20 Things You Somehow Missed In The Hateful Eight
18. Smithers Stares At The Audience
Here's a fun little nod to the audience that's incredibly easily missed. When Ruth and Domergue first seek refuge from the blizzard in Minnie's Haberdashery, General Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern) is shown sitting down on the left-hand side of the frame.
Keep your eyes fixed on him, as when Ruth and Domergue enter the establishment, he knowingly turns towards the audience and eyeballs them for a brief moment.
Though he stops short of winking at viewers, it's as if Smithers is basically telling them, "Buckle up for the ride, because s**t is about to go down."
Given that the film is structured and presented very much like a stage play, it's quite fitting that Smithers appears to briefly break the bounds of the screen and make a connection with the viewer.