I call plagarism pure and simple.

At first I thought this was simply due to the episode having gotten some attention (on IMDB) and it triggered a copyright complaint... but other Rebel episodes are still listed.

bTW!! - There is an episode with Johnny cash! And, for those that appreciate female beauty, Gail Russell co-stars in one of these. Arguably the most attractive (yet lesser known) actresses of her era.

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I didn't read all the opinions on QTs plagiarism, but, to me, when you add it all up it's pretty damning (not that I damn QT for the act). We all have our threshold for when "being inspired by", and "paying homage to" crosses the line to direct rip off. For me, QT crossed that line. Not paying props to the original compounds the 'sin'.

But in the big picture this is simply a reminder that our heroes are never perfect. We make them perfect, in our minds, but they never are. They are human, and thus deeply flawed.

Watching The Hateful made me think (once again) about whether QT is a racist. Who knows, but, just like Martin Scorsese, who "keeps making the same movie over and over again", because he grew up with violence and is thus "programmed" for it, and finds a healthy outlet for it .... so to does it strike me that QT, growing up in a mixed-race neighborhood, is doing a version of this.

And in our own ways each of us plays out our own version in our lives, depending on what screwed us up in childhood. It's all part of being imperfectly human. We don't like imperfection, so when we see it on others we want to attack them for it.

Until you recognize what you're doing, and resist the temptation to attack. You grow past the urge.

Myself, I go back and forth. ;>