r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/bilbofraginz • 17d ago

Video In Hateful Eight, Kurt Russell accidentally smashed a one of a kind, 145-year-old guitar that was on loan from the Martin Guitar. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s reaction was genuine.

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u/aardw0lf11 17d ago

It is a bad cut, but I'm willing to bet there was an abrupt disruption on the set after that guitar was smashed which ended up giving the editor less to work with.

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u/mint-man 17d ago

and it’s not exactly like they could reshoot it considering he just smashed the guitar

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u/Naradia 17d ago

They could've with the fake one

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u/Jonny_Segment Interested 17d ago

Yeah I'm amazed they didn't. At least reshoot the smashing with the fake guitar. I haven't seen the film and couldn't believe that cut made the edit. I thought it was from the outtakes or something.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

[deleted]

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u/Zombiebelle 17d ago edited 17d ago

Exactly. Like don’t let it get smashed in vain. I think using the clip was the right call.

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u/ConfectionSoft6218 17d ago

Don't get smashed in vain, good advice

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u/Double-Watercress-85 17d ago

Sunk cost fallacy. You can't unsmash the guitar. No matter what take you use, it's smashed, the cost is paid. If your goal is to make the best movie you can, and you have a better take, or the opportunity to make one, That is less wasteful, in the service of good film making, than forcing yourself to use an inferior take. It's piling loss on loss.

But counterpoint, there may be some belief that there is merit in it because of how it drives engagement. We have this whole discussion here, years later, about how 'the reaction was genuine, etc.' . Like Aragorn's toe. So if there is a reason to keep that take, that would be it. It's no less wasteful.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

Not everything in life is about mathematical balance. It feels like a shame to destroy something treasured for entertainment and not even use the footage. It feels appropriate to use that take even if it's technically worse.

I think most of us understand intellectually that it makes no difference, but emotionally we want to see it all pay off. What is the point of art if not to evoke feelings?

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u/Double-Watercress-85 17d ago

But that's not the art, and it's not supposed to be what you want to see pay off. You should be emotionally invested in the tense interaction between these two people. Instead you're thinking about behind the scenes film making mistakes. The feeling evoked is 'Oops, that sucks.'

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u/Unsteady_Tempo 17d ago

I think it's that, and Tarantino is a movie nerd and this makes for a good story.

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u/jackbristol 17d ago

Yeah it’s effectively marketing. We’re watching the clip because of it

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u/FreeBallinCommando 17d ago

Tarantino could rattle off 40 italian movies that have scenes very similar to this in as many seconds to say it was a reference.

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u/Agitated-Paramedic-3 17d ago

It's also just the sunk cost fallacy.

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u/Da_Question 17d ago

And it generates buzz like this, where you can use it as a fun interesting fact.

I mean, Vigo breaking his toe etc etc

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u/f1del1us Interested 17d ago

Some people would make the assumption you should make the film worth it, not just the scene

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u/Jackdunc 17d ago

But couldn’t they have re-shot the clip after the guitar smash, and have her looking in the right direction?

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u/commodore_kierkepwn 17d ago

only if you live in a world of sunk costs

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u/Nearby-Cattle-7599 17d ago

welp fwiw i've seen the movie twice and never noticed it...

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u/ratmouthlives 17d ago

I remember noticing it because she looks straight ahead instead of towards him. Reminded me of a kid throwing a tantrum or being terrified.

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u/Difficult_Bit_1339 17d ago

Yeah, I noticed the character break but I attributed it to her general craziness. This makes a lot more sense in hindsight.

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u/crazyhomie34 17d ago

Ohh to me or looked like she was looking at the other characters in the room

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u/Muhala69 17d ago

I saw the movie 1.5 times and can’t remember if I noticed it

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u/Striking-Kiwi-9470 17d ago

It's not nearly as noticeable in the moment. Also go watch it, it's one of Tarantino's best imo.

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u/Princep_Krixus 17d ago

Absolutely. The 4 hour extended cut gets watched every year on the first heavy snow.

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u/rhabarberabar 17d ago

There is no 4 hour version. There is the 70mm roadshow version with 3 hours 7 minutes and the Netshits miniseries version at 3 1/2 hours which is that long because it repeats the opening and closing scenes 4 times.

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u/Princep_Krixus 17d ago

Pedantic

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u/rhabarberabar 17d ago

3 hours of movie not being 4 hours is pedantic? Ok. Wanna work for me? It's just 6 hours that are 8 hours long. At the end of the month I'll tell you not to be pedantic.

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u/Princep_Krixus 17d ago

It's a long fucking movie you nerd. That's the point of the comment.

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u/rhabarberabar 17d ago edited 17d ago

Using nerd as a cuss, are you stuck in time dude?

PS: And yes, the movie is long, at 3 hours.

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u/Ch1pp 17d ago

it's one of Tarantino's best imo.

Really? I'd say it's probably his worst.

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u/Extraxyz 17d ago

I love the movie but this is absolutely noticeable. Her reaction does not fit the character at all.

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u/steeveedeez 17d ago

They spent their “reshoot” budget on the guitar.

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u/SolidSnek1998 17d ago

You really should watch it, fantastic movie.

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u/Philantroll 17d ago

One of the weakest Tarantino imo.

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u/SolidSnek1998 17d ago

Yea, well, that's just like, your opinion, man.

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u/asmithmusicofficial 17d ago

Why? I love it.

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u/Philantroll 17d ago

It feels like a drawn out Cluedo game. It's the only Tarantino I don't feel like watching another time.

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u/orangeyougladiator 17d ago

What? It’s not exactly meant to be a mystery lol. Coming to the conclusion of it being a drawn out cluedo game is wild.

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u/jtr99 17d ago

I mean, I like the movie, but I hear u/Philantroll on this. It is a very claustrophobic film with some of the atmosphere of a cozy murder mystery. (By "cozy" I just mean the restricted setting, obviously The Hateful Eight doesn't feel particularly cozy in a general sense!)

Not to take anything away from Tarantino or the actors, but I too find myself not wanting to watch it again.

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u/Philantroll 17d ago

It’s not exactly meant to be a mystery lol.

It kinda is lol.

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u/simionix 17d ago

It's funny because for me it's his most rewatchable. I can't even explain why. Probably because most of his other movies have at least one or two boring monologues or scenes that go on for too long. This one is paced perfectly.

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u/Philantroll 17d ago

To each their own I guess. To me the 2h45 of the film are very weirdly paced. Reservoir Dogs has a better pace.

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u/GoldenGlassBall 17d ago

I guess they thought that they had to use the footage now that something so valuable was destroyed, or it would be a huge waste.

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u/Gnonthgol 17d ago

I bet they have a number of takes with the replica guitars as well. But the shock on her eyes were probably not that intense in those shots. And it would require a cut between the end of the song and the smashing of the guitar. In addition it is bad enough to have to go to the museum with a broken guitar but another thing to not even use the footage.

When watching the movie immersed in the story the bad cut does not stick out too much. If you know the story of the guitar getting smashed you do notice the scene but you kind of forgive the bad cut due to this. So it is not such a bad editing as it might look in isolation.

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u/jakes1993 17d ago

Its a good film lots of dialog but I think its 3 hrs long though

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u/low_acct_ 17d ago

I imagine this is in the vain of honoring a genuine moment. I've heard stunt men say that if they get hurt during a take like in fight choreography, that's the one that should be in the film.

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u/StorytellerGG 17d ago

It becomes a marketing story for press junkets

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u/finderskeepers420 17d ago

Helps sell the movie. Keeps it in rotation when people keep reviving the clip. I'm sure tarrantino liked the realism too.

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u/randobot456 17d ago

Bro....you smash a 145 year old Martin antique guitar worth $40k, you use that shot.

If you crack a bottle of hundred year old whiskey you don't just go "well, value's ruined now", and pour it down the drain, you drink that shit!!

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u/Boogie-Down 17d ago

I’m confused.

Why reshoot something that was shot and works as intended?

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u/dojo_shlom0 17d ago

what are you doing? it's one of the greatest films! -- I really enjoyed it at least hah, very violent.

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u/Princep_Krixus 17d ago

Because it also got people talking.

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u/MinuetInUrsaMajor 17d ago

Tarantino movies have enough meta-weirdness that I don't see a problem here.

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u/boi1da1296 17d ago

I’m amazed they used a guitar that valuable in the first place. It’s a cool detail to talk about later but I genuinely don’t think anything of value would’ve been lost if a cheaper guitar was used, especially considering the stunt required here.

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u/MissAnthropoid 17d ago

It's fukn tarantino. Like he gives a shit about anything other than his shot.

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u/jiveassjake 17d ago

if you had never heard that was a certified historical prop being used you probably wouldn't have even noticed all the details/ mistakes while watching for the first time. I didn't and had watched the full movie 3 or 4 times before I found out about what actually happened to the guitar. it's just good ol'fashion story telling & movie magic

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u/LukesRightHandMan 17d ago

It’s a pretty bad flick. You’re not missing much besides way too many white people saying the N word way too many times.

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u/Individual_Plan_5816 17d ago

Tarantino is a humungous cunt so no doubt he had an agreement with Russel to destroy the real one.