The Hateful Eight cast and crew nerds-out on 70 mm 'roadshow' cut

Everyone knows that Quentin Tarantino is a die-hard film fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of what came before him. But whereas previous movies like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill featured on-the-nose references to cinematic history, his newest film, The Hateful Eight tributes in its very form.The Hateful Eight was filmed in 65 mm, and will be projected in supersized 70 mm as a “roadshow,” an old-school theatrical engagement (complete with intermission and program) that used to accompany the debuts of classic movies like Gone With the Wind and Ben-Hur.

Tarantino and crew will do the same thing for their snowy Western for a limited time beginning on Christmas Day. “It’s really the way to go,” Tarantino says in the video above, which explains the movie’s unique filming decisions.

Because not every theater is equipped or willing to show The Hateful Eight in 70 mm film, the road shows will provide a unique opportunity for dedicated fans to see it the way filmmakers intended. “The film is shot in 65 mm and projected in 70, with an image twice the size of what you’re used to,” Samuel L. Jackson says. “Which makes your enhanced viewing even doper.”

The Hateful Eight is also the 11th film to be shot in Ultra Panavision, the widest possible format. The process involved reconstructing and rebuilding old lenses that hadn’t been used since 1966’s Khartoum. “Ultra Panavision: when you absolutely, positively, got to wow everyone in the room,” Jackson says. “Accept no substitutes.”

The Hateful Eight opens this Christmas.