #22! Join us next time when we reveal all your options for streaming true crime shows! And, be sure to subscribe to The Cord Cutter podcast on iTunes, right here and follow us on Twitter through @CordCutterPod!

The month of September is leaving us, and with it, many old favorites and hidden gems on the Netflix streaming library are departing, too. And yet, the stuff that's coming in the door to replace the outgoing crew is just as spectacular, if not more so. In particular, we have some returning favorites, a couple of proper Halloween season thrills and some long overdue house guests that we've been waiting to put in our queue. So fire up your streaming device of choice and make some room for the following titles.

Before Midnight

A little warning before we move forward with this one: Before Midnight is the third in Richard Linklater's trilogy of films surrounding Ethan Hawke's Jesse and Julie Delpy's Celine. So if you haven't seen Before Sunrise or Before Sunset, then you'll probably be a little lost. Still, Richard Linklater's tale of a couple examining their relationship years down the line doesn't seem all that inaccessible for folks new to the fray. And as always, Hawke and Delpy's double team of sweetness and combativeness is something that has always been hard to replicate outside of this special series of films. If you happen to enjoy Before Midnight, then you'll know what the next two films you have to watch happen to be.

Blood Diamond

While Leonardo DiCaprio had been working towards winning an Oscar for a little over 20 years before he eventually won for The Revenant, some of the films along the way deserve just as much, if not a bit more, recognition than the one that landed him the win. Blood Diamond continued the streak, as it teamed DiCaprio with Djimon Hounsou in a particularly exciting action-drama set in the world of conflict diamonds. While Leo naturally shines in this film, it's Hounsou who really helps give the film a soul as a man who is separated from his family and must engage in the trade that drove them apart in order to have any hope of returning to them.

Eyes Wide Shut

While Eyes Wide Shut is more of a relationship drama when all is said and done, it's Stanley Kubrick's approach to the whole affair that makes his final film an unsung masterpiece of un-officially classified horror. The imagery behind a lot of the moments shown in this sex-charged thriller is downright creepy, and yet rather than repulse its audience, it only draws them in further. Though there's also an added dimension of bittersweet reality, as while Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's marriage on screen looks like it might have a chance, they would eventually divorce two years after the film was released. Whether that adds or detracts to the experience is up to you, as you'll more than likely discuss this film with whomever you watch it with over a night of coffee and intense questioning. Just don't forget to enjoy the movie.

Tommy Boy

One has to wonder that if Chris Farley were still living today, would he and David Spade had the same sort of track record as Adam Sandler? With Tommy Boy starting the pair off on the road to the sort of success Bing Crosby and Bob Hope once enjoyed, it's easy to imagine a slew of road trip films that would have played similar to this one, and its follow up Black Sheep. Yet it's Tommy Boy that's the true gem of the format, as the duo were firing on all cylinders while attempting to sell auto parts across the open roads of the United States.

Raw

The words "French indie horror" sound like something that might scare you, simply because it's shorthand for that friend of yours who can't shut up about the genre. Yet that's exactly the bucket Raw would fall into, as it lives up to all three qualifiers in spades. Julia Ducournau's writing/directing hand leads this tale of a vegetarian going to veterinary college, and the life experiences she has after being forced to eat meat. On the surface, that sounds pretty boring, but when those experiences happen to occur on the slippery slope to full blown cannibalism, that tends to amp up the urgency, and the blood, you'll be seeing throughout the film. Obviously if you're uber-squeamish, you should give this one a hard pass; but if you're a gore hound, you'll probably find pieces of Raw that are a little too creepy even for you. Bon appetite!

Donnie Darko

When you make a debut that's so iconic it takes on a life of its own, almost everything that follows gets unfairly put down. Richard Kelly is someone who has suffered that very fate, as Donnie Darko was such a revelation received as gospel upon its debut that his follow-up films, Southland Tales and The Box, feel like they never had a chance. The merit of those films can be debated another time, but Darko's influence on how those films were received is undeniable, as this was one of the premiere indie darlings at the turn of the millennium. Before Stranger Things or even IT tried to bring back that 80s feeling to a more contemporary horror/thriller, Donnie Darko pioneered that execution, and it's not hard to see why it worked.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

A long time ago, it was rumored that Will Ferrell was going to make a complete trilogy of films with a protagonist whose name would be initialled "RB". Those rumors turned out to be complete bunk, and it's a damned shame considering Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby carried that unofficial torch brightly after Anchorman lit it two years prior. A NASCAR-fueled comedy that pokes fun at, yet lovingly nudges, the sport it's focused on. This is one of the films in Ferrell's canon that tends to get stuck between the darlings and disasters that make up his filmography, and unfairly so, as it's as fast as it is funny.

Meet The Robinsons

The more that Disney tries to make Frozen its new flagship, the more some of their less trumpeted successes start to come out of the woodwork. Case in point: Meet The Robinsons is about to head over to Netflix, and while it's not as widely remembered as the more recent Scandinavian-themed fairy tale, it could be considered a superior Disney film. Between the memorable jokes, fun inclusion of musical moments and time travel, as well as a dinosaur being controlled by a bowler hat, Meet The Robinsons makes its fun nature well known to all. But mix in the classic Disney values of family first, and some really beautiful sentiment about just what family means, and you have a movie worthy of a long amusement park wait.

The Hateful Eight

Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight blew folks out of the water when it premiered in theaters towards the end of 2015. And yet, it's taken the film this long to hit Netflix, which is especially upsetting when you figure out most of his films are still currently being streamed. So if you've put off watching this bloody and balls out stage play of a film, your excuse count just went extremely low. And what's better, you'll be able to rewind at your leisure, which will definitely come in handy at a particularly extreme part towards the middle of the film. We won't say which part, and to you folks at home revisiting this fantastic film, please don't spoil it. Just sit your wayward friends down, start the movie and watch their faces when that scene happens.

Netflix has always been pretty good at keeping things fresh and exciting with its streaming line-up. What's the secret? Apparently, a good dose of purging and acquiring titles for the streaming catalog. Which leads us to the usual announcement of next month's acquisitions in Netflix-land, and October's incoming titles are so good they make September look like August. Of course, we have to warn that these titles are subject to change, so keep an eye out in your queue for specific titles and their availability. Now, without further delay, let's see what Netflix is sending our way just in time for Oktoberfest!

Week of 10/1/17

88 Minutes -- 10/1/17

A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song -- 10/1/17

Before Midnight -- 10/1/17

Blood Diamond -- 10/1/17

Boogie Nights -- 10/1/17

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- 10/1/17

Cleverman: Season 2 -- 10/1/17

Death Sentence -- 10/1/17

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood -- 10/1/17

Eagle vs. Shark -- 10/1/17

Eyes Wide Shut -- 10/1/17

Generation Iron 2 -- 10/1/17

Ghost Patrol -- 10/1/17

I Love You, Man -- 10/1/17

Ice Guardians -- 10/1/17

Lockup: Disturbing the Peace: Collection 1 -- 10/1/17

Made of Honor -- 10/1/17

Miss Congeniality -- 10/1/17

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous -- 10/1/17

Must Love Dogs -- 10/1/17

Never Let Me Go -- 10/1/17

No Reservations -- 10/1/17

Penelope -- 10/1/17

PJ Masks: Season 1 -- 10/1/17

Set Up -- 10/1/17

The Reaping -- 10/1/17

Tokyo Idols -- 10/1/17

Tommy Boy -- 10/1/17

Vanished -- 10/1/17

Veronica -- 10/1/17

Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown -- 10/2/17

Sleeping with Other People -- 10/2/17

13 Demons -- 10/3/17

Rodney Carrington: Here Comes The Truth -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/3/17

Cult of Chucky -- 10/3/17

The Survivalist -- 10/3/17

Raw -- 10/4/17

Bonus Family (Bonusfamiljen): Season 1 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/5/17

Schitt's Creek: Season 3 -- 10/5/17

The Fosters: Season 5 -- 10/5/17

ID-0: Season 1 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/6/17

Skylanders Academy: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/6/17

Suburra: Season 1 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/6/17

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/6/17

Word Party: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/6/17

Chris Brown: Welcome To My Life -- 10/7/17

Middle Man -- 10/7/17

Week of 10/8/17

Christina P: Mother Inferior -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/10/17

The Skyjacker's Tale-- 10/10/17

Donnie Darko -- 10/10/17

Fe de etarras -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM -- 10/12/17

El Especial de Alex Fernández, el Especial -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/13/17

Kingdom of Us -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/13/17

MINDHUNTER: Season 1 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL-- 10/13/17

Super Monsters: Season 1 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/13/17

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby-- 10/13/17

The Babysitter -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM -- 10/13/17

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM -- 10/13/17

Voltron: Legendary Defender: Season 4 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/13/17

Week of 10/15/17

Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses -- 10/15/17

LEGO: City: Season 1 -- 10/15/17

Money -- 10/15/17

OtherLife -- 10/15/17

She Makes Comics -- 10/15/17

West Coast Customs: Season 6 -- 10/15/17

Patton Oswalt: Annihilation -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/17/17

Slasher: Guilty Party -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/17/17

Wedding Unplanned -- 10/19/17

1922 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM -- 10/20/17

Haters Back Off: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/20/17

One of Us -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/20/17

Smurfs: The Lost Village -- 10/20/17

The Day I Met El Chapo: The Kate del Castillo Story -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/20/17

Wheelman -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM -- 10/20/17

Week of 10/22/17

Meet the Robinsons -- 10/23/17

While We're Young -- 10/23/17

Wanted: Season 1 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL-- 10/24/17

Wanted: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL-- 10/24/17

The Mist: Season 1 -- 10/24/17

The Hateful Eight -- 10/25/17

The Final Master -- 10/25/17

La Querida del Centauro: Season 2 -- 10/25/17

Strange Weather -- 10/26/17

Stranger Things 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL-- 10/27/17

Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL-- 10/27/17

Pup Star: Better 2Gether -- 10/28/17

Week of 10/29/17

Judah Friedlander: America Is The Greatest Country In The United States -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/30/17

Zumbo's Just Desserts: Season 1 - NETFLIX ORIGINAL -- 10/31/17

Movie fans, you have a hell of an October ahead of you, as favorites and hidden gems from all walks are to be found! Disney folk will love to see the underseen Meet the Robinsons cropping up again, while Kubrick devotees will be pleased they can watch Eyes Wide Shut on Netflix yet again. But you'll also be able to see some new and recent titles entering the arena as well, with Smurfs: The Lost Village coming to the streaming library after its release earlier this summer, and Cult of Chucky having a Netflix debut on the same exact day it hits Blu-ray and DVD.

Of course, if you're more of a TV person, you won't be disappointed on that front either, as Netflix is debuting some promising originals, like Mindhunter, as well as bringing back old favorites like Stranger Things, in its second season of nostalgic themed sci-fi horror delight. On the network front, horror fans will get to see what The Mist is all about, with season 1 coming online in October, just in time for Halloween. But if you're not into being creeped out, Schitt's Creek's third season and The Fosters' fifth season will both be available throughout the month, to fulfill your binge-worthy wishes.

Netflix has a lot of promising material coming our way throughout October, and you're not going to want to miss any of it! Of course, if you're more interested in what's about to leave, we'll have a guide up later today highlighting the films that are heading out the door. Though you can always check last month's departing list, just to make sure you didn't miss something you really wanted to see recently.

This winter has seen a solid number of movies hit the box office that have resonated with moviegoers. Everything from franchise flicks like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 to wild comedies like Sisters and thoughtful Oscar contenders like The Danish Girl have found audiences and soon even more individuals will be able to catch these flicks. That’s because March looks to be a great month for Digital, Blu-ray and DVD releases. There are some really big movies out this month. Be sure to check out what else is coming out this month, below.

Rumors have been running around for a while now that we might be getting the Digital copy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in March, but Disney confirmed today that both the Digital and the Blu-ray and DVD copies will not be coming out until April 1 (Digital) and April 5 (Blu-ray and DVD), respectively.

In addition, if you are trying to figure out what came out in February, do check out that list:

February 2016 DVD, Blu-ray And Digital Releases

March 1

Creed Blu-ray

We’re living in a time when reboots and remakes are at an all-time high. Creed serves as a lot of things for the Rocky franchise. It’s a sequel, a spinoff and a reboot of sorts, focusing on Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis (Michael B Jordan), who is hiding his true identity while trying to enlist Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to train. It’s also a love letter to Rocky in many ways, as director and writer Ryan Coogler (with some help from fellow writer Aaron Covington) has penned a tale about a young man who is fighting to rise in the ranks of a profession and suffering setbacks along the way, nodding at key moments from the original film throughout. Above all, it’s a damn fine sports movie and a crowd pleaser, to boot, and if you haven’t given the film a chance yet, the Blu-ray and Digital releases are both good options. We all know that Michael B. Jordan really bulked up for his role in the flick, and there’s a whole featurette devoted to what it took to get into Creed shape. There’s another about building on the Rocky legacy that’s worth a watch, as well. Order the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment title, here.

The Danish Girl Blu-ray

Tom Hooper is known for tackling period dramas with sparks of hope and moments of comedy and this year’s The Danish Girl is no exception. Featuring masterful performances from Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl is a story about identity but also about relationships changing. In The Danish Girl Eddie Redmayne plays artist Einar Wegener (Redmayne), who decides to pursue sex reassignment surgery after his wife Gerda needs him to fill in as a female model during a painting session. As Einer transforms into Lili, this obviously puts a strain on her marriage, and also makes her a target in the conservative 1920s. While not historically accurate, the film hits a lot of intriguing notes and tells a story that took years to make it to the big screen. Universal Studios Home Entertainment comes with a Blu-ray and Digital copy of the flick, and while the barebones set only comes with one "Making of" featurette, it’s available for pretty cheap over at Amazon

The Night Before Blu-ray

Anthony Mackie, Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are all pretty funny dudes. Sign them up for a holiday movie from the guy who made 50/50 and Warm Bodies and Sony had the recipe for success. While I don’t know if I’ll re-watch The Night Before quite as many times as I’ve seen A Christmas Story or Bad Santa, this refreshing take on a night out on the town has a lot going for it, including Miley Cyrus. The premise is pretty simple. Isaac (Seth Rogen) is about to become a dad, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is still trying to get his life together while in his thirties, and Chris (Anthony Mackie) is dealing with the pressures of NFL fame. They all go out for one final crazy Christmas Eve bar hopping extravaganza, with the elusive Nutcracker Ball as the prime target. Shenanigans ensue. There are a surprising number of bonus features with the set, including most of the staples that come with comedies, like deleted scenes, a gag reel, and yes a line-o-rama. There’s also a fun "Making of" featurette. It doesn’t state it on the outside of the box, but Sony Pictures Home Entertainment does include a Digital copy with purchase. Order it here.

Other March 1 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Room

Childhood’s End

Strike Back: Final Season (Season 4)

The Americans: The Complete Third Season

All Roads Lead To Rome

Miss You Already

Legend

Don Verdean

Kill or Be Killed DVD

The Fall: Series 2

Z Nation: Season 2

Ratter

Week of March 1 Digital Releases

Sisters

Carol (March 4)

March 8

In the Heart of the Sea Blu-ray

There’s a lot of scope to Ron Howard’s In The Heart of the Sea, an adventure narrative inspired by the real-life tale that inspired Moby Dick in its own right. The story picks up in 1850, and flashes back to a narrative set in 1820, when a young cabin boy named Nickerson (Tom Holland) signed on for a whaling expedition that would be one for the ages on a boat called the Essex run by Captain Pollard (Benjamin Walker), First Mate Chase (Chris Hemsworth) and Second Mate Joy (Cillian Murphy). As a story about a whale wreaking havoc, the visuals are striking and the story is sound, but it’s less spirited than the average seafaring adventure. If you aren’t in the mood for an old-timey, overly long and often tragic story, this probably shouldn’t be your first pick. Be sure to watch it when you’re in the mood for two hours of a whale just kicking humanity’s butt. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s set is chock full of extras looking at the way the film was made. If you’re a Ron Howard fan, there’s a look at his process in a "Captain’s Journal" featurette (which is actually really cool but is basically product placement for Twitter). Deleted scenes and a "Lightning Strikes Twice" documentary about a lost sunken whaling ship are both gems on the disc. A DVD and Digital copy are also included with the Blu-ray release. Order your own copy of In The Heart Of The Sea, here.

The Peanuts Movie Limited Edition Gift Set Blu-ray

Blue Sky Studios’ The Peanuts Movie was highly anticipated before its release, and the crowd pleaser does not disappoint, especially now that it has been cutely packaged in a limited edition gift set that includes a Snoopy toy. Do you need a Snoopy toy? Probably not. Is it adorable? Yes, yes it is. The Peanuts Movie was directed by Steve Martino and has an a. subplot featuring Charlie Brown (Noah Shnapp) trying to entice the Little Red-Haired Girl (Francesca Angelucci Capaldi) to like him and failing at every turn. (Yes, there’s a good lesson to be learned). The B-plot obviously features Snoopy (Bill Melendez) and Lucy (Hadley Belle Miller), to an extent. Even with the sidestory, the narrative works, making for a charming and familiar movie. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment put together the gift set, which also comes standard with an Ultraviolet copy and a DVD. Extras are not super exciting, but there is one memorable feature that some kids will love. "Learn To Draw Snoop, Woodstock and Charlie Brown," is a pretty cute extra and it proves that even positively dreadful drawers can bring the beloved characters to life. Order the Limited Edition Gift set while supplies last, here.

Other March 8 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

The Peanuts Movie

Macbeth

Grease Live!

Community: The Complete Sixth SeasonDVD

Manhattan: The Complete Second Season

Victor Frankenstein

Coming Home

The Spoils of Babylon DVD

NFL Super Bowl 50 Champions: Denver Broncos

Week of March 8 Early Digital Releases

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Daddy’s Home

Point Break

March 15

The Big Short Blu-ray

The housing crisis and subsequent bank bailouts only happened a few short years ago. It happened so recently that nearly everyone should remember the events unfolding and many were personally affected by the housing crisis. Adam McKay’s new movie recreates that emotion in the The Big Short, an Oscar winner featuring an all-star cast playing characters who were prescient enough to see the housing crash before it happened, and ballsy enough to bet against the banks. And when I say all-stars, I mean all-stars. Brad Pitt plays a retired banker who helps two young investors (Finn Wittrock, John Magaro) get their start. Ryan Gosling plays cocky trader Jared Vennett. Steve Carell plays the principled hedge fund manager Mark Baum and Christian Bale plays another hedge fund manager who probably has Asperger’s. His name is Michael Burry, and he has the same identity as the real-life hedge fund manager he is portraying.

The movie is quick and modern, despite being set about decade ago, and features plenty of comedy among its more downer moments, of which there are plenty. It takes finesse to break the fourth wall as much as McKay does, but having Margot Robbie telling people to fuck off in a bathtub helps. The movie is coming into homes thanks to Paramount Home Media Distribution and doesn’t disappoint. The set does come with a DVD and Digital copy and a slew of extras that are also shot in 1080p, including the cleverly named "In the Tranches." (My favorites were the deleted scenes, though.) Order your own copy here.

Sisters Blu-ray

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler rarely disappoint, and even when they produce a movie that doesn’t overall satisfy, it always has some a+ moments. Luckily, Sisters is a film that generally works, following Kate (Fey), a trainwreck who still has temper tantrums on her parents’ lawn and Maura (Amy Poehler), a prim, responsible young woman who could stand to let her freak flag fly. When their parents (Dianne Weist, James Brolin) sell their home, the girls decide to throw one last party, and things get wild. This one’s a raunch comedy and r-rated to boot, and watching two forty-somethings relive their high school years is mostly hilarious. If your not in your forties yourself, the only minor complaint you may have is that some of the references are very decade specific and thus may go over your head. Other than that, Jason Moore’s film is a riot and as a bonus features Eastbound and Down’s Ike Barinholtz, who can never get enough work. There are a fuckton of extras with this set, include stuff you see a lot in comedy releases like extended scenes a gag reel and audio commentary. Then there’s a lot of weirdo extras on the Blu-ray, including one that looked at the visual effects of the pool scene—superfluous right?—and a few more, including outtakes from Bobby Moynihan’s wacky character. Writer Paula Pell even pops up in one of the extras, if you’re into that. Really, you’re not really buying this movie for the extras, so just appreciate that Sisters comes in an unrated edition with a DVD and Digital copy and grab a copy of Twentieth Century Fox’s set, here.

Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray

Between regular HBO, its sister product HBO Go and HBO Now, there are plenty of options for retaining episodes of Game of Thrones. HBO Home Entertainment seems to know the competition is stiff, and has given fans other reasons to buy hard copies, including putting out recent editions of earlier Game of Thrones seasons with sturdy, gorgeous steelbook packaging. The Complete Fifth Season isn’t quite so sturdy, but it is gold-toned and regal, it comes with an additional Digital copy so you can watch it where you want to and is filled with hidden gems (like a little pocket featuring an episode guide).

Obviously, we can’t get into the specifics about the season without getting into Jon Snow spoilers, talk of a slew of deaths and an interesting path for Arya, and I wouldn’t even try to sum up the details and complexities of the show’s main characters in just one paragraph. Luckily, if you are reading this, you are likely already a fan, and Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season will give you some insider information via 12 audio commentaries and one detailed extra about how "The War of The Roses" inspired Game of Thrones. The special "Dance of Dragons" featurette also pops up on Disc 4 and there are even deleted scenes and more to plow through. Order your own copy before the Season 6 premiere.

Brooklyn Blu-ray

John Crowley’s Brooklyn is about a lot of things. It’s about the immigration of a young woman named Eilis (Saiorse Ronan) first and foremost, but also about the complexities of being alone in a new place and finding exactly where you fit in. It’s about returning home to find you have changed while the place you came from hasn’t all that much. It’s a good story and an emotional one, anchored by Ronan’s remarkable performance as Eilis, but also populated by colorful figures, such as boarding house matron Mrs. Keogh (Finola Dwyer), curt department store supervisor Miss Fortini (Jessica Pare) and earnest beau Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen). This is one that’s even better on the second watch, so be sure to nab a copy of Fox Home Entertainment’s set, which also comes with audio commentary and a few promos. Order your own copy here.

March 15 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

Carol

Week of March 15 Early Digital Releases

The Hateful Eight

Concussion

The Program (March 18)

March 22

Daddy’s Home Blu-ray

One of this winter’s most surprising hits, Daddy’s Home starts out as a small competition between stepdad Brad (Will Ferrell) and a mostly absent dad Dusty (Mark Wahlberg), as they play for the affections of two kids (Scarlett Estevez and Owen Wilder). Linda Cardellini is underutilized in Sean Anders’ movie, but otherwise I have few complaints. The movie is amusing, and occasionally unexpected. See: what happens the first time Brad tries to ride a motorcycle. While it’s not reinventing the comedy genre, it’s the perfect movie to watch from the comfort of home. The daddy dance-off near the end of the movie is explored in more detail in the extras on the set, as are some of the stunts. (Pro skaters were used for the halfpipe bit, etc.) Paramount Home Media Distribution’s Blu-ray set also comes with a DVD and Digital copy. Order your own copy here.

Other March 22 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Daddy’s Home

Turn Washington’s Spies: The Complete Second Season

Week of March 22 Early Digital Releases

The Revenant

March 29

The Hateful Eight Blu-ray

There’s always something exciting about visiting a Quentin Tarantino movie, no matter how lengthy or how tight the script is. In The Hateful Eight, the script meanders somewhat, but if you’re willing to roll with it, you’ll find a movie stuffed with wild characters like Major Marquis Warren (Samuel, a bounty hunter who was formerly a black officer during the Civil War, or Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), who may or may not be the new sheriff of Red Rock. When a blizzard forces Warren, Mannix, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and prisoner Daisy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to stop at an establishment called Minnie’s Haberdashery, things seem a little off. Nonetheless, they’re stuck for the night and maybe longer in this quirky, tension-filled western.

While Anchor Bay Home Entertainment’s set comes with the standard DVD and Digital copy alongside the Blu-ray, extras aren’t plentiful. However, the extras that are there do feature a ton of intriguing stuff. Assuming you’re a Tarantino fan already— if you are buying this Blu-ray, you should be—the set features two lengthy extras. One is a really in-depth look at the 70 mm cameras that were built and used on the set, which includes a lot of shoutouts to Panavision but is otherwise cool. There’s also a behind-the-scenes featurette. See for yourself when you get your own copy, here.

Point Break Blu-ray

If there’s one phrase that can describe the remake of Point Break, it’s high-octane, for better or for worse. Ericson Core’s new movie basically takes the original premise of the original, following a dude named Johnny Utah (Lake Bracey) who gets involved with some criminals (Edgar Ramirez, Matias Varela, etc) while working undercover for the FBI. Of course, there’s a girl involved with the group of criminals named Samsara (Teresa Palmer). They all circle the globe to do cool stunts commit crimes in locales as various as the Alps and Paris. I’m sure shooting this movie was a blast; watching it is less so. Warner Bros Home Entertainment’s set does focus on some of the more fun parts of the film: the wild stuntwork. There are four featurettes that are described as "heart-pounding" on the back of the box. Other extras include deleted scenes and trailers, which aren’t really extras, but whatever. Own Point Break by heading here.

Concussion Blu-ray

Concussion is a well-paced, well-constructed and well-acted film about the rise of awareness related to head trauma in the NFL and how it can affect players years down the line. It’s certainly a timely film and a good one, marked by a solid performance from Will Smith, who plays real-life coroner Bennet Omalu in the film. Alec Baldwin and Gugu Mbatha-Raw also have strong turns as as an interested doctor and Omalu’s wife, respectively. The Blu-ray copy from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is certainly worth a watch and the nine deleted scenes and audio commentary that come with the film are also notable. Concussion is also the first brand new Blu-ray Sony opted to release in 4K, so if you have the compatability in your home viewing space, that may be the option preferred. If you are like the rest of us plebians, you can order the Blu-ray, here.

Other March 29 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Forsaken DVD

Archer: The Complete Season 6

When Will Star Wars Release? Here's What We Know

After months and months of build-up, the biggest night in Hollywood has arrived. Tonight, hundreds of the movie industry’s most talented filmmakers and performers will gather in Los Angeles, California to deliver awards to what history will see as some of the greatest films of all time. This year’s crop of nominees features titles from a wide variety of genres, and stylistic directors – really demonstrating the incredible breadth of the art form. But which titles will be taking home Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony? That’s the question we’re here to answer.

As the night unfolds and prizes are handed out this evening, we will be regularly updating this page, highlighting the Oscar winners in all 24 categories. What will the big upsets be? Will your favorite movie of the last year take home the award for Best Picture? Follow along with us and find out!

Best Picture

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Best Director

Adam McKay, The Big Short

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson, Room

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Matt Damon, The Martian

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room

Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Big Short

Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight

Rooney Mara, Carol

Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Animated Feature Film

Anomalisa

Boy and the World

Inside Out

Shaun the Sheep Movie

When Marnie Was There

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Big Short

Brooklyn

Carol

The Martian

Room

Best Original Screenplay

Bridge of Spies

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton

Best Cinematography

Carol

The Hateful Eight

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Sicario

Best Costume Design

Carol

Cinderella

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Best Documentary Feature

Amy

Cartel Land

The Look of Silence

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Best Documentary Short Subject

Body Team 12

Chau, Beyond the Lines

Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah

A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

Last Day of Freedom

Best Foreign Language Film

Embrace Of The Serpent

Mustang

Son of Saul

Theeb

A War

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

Mad Max: Fury Road

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

The Revenant

Best Original Song

"Earned It," Fifty Shades of Grey

"Manta Ray," Racing Extinction

"Simple Song No. 3," Youth

"'Til It Happens to You," The Haunting Ground

"Writings on the Wall," Spectre

Best Original Score

Bridge of Spies

Carol

The Hateful Eight

Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Animated Short Film

Bear Story

Prologue

Sanjay's Super Team

We Can't Live Without Cosmos

World of Tomorrow

Best Live Action Short Film

Ave Maria

Day One

Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)

Shok

Stutterer

Best Film Editing

The Big Short

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Spotlight

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Editing

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing

Bridge of Spies

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Production Design

Bridge of Spies

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Best Visual Effects

Ex Machina

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Making movies is an intense experience, and as the cast and crew spend long hours in tense, stressful situations for months at a time, this time together can have a lasting, lingering impact. Such is the case with Quentin Tarantino’s latest, the western chamber drama The Hateful Eight, but it turns out that Kurt Russell left a weird imprint on his costar Jennifer Jason Leigh.

If you’ve seen The Hateful Eight you know that Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is up for an Oscar for her performance as outlaw Daisy Domergue, spends most of it handcuffed to Kurt Russell’s bounty hunter John "The Hangman" Ruth. Talking to Variety, the actress explained that, while in early rehearsals this was an awkward situation they had to deal with, after a few days, they "were dancing" as if they’d been connected like this for years. In fact, it even left her with an unexpected lasting effect. She explained:

That’s not exactly the kind of impact that you expect acting in a movie to have, but it sounds like being connected, in a very literal manner, to Kurt Russell left Jennifer Jason Leigh with a enduring sense memory, one that may stick around for a while.

Whatever the lasting effect, you probably have to assume that it was worth it. Jennifer Jason Leigh currently has 90 acting credits on her resume in a career as a performer that dates back to 1976 when she was just a teenager (she also directed The Anniversary Party in 2001). But even with all of her fantastic roles, this is her first Oscar nomination. While that’s not always the point, being recognized must feel pretty good. And she delivers one hell of a ferocious performance as well, so the acclaim is well deserved.

The Hateful Eight revolves around eight strangers who wind up snowed in at the same frontier weigh station in post-Civil War Wyoming. No one is what they seem on the surface or who they say they are, and over the course to the movie the mystery unfolds, tensions rise, and violence explodes. Set primarily in one location, in what amounts to one big room, The Hateful Eight plays out more like a play than your typical western. And more than just a western, it needles at the current climate of racial tension in America in ways you don’t expect.

Jennifer Jason Leigh’s character is a notorious outlaw being taken to Red Rock to hang, but addition to her and Kurt Russell, the cast also features Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Dern, Tim Roth, Demian Bichir, Michael Madsen, and Walton Goggins.

There’s a glorious scene in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight where Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Daisy Domergue picks up a guitar and begins to play a song. The song is quiet and haunting and it adds a level of menace to the proceedings inside Minnie’s Haberdashery. At the end of the scene, an angry Kurt Russell grabs the guitar and smashes it in a fit of rage. Daisy Domergue appears horrified. Well, it turns out that look of horror was actually from Jennifer Jason Leigh, because that guitar was a 145 year old antique and the actor had just destroyed it.

Reverb published the story a couple of days ago about what happened to the guitar. Apparently, the plan had been to cut the scene at the end of the song, and then swap the antique out for a replica, that "The Hangman" John Ruth would then destroy. There was apparently a miscommunication and Kurt Russell wasn’t aware of the plan to swap out the guitar. So he simply went to town on the real thing. Now, in a twist worthy of a Tarantino script, it turns out the museum that owned the guitar had never been told the full story about what had happened to their piece.

The Martin Guitar Museum, which lent the authentic 1870s-era Martin guitar, had only been told that an "accident" had happened which they apparently took to mean that something fell on it, or that some other unforeseen and unavoidable event had occurred. Because the guitar was completely smashed because an actor wasn’t told the details properly, they view this as a completely different situation. Dick Boak, the director of the museum now says that the institution will no longer lend guitars for movies under any circumstances. His anger is pretty clear.

Originally, the Reverb story makes it sound like the museum wasn’t particularly upset by the event. They actually asked if they could have the pieces so they could be displayed, because hey, the antique guitar smashed by Kurt Russell in The Hateful Eight is probably worthy of a place of honor. However, Boak now states that they wanted the pieces to attempt to restore the guitar, which they determined was impossible once they realized the extent of the damage.

So, on the one hand, we have a classic and priceless antique that will never be seen again. On the other hand, the guitar’s last act will always be available to see, as its final moments were captured on film forever. Maybe not the best trade, but we’ll say this. That guitar sure made a pretty song.

Jennifer Jason Leigh's career before The Hateful Eight comprised of one of those resumes that could easily have stood the test of time. And before she was asked to star in the latest Quentin Tarantino film, her career almost ended up doing just that – all due to a hiatus she'd taken to enjoy being a mother.

Leigh spoke with The Evening Standard about how the birth of her son with director/ex-husband Noah Baumbach had taken her out of the film game, by choice. Of course, after any time out of the spotlight, work can be hard for an actor to find. This lead to Jennifer Jason Leigh settling into the possibility of moving on from the acting profession, stating the following as her mindset:

At the very least, if The Hateful Eight didn't bring Jennifer Jason Leigh into the fold, she could have moved into writing and directing on a full time basis. So even if acting didn't pan out for her ever again, Leigh wouldn't have dropped off of the face of the Earth. Yet here we are, with a version of The Hateful Eight that not only brought Jennifer Jason Leigh back to acting with a vengeance, but also with an Academy Award nominee to show for it. And to think, if things had gone the way Quentin Tarantino had planned, it wouldn't have happened at all.

While Jennifer Lawrence was a strong candidate for the role of Daisy Domergue, her schedule between press for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and filming Joy didn't allow her to participate in The Hateful Eight, allowing Jennifer Jason Leigh to slip in and own the role herself. Despite Lawrence's acting chops, and the fact that Amber Tamblyn had played the role in the original live read – thus setting a precedent for a younger actor in the role – having Leigh in the role was a happy twist of fate.

Even Quentin Tarantino himself admitted that the experience of Jennifer Jason Leigh's career was a valuable asset when it came to bringing the murderous member of the Domingray Gang to life. And with all due respect to both Lawrence and Tamblyn, Leigh's performance was nothing short of classic Tarantino magic. Nailing all at once the comic, dramatic, and frantic aspects of such a multi-faceted character, Jennifer Jason Leigh should be a hotly talked about prospect for Best Supporting Actress. But should she lose out to her competition, it won't be a total tragedy, as her portrayal of Daisy Domergue will go down in history alongside the vast array of memorable Quentin Tarantino characters.

The Hateful Eight is in theaters now.

You may have heard, but the Academy Awards has been somewhat reprimanded for its lack of diversity over its acting nominations. Just to remind you, for the second year in a row, all 20 nominations in the acting categories went to white thespians.

While none of these oversights were quite as egregious as David Oyelowo missing out for his performance in Selma last year – as that was one of the best performances of the last 25 years – there’s still a hoard of performances that deserved to be recognized in favor of the whitewashing that actually occurred. In fact, here are 6 Academy Award nominations that should have been given to minorities, but were instead overlooked. Can you think of any others?

Best Actor - Idris Elba - Beasts Of No Nation

It was always going to be a long shot that Idris Elba would be recognized for his performance in Beasts Of No Nation. The film itself was released on Netflix – something that the Academy still probably can’t get their head around – while its campaign for recognition never quite built up the momentum it craved. That doesn’t stop Idris Elba’s performance in the war drama from being any less dramatic though, as The Wire actor managed to merge charisma and terror into one intoxicating concoction. Just imagine a more guerrilla-style Last King Of Scotland.

Best Supporting Actress - Tessa Thompson - Creed

Like Straight Outta Compton, the fact that Creed’s one and only Academy Award nomination landed at the feet of Sylvester Stallone is further proof of the Oscars’ problems. Sure, Stallone is actually probably the favorite for the Best Supporting Actor accolade next month, but that doesn’t excuse Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler not claiming Best Actor and Best Director nods, while Tessa Thompson’s lack of a nomination is truly puzzling. Thompson oozes an old-school magnetism, but with modern problems, and she is equal parts stern, sweet, and loving, proving to be the perfect foil to Michael B Jordan’s Donnie. At 32, this is hopefully only the beginning. But Creed would have been the perfect role for the mainstream to have really started celebrating her talents.

Best Supporting Actor - Benicio Del Toro – Sicario

Despite being one of the most blistering and suspenseful thrillers of the last 15 years, Sicario has mostly been overlooked at the Oscars. Sure, it picked up Best Sound Editing, and Best Original Score nods, while there was also the obligatory recognition for Roger Deakins’ Cinematography. But it was the leading trifecta of actors that kept Sicario ticking and captivating. While Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin were admirable, it was Benicio Del Toro who truly excelled and elevated Sicario. He often lingered on the edge of the story before then launching into the film sporadically, instantly injecting it with a visceral, raw, and brutal energy. It’s everything that you want from a supporting performance... unless your name is Oscar.

Best Actor – Samuel L. Jackson - The Hateful Eight

Samuel L. Jackson uttering Quentin Tarantino’s dialogue is one of the most joyful sights in cinema. Sure, after Pulp Fiction, you’d assume that any further collaboration between the duo would just pale in comparison. But Jackie Brown, Django Unchained, and, now The Hateful Eight prove that Jackson continues to pronounce Tarantino’s script with an edge and energy that others just can’t match. Yeah, I’m talking to you Christoph Waltz. While The Hateful Eight might only match, rather than eclipse, the actor's previous QT collaborations, Samuel L. Jackson still deserved to be recognized because of just how damn enjoyable it was to watch him in action.

Best Actress - Mya Taylor/Kitana Kiki Rodriguez - Tangerine

While Tangerine first garnered attention because of the fact that Sean S. Baker shot the entire film using just three iPhone 5s, once people actually sat down to watch the film, the discussion turned to just how unique and enchanting it was. Most of this was because it eschewed the usual privileged, white problems that have become commonplace in the indie landscape, and was invigorated by the leading performances of Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez. Both deserved nominations, but one would have sufficed. Taylor and Rodriguez trail-blaze their way through Tangerine with a swagger and energy that has hardly been seen before on screen, and you literally can’t take your eyes off them as they do so.

Best Picture - Straight Outta Compton

OK, while not technically a performance, Straight Outta Compton's Oscar nominations breakdown sums up what was wrong with the Oscars this year. I say breakdown, but Straight Outta Compton actually only received one Oscar nomination, and the fact that it went to the all-white foursome of Jonathan Herman, Andrea Berloff, S. Leigh Savidge, and Alan Wenkus for their work on Best Original Screenplay is indicative of the Academy’s problem. Sure, the aforementioned quartet deserved their recognition, but the fact that the entire film wasn’t as equally supported was just plain peculiar. Supporting Actor nominations for Jason Mitchell or Corey Hawkins, as well as a Best Director nod for F. Gary Gray would have been understandable, but the biggest omission was its lack of a Best Picture nomination. Not only did its $28 million gross $200.4 million, but it also stretched to create a visceral, period piece that was epic in it scale and ambitiously depicted one of the most racially charged periods in American history. The Academy should take note.

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Everything old is new again. Last month Quentin Tarantino reminded us what classic film epics used to look like when he released his new movie The Hateful Eight in a special 70mm format. The roadshow was incredibly successful for its size and now it looks like other studios may have taken notice. A rumor that started last month that Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice may also be shown in 70mm now has some evidence to back it up.

The major difficulty with releasing films in 70mm previously has been that few studios had the functioning equipment to make it happen. However, since Quentin Tarantino and Miramax did the legwork to make sure that 70mm projectors ended up in 100 cities in North America, it’s now feasible for other movies to follow in their wake. A member of the message board on Film-Tech.com who lives in Minnesota says that Warner Brothers called him last week to "re confirm" that his theater had 70mm capability. While he doesn’t specifically say this was in reference to Dawn of Justice, as Warners probably didn’t say anyway, there’s certainly a possibility the question was for something else, but the new superhero movie is certainly the most likely choice.

Batman v. Superman on 70mm is a significantly different animal than The Hateful Eight was. Quentin Tarantino’s movie was shot on film in order to achieve the 70mm print. Dawn of Justice reportedly was shot digitally, and would have to be transferred to film. As some people on the message board point out, the digital effects often don’t transfer as well onto film, meaning the movie actually doesn’t look as good as it would in its native format.

70mm was the format used for epic films like Lawrence of Arabia back in their day. Today the superhero movie is our epic. In theory, seeing the two greatest comic book heroes ever battle it out on the biggest scale possible feels like something that you’d just have to see. In practice, however, it’s possible that the movie might lose something in the transition from digital to film.

Whether or not Warner Brothers decides to release Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice in this format, it’s clear that Quentin Tarantino has started conversations in movie studios across the country. We may very well start to see a resurgence of this format, which could result in it’s regular, if not widespread, use. Are you interested in seeing more movies in 70mm, or are there already too many choices when it comes to how to watch your movie?

The latest film from director Quentin Tarantino, the snowbound western The Hateful Eight, hasn’t been as big a hit as the filmmaker or The Weinstein Company hoped, but it’s pretty awesome. The script is full of characters with shadowy motivations and stories, and our perception of them changes the more we learn. As much as we do find out, however, Tarantino doesn’t parse out everything, leaving some mysteries to linger. Throughout, Walton Goggins’ character, Chris Mannix, claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock, but we never find out one way or another if that’s the truth or bluster. One person that knows is Goggins himself, and the actor recently chimed in on the matter.

To be honest, Goggins doesn’t actually give a concrete answer one way or another, so if you absolutely must know, sorry, you’re going to leave frustrated. Talking to Rolling Stone, the 44-year-old actor revealed that he knows the answer, but that finding out wasn’t necessarily as easy as Quentin Tarantino simply telling him yes or no. He said:

That’s a damn near perfect answer. The ambiguity of not knowing one way or another serves to add additional layers of uncertainty and mystery to what is already a movie where characters are enigmatic and evolve over time. As The Hateful Eight progresses, we find out information that drastically changes how we look at different characters.

No one is who they seem at first or who they say they are. Depending on if you believe that Chris Mannix is, as he claims throughout, the new sheriff of Red Rock, you’re going to look at him and his actions in a very different way than if he was lying the whole time.

I also love how Quentin Tarantino approached the subject. Not only did he trust his actor enough to come to such a conclusion on his own, he himself, the guy who wrote the script and directed The Hateful Eight, didn’t even want to know. That’s badass.

The Hateful Eight rolled out in two different versions. One, roughly 20 minutes longer, was released on Christmas Day, playing in 70mm in a limited number of theaters, the widest release in that format in decades. You may remember the to-doo about retrofitting theaters to handle the now somewhat obscure technology and all of the projection issues that followed suit. A shorter version was released wide later on a digital format, allowing more theaters to show the movie.

We have to admit, we thought that The Hateful Eight seemed like a sure thing at the Oscars, considering Quentin Tarantino's track record since 2009's Inglorious Basterds brought him back to the big show. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be – and while that's bummed some of us out, Tarantino himself is still driven as ever. In fact, he wants to become such an iconic presence that the Oscars will have to rename the award for Best Original Screenplay.

At least, that's how the famed director sees it, and his exact plan to get his way was laid out in an interview that Tarantino conducted with GQ. Quentin Tarantino's game plan is laid out, as follows:

While the goal of becoming the record-setting winner of Best Original Screenplay Oscars is lofty, and definitely in the realm of egoism that the director of The Hateful Eight usually occupies, his criteria for his record isn't that greedy. Considering the current record for Best Original Screenplay wins is held by Woody Allen for his 3 wins across his career, setting himself up for one over the line is definitely ambitious, but modestly so. If anything, the more grandiose portion of Tarantino's record breaking dream is the one where the trophy would be renamed "The Quentin."

Four wins in ten films is still pretty impressive when all is said and done, but even with that successful of a run, renaming the honor after one person seems pretty improbable. Hypothetically, Quentin Tarantino probably knows this himself, and made the statement just out of the pure manic fun that he happens to have with most of his press interviews. Renaming an honor that prevalent would not only set an unfair bar for whomever is nominated in the future, it also opens the door for all other Oscar categories to undergo the same treatment. But while getting the Best Original Screenplay trophy renamed "The Quentin" doesn't seem like a possibility, there is another way Tarantino could make his mark on the Academy Awards.

It's an outside chance, but if Quentin Tarantino's legendary career leaves a deep enough impression with The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, he could get a separate award named after him. Much like the Golden Globes has the Cecil B. Demille Award, or the Oscars has the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, there could be a "Quentin Tarantino Award" for some sort of special honor the Oscars may choose to associate with the director's name. More than likely, the award would be issued for a specific achievement in the field of screenwriting, seeing as it's the bread and butter of Tarantino's career. This too sounds like a big ask, but at the very least it's logistically sound, and doesn't create as many waves as Tarantino's true wishes would.

Longshot or not, Quentin Tarantino's contribution to the world of modern film is undeniable. Whether it's worth of its own special Oscar or not is to be debated, but at the very least the mention of his name and that special honor doesn't seem all that crazy. At the very least, it pleasantly fits with Tarantino's eccentric style, and it makes for a fun story in the highlight reel of the man's career. For now, we'll eagerly await his next two films, and see if he does indeed break the Best Original Screenplay record.

The Hateful Eight is currently in theaters nationwide.

In the various reviews written about Quentin Tarantino’s masterful, menacing and wordy Western, The Hateful Eight has been called many things. "Unruly," "bloody," "entertaining" and "devilishly good" are a few that caught the eye as I scanned the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page. They don’t come close to a new report on the film filed by the media watchdog group, Media Research Center. Wait until you hear this.

The conservative group, which refers to itself as America’s Media Watchdog and carries the label "The Leader in Documenting, Exposing and Neutralizing Liberal Media Bias" (according to its own Web site), is preparing a detailed breakdown on the violence and offensive material found in Tarantino’s latest movie, The Hateful Eight. In a sneak preview of the report to The Hollywood Reporter, Dan Gainor, VP of Business and Culture for the Media Research Center, revealed:

Needless to say, the Media Research Center didn’t enjoy it. Not one little bit. In fact, you likely won’t see this blurb on the DVD cover of The Hateful Eight when Quentin Tarantino’s movie eventually hits home theater. The MRC, through Dan Gainor, called it:

Harsh!

Now, the next obvious question has to be, "What did you expect?" Quentin Tarantino doesn’t exactly make romantic comedies – even though he claims to love the genre – or musicals. (Though, now that I’ve said it, a Tarantino musical sounds outstanding.) His titles, alone – from Kill Bill to Death Proof and, yes, The Hateful Eight -- suggest an edge that’s likely going to have a conservative group like the MRC on its heels. Tarantino stirred several pots in the weeks leading up to the release of The Hateful Eight, joining pro-life protests that stood up to controversial police activities. And the MRC brought up with they call the hypocrisy of Tarantino’s off-screen opinions on gun violence, given the amount of gun violence he puts into his own story.

The Weinstein Company did not respond to a request by THR for comment.

Audiences, so far, have been responding well to The Hateful Eight. As THR notes, it has banked north of $42 million, and we reported that the movie broke several individual records at single movie theaters when it screened in 70mm – the format that Quentin Tarantino trumpeted to the masses. Did you see it? Was it more violent than you anticipated? Or do you know what to expect from Tarantino at this stage of the game?

After an impressive Golden Globes win for The Hateful Eight's stellar soundtrack, Ennio Morricone's award for Best Original Score was accepted by the director of the film – Quentin Tarantino. During a speech that could only be delivered by the Pulp Fiction director himself, he made a pretty wild claim that Ennio Morricone hadn't won an award for any film he'd done. Which left us scratching out heads, as that claim didn't sound very accurate. As it turns out, looking into the actual text of Tarantino's argument proves his remarks correct, but to a certain extent.

Before we go any further, we'd like to present Tarantino's complete remarks from tonight's show – minus the two major digressions that he embarked on within the meat of his argument. His speech was, as follows:

While everyone, including ourselves, latched on to the first part of Quentin Tarantino's remarks, it's what he says right after that really counts. As it turns out, Ennio Morricone actually has won two previous Golden Globes – one in 1987 for The Mission and one in 2000 for The Legend Of 1900. So the initial claim that Morricone has never won an award for any of his films is, naturally, a load of bunk. However, what we think Tarantino is trying to say in his remarks is that the legendary composer hasn't won for any work he's done on an American film. In which case, he's absolutely correct.

The Hateful Eight is the first American film that Ennio Morricone has been awarded the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's highest honor, as both previous films were foreign productions. The Mission was a joint venture between the UK and France, and The Legend Of 1900 was an Italian film; so in a roundabout way, Quentin Tarantino was correct in what he had said. It's just that he unfortunately didn't do a good job of putting it into words. But then again – it's Globes night, and if you can speak straight after winning a Golden Globe, then you should probably check your pulse.

In any case, we'd like to congratulate Ennio Morricone for winning his third Golden Globe for Best Original Score, which just happens to be his first for an American film. The Hateful Eight was well served by his score, as well as Quentin Tarantino's script and direction, and it's a well deserved honor. However, we'd like to give a little advice to Mr. Tarantino for his next awards acceptance speech: draft them like you would your films, sir. The second pass always saves you in the end.

Stay tune to Cinema Blend for more live Golden Globes coverage, including a current list of the evening's winners.

I spent four years in film school, so let me tell you one definitive thing I learned during that period of my life: making a movie can prove to be a long and grueling process. After a strenuous shoot sometimes all you want to do is close your eyes and get some rest. If you ever find yourself on a film set, try to fight that urge. For one thing it’s incredibly unprofessional, and if you’re on one of Quentin Tarantino’s sets, you will receive an even worse form of embarrassment.

Frequent Tarantino collaborator Tim Roth recently opened up to EW about the director’s tactics for shaming those who fall asleep on his set:

I don’t know about you, but I am suddenly full of conflicting desires. Part of me desperately wants to go watch a Quentin Tarantino film be made so I can witness the awesome dildo prank that is "Big Jerry," while part of me never wants to go anywhere near one of these sets for fear that I might end up on the "Board of Shame." Tim Roth elaborated further that there’s no point in fighting the shaming process when it comes to Big Jerry, because if you take the photo down off of the board they simply will put another one up that’s even bigger. He also shared rumors that, on the set of Django Unchained, one crewmember’s anger over the photo led to the rest of the crew wear shirts with the photo plastered on the front.

Based on everything we know about Quentin Tarantino, none of these hilarious frat house antics seem the least bit surprising. He has always been known for being something of a control freak on his sets. For example, we only recently reported that he doesn’t allow a single cell phone on any of his live sets. When you walk onto the premises, your phone is collected, and if you need to make a call you retrieve it and leave. The presence of Big Jerry on his set also makes a great deal of sense when we think about the conversation the characters from Reservoir Dogs have at the beginning of the film about Madonna's "Like A Virgin."

As odd as Tarantino’s methods are, we cannot argue with his results. After getting behind the camera for eight features he has yet to produce a bad film, so there has to be something to the way he conducts business. Also, knowing about Big Jerry definitely makes certain scenes from The Hateful Eight feel a little different in retrospect. That film is in theaters now so be sure to check it out.

When Quentin Tarantino put forth his plan to do a roadshow for The Hateful Eight, it looked like an interestingly novel idea. A 70mm presentation of the film, with an overture and an intermission just like the classic film epics of a bygone era. They even had ushers handing out programs. It sounded like just the sort of things that film geeks like us would be up for. Either there are a lot more film geeks out there than we thought, or the roadshow had a much broader appeal than we expected because the limited release of The Hateful Eight set records in several theaters.

In total, six different theaters had record box offices for both their opening weekend and their first full week of release. The Music Box in Chicago, for example, did over $100,000 in the movie's first weekend and nearly doubled that over the course of the first week. Other theaters that had record weeks include: the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, in Austin, TX; the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, MD; Boston’s Coolidge Corner Theatre; the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Mass.; and the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Ore.

While none of the box office numbers from The Hollywood Reporter are necessarily the kind that will blow you away, most of these are specialty theaters that don’t run large numbers of movies or have an infinite number of screens. They don’t tend to run the biggest blockbusters so filling theaters can be unusual. The roadshow production of Hateful Eight was a unique animal. As a limited release feature, it was just the sort of film that these theaters are expected to show, but with the name of Quentin Tarantino attached, and the marketing behind the unique presentation, it brought people into the theater in large numbers.

As somebody who attended an early 70mm screening, I can tell you that I found myself at a theater in town that I’d only been to once before in my life, and was surprised to end up standing in a line that rivaled the one I stood in to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

It will be interesting to see if the success of The Hateful Eight here influences other movies to follow suit with similar presentations. These theaters would certainly love to see that sort of business more often, and while the $4.6 million that the film’s opening weekend brought in is not the kind of business that most studios would even notice, the per theater average was more than any other film that weekend.

Did you attend The Hateful Eight roadshow? What was your experience? Would you attend similar events in the future if you had the opportunity? Let us know in the comments below.

The issues around the release of The Hateful Eight just keep on coming. Quentin Tarantino’s eighth movie will now have a severely limited release in the U.K after three major cinema chains made the announcement that they will not be screening The Hateful Eight at all. Cineworld, which is the second largest chain in the U.K. recently made a statement about this decision:

Yikes. Whoever made this deal is sure to be in hot water, because this reportedly has the potential to be millions of dollars lost for The Hateful Eight. And I’ve got to say, it does make sense for the three chains to decide to give Quentin Tarantino’s movie the proverbial finger.

So much of the hype around Hateful Eight revolves around Quentin Tarantino’s use of 70MM film to capture the beauty in each shot. Apparently the folks behind distributing the film to various theaters made an exclusive deal with one theater, Odeon Leicester Square, to show the special 70MM version of the film. Meaning every other movie theater in the U.K. would be forced to watch the plain old version. How disappointing.

The Hateful Eight marks the first time in years that 70MM film is being utilized, so it’s gained a ton of attention. Additionally, the majority of theaters had to purchase new equipment, as well as implement training courses to make sure the staff knew how to properly screen the film. Presumably, a mass of U.K. theaters put the time and money to show The Hateful Eight in 70MM, before finding out that this was done in vain. After that slap in the face, it’s logical that the theaters would want to get back at Quentin Tarantino and The Weinstein Company by refusing to show the film at all.

Quentin Tarantino’s newest film has been surrounded by controversy for months now. First, the inconvenience of equipment theaters with 70MM served to make headlines. Then, Quentin Tarantino’s controversial statements about police brutality resulted in a boycott of The Hateful Eight by many law enforcement officers and families. This was followed by a discussion about sexism and misogyny regarding Jennifer Jason Leigh's character’s treatment throughout the film. Finally, the release date and competition with The Force Awakens, as well an anti-Disney tirade that Tarantino went on, put the film in more hot water. That’s a ton of drama.

Financially, The Hateful Eight might be in hot water after potentially losing millions of dollars overseas. It should be interesting to see how this impacts the success of Quentin Tarantino’s latest labor of love. We’ll keep you updated as more information is available.

Quentin Tarantino is the kind of guy who knows that as film directors get older, they tend to lose their talents. With a self imposed retirement cap of 10 films, The Hateful Eight leaves the director at two films until his curtain call. Lucky for us, he has three concepts he's itching to tackle in the next ten years.

While Tarantino doesn't have any genre pictures burning a hole in his pocket anymore, NME picked up on the following three pitches working their way through his labyrinthine mind:

Now those first two concepts are square within the Quentin Tarantino wheelhouse, as gangsters and driving are two of the passions that he's made work for him within his films. The former idea sounds like it would be an absolute pleasure to see Tarantino tackle, as the words would fly faster than the bullets, and the period surroundings would only amplify the madness. We could easily see Samuel L. Jackson and Channing Tatum, both of whom co-starred in The Hateful Eight, somehow being a part of this film. And while we're at it, we'll wait with our fingers crossed for a lavish return of Uma Thurman to seal the deal. As for that driving montage, we've seen something similar to that in Death Proof, so we'd really need to hear more about what that story truly entails before getting on board.

In all honesty, the one concept of the lot that has us really amped is the one inspired by The Exorcist. Knowing that Quentin Tarantino wants to not only scare audiences, but also do so by preying upon their fears slowly and deliberately, has our minds racing. As if burying The Bride alive in Kill Bill Vol. 2 wasn't enough of a horror sequence already, adding the supernatural to the Tarantinoverse would be something altogether new and exciting. While there's a good chance the typical humor and dialogue of a Tarantino film would be dialed down, so as to enhance the scares, we're sure they'll be one or two extra effective moments of pure monologue gold included to bolster the exposition.

We're not looking forward to the eventual retirement of Quentin Tarantino, but at least with his intent to be working at least for the next decade or so, we're glad he's working on at least three ideas that could yield high quality entertainment. Though if he also changes his mind, and decides to pull a Kevin Smith by staying in the film game for longer as planned, then we can't blame him for that decision either.

The Hateful Eight is currently in theaters now.

If you’re going to see a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson, there’s at least a line or two that you’ll go home reciting to yourself and your friends when you need entertainment. Like the rest of us, Stephen Colbert has noticed this, and challenged the badass actor to deliver some of the most classic lines – in an effort to steal them for himself. Watch this exciting challenge below!

Samuel L. Jackson fulfilled this Herculean task of line reading during his recent appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and you can tell he was having fun while visiting to promote The Hateful Eight. Working his way through lines from such classics as Gone With The Wind, The Graduate, and even The Lord Of The Rings; Jackson nailed each line with his trademark brand of attitude and authority. While we can’t quite agree that these lines will belong to Samuel L. Jackson for perpetuity, we can definitely say that if any of these films were up for a remake, we’d have no problem seeing Jackson himself filling any of the key roles. At the very least, there’s comedy sketch gold to be mined in these hills, especially with Jackson’s portrayal of Gandalf sounding more like a Blaxploitation hero than a resident of Middle Earth. Frankly, that’s a concept we never knew we wanted to see until it was realized in this video.

Memorable dialogue comes from two places: the writer who’s crafting the dialogue, and the actor who’s hired to bring those words to life. So naturally, Samuel L. Jackson’s reputation as a master of lines that stand out is, in part, thanks to his inherent talent with delivery of said lines. But the other party that helped make Jackson so memorable in the film-going subconscious is, of course, frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino. If you think his career would be the same without Jules Winfield’s "Ezekiel 25:17" speech from Pulp Fiction, then you really should think again. If anything, the more Tarantino and Jackson work together, the more memorable both parties become – as their work is legendary for sticking out with audiences as well as any well-paced Marvel action set-piece.

The tradition of memorable scenes involved Samuel L. Jackson continues with his role in The Hateful Eight, as anyone who has seen it will tell you his monologue right before a crucial moment in the film is the stuff film students post on their walls for inspiration. We won’t spoil the exact details of what his speech entails, but when Demian Bichir’s Bob starts playing "Silent Night" on the piano, you’re going to hang on every single word that comes out of his mouth. If you haven’t had a chance to experience The Hateful Eight for yourself, you can find it in Digital and/or 70mm presentations at a theater near you.

I’ve only seen The Hateful Eight one time. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and thought it was some of the best dialogue writer-director Quentin Tarantino has conjured in quite some time. Some who have been lucky enough to see The Hateful Eight a second time (or more) claim that it gets better once you know all of the characters and fully understand their true motivations. And that might be the case. But for me, the best part of the story was not knowing, and waiting to decipher the inherent mystery in the plot. And it sounds like I’m not alone.

Quentin Tarantino is out promoting his latest movie, The Hateful Eight, which opened in limited release on Christmas Day (in 70mm format, where available) and has been expanding in subsequent weeks. While speaking with IGN about the various Westerns that influenced his tone on Hateful, Tarantino revealed Samuel L. Jackson’s favorite part about working on this, his latest QT film:

Sam Jackson is referencing the famous Hercule Poirot, the lead detective in numerous Agatha Christie novels, as Quentin Tarantino was telling IGN that he was catching up with the author’s And Then There Were None… (also published as Ten Little Indians). The reference is a direct nod to the conclusion of The Hateful Eight, though I’ll leave it for you to figure out, in case you’ve read this far without seeing the actual movie.

So, Samuel L. Jackson’s favorite part was mine, as well. While The Hateful Eight boasts many of Quentin Tarantino’s trademark cinematic tools – from lyrical and boisterous dialogue to bloody shootouts that surprise the audience with their levels of violence – the thing I found most intriguing about the story as it unfolded was the mystery of who was playing whom? Even as we have been lucky enough to speak with cast members from The Hateful Eight, they all have their theories about the movie. Kurt Russell has a great theory about his character, John Ruth, while Walton Goggins told me what scene he’d LOVE to see after the movie concludes.

The bottom line is, everyone seemed to enjoy working on The Hateful Eight with Tarantino. Did you enjoy watching it? 

If you’ve been paying any sort of attention at all, you’re well aware that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a box office juggernaut. It took 16 days to hit the $700 million mark domestically, a number that took Avatar, the highest grossing movie ever, 72 days to achieve. That’s a long way of saying it’s decimating the competition in theaters, including Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, and distributor Harvey Weinstein thinks maybe they made a mistake opening against one of the most anticipated movies of all time.

Thus far, Quentin Tarantino’s latest stab at the western, the three-hour-long The Hateful Eight, has done solid box office business. Talking to Variety, however, Harvey Weinstein, who has been behind every one of the director’s previous films, said he thinks it would have been bigger in a different release slot, adding:

With more than $1.5 billion worldwide, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has done nothing but demolish records since it was released on December 18, including biggest opening weekend, the fastest movie ever to hit $100 million, $200 million, and so on up the line. No one expected The Hateful Eight, or any other movie for that matter, to put up much of a fight, but it certainly sounds like Weinstein hoped for a better showing.

The Hateful Eight began its run on Christmas Day in a limited number of theaters, around 100 that screened the film on 70mm film, the widest release in that format in years, and performed well. This past weekend it finally expanded to more than 2000 theaters, and in a shorter, digital format, bringing in $16.2 million.

Though that’s a decent number, it’s below the estimated $20 million some experts put out there, and it ranks near the bottom for Quentin Tarantino openings, only beating out Jackie Brown’s $9.3 million debut. For context, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 opened at $22.1 and $25.1, respectively, while Inglorious Basterds hit $38 million. None of those films, however, faced such stiff box office competition.

Harvey Weinstein believes the gross would have been at least double without Star Wars monopolizing all of the screens (it is still showing on more than 4000), and Quentin Tarantino has said that Disney was trying to "fuck him." Still, Weinstein expects The Hateful Eight to have some endurance. Hyper-violent, three-hours-long, and taking place largely in a single location, this was never a movie that was going to have across-the-board appeal, but largely positive reviews and Tarantino’s devoted fan base—along with a relatively modest budget of around $40 million—should even things out a bit.

The Hateful Eight and Star Wars: The Force Awakens are both in theaters now.

Vulgarity, obscenity, and all-around offensive rhetoric have characterized Quentin Tarantino’s career over the years; it’s what fans of his work have come to expect (and love). The Hateful Eight is no different. Taking place in the tumultuous post-Civil War period of American history, the film tackles major themes associated with race and bigotry. The director has never shied away from these issues before, but recently admitted that The Hateful Eight is the first time in his career that he decided to edit out a piece of dialogue.

A new report from The Telegraph indicates that Tarantino cut a line of dialogue spoken by Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins). The line of dialogue was:

Walton Goggins’ character would have uttered the line towards the beginning of the film when Mannix – a former confederate turned Red Rock Sheriff – explains his view of race relations to Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson). Tarantino decided to remove the line following the recent, tragic mass shooting at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina in which a domestic terrorist opened fire on a number of black parishioners in the name of white supremacy and the Confederate flag. Of course, when the line was filmed, nobody could have expected that such a tragedy would occur in South Carolina, but through an incredible sequence of coincidences, the line had greater meaning beyond its application towards post-Civil War whites.

The director’s stance on the Confederate flag is one of utter disdain, stating in the same Telegraph interview that it represents the "American swastika" and praised its widespread banning over the summer. Quentin Tarantino also took part in the Rise Up movement, which aimed to take a stand against police brutality – particularly towards the African American community. Later in his interview with The Telegraph, he laid out his opinion regarding the current state of affairs regarding southern racism and the Confederacy:

While his movies contain racist characters as well as a few slurs that we’re not going to type out, Quentin Tarantino has come out as a vocal opponent of racist rhetoric. Prior to The Hateful Eight, his previous outing behind the camera on Django Unchained took a look at slavery through the lenses of the Blaxploitation genre, and featured the titular Django (Jamie Foxx) getting revenge against southern white racists for their mistreatment of the African American community during the 1800s.

All of this seemingly adds up to Tarantino simply not being comfortable leaving such a topical and unintentionally poignant line in the final product of The Hateful Eight. In the end we think Tarantino made the right call by pulling the line from the film. Those of you who have seen the director’s latest film already know that censoring one single line doesn’t exactly neuter the film’s message or its vulgar content. Would you agree? The Hateful Eight is currently out in theaters now.

Beginning its third week in release Star Wars: The Force Awakens continues to dominate the box office. Most movies with massive openings tend to drop off more quickly than others, but the seventh Star Wars film continues to buck that trend, slipping just 40% each weekend, retaining a death grip on the number one spot and securing a truly significant place in box office history: biggest domestic total of all time.

Adding $88 million this weekend, The Force Awakens shredded its way into $700 million territory to the tune of $740 million in domestic sales. That's just $20 million away from topping Avatar's record holding $760 million domestic total, a goal it will probably hit before next weekend rolls around. The question now is whether or not the movie will become the first ever to break $1 billion. While the movie is still going strong, that mark is still over $250 million away and hardly a sure thing.

While the movie is busting its way along in North America, the movie isn't doing as well internationally as other recent massive blockbusters. Looking at the top ten world-wide grossing movies, they tend to have a 2 to 1 ratio of sales between international and domestic. For example, Avatar, the current world-wide grossing champion, had over $2 billion in international sales compared with its $760 million domestic. Titanic grossed $1.5 billion internationally to its $658 million domestic. So far Star Wars: The Force Awakens is almost 1 to 1, having just $770 million in international sales compared to $740 million domestic. Why?

For one thing, the movie hasn't hit China yet. Avengers: Age of Ultron drew almost $250 million from Chinese audiences and Star Wars: The Force Awakens could do just as well in that market, but even that wouldn't be enough to cover the difference. Another element is ticket prices. The Force Awakens has been doing exceptionally well (record breakingly well, in fact) in IMAX and 3D venues where ticket prices are higher. The domestic market makes up a sizable portion of those sales, giving it another edge over international prices. And then there's the tendency of American Star Wars fans to engage more often in repeat viewings than their international brethren. Why see it once when you can see it twice? Every weekend. For the rest of January!

With no other new releases the box office top ten looks pretty much the same as last weekend with the exception of The Hateful Eight popping from tenth place to third as it expanded into wide release with a $16 million wide opening weekend. You might not consider that too bad given that it's in the shadow of Star Wars, but it's two step backwards for Tarantino whose last two movies, Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained each cleared $100 million. Hateful Eight looks to settle in somewhere between $50 to $75 million.

For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

$88,300,000Total: $740,265,583LW: 1

THTRS: 4,134

Daddy's Home

$29,000,000Total: $93,684,495LW: 2

THTRS: 3,342

The Hateful Eight

$16,240,000Total: $29,577,963LW: 10

THTRS: 2,474

Sisters

$12,580,000Total: $61,703,640LW: 4

THTRS: 2,978

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

$11,800,000Total: $67,376,640LW: 5

THTRS: 3,474

Joy

$10,400,000Total: $38,721,460LW: 3

THTRS: 2,924

The Big Short

$9,000,000Total: $32,979,117LW: 6

THTRS: 1,588

Concussion (2015)

$8,000,000Total: $25,370,000LW: 7

THTRS: 2,841

Point Break (2015)

$6,845,000Total: $22,430,000LW: 8

THTRS: 2,910

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

$4,625,000Total: $274,222,959LW: 9

THTRS: 1,485

The following interview contains major spoilers for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. Please steer clear if you haven’t yet seen the director’s bloody (and bloody good) Western mystery thriller.

By the end of Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, all but two of the hateful characters have met their maker. The only two survivors are Samuel L. Jackson’s Major Marquis Warren and Sherriff Chris Mannix, played by the wily Walton Goggins. Though, how much longer the two men will survive is unclear. They’ve both been mortally wounded. Daisy Domergue has promised that her gang could be arriving at any moment to avenge her death. And there’s a brutal snowstorm pounding outside of Minnie’s Haberdashery. Things looks grim. But when the screen fades to black, both Warren and Mannix have survived. So when I had an opportunity to interview Goggins in the days following the release of The Hateful Eight, I asked him what he thought happened next.

His answer was personal, and probably to be expected. Goggins told me that he had definitive ideas, but they were private, and he didn’t want to share. Thankfully, though, he didn’t stop there. Goggins told me that on the set, the actors had a great conversation about the ending, and it went like this:

Oh my God, Walton Goggins is giving me the chills. I need to see this happen. Tell me you wouldn’t want to see a mid-credits scene, directed by Quentin Tarantino, of Bill Murray entering Minnie’s Haberdashery and witnessing the aftermath of the crazy events depicted in The Hateful Eight? Of course, the ending of The Hateful Eight did change quite a bit after Tarantino’s script leaked. Goggins did partake in a live reading of Tarantino’s original script in 2014, and he tells me that this version, on screen, is nothing like that version.

You can see The Hateful Eight in various versions – from the 70mm print in the Roadhshow exhibit, to a standard (shorter) version in regular theaters – as we speak. I highly recommend it. And then picture Bill Murray entering the movie at the very end… just as Walton Goggins imagined it.

It’s the last day of the year, so what better time to reflect on the last 365 days in cinema? Looking back on 2015, it was actually a remarkable time for big screen events – and I don’t just mean big blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Jurassic World. Some really brilliant movies were released in every quarter, and while some didn’t get quite the immediate recognition that others did, time will be kind. Because of the quality of big screen releases this year, I had an incredible challenge on my hands narrowing down the Top 10… but the work is over and my list is done.

Admittedly my tastes are a bit all over the map, and the following list contains multiple animated features, a few indies, and a couple blockbusters. But what they all have in common is that they left me feeling in awe of the power of film. With no further delay, below is my Top 10:

10. Room

Re-watchability often has a significant role to play in my Top 10 selections, as one thing that I really love about movies is revisiting them and discovering certain things that only appear after you know all of the story and the characters. For Lenny Abrahamson’s Room, however, I will make an exception; as while I don’t think I have the will to be hit again by the emotional gut punch it delivers, it also deserves recognition for that impact.

I’m no longer surprised when I come across a great Brie Larson performance (that ship sailed after seeing Short Term 12), but she is truly phenomenal in this film – given an intensely complicated role to play and executing it with deep truth and emotion. Of course, praise of Larson has to also coincide with compliments for the stunning Jacob Tremblay – who amazingly delivers the perspective of a child who has an entirely different world perspective than our own. Just be careful when it comes to the mood that you watch it in, because I can promise you that you that at times it is completely emotionally devastating.

9. Slow West

John Maclean’s Slow West has an unfortunate title that may give audiences some misapprehensions about it. To make it clear, this is most definitely not a meandering, deliberately-paced, vista-filled indie about the Old West. What it really is is a surprisingly odd and funny yet dramatic romantic western, and an impressively well-made directorial debut. Following a clumsy young man (Kodi Smit McPhee) on the search for his lady love – and being accompanied by a bounty hunter (Michael Fassbender) for protection, the movie is a strange mixture of genres, but largely plays out like an old school fairy tale.

For the most part, the movie does operate as a serious dramatic western, with impressive threat coming from a menacing bounty hunter played by Ben Mendelsohn (who happens to also be looking for the protagonist’s lady love), but what truly impressed me was its sense of humor. Maclean demonstrates a strong appreciation for irony, and finds a way to be darkly witty in even the most dramatic of situations. And if none of that grabs you, at least go see it to just watch Fassbender be a total old school badass.

8. Inside Out

Pixar Studios has lost its way a bit in recent years. The company got a bit too sequel happy, and while the films coming out haven’t been bad, they also haven’t been up to the standard that we’ve expected after decades of brilliance. That being said, I can keep confidence in the future of Pixar, because Pete Docter’s Inside Out proves that the creativity light is still burning incredibly bright, and that works of true genius are still well within their potential.

The film is absolutely beautiful in its construction, full of incredible colors and production design bursting with innovation and inspiration, but it’s also all built around a brilliant screenplay by Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley – which goes above and beyond in terms of world-building and structure. It’s a marvel to watch how the two tiers of the plot (the journey of the emotions and Riley’s move to San Francisco) operate in sync with each other, constructing engaging and relatable stories and arcs for the various characters. Above all, the fact that it made me weep like a child on three separate occasions guaranteed its place on this Top 10 when I first saw it in April.

Read my full review here

7. The End Of The Tour

As you’ll probably discover reading the rest of this list, I’m a big fan of stories where characters get locked together and are just forced to talk. I can certainly appreciate a tremendous action sequence when I see one (which will also be reflected on this list), but I am also always impressed when a filmmaker can keep me engaged in what amounts a feature-length conversation. James Ponsoldt’s The End Of The Tour is one such film, and I absolutely loved the hell out of it.

This adaptation of David Lipsky’s book about David Foster Wallace does move, as it follows Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) as he follows Wallace (Jason Segel) on his book tour for the novel "Infinite Jest," but the film is entirely about the interaction between its leads, and it is spellbinding. Both Segel and Eisenberg are magnetic - their conversation flowing impressively as they discuss all kinds of fascinating ideas, perspectives, passions and philosophies – but you are also very much drawn in by the evolution of their relationship, neither man ever quite sure what to make of the other. It also firmly establishes Ponsoldt as a tremendous talent to look out for, and I expect many more of his movies will end up on my future Top 10 lists.

Read my full review here

6. Anomalisa

At the time that I’m writing this, Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s Anomalisa has only started to find its way into theaters – the stop-motion animated film sneaking onto the end of the 2015 release calendar to qualify for the Academy Awards. As such, most of you have probably not yet had the chance to actually go out and see it, but let me put this bluntly: as soon as you get the opportunity, seize it.

Kaufman already has a well-established reputation for genius, existential writing put together in new and interesting visual packages, and Anomalisa most certainly continues that tradition in blissful fashion. The film is an incredible meditation on identity that comes together with tremendous vocal performances from David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, and Tom Noonan, and while almost everything plays out through conversations in various rooms of a hotel, its characters drive you to invest in the story and care about where it leaves them in the world. It’s simultaneously gorgeous and melancholy in a way of which only Kaufman has proven capable, and leaves us praying that it won’t be another seven years before the filmmaker delivers another work.

Read my full review here

5. The Hateful Eight

Full confession: I love the films of Quentin Tarantino. Both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction were movies that led to my personal fascination with movies, and to me his "not great" titles are not "bad" so much as "not as good." It’s because I felt Django Unchained fell into the "not as good" category that it was only an honorable mention on my 2012 list, but The Hateful Eight, on the other hand, is one of the best films of the filmmaker’s career.

Creating his own version of Ten Little Indians/The Thing/Clue set in the post-Civil War era, Tarantino’s film is filled with bombastic characters played by an insanely talented cast, and their banter back and forth is fantastic as they try and discover who among them isn’t who they say that they are. With a score by Ennio Morricone and a 70mm presentation (not to mention overture and intermission), it feels like a real cinematic event, and has the classic Tarantino entertainment value to keep you hooked (and by that I mean get ready to see some heads explode). It’s very much a film about bad people doing bad things to other bad people, but also a fun investigation of trust and paranoia in a bottled environment.

Read my full review here

4. The Martian

Ridley Scott’s The Martian is the kind of magic film that gets to have its cake and eat it too. On one hand, it’s an epic space thriller, as scientists and astronauts work together to save one of their own who has been stranded on the surface of Mars. On the other hand, however, it’s the journey of a goofy botanist who has nothing but his ingenuity, survival skills and sense of humor to keep him alive and sane. The fact that these are both accurate descriptions of the same movie is crazy, and yet it’s what makes it one of the best of the year.

In an age when space exploration isn’t getting nearly the attention and funding that it deserves, The Martian is not only a great film, but an important one – and it truly does what it can to be inspirational. It’s a shocking amount of fun to watch Matt Damon (giving one of his best performances ever) as he bounces around base camp scientifically working out how he can make water, grow potatoes, and solve other various issues, and the movie also makes you marvel at what can be accomplished when great minds get to work. It’s a special big screen experience.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

When I reviewed George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road back in May, I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I truly loved every single minute of the film, but ultimately decided to ding its score for its simple story and a few other minor complaints. In retrospect, I was being too harsh of a critic. It deserves full credit as not only one of the best movies of the year, but one of the greatest action blockbusters of all time.

It boggles the mind that Mad Max: Fury Road is as good as it is – what with being a sequel arriving 30 years after a movie that was believed to be a franchise killer – but the reality is that the film is so jaw-dropping that a screening could be considered a mandible exercise. It truly keeps to the spirit of the franchise, while also exploring brand new territory, adding characters like Charlize Theron’s Furiosa – who will now live on eternally in pop culture history. Miller created a movie with the energy and creativity of five modern blockbusters… and one can only hope that it won’t be long until we see the return of the Road Warrior once again.

Read my full review here

2. Spotlight

Great investigative journalism movies are few in far between, which is why I think I was caught so off-guard by Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight. All The Presidents Men and Ace In The Hole set high benchmarks in the genre, and I didn’t expect much from the recent story of the Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church. But by the end of the film, I fully realized that the movie most definitely stands alongside those greats.

Spotlight doesn’t have a personified antagonist, and there’s no ticking clock to be found – but that just makes how gripping the film is all the more impressive. McCarthy put together what is easily one of the best ensembles we saw in 2015, and each and every one of them – from Mark Ruffalo to Rachel McAdams to Liev Schreiber – deliver fantastic character work and play a key role in the central narrative. The investigation itself unfolds at a perfect pace – fast enough to be gripping, and slow enough to be frustrating for the reporters – and each layer is more compelling (and terrifying) than the last. While watching, I kept expecting some kind of misstep in the story or for something to rub me the wrong way, but it never came. It’s just filmmaking at its finest.

1. Ex Machina

Science-fiction storytelling doesn’t get much better than Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. The writer/director takes ideas that are very much present in our modern world –specifically the rapid growth of technology as well as the internet’s capability to store information and behaviors – and applies it to an amazing, thought-driven, small-scaled plot about artificial intelligence. With just three characters and a house in a remote location, the film explores massive and important ideas about where our society is going and the potential consequences. And it was the best thing I saw on the big screen in 2015.

Making his debut as a director, Garland’s skills are shocking from a visual perspective –capturing the wonder that surrounds the aforementioned house, using visual effects to execute beautiful designs, and making wonderful use of symbolic reflection throughout. Brilliant performances from Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander leave you in a position never knowing exactly who to trust, and the whole things plays out as escalating thriller with a tremendous and powerful ending. To be honest, I don’t think I can sum it up better than the final line delivered by Isaac’s Nathan: "Fucking unreal."

Read my full review here

Honorable Mentions (all of which would have been on my Top 10 in a less-awesome year): Love & Mercy, Dope, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Cop Car, The Night Before, and Carol.

Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is the eighth film from the writer and director. There’s not a sequel among them. While he’s had ideas for sequels or spinoffs to his movies before, none of them have yet to make it to the screen. Hateful may actually be as close to a successful sequel as the writer has ever come, as Tarantino has recently revealed the idea for the Western started as a sequel to Django Unchained. The only problem was that eventually, Django didn’t work as a character.

Tarantino made a surprise appearance at the Alamo Drafthouse following a screening of the new movie on Wednesday evening. As part of a post-movie Q&A, the writer of the film spoke about how he started writing the screenplay when he was angry and depressed, a state he had never been in when writing before. Originally titled Django in White Hell, the movie would have put Jamie Foxx’s character in that cold cabin with the rest of the unsavory characters. However, according to Entertainment Weekly, Tarantino said that he eventually came to the conclusion that Django didn’t work in the movie, because the audience would trust him.

The influences of Django that started the process are certainly there. Many of Tarantino’s films take place in wildly different time periods and cover significantly different genres. Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight still feel very connected. Django takes place a couple years prior to the American Civil War while Hateful follows shortly after it. They both qualify as westerns, and the two films feel similar in that regard. Tarantino obviously was not trying to make the latter film significantly different.

It certainly would have been a different picture if Jamie Foxx's Django had been part of it. Having seen him before, the audience would have focuses the majority of their attention on him. Instead, what we get in The Hateful Eight is an absolutely superb cast of characters, a who’s who of Tarantino’s favorite collaborators along with a couple of new faces. Since we have no preconceived notions of who any of the players are before the movie starts, we’re left to simply watch what they say and do in order to figure out who everybody is. Django would have certainly changed this dynamic greatly. While it wouldn’t have necessarily impacted the characters’ interaction, it would have influenced the audience greatly.

Would you have rather seen a sequel to Django Unchained, or is the original concept of The Hateful Eight the better way to go?