The Knockturnal
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Videos
  • Covers
  • Merch
Film

What We Learned At ‘The Hateful Eight’ NYC Press Conference

by Joshua Kaye December 21, 2015
by Joshua Kaye December 21, 2015 0 comments
3.7K

Quentin Tarantino and the cast of The Hateful Eight share stories and anecdotes from their time on set working on The Hateful Eight.

Earlier this week, The Knockturnal had the chance to sit in on a press conference for the newest Quentin Tarantino film, The Hateful Eight. Sitting alongside Tarantino were numerous members of the cast, consisting of Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Michael Madsen, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, and the legendary Bruce Dern. Tarantino and the cast talk about a wide variety of topics consisting of the police boycott on the film, working on a Western, courting Ennio Morricone to compose the score, ‘stockholm syndrome’, and much more. 

Q: To Kurt and Jennifer, your characters are linked…sometimes physically so for extended periods of time. Can you talk about the pros and cons, the challenges of that kind of working relationship?

KR: “Well, first when Jennifer and I started to rehearse we didn’t think there’d be much of a problem with the chain. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Everything that we did was informed by how that chain was dealt with. So we had to learn to sort of get the Fred and Ginger altogether and that informed their relationship. So for me, there was John Ruth, and for Jennifer there was Domergue and together we were gonna be this team which we felt there was like anything else. If you had been chained together for like, a week and a half, 24/7…you’re gonna get to know a lot about that person. Stockholm syndrome’s gonna set up pretty fast and it did, in fact over a five month period of time. It informed everything that we did.”JJL Kurt

Q: For Jennifer, is the character of Daisy all on the page or are there influences that Quentin mentioned or that you found helpful for your approach of this character?

JJL: “I mean so, so much of it obviously is on the page, because you’re doing such a great script and such a great character. With Daisy, there’s a lot that’s mercurial and we had to find, and we wanted to find it together. And so much of Daisy is informed by John Ruth because she is always reacting with him because of the chain, the hits, what I get from that…she thinks she’s a lot smarter than John Ruth and actually…she is. But there was…she feels like she’s playing him a lot of the movie. But there’s this one moment in the movie and this is what’s so great about doing a Tarantino movie and what’s so great about all these actors is that we’re always being surprised by everything.”

“There’s a moment where it all shifts, where John Ruth isn’t just a putz, you know, a fool that she is so much smarter than. He’s suddenly very smart and very dark when he goes and gathers all the guns from everyone. And then she has to rejudge him, just like everyone else in the movie. Everyone in the movie is terrible and hateful, everyone in the movie you also care for, everyone maybe has their weakness is the good part of them, in a certain way. And I just remember the day we shot that scene, ‘cause Daisy’s having a blast. Yeah, she’s going to the gallows but she knows she’s not going to the gallows, she’s gonna figure it out. But in that moment…it’s not so clear anymore. And that was so exciting as an actress to not know that was coming, to read it on the page and yet when it happened in the room I swear my blood went cold. I swear, it was phenomenal.”

Q: Among the actors here I’m curious, a lot of your characters are equal parts…not so equal charming and ruthless and despicable…do you all consider yourselves the hero in a weird way of the story?

Michael MadsenMM: “I read an autobiography of James Cagney and he said that “if you play somebody who’s very noble, you should probably try to find the mean streak in that person or something dark. And if you play somebody who’s really evil, you should try to find something good in the person, somewhere. So there’s always a duality of what you do.” The best thing about making a picture for Quentin is that he lets your character of having a duality, if you’re capable of doing it.”

 

Q: For you Tim, having worked with Quentin before on Reservoir Dogs, did this experience feel like apples & oranges? Or is it pretty much what you remember from that first experience?

TR: “Well, the man’s the same. I was already around a little bit at the very beginning and then I had this huge break. So I did get to see how his world has changed, how this set has changed. The circus atmosphere that exists on his set. The crews so much more knowledgeable of cinema and how to tell his stories. I saw that big, big leap and it was exciting. We made Reservoir Dogs in about five weeks.”

QT: “Yeah, well in particular with the case of Reservoir Dogs, I was, along with the PA’s, I was the least experienced person on the set. Tim and Mike had made a lot of movies by that time. I was just getting through the process.”

Tim Roth Walton GogginsTR: “Well you did pretty good.”

Q: Walton, was there any improv on a Quentin set? Would you ever suggest a line?

WG: “There’s no improv in this press conference, he wrote everything. [Laughter] No, no! Why would you mess with perfection? We could say that because it is! It’s every actor’s dream to say a Quentin Tarantino monologue or a line of dialogue. There is no need to change, to even add a “the” or “and” or a comma, it really is perfect the way that it comes out of his imagination.”

Q: You’ve worked with some legends throughout your career, anything amalgamous in working with Quentin to any other filmmaker you’ve worked with?

Demian BichirDB: “I think, the first thing you’re curious about is the way everything’s going to work out. Not only because you have this huge director’s name in front of you but this amazing cast, this group of actors. I remember the first time we had a table reading, you always want to be able to say a Tarantino line in a film, so I was already very happy and excited about it. But then to listen to every single line in the mouths and the bodies of this group of fantastic actors, that was beautiful. Not only that, but I remember the first time reading it back in a hotel in Los Angeles, going back home and telling my girl, “everyone is so damn nice.” Because, you know, a small fish can be lost in a big ocean. The first thing that made me very happy when I met Quentin was to find a warm, generous, loving man and then the whole things just been a confirmation of what I always thought. The biggest artists are the nicest.”

Q: For you Mr. Dern, do you see any connections between…you’ve worked with Hitchcock, you’ve worked with Kazan, you’ve worked with some of the finest filmmaker in the history of the medium. What other connections can you see between Tarantino and those?

BD: “I’ve been very lucky in my career, but this guy does a couple things the other people I’ve worked with doesn’t do. He has the greatest attention to detail that I’ve ever seen. Burt Lancaster once told me it’s Visconti. Well, Tarantino will take a seat right next to this guy, trust me.”

Bruce Dern“And the other thing he does is he gives you an opportunity as an actor, and everybody behind the camera as well, a chance to get better. His material is so good, so original, so unique if you will, that if you don’t get the part—the big part is you’re so excited that he chose you and not Ned Beatty or Jimmy Caan! So, you’re excited to go to work every day. I had this with Mr. Hitchcock for a few days, but I had this every day with Quentin. You’re excited to go to work everyday, because he just might do something that’s never been done.”

Q: Quentin, there’s a group calling for a boycott of this movie and they don’t want members of the police across the country to see it. Do you think it’ll hurt your launch and is there anything you could say to put their mind at rest?

QT: “I think I’ve dealt with it in quite a few different venues so I don’t think I need to keep reiterating that aspect but I hope it doesn’t happen, I really do. Just because some union mouthpieces are calling for a boycott doesn’t mean all QT Boycottthe different officers on the street necessarily are going to follow suit. I have to say it’s kind of a drag, because the statements I’ve made I believe are very true, and I tend to go further with that as time goes on. Nevertheless, I think you can actually decry police brutality and understand that there is still good work that the police do. And I think I’ve made that pretty clear. I also do know that there are a lot of police out there who are big fans of my work, and I just hope that they aren’t going to take Patrick Lynch’s word for what I’ve said. What I said is what I said, and you can actually look it up and read it.”

Q: Will film number eight and a half be a western?

QT: “The third Western could actually be a TV thing. I’ve owned the rights for a while—I get them and I lose them, and I get them and I lose them—but there’s something about the piece that really demands I make it. There’s an Elmore Leonard book called Forty Lashes Less One, and I think if you’re ready to call yourself a Western director today you need to do at least three Westerns. Back in the ‘50s it’d be like 12! But today, it’s three.

Quentin Django

“If you really want to put your Westerns up on the shelf with people like Anthony Mann, and I would really like to do Forty Lashes Less One as kind of a miniseries, like an hour an episode. I’d write it all and direct it all, but it’s four hours or five hours. Something like that. And it’d fit right along the lines, if you’ve ever read the book, it’d fit right along the lines of The Hateful Eight and Django. It deals with race, it all takes place in Yuma Territorial Prison, and it’s a really good book, and I’ve always wanted to tell the story. So, we’ll see, I’m hoping I do that eventually.”

Q: How difficult was it and how important was it to get Ennio Morricone to do the score?

QT: “We made overtures towards working with each other during the last couple of movies, in particularly Inglorious Basterds and Django. And they never quite worked out per se, because of the timing and schedules. And also that’s not how I’ve ever done it before. So maybe I had a little trepidation to it. It just didn’t happen. With this movie, I had a little voice in my ear that said this movie deserves its own score… This material deserves its own theme that is its own personality. And he was very interested, and so I took the first step, which was translating the script into Italian and sending it to him. And we sent it to him and he read it, and his wife read it, and his son read it, and they all really liked it. His wife really liked it. I think that went a long way.

“And then we got together. I went to his lovely, beautiful apartment in Rome. I mean, maybe the greatest apartment I’ve seen in my life. And we’re there talking about it, and I go, ‘So what is it youEnnio Morricone kind of see or hear?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I have this idea for a theme… I just see it driving forward. It’s like the stagecoach driving through the snow, driving through the snow. Moving forward, moving forward. But it also is ominous sounding and suggests the violence that will come.’

“And at first, because he didn’t think he had time, he was going to write only just the theme and that was it. And I ended up seeing him the very next day at the Donatello Awards. And he goes, ‘I’m going to write you more!’ So, literally seven minutes of music became 12 minutes of music, became 20 minutes of music, became 32 minutes of music. I think he just sat down and got inspired. So, it ended up being a very lovely encounter, and now I’m looking forward to having him do the score before I even shoot the movie, so we can really get down to it. But it’s become a lovely relationship and I actually kind of cherish it.”

The Hateful Eight is written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and James Parks. The Hateful Eight: Roadshow Version will be in theaters December 25, 2015, and the digital version will be in theaters on January 1, 2016.

Bruce DernDemian BichirEnnio MorriconeJennifer Jason LeighKurt RussellMichael MadsenQuentin TarantinoReservoir DogsThe Hateful EightTim RothWalton Goggins
0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Joshua Kaye

previous post
This Week In Hip Hop
next post
Aretha Franklin Surprises Guests at Annual Big Band Holiday Performance

Related Posts

Techno and Tragedy in Oliver Laxe’s Sirat

October 21, 2025

Jada George on Building a Dystopian World That...

October 17, 2025

The Fence review – The Emotional Borderlines of...

October 16, 2025

We Discuss the Film ‘No Other Choice’ with...

October 16, 2025

Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice is Dark, Gripping,...

October 16, 2025

Devil in Disguise: Peacock’s John Wayne Gacy Story...

October 16, 2025

ROOFMAN: Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst Retell the...

October 14, 2025

A House of Dynamite Screening Recap: Kathryn Bigelow’s...

October 14, 2025

From Festival to Streaming: Catherine Argyrople’s Growing Pains...

October 13, 2025

‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ Film Premiere at the...

October 13, 2025

Digital Cover No. 19

The Knockturnal Merch

Follow Us On The Gram

theknockturnal

Lifestyle. Music. Entertainment.
Info@theknockturnal.com
New Cover Out Now ⬇️

Step inside the chaotic world of The Chair Company Step inside the chaotic world of The Chair Company, where office life meets absurd comedy. 🪑 
Stream it now on @HBO. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/la-premiere-hbos-the-chair-company/

✍️: Katherine Wright
-
#TheChairCompany #HBO #HBOOriginal #HBOShow #BingeWorthy #MustWatch #StreamingNow
@justinbieber led @skylrk to a standout win at The @justinbieber led @skylrk to a standout win at The Leag, one of LA’s most talked-about underground sports events. With celebrities, athletes, and creators filling the sidelines, the night captured the energy of competition and culture colliding under the lights. 🏀

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/justin-bieber-leads-skylrk-to-victory-at-las-underground-sports-phenomenon-the-league/

✍️: Parris Rose

-
#JustinBieber #SKYLRK #TheLeag #LosAngeles #SportsCulture #Basketball #UndergroundSports
@nmixx_official spoke with The Knockturnal about t @nmixx_official spoke with The Knockturnal about their journey as six members, a long, inspiring adventure that’s led them to a major milestone: their first-ever full-length album, Blue Valentine. 💙

The project dives deep into the complexity of human emotions, wrapped in NMIXX’s signature MIXX-pop sound. 🎶

“The story of NMIXX is still unfolding.” 

Full Article 🔗 https://theknockturnal.com/nmixx-blue-valentine/

By @EmmaSalehi 

#NMIXX #BlueValentine #NMIXXBlueValentine #MIXXPOP #NMIXXComeback #KpopInterview #TheKnockturnal #Kpop #KpopNews #KpopGirlGroup #NMIXX_BlueValentine #HAEWON #LILY #BAE #JIWOO #KYUJIN #SULLYOON #엔믹스
Want to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Want to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of @beetlejuicebway? Now you can! From now until Halloween, @tempotimessquare hosting an unforgettable Beetlejuice Suite experience where every corner is bursting with spooky charm, strange surprises, and a whole lot of Netherworld flair. 💀✨ 

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just a little strange and unusual, this is your chance to step into the world of the ghost with the most. 👻 #BeetlejuiceBroadway #TempoTimesSquare #BeetlejuiceSuite
#ParkChanWook new film might make you laugh when y #ParkChanWook new film might make you laugh when you least expect it — and flinch when you do. 👀💥

Full review out now.

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/park-chan-wooks-no-other-choice-is-dark-gripping-and-bitingly-funny/

✍️: Ishan Wankavala 

-
#NoOtherChoice #KoreanCinema #Cinephile #FilmReview #NewRelease #MustWatch
📸 WOODZ (@woodz_dnwm) — the artist redefining 📸 WOODZ (@woodz_dnwm) — the artist redefining boundaries with each track, image, and evolution. Dive into our exclusive to uncover the artistry behind the name. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/woodz/

✍️: Emma Salehi

-
#Woodz #Kpop #ArtistSpotlight #Editorial
EXCLUSIVE: STAYC take the Stay Tuned tour to elect EXCLUSIVE: STAYC take the Stay Tuned tour to electrifying new heights, bringing “I WANT IT” to life with unmatched energy, confidence, and flair. Every beat, every move, every note is a reminder that STAYC don’t just perform—they command the stage. 🌈💥

From their glowing visuals to powerhouse vocals, @stayc_highup deliver a night that’s equal parts spectacle and soul.

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/stayc/

✍️: Emma Salehi

-
#STAYC #StayTunedTour #IWANTIT #STAYCgirls #STAYChighup #Kpop #ConcertHighlights #ExclusiveFeature
Park Chan-wook shares how The Ax inspired his new Park Chan-wook shares how The Ax inspired his new film, exploring its unique darkness. 🌟

#ParkChanWook #NoOtherChoice #TheAx #KoreanFilm #KDrama #NYFF #NYFF26
Big sci-fi dreams ahead 🔥🤖Park Chan-wook tea Big sci-fi dreams ahead 🔥🤖Park Chan-wook teases his probable upcoming project Genocidal Organ! 

#ParkChanWook #GenocidalOrgan #NYFF #NYFF26
Dark humor and deep tragedy with @byunghun0712 in Dark humor and deep tragedy with @byunghun0712 in his latest film @nootherchoicefilm. 🖤🎬

#LeeByungHun #NoOtherChoice #KDrama #NYFF #NYFF26
Two worlds, one screen 🌏🎥 Lee Byung-hun refl Two worlds, one screen 🌏🎥 Lee Byung-hun reflects on 20 years of film, from South Korea to Hollywood! 

#LeeByungHun #Hollywood #KoreanCinema #Film #NoOtherChoice #NYFF26 #NYFF
Brighter days ahead 🌞 @cix.official share what Brighter days ahead 🌞 @cix.official share what it means to move forward together in their latest comeback. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/cix/

✍️: Emma Salehi

Photo Credits: C9 Entertainment 
-
#CIX #GOChapter1 #GOTogether #TheKnockturnal #KpopInterview #KpopNews #CIXComeback #CIX2025 #KpopFeature #CIXFans
It’s going down! @stayc_highup is in North Ameri It’s going down! @stayc_highup is in North America on their ‘Stay Tuned’ tour! 💖

Watch their energetic and fun filled show near you 👀🌟

#stayc #kpop #kpopconcert #iwantit #staycstaytuned #staytuned
Who runs the world? Girls! 🩷 We had the most a Who runs the world? Girls! 🩷

We had the most amazing day of inspiring panels, activations and networking at @femalefounderworld, with @eyebuydirect! 👓
Eskil Vogt reunites with longtime collaborator Joa Eskil Vogt reunites with longtime collaborator Joachim Trier for their sixth cinematic journey, co-writing Sentimental Value, a poignant exploration of family, memory, and reconciliation. 

-
#Screenwriting #Storytelling #WritingForFilm #FilmWriting #NYFF2025 #NewYorkFilmFestival #IndieFilm
At @thenyff , @renatereinsve brings Nora Borg to l At @thenyff , @renatereinsve brings Nora Borg to life in Sentimental Value, portraying a character whose journey through family complexities and personal discovery resonates deeply. 

-
#RenateReinsve #NYFF #SentimentalValue #NoraBorg #FilmFestival #Actress
@nobledanceroslo at @thenyff shares his vision as @nobledanceroslo at @thenyff shares his vision as a director, bringing his story to life with precision, collaboration, and attention to every frame. 

The film reflects his dedication to emotion, storytelling, and cinematic craft. 🎥

-
#JoachimTrimmer #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #Director #Filmmaking
We spoke with @ingalilleaas at @thenyff about the We spoke with @ingalilleaas at @thenyff about the emotional process behind her latest film. ✨

-
#IngaIbsdotterLilleaas #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #Cinema
Poised, perceptive, and endlessly compelling — @ Poised, perceptive, and endlessly compelling — @ellefanning in conversation at this year’s @thenyff.

-
#ElleFanning #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #RedCarpet #Cinema
✨ From powerful panels to unforgettable performa ✨ From powerful panels to unforgettable performances, the 2025 #TeenVogueSummit brought together voices shaping fashion, culture, and activism today. 💬🎶

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/2025-teen-vogue-summit-recap-full-of-fun-fashion-and-connection/

✍️: Zipporah Pruitt

-
#TeenVogue #TeenVogueSummit2025 #TeenVogueEvents
#TeenVogueCommunity #TeenVogueStyle
Follow on Instagram

About The Site

We are a collective of creative tastemakers made up of fashion, music and entertainment industry insiders. It’s all about access. You want it. We have it.

Terms Of Use

Privacy Policy

Meet The Team

CONTACT US

For general inquiries and more info on The Knockturnal, please contact our staff at:
info@theknockturnal.com
fashion@theknockturnal.com
advertising@theknockturnal.com
editorial@theknockturnal.com
beauty@theknockturnal.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube

© Copyright - The Knockturnal | Developed by CI Design + Media

The Knockturnal
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Videos
  • Covers
  • Merch