Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained

[Mitch Henessey]

Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained is scheduled to hit theaters this Christmas, and here's the very detailed plot synopsis:

Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles - dead or alive.

Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South's most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.

Django andSchultz's search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival...

Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the U.S. on December 25, 2012, and internationally by Sony Pictures.

Tarantino's new film will gain a good amount of attention, and Django Unchained will hit theaters during Oscar season, so you can expect some Academy Award nominations for this one.

Inglorious Basterds was a bit of a letdown for me. Basterds had its moments, and Christoph Waltz was phenomenal, but I had big expectations for that film, and for me, Basterds didn't live up to the hype.

But I have some new found hope for Django Unchained. The story sounds intriguing, and the cast looks great:

Jamie Foxx as Django
Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie
Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schultz
Kerry Washington as Broomhilda
Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen
Kurt Russell as Ace Woody
Sacha Baron Cohen as Scotty Harmony
Laura Cayouette as Lara Lee Candie-Fitzwilly
Dennis Christopher as Leonide Moguy
Don Johnson as Spencer 'Big Daddy' Bennett
M.C. Gainey as Big John Brittle
Tom Savini as Ellis Brittle
Anthony LaPaglia as Jano
James Remar as Ace Speck
Walton Goggins as Billy Crash
Tom Wopat as Marshall Gill Tatum
Misty Upham as Minnie
RZA
Michael K. Williams
Michael Bacall

At first, I wasn't too excited about Jamie Foxx as the lead man. Will Smith was rumored to be Tarantino's first choice for the role of Django, but Smith didn't take the part. This doesn't surprise me too much, because Smith likes to portray the good guy in all of his films (just take a look at his track record, if you don't believe me), and this character was probably a little bit too controversial for his taste.

Anyway, Foxx can deliver a solid performance every now and then, but he really hasn't done anything worth remembering since his Oscar winning performance in Ray. Tom Cruise was the true star in Collateral, but if Tarantino wants Jamie Foxx, then I have to trust his decision. Why? Because Tarantino ALWAYS chooses the right set of actresses and actors for his films. Pam Grier was the perfect choice for Jackie Brown, Uma Thurman was the perfect choice Beatrice Kiddo, John Travolta was the right man for the role of Vincent Vega, and can you really picture anyone besides Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace? Tarantino knows how to pick the right casts for his films, he always selects the right people for his characters (Christoph Waltz from Inglorious Basterds would be another good example), so he must see something in Foxx, or he wouldn't have chosen him for this part.

And Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie does sound interesting. Leo usually plays the good guy, but Calvin will be the main protagonist in this film, and Leo will step into the shoes of a bad guy here. As far as character's go, Leo is taking a very different route in this film. But he should be able to pull off a convincing performance, because Leo is a great actor, who can can bring a good amount of intensity to any character.

The rest of the cast looks very solid, and Samuel L. Jackson should deliver another memorable performance here. Jackson and Tarantino work well together, but Jackson's character will be very different this time around. In Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown, Jackson's character wasn't someone, who was willing to take orders from anyone. He was a violent and angry man (especially in Pulp Fiction), who wanted to take control of any situation. But in Django Unchained, Jackson will be the loyal and obedient house slave for DiCaprio's character. It's going to be a big a change for him, and I'm looking forward to his performance in this one.

Also, Kerry Washington will have an important role here. She really hasn't a seen a big part since Ray (it's kind of ironic, because she also portrays Foxx's love interest in this film), Washington is a talented actress, and she is horribly overlooked most of the time. Washington could earn herself an Oscar nomination, because the eyes of the movie world will be focused on this film, when December rolls around, and Washington will have a great opportunity to land a spot in the 2013 Academy Award nominations.

You can love him or hate him, but a Quentin Tarantino release will always be a big deal in the movie world. He is one of the most praised directors in Hollywood, his films will gain a good amount of attention from moviegoers and critics, and a Tarantino film will create tons of buzz. The hype machine probably won't start until the first full trailer hits, but I've been waiting on Django Unchained for a long time, so eight months will feel like an eternity for me. Django Unchained won't be like any other Western film you've seen in the past, so don't expect a Sergio Leone classic. Knowing Tarantino, Django Unchained will feature a good amount of graphic violence, and this film should have an eccentric vibe to it. Tarantino won't become a legend in the Western genre with one film, but Django Unchained will be something to remember, you can be sure of it.

Any thoughts on Django Unchained?

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Like you, I wasn't that blown away by Inglorious. In the lead up to the release, I loved the sound of the plot and the idea of Tarantino doing a war film was something I readily anticipated, but the end result just felt quite flat. Pitt seemed over the top, I did not see the point of having Mike Myers kind of ham it up but not go the whole hog, Eli Roth acting?, Christoph Waltz's character turning into a good guy at the end and all that fucking talking. Don't get me wrong, Tarantino can write some great dialogue, but there was just sooo much that seemed surplus to requirements.

As a result, I'm going to keep my hopes low for Django. The casting looks alright, Waltz and Di Caprio are worth watching in any film and it looks like Di Caprio wont be playing a character who is emotionally battered and damaged, which is nice to see!

One thing that doesn't surprise me given QT's fondness for Cowboy/Western films is that he's doing one of his own. What does surprise me is how long he's taken to get round to it, and that he appears to borrowing the title from a Samurai film he was already involved in (Sukiyaki Western Django). Maybe that's an indication of him taking some cues from the Japanese film in terms of plot or something, or a way of getting people to track it down.
In terms of referencing older films, if the new Django does lend parts of it to the Japanese Django, then it becomes an almost dizzying complexity of who/what inspires who/what. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0906665/trivia?tab=mc) Which, I guess, does seem like something Tarantino would do.


Also, I just finished watching Take Shelter... wow. Without doubt one of the best films I've seen in years and one that will need to be praised discussed soon me thinks!

 

[SorgFamily]

I was much more excited when Joseph Gordon-Levitt was attached. He had to drop out due to previous engagements though. I'll still see it, probably in theaters as I've been a huge DiCaprio fan ever since Catch Me If You Can. As both of you have stated Inglorious Basterds wasn't his best work. The opening scene was fantastic and then it kind of steadily went downhill from there.

Another all-star cast for Tarantino which is not surprising given his track record but it should be interesting to see how well he and DiCaprio gel and I'm stoked for both Don Johnson and Kurt Russell. I imagine Sacha Baron Cohen will provide some comedic relief while turning in a superb performance as he did in Sweeney Todd. Can't wait for Christmas.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Like you, I wasn't that blown away by Inglorious. In the lead up to the release, I loved the sound of the plot and the idea of Tarantino doing a war film was something I readily anticipated, but the end result just felt quite flat. Pitt seemed over the top, I did not see the point of having Mike Myers kind of ham it up but not go the whole hog, Eli Roth acting?, Christoph Waltz's character turning into a good guy at the end and all that fucking talking. Don't get me wrong, Tarantino can write some great dialogue, but there was just sooo much that seemed surplus to requirements.

Basterds was a huge let down for me. I was hoping to see a war film, but Inglorious Basterds didn't fit the mold of you standard war film. I guess you had to expect this, because the promo ads for this film did warn you about seeing "war through Quentin Tarantino's eyes," and Tarantino isn't exactly known for being normal. And I couldn't stand Eli Roth or his character. His performance was ridiculously over the top, and "The Bear Jew" persona was just awful. And as far as the dialogue goes, I can understand where you're coming from. Tarantino can write some great dialogue, but he can become obsessed with his greatest strength. The scene in the tavern is a prime example of this. It was too long and drawn-out, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

As a result, I'm going to keep my hopes low for Django. The casting looks alright, Waltz and Di Caprio are worth watching in any film and it looks like Di Caprio wont be playing a character who is emotionally battered and damaged, which is nice to see!

You're not the only one. I've been a fan of Leo's for a long time, and the direction of his character does sound raise a lot of questions for me. He's going to be the bad guy here, and this new direction could earn him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Leo is loaded with talent, and he is more than capable of pulling off an Oscar worthy performance in this film.

One thing that doesn't surprise me given QT's fondness for Cowboy/Western films is that he's doing one of his own. What does surprise me is how long he's taken to get round to it, and that he appears to borrowing the title from a Samurai film he was already involved in (Sukiyaki Western Django). Maybe that's an indication of him taking some cues from the Japanese film in terms of plot or something, or a way of getting people to track it down.
In terms of referencing older films, if the new Django does lend parts of it to the Japanese Django, then it becomes an almost dizzying complexity of who/what inspires who/what. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0906665/trivia?tab=mc) Which, I guess, does seem like something Tarantino would do.

As far as the time frame between films goes, Tarantino's hiatus doesn't surprise me. Jackie Brown hit theaters in 1997, but we didn't see Kill Bill Vol. 1 until 2003. Kill Bill Vol. 2 did come out in 2004, but we didn't see Deathproof until 2007. Tarantino usually takes lengthy breaks between his films, the long wait doesn't surprise me too much.

Also, I just finished watching Take Shelter... wow. Without doubt one of the best films I've seen in years and one that will need to be praised discussed soon me thinks!

Great! Glad you liked it. Take Shelter was a phenomenal film, and the snub treatment from the Oscars was just appalling. I can understand one snub here and there, but Take Shelter didn't receive any Oscar nominations. Not one.

I was much more excited when Joseph Gordon-Levitt was attached. He had to drop out due to previous engagements though. I'll still see it, probably in theaters as I've been a huge DiCaprio fan ever since Catch Me If You Can. As both of you have stated Inglorious Basterds wasn't his best work. The opening scene was fantastic and then it kind of steadily went downhill from there.

Gordon-Levitt is one of the best young actors in Hollywood, and he would've been a nice addition to the cast. But his directorial Don Jon's Addiction is going to take up too much time, and he couldn't make the commitment. Gordon-Levitt is a very talented actor, he was great in 50/50, and he could've pulled off something memorable in Django. I'm sure of it.

Another all-star cast for Tarantino which is not surprising given his track record but it should be interesting to see how well he and DiCaprio gel and I'm stoked for both Don Johnson and Kurt Russell. I imagine Sacha Baron Cohen will provide some comedic relief while turning in a superb performance as he did in Sweeney Todd. Can't wait for Christmas.

Baron Cohen was excellent in Sweeney Todd, and yes Scott Harmony could mimic his character in that film. Baron Cohen can provide some nice humor, but his character should have a devious side, and Baron Cohen is another great addition to this cast.

And here's an interview for Samuel L. Jackson. In this interview, he discusses Django Unchained:

Django Unchained began the slow drip of promotional material last week with the release of a first teaser poster. Now Samuel L. Jackson has done his bit to promote the film by discussing what attracted him to the project, and how the film will cover a difficult period in American history.

"It's a Tarantino movie so there's no thought that goes into, 'am I gonna do it or not?'" says Jackson of his reaction to the opportunity. "It's kinda like, 'I'm doing that,' because I know it's going to be great."

Jackson plays Stephen, a house slave belonging to Leo DiCaprio's villainous plantation owner, Calvin Candie. "It's definitely an opportunity to explore a place in my history that I haven't thought about," says Jackson of the slavery theme, "and deal with it in an honest and very dramatic way."

"Quentin pays homage to a lot of different genres," says Jackson. "He would like to say this is a spaghetti western, and I guess in ways it is. And I guess when you start talking about Farewell Uncle Tom, Mandinga, Mandingo… all those things play in there too."

"But it's not like that's not something that's part of the fabric of this country, and it happened," he continues. "We'll deal with as honestly, and [in] as Tarantinoesque [a fashion] as we can."

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/samuel-l-jackson-talks-django-unchained

The direction of Jackson's character in Django does interest me. Jackson's characters usually have tons of aggression and anger, but Jackson will take on a more quiet role here. Jackson is really stepping out of his comfort zone, and I will be paying close attention to his character in this one.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Well, Kurt Russell and Sacha Baron Cohen have dropped out of Django Unchained. Baron Cohen's part was limited to a cameo role, but the press tour for The Dictator will cause some scheduling conflicts, so he won't have time for Django. As of right now, Russell's reasons for dropping out are unknown.

This is a huge disappoint for me, because I really wanted to see both men in this film. Kurt Russell already provided an outstanding performance as a bad guy in Tarantino's Death Proof, and he could've provided the same sick and twisted personality for the Ace Woody character. Cohen's role might've been short, but he could've provided some good comic relief.

Baron Cohen's role will disappear, but Walter Goggins will replace Kurt Russell, and the name of the character has been changed to Billy Crash. I remember Goggins from House Of 1000 Corpses, Predators, The Apostle, and Cowboys & Alines. From what I've seen, Goggins can be solid and entertaining supporting actor. Goggins was HILARIOUS in Predators, and he should be a suitable replacement for Russell.

And here's a pic from Django Unchained, featuring Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz:

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

I am thrilled that Goggins is getting a part in a massive film like this.

The first time I saw him in action was when I was going through The Shield, where he plays the sidekick detective to Michael Chiklis' leading detective Vic Mackey. He's got a hot streak, tends to be a bit crazy and is at times racist and misogynistic... yet is still a fantastic character. He's had a few small roles in films such as the ones Mitch mentioned and also the first Bourne film.

I only saw the first season of Justified and while he turned up the 'redneck character' notch to almost hammy levels, he still did a fine job with the role and was again very engaging to watch.

It seems that his character in Django may not be a million miles away from what he's done before as a kind of combination of the characters from Shield and Justified, so this does admittedly increase my interest in the film. If it meant he were going to be one of the main leads then I may just take the chance on seeing it at the cinema. However if he's relegated to say, Eli Roth - Basterds role, then I can wait.

 

[jmt225]

I support Quentin Tarantino no matter what, but he disappointed me big time with his casting for this film. Michael K. Williams should have gotten the title role. Check this out...

[YOUTUBE]DsJGyt7UYXg[/YOUTUBE]

Listen to the passion the man had, and from reports, he nailed the audition. However, Quentin still went with the Hollywood name. Very unlike him.

Jamie Foxx is a decent actor, but I cannot take him seriously as a bad ass. Michael K. Williams has the perfect look, and has two of the biggest bad ass television characters of all time to his credit (Omar Little and Chalky White). He should have gotten his shot for the big screen.

No matter how good the film turns out to be, I know inevitably I would have enjoyed and liked it much more if Michael K. Williams got the part he deserved.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

An early glimpse of footage from the first teaser trailer!

[YOUTUBE]dIGKwpwF1t8&feature=player_embedded[/YOUTUBE]

Leo and Christoph Waltz look great here, but I'm not sure about Jamie Foxx just yet. Foxx isn't a bad actor, but as Jmt, said, I do have trouble buying him as a bad ass, and the colorful outfits aren't helping anything. I honestly can't remember the last time Foxx portrayed a serious tough guy (you might be able to use his character in Miami Vice as an example), and most of the time, I just think of Foxx as a comedy guy.

Anyway, Django looks pretty good so far, and hopefully we'll see more of the cast in the next trailer.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The first trailer!

[YOUTUBE]eUdM9vrCbow&feature=player_embedded[/YOUTUBE]​

I still can't get over the colorful outfits, but Foxx looks much better in this trailer. I was hoping to see a glimpse of Samuel L. Jackson here, but he should pop up in the next trailer. You can really sense Quentin Tarantino's twisted style of humor throughout this trailer, and Django Unchained should feature some graphic violence. Also, Tarantino's films are known for some great soundtracks, and he always uses the right type of music for his films. Things don't seem any different here, because "Ain't No Grave" from Johnny Cash and "Payback" from James Brown are two great choices. Both songs are a perfect fit for this type of film, and the rest of soundtrack should feature some great music.

The first trailer looks great, and waiting until Christmas is going to kill me!

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The new full trailer for Django Unchained premiered yesterday. The second trailer provides a more in-depth look at the story, and Jamie Foxx is more convincing as Django (not showing the colorful outfits really helps a lot). But watching Sam Jackson portray the obedient and loyal servant feels so weird. Jackson is known for playing the angry and pissed off rebel, who won't take shit from anyone, but he's taking on a more tamed role here.

This trailer shows a more devious side of Leo's character, and you'll see more shots of Kerry Washington. Plus, Jonah Hill makes an appearance as a comedy character:

[YOUTUBE]s8CZKbDzP1E[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[HBsam31]

My hope are always high for Tarantino's movies, and I was actually a big fan of Basterds. His movies are always a breath of fresh air for me in that they are unlike anything else I see. A lot of today's movies are cookie cutter for me. This movie I think will impress. I love how it has been cast. I don't have any intention of being disappointed, and think I will have trouble waiting until Christmas to see it.

 

[Ming]

I'm very excited for this film.

Not only because I'm a rather big fan of Quentin Tarantino but also because I'm a fan of Westerns. And with Tarantino calling the shots, this Western is going to be particularly awesome. As for Inglorious Basterds; I loved it. One of my favourite films ever, I'm quite surprised you were let down by it Mitch, those must have been pretty fucking high expectations you had for it. I don't think Django Unchained will be quite as great as Basterds, and I don't think Cristoph Waltz will change much from his Hans Landa character. He still seems deceptively cheerful, but on the good side this time around. Despite that, I still think this will be another awesome genre-blending entry for the legendary Quentin Tarantino.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

So after three years of waiting for his next film, I FINALLY watched Django Unchained last night.

As expected, the acting was just phenomenal, and Tarantino is a master of assembling the perfect cast. Jamie Foxx really nailed Django, and yes, he was believable as a bad ass. The whipping scars and his scruffy hair-do helped pull everything together, but Foxx really put his heart and soul into this character. Christoph Waltz's performance as Dr. King Schultz resembled Hans Landa from Inglorious Basterds. You know, the devious and sophisticated gentlemen with a nasty side. Of course, Schultz is one of the good guys here. And she doesn't speak too much, but Kerry Washington did a wonderful job of using her body language to express fear and anxiety through a series facial expressions.

The Brittle Brothers and Big Daddy (Don Johnson) don't last long, but when their characters appear, Leo and Sam Jackson make up for the void of lost bad guys. Sam Jackson didn't just deliver his best performance in a Quentin Tarantino film, this is the best performance I've seen from him in any film. Stephen is the sniveling and loyal house for slave for Calvin Candie (Leo). He's they type of protagonist that you can hate and pity, and Stephen brings out a few laughs every now and then.

And Leonardo DiCaprio was just fantastic as Calvin Candie. Candie is the merciless and powerful slave owner. Leo has a strong presence on screen, as this delightfully evil slave owner, and his intense and charismatic performance is so fun to watch. Plus, the woman, who plays Calvin's ditzy and snobbish sister (can't find her name) deserves some credit for the A+ cast of antagonists.

For me, Django was an upgrade over Inglorious Basterds. I won't put it up on the pedestal with Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. It's in the pack with Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Jackie Brown, and that's not bad at all. Tarantino didn't revolutionize the Western genre with this film, but Django is an enjoyable revenge flick.

And now it's time for my major gripe with this film. I don't know about everyone else, but I hard time getting into the mentorship/training storyline with Django and Schultz. I understand the reasons behind Tarantino wanting to show Django's road to being a bad ass, but the initial storyline between Schultz and Django just drags and drags, and truth be told, it's very uninteresting at times. It wasn't unbearably bad, but Django Unchained doesn't kick into high gear until Candie and Stephen come into the picture.

Django Unchained is brutal, bloody, violent, funny, and Tarantino spares no expense for the hard to watch moments in this film. The dialogue is sharp, and the "we can't see anything through these masks!" scene with Jonah Hill, and Don Johnson is hilarious. And Tarantino's cameo is just priceless. Although, I wish I could've seen more of Walton Goggins, because he doesn't appear until the end.

Also, as far as the music goes, with the exception of "Ain't No Grave," and the opening Django theme, everything else was sub par. I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure I heard a Tupac song during the final shootout/Django's last stand, but it wasn't something to remember.

 

[JGlass]

I saw Django last night and thought it was brilliant. The opening credits may have been the best opening credit roll in the history of film. The acting was phenomenal, especially Cristoph Waltz. The action sequences were everything you've come to expect from Tarrantino and his love of gratuitous violence.

My only problem with the film is that it felt like it was about 45 minutes too long. There was a point in the movie where it seemed everything was about to be wrapped up but then there's another plot twist and the movie goes on for another 30-45 minutes or so. I'm not sure what Tarrantino's motivation was here, if he just wanted to fit in some more ridiculous action scenes or if it was a storytelling technique to make the audience wait even longer for the payoff, but it felt like it dragged on at that point. Still an extraordinarily enjoyable film.

 

[Hulktorious]

I saw Django last night and thought it was brilliant. The opening credits may have been the best opening credit roll in the history of film. The acting was phenomenal, especially Cristoph Waltz. The action sequences were everything you've come to expect from Tarrantino and his love of gratuitous violence.

My only problem with the film is that it felt like it was about 45 minutes too long. There was a point in the movie where it seemed everything was about to be wrapped up but then there's another plot twist and the movie goes on for another 30-45 minutes or so. I'm not sure what Tarantino's motivation was here, if he just wanted to fit in some more ridiculous action scenes or if it was a storytelling technique to make the audience wait even longer for the payoff, but it felt like it dragged on at that point. Still an extraordinarily enjoyable film.

I definitely get what you mean there. The film did seem to drag on a tad bit too much in the latter portions of the film. Overall though, I thought the film was great. It had a lot of funny scenes. I especially loved the chemistry between Samuel L Jackson and Jamie Foxx's characters. Absolutely gut busting.

Going into the film I had thought that this movie was just a straight up comedy flick, but the commentary and overall plot of it made it more than just that. Definitely one of my favorite Tarantino flicks.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I saw Django last night and thought it was brilliant. The opening credits may have been the best opening credit roll in the history of film. The acting was phenomenal, especially Cristoph Waltz. The action sequences were everything you've come to expect from Tarrantino and his love of gratuitous violence.

My only problem with the film is that it felt like it was about 45 minutes too long. There was a point in the movie where it seemed everything was about to be wrapped up but then there's another plot twist and the movie goes on for another 30-45 minutes or so. I'm not sure what Tarrantino's motivation was here, if he just wanted to fit in some more ridiculous action scenes or if it was a storytelling technique to make the audience wait even longer for the payoff, but it felt like it dragged on at that point. Still an extraordinarily enjoyable film.

I had the same feelings. After the Broomhilda fiasco at Calvin's mansion, everything should've wrapped up, right? But for some odd reason, it felt like Tarantino was searching for the perfect ending to Django Unchained. Hence, the big "I'm back and ready to kick your ass!" stuff from Foxx's character at the end.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

I had the same feelings. After the Broomhilda fiasco at Calvin's mansion, everything should've wrapped up, right? But for some odd reason, it felt like Tarantino was searching for the perfect ending to Django Unchained. Hence, the big "I'm back and ready to kick your ass!" stuff from Foxx's character at the end.

There was a lot of content taken out of the movie. As I've said in the Bar Room thread about the Django script, because of scheduling issues and people dropping out, there was a lot of stuff taken out of the film. And also, because of the obvious time issues. The movie was about 2:45:00 and I'd say 1/4 of the script wasn't included in the film. The movie was phenomenal, but the script is even better. The end suffered a bit because Quentin didn't actually get to make the same movie he wanted to. He wasn't even supposed to play the role he ended up doing; Joseph Gordon-Levitt was.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Saw the film and pretty much found it enjoyable while watching it. The real stars of the film were Waltz and DiCaprio. Jackson was good, Foxx really didn't have as much of a role as I thought he should have in terms of dialogue, and he didn't real shine in any particular scene the way DiCaprio and Waltz did. Kerry Washington was just there for a few minutes and that's it. She didn't really do much either in terms of dialogue either. If you want to see a film with some good action and solid performances, see it. It's a rather long film, it did sort of drag on for a little bit. But tbf, it's a good time while you're there not really anything else, imo.

 

[Big Sexy]

I just saw the movie last night and it was my favorite film of the year. The cast was perfect and everyone nailed their role. There was not one unnecessary character in the movie and I found all of the characters to be interesting and well developed. In terms of the length, I thought it was fine. Obviously it was a long movie but there weren't any parts that dragged on and I was fully entertained throughout the entirety of the film. DiCaprio, Jackson, and Christopher Waltz had their best performances in a while and I believe this was the best performance of Jamie Foxx's career. Easily Tarantino's best script since Pulp Fiction and near the top in terms of his best overall films.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Today is release day for Django in the UK so I will probably head down to the cinema next week to see it.

What I wanted to share, however, was an interview that Quentin did for Channel 4 in anticipation of the release. In it, he gets frustrated when the topic of movie violence and its effect on real violence comes up and has a bit of a rant. I have a few views on this but I'll hold onto them until people have seen it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...over-Django-Unchained-violence-questions.html

Thoughts?

 

[JGlass]

Today is release day for Django in the UK so I will probably head down to the cinema next week to see it.

What I wanted to share, however, was an interview that Quentin did for Channel 4 in anticipation of the release. In it, he gets frustrated when the topic of movie violence and its effect on real violence comes up and has a bit of a rant. I have a few views on this but I'll hold onto them until people have seen it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...over-Django-Unchained-violence-questions.html

Thoughts?

My initial reaction is wide eyed wonderment at the seemingly impossible speed at which Quintin Tarantino moves during his spastic motions. He's like a cheetah with Turretts syndrome.

But how passe is it to ask a director a question about the connection between movie violence and real life violence? This topic has been done to death, and it's probably especially annoying when Quintin Tarantino is told by a producer that this is going to be a segment that sells his movie and then the reporter decides this will be the place he gets his big story. I fall on Tarantino's side on this one; if that reporter wanted to talk about movie violence he could have talked someone interested in talking about it like Jaime Fox.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Yup, I agree with you JGlass.

Since Reservoir Dogs, this question has continually been posed to him and his answer hasn't really deviated in that time, nor have his movies in their themes and content. Consider also that its been about a month or so since Django hit screens in America so I imagine that this question was posed to him a lot then. If I was him, I'd be bored of answering the same question over and over too. Is it a relevant question? Yes. Is it worth asking to someone who has been asked and answered it hundreds of times without huge deviation? No.

At one time I would have been a bit cynical with his response of "this is a commercial for my movie, alright" but he's right. He was on the programme to promote his film and he seemed quite willing to discuss how the film is making people talk about the history of the slave trade, rightly or wrongly.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

This guy was desperately reaching for a pull-quote, it's so obvious. I agree with sentiment of the constant bludgeoning for the "violence in movies" question. It's a beaten and worn out topic, and Tarantino won't backpedal into a politically correct answer.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The controversial “Django Unchained” action figures have officially been DISCONTINUED ... after several African American groups called for a boycott of the dolls ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the toy production tell us ... shortly after advocacy groups like Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and Project Islamic Hope spoke out against the figurines ... the Weinstein Company (which produced the film) reached out to the toy company and told them to put the kibosh on the toy line ASAP.

We're told the toy company agreed, insisting they never intended to offend anyone ... and halted production immediately.

Sources tell us ... the toymakers only released somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 dolls before shutting down production.

We reached out to the Weinstein Company for comment, so far no word back. But earlier this week we got Christoph Waltz out in Hollywood and it sounds like the 'Django' cast has already learned the fate of the action figures.

http://www.tmz.com/2013/01/18/django-slave-toys-taken-off-the-market-by-request-of-the-weinsteins/

Sounds like an overreaction and a desperate cry for attention. Al Sharpton's name is attached to this, and he's always looking for a headline or some spotlight.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Late to the party on this one in a number of ways.

Firstly, on the Krishnan Guru-Murthy interview - I think ol' Krishnan has got the short end of the stick on that one. Both Krishnan and Channel 4 News have never struck me as the sort of news agency which provokes its guests just for the sake of "ratings". I think, considering the current political climate in the States, the question asked was entirely reasonable, and one which was fairly easy to answer. Quentin's reaction is the only thing which makes it newsworthy.

Secondly, the movie. It was good. You've got to look both ways for tdigle before you compliment a Quentin Tarantino movie, but there you go. Worth seeing for the best example of Samuel Jackson's high-pitched-surprised-squealing shtick alone. Critics of Tarantino likely won't be won over by it; the same tropes, or anti-tropes, are still as present as ever. And it drags a bit in the middle.

Listening to the soundtrack, it seems some lines of dialogue were cut from the movie. Well, I think so. "'Five-thousand dollar ******' is practically my middle name" doesn't seem like a line I would forget, but maybe I just wasn't paying attention.