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Mos Def And John Hawkes To Star In ‘Jackie Brown’ Prequel

traviswoods — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:11:29 +0000

Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, a loving homage to blaxploitation cinema as well as a thoughtful meditation on aging (and maybe kinda sorta his most complete and mature film—Pulp fans, please don’t shoot me), is now getting the prequel treatment… sort of.

It’s like this: Jackie Brown was a loose adaptation of Rum Punch, a 1992 novel by crime writer Elmore Leonard (whose work has also produced such adaptations as Get Shorty and Out of Sight), with Rum Punch being the sequel to a 1978 novel entitled The Switch. And now, The Switch is in development for production, under the shortened moniker, Switch.

Tarantino is not involved, making this more of a semi-prequel, and it will feature John Hawkes and Yasiin Bey (that’s Mos Def to you) portraying the dim-witted Louis Gara and bloodthirsty Ordell Robbie, originally played by Robert De Niro and Sam Jackson, respectively.

In the novel The Switch, Robbie and Gara meet in prison (both are doing time for grand theft auto), and once out, team up to kidnap the wife of a rich Detroit business man. Kinks in the plan develop when the rich hubbie decides he doesn’t want his wife back, forcing Robbie, Gara, and the kidnapped wife to join forces and settle the score.

What do you think of a Jackie Brown prequel?

Source: The AV Club

Quentin Tarantino Announces The Best And Worst Films of 2011

traviswoods — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:11:24 +0000

Taking a moment from making his highly anticipated new Civil War-era western film, Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino has announced his 11 favorite films of 2011, along with some runner ups, some “nice tries,” as well as the films that he thought were the very worst of 2011. It’s a pretty surprising and contrarian list (the lists that the excellent Drive and the abysmal The Three Musketeers end up on are just, well, shocking). Check it out below.

His best of 2011 are as follows:

1. Midnight In Paris
2. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
3. Moneyball
4. The Skin I Live In
5. X-Men: First Class
6. Young Adult
7. Attack The Block
8. Red State
9. Warrior
10. The Artist / Our Idiot Brother (tie)
11. The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers? X-Men? Really? Sigh. Now check his unranked runner-ups:

50/50
Beginners
Hugo
The Iron Lady
Carnage
Green Hornet
Green Lantern
Captain America
The Descendants
My Week With Marilyn
Fast Five
Tree Of Life
The Hangover Part II
Mission Impossible 4
The Beaver
Contagion
The Sitter
War Horse

Ok, ok, this is a list I can understand, Green Hornet and Green Lantern excepted. But now, the smugly-titled “Nice Try” list:

Drive
Hanna
Drive Angry
Real Steel

Maybe the greatness of Drive came a little too close to home for QT? However, his worst of 2011 is pretty spot-on:

Sucker Punch
Potiche (Trophy Wife)
Miral
Insidious
Rampart
Straw Dogs
Paranormal Activity 3
Meek’s Cutoff

What do you think of Tarantino’s picks?

Source: The Tarantino Archive

L.A. Residents: The Wright Stuff III December 9-16

Damon Houx — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:58:02 +0000

If you live in Los Angeles, you’ve probably heard of the New Beverly. Co-owned by Quentin Tarantino, it’s one of the city of Angels finest repertory houses. Many celebrities, including Tarantino, Eli Roth, Diablo Cody, Seth Green, and Patton Oswalt have held festivals there, but Edgar Wright has now done three, and for the third one it’s got a twist: instead of showing his favorite movies, he’s showing films that he’s never seen before.

From Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times to The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the Eighth Dimension, these are all films that fell threw Wright’s cracks of cinema knowledge. Here’s the line-up with special guests:

Friday, Dec. 9: 7:30 pm – The Girl Can’t Help It 9:40 pm – Get Crazy – hosted by Edgar Wright & Allan Arkush (Schedule permitting)

Saturday, Dec. 10: 7:00 pm – Steamboat Bill, Jr. 8:40 pm – Modern Times 10:40 pm – The Bank Dick – hosted by Edgar Wright with Greg Mottola & Bob Wiede

Sunday, Dec. 11: 7:00 pm – The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T 9:00 pm – Kwaidan – hosted by Edgar Wright, Patton Oswalt & John Landis.

Monday, Dec. 12: 7:30 pm – The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 9:30 pm – Chungking Express – hosted by Edgar Wright & TBA.

Tuesday, Dec. 13: 7:30 pm – White Heat – 9:55 pm Throne of Blood -hosted by Edgar Wright & Rian Johnson.

Wednesday, Dec. 14: 7:30 pm – The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance – 10:00 pm Ride the High Country – hosted by Edgar Wright, Peter Bogdanovich & Joe Carnahan.

Thursday, Dec. 15: 7:30 pm – To Be or Not to Be 9:40 pm – The Bad News Bears – hosted by Edgar Wright, Leonard Maltin, Larry Karaszewski & Doug Benson.

Friday, Dec. 16: 7:30 pm – Hickey & Boggs 9:50 pm – Cutter’s Way – hosted by Edgar Wright, Elvis Mitchell & Josh Olson.

Friday, Dec. 16: Midnite – The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension – hosted by Edgar Wright & Kevin Smith.

And here’s the full poster for the event:

The festival is exciting for a number of different reasons, but – most inportantly – the films, the guests, and the chance to see them all on 35 mm, as was originally intended. Wright asked for help assemblign the double features out of a list of over a hundred films he hadn’t seen, and the list was weeded down by good double feature suggestions and (sadly) print availability.

Wright took many of his these suggestions from his blog, and you can see that list. Personally, I’m excited as he used my suggestion for a double feature.

How many of these films have you seen?

Sacha Baron Cohen Up for Django Unchained

Damon Houx — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 01:08:19 +0000

Sacha Baron Cohen is a chameleon, so it’s no surprise that Quentin Tarantino has taken a liking to the actor, and according to Variety, Cohen is in “final talks” to appear in Tarantino’s latest Django Unchained. He’d be joining cast members Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson in QT’s western opus.

According to Variety it’s a small but important role, and as Jonah Hill recently mentioned being unable to appear in the film, so it’s likely the same part. Casting has been steady for the last month or two, with the film filling out nicely. Django Unchained is scheduled to start shooting any day now.

Cohen made a name for himself in England with Da Ali G Show, where he played three characters (Ali G, Borat and Bruno), all of whom have had their own spin off movies. The show moved to America, and by the time his film Borat was released, that character and the film became a phenomenon. But his ability to disappear into characters made sure that he wasn’t defined by these comic characters, and he’s been gathering a great career in supporting work in films like Sweeney Todd and Hugo, though he recently wrapped a starring role in the film The Dictator, which he also co-wrote.

Who would you like to see added to the Django Unchained cast?

Kerry Washington Final Major Piece of Django Unchained

Damon Houx — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:41:03 +0000

Deadline has announced that Kerry Washington has secured the role of Bromhilda, the wife of Jamie Foxx‘s titular character in Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchained. And with that it looks like the main roles are now locked up, with players like Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kurt Russell in place.

Word was that the role was hard to lock down because it requires a lot of the actress – on top of playing a slave. Supposedly Tarantino flirted with hiring an unknown, but now Washington has it.

Washington’s career path has had its ups and downs. Though she’s been involved with some high profile mainstream films, like Save the Last Dance, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Fantastic Four, she’s always played a love interest or secondary character. She’s also been in picutres like Ray and Last King of Scotland where she’s been good support, but rarely the center of attention. Recently she appeared in a Tyler Perry film, and has been working, but this seems like a chance for her to break bigger.

Django Unchained should start shooting in January with a Christmas 2012 release date. With DiCaprio’s The Great Gatsby due around the same time, we may see a picture blink. It’s doubtful it will be Quentin’s.

Do you have a favorite Kerry Washington performance?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Talking About Django Unchained

Damon Houx — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:49:13 +0000

Variety is reporting that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is “in talks” for Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchained. Though casting can go into a film’s shooting schedule, the film is set for a January start date, and “in talks” usually means that it’s going to happen. There may be some nasty scheduling conflicts, but those can often be worked out.

Gordon-Levitt’s career is stunning at this point. The one time sitcom actor reinvented himself as an indie darling, and with a number of smaller films has turned himself into a minor star (he’s the lead in next year’s Premium Rush), and someone who’s worked repeatedly with Christopher Nolan. Working with Tarantino – who hasn’t used a lot of well known young actors – is a real coup for the actor, and suggests that he will be working for a long time.

And with Don Johnson, Kurt Russell, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and many more, it’s a good cast as well. Django Unchained is re in pre-production right now, we know that because Samuel L. Jackson tweeted this picture from his wig fitting:

The film is scheduled for a Christmas 2012 launch. There’s been some rumblings that it may conflict with the release of Baz Lurhman’s The Great Gatsby 0 which also stars Leo – but no one’s blinked just yet.

So far, what’s your favorite Joseph Gordon-Levitt role? (I’m going Brick)

Don Johnson Is Joining ‘Django Unchained’

traviswoods — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:30:04 +0000

Well, the casting news for Quentin Tarantino’s highly anticipated Civil War epic, Django Unchained, just keeps on coming. After announcing that Jamie Foxx would nab the hero role, and that Christoph Waltz would join him as King Shultz (a “dentist turned bounty hunter”), we’ve learned that Sam Jackson, Dennis Christopher, Gerald McRaney and M.C. Gainey would all be in the film. Even Kevin Costner was going to show up as an evil slave trainer, before having to drop out due to his commitments to The Hatfields and the McCoys, leaving Kurt Russell to take his place. And now another addition to the cast has taken place, one that will satiate all manner of Miami Vice fans.

That’s right, Don Johnson, who, while not being able to nab Costner’s slave trainer role, will “play a totally different, but still nasty character.” Which is awesome, and one hopes that Johnson will somehow find a way to work in his trademark stubble, pastel shirts, and not-all-that-great acting into the upcoming Tarantino flick.

It was announced today that Johnson will be portraying “Spencer Bennett, a plantation owner who runs a string of ‘ponies’ — that is, pretty, young female slaves.” Apparently, this is a small role, but it will “factor into one of the film’s early sequences,” when Django and King Schultz join forces.

Django Unchained is set for a Christmas 2012 release.

What do you think of the Django Unchained news?

Source: /Film

Kurt Russell to Reunite with Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained?

Damon Houx — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:05:14 +0000

Last week it was reported that Kevin Costner was leaving Django Unchained, and today we’re hearing word that Kurt Russell is “in talks” to replace Costner in Quentin Tarantino‘s latest film. He would join Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson in the western opus. Tarantino and Russell last worked together in Tarantino’s half of Grindhouse, Death Proof.

The best part about being Quentin Tarantino, besides being Quentin Tarantino, is that it’s easy to find actors to work with you. A-listers love Quentin’s dialogue, and those who’ve fallen off the list have found that a good Tarantino role means renewed interest in their career. Dennis Christopher – probably best known for 1979′s Breaking Away – recently joined the cast, and that’s seen a huge profile-riser for him.

Shooting is scheduled to start soon for the film’s already-announced Christmas 2012 release. It’s just as possible Russell could drop out for any number of reasons, though that he’s worked with Tarantino before suggests that this would be a much easier leap than many other performers. It’s unknown if the role was too racy or weird for Costner, or perhaps he had legitimate scheduling conflicts with Man of Steel. Russell has a similar history with westerns (both played Wyatt Earp), and he definitely has the weight of a legend.

What’s your favorite Kurt Russell role?

Kevin Costner To Join Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’?

traviswoods — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:21:45 +0000

Sounds like Quentin Tarantino is back to giving actors with late-career slowdowns a big boost—after having rescued the likes of John Travolta, Robert Forster, and David Carradine from total pop obscurity by placing them in his films, QT looks set to place none other than Kevin Costner in his upcoming Django Unchained film.

The film, which stars Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L. Jackson, and is set on a Civil War-era American slave ranch owned by the villainous DiCaprio. And, according to The AV Club:

“Costner will play Ace Woody, the man who oversees the prostitutes on DiCaprio’s slave ranch and trains the “mandingo” fighters with a sadistic regimen of abuse, murder, and, presumably, the occasional anecdote about his former baseball days.”

Cute. Though, it is a bit hard to imagine the gee-whiz aw-shucks actor playing a villain (I know, I know, he was a bad guy in Mr. Brooks, but did you see that thing? Gah), since he’s cultivated a persona of red, white, and blue goodness (even his jerk-ish fish-guy-thing from Waterworld ended up having a heart of gold).

What do you think of Kevin Costner as the villain in the next Tarantino film?

The Latest Scuttlebutt on Django Unchained

Damon Houx — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:59:55 +0000

When last we talked about Quentin Tarantino‘s latest Django Unchained, Jamie Foxx was the odds-on frontrunner for the lead character. That is now locked up. CNN talked to Foxx recently, and he said the dull platitudes expected of someone up for a big role. “Amazing” Foxx says. It “should be amazing.” Well, duh. The money quote is that he seems to suggest that Leonardo DiCaprio is also a lock the project. “I think, just to be able to work with Quentin Tarantino and Samuel Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and to be able to tell a story that needs to be told…”

DiCaprio hasn’t signed the dotted line yet, and he just worked with Clint Eastwood on J. Edgar. Eastwood said he’d like Leo to be in his remake of A Star is Born with Beyonce Knowles, but there’s no way Di Caprio could do both – both roles would position him for an Oscar, and double dipping (even if one role is supporting), tends to lead to a cancel-out, especially if the better performance is in the supporting role. That on top of scheduling conflicts, it seems that Eastwood is the one who will have to go fishing for another lead.

Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson are also up for roles in Django, but at this point it’s just assumed they’ll take them. Such is Hollywood.

Are you more excited for Django Unchained or Eastwood’s Star is Born?

Elba in Pacific Rim, Foxx is Django (Unchained)?

Damon Houx — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 01:00:43 +0000

Much has been rumored about Quentin Tarantino‘s latest film Django Unchained, with Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz considered shoo-in’s for certain parts, and Leonardo DiCaprio supposedly circling the film’s bad guy role. Idris Elba tweeted something that suggested he was meeting with Quentin for the role, and – as The Hollywood Reporter announced – he’s instead going in for Guillermo Del Toro‘s Pacific Rim. Which supposedly puts Jamie Foxx front and center as the most like Django…

Elba, still best known for his role as Stringer Bell on The Wire, joins Charlie Hunnam and Charlie Day. Day stars with Foxx in the upcoming Horrible Bosses, so there’s a degree of separation.And though Elba has been playing smaller roles in some schlocky American movies, he will also be in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, so his star is definitely on the rise.

Deadline Hollywood seems to have started the “Foxx as frontrunner” talk – other rumored included Will Smith and (perhaps he was just campaigning for himself) fellow Wire alum Michael K. Williams. This would be a challenging role for Smith, and perhaps play against some of his movie star qualities – or perhaps he didn’t want to have to cut his quote, or whatever other unknowns factor into such decisions. and with the rate of filming on Men in Black 3, perhaps Smith will not be available in time. Django has a Christmas 2012 release date, so production should be mounting up shortly, and casting will get locked soon.

What are you more excited for, Pacific Rim or Django Unchained?

News Roundup: Tarantino’s Films Become Art (Again), Nic Cage Watches ‘The Wicker Man,’ And More

traviswoods — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:40:20 +0000

Sometimes, with the deluge of entertainment news that hits us daily, a few crumbs fall through the cracks. And like a mighty vacuum of information justice, our news roundup is here to scoop up any little nuggets we may have missed.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has picked up the spec script for Wild Guns, a post-Civil War western described as a cross between Tombstone and Sherlock Holmes, in which Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday “team-up to rescue the daughter of Sitting Bull, who has been kidnapped by a powerful Shaman with mysterious powers who is terrorizing the Western plains.” No word yet on whether or not they do so in a van called the Mystery Machine, and if Sitting Bull is really Old Man Withers from the local haunted amusement park.

Always thought of Quentin Tarantino’s films as true art? Well, so does artist Tim Doyle, who, according to Unreality Magazine, has created a series of prints capturing moments from each of QT’s films. Unfortunately, these aren’t for sale, but they are awesome.

Um, I guess Harry Potter fans and readers will find this April Fool’s gag funny?

Movieline has a breakdown of 1970s British TV classics—they “ain’t what they used to be.”

And finally, FunnyCrave shows us that Nic Cage is finally repenting for his crimes against humanity in The Wicker Man. It’s incredible.

What do you think of today’s news?

ScreenCrave.com » Quentin Tarantino

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