Watch Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson Talk Film

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Watch Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson Talk ‘Hateful Eight’, the Near-Death of Film, and More

By Adam Chitwood

Published Dec 28, 2015

The auteurs credit Christopher Nolan for saving film in this fascinating 40-minute chat.

With his snowy Western The Hateful Eight, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is not only making a statement from a thematic standpoint, he’s also making a statement with regards to the state of film itself. Dismayed by the ubiquity of digital projection, Tarantino opted to shoot The Hateful Eight entirely in 65mm, for which a 70mm presentation would guarantee that the movie had to be projected on film. Moreover, The Weinstein Company backed Tarantino’s effort wholeheartedly, investing in retrofitting 100 theaters with projectors capable of presenting the filmmaker’s talky opus in glorious 70mm.

So it makes sense that on Christmas Eve, just before the 70mm roadshow release of The Hateful Eight, Tarantino sat down with fellow film-lover Paul Thomas Anderson for a 40-minute conversation about his new movie, the 70mm format, how the ability to shoot on film nearly died, and much more. It’s a fascinating talk between two of our finest auteurs, and they cover quite a bit of ground here.

the-hateful-eight-quentin-tarantino — Image via The Weinstein Company

Anderson, of course, shot The Master in 65mm, although the Philip Seymour Hoffman-fronted drama didn’t receive near the presentation that Hateful Eight is getting. Tarantino admits that it was the limited 70mm release of The Master that laid the foundation for The Weinstein Company to begin its massive rollout for The Hateful Eight, and the two filmmakers reminisce in the video below on their experiences viewing 70mm films decades ago.

The two also touch on the subject of film itself, giving Christopher Nolan the credit for rallying the troops so to speak, and convincing the big movie studios to invest in film stock. Indeed, Tarantino says this group of film-loving directors—which includes Steven Spielberg and Edgar Wright—are somewhat tag-teaming, saying Nolan’s next film is coming down the pike right after Tarantino’s, alluding to the fact that it might also get some sort of 70mm projection.

But enough of my rambling. Watch the video below for yourself, and enjoy. The Hateful Eight is currently playing exclusively in 70mm and opens in wide release on December 31st.