sdfdf

Yesterday, we showed you the first installment of Zach Galifianakis's Funny or Die faux talk show, Between Two Ferns: Oscar Buzz Edition. We got to see him call Jennifer Lawrence ugly, talk about feces with Naomi Watts, and have Christoph Waltz be a total weird babe as usual. And now the second part of his Oscar special has arrived. Featuring Jessica Chastain, Sally Field, Bradley Cooper, and a special guest in lieu of Daniel Day-Lewis, check out his awkward brand of comedy below.

Read More »
ben affleck argo

While you were watching the Grammys, the BAFTAs, the U.K. version of the Oscars, was aired on BBC America. And hoo boy, what a mess of an awards show. I didn't watch it, so I can only imagine the British humour happening all over the place, but I can tell you that I've got a pretty stiff upper lip this morning as I look at the list of winners. Argo won Best Picture and Best Director. Ben Affleck. The best director. Of the year! Ben Affleck is a better director than Quentin Tarantino, Kathryn Bigelow, et al. None of those chumps can possibly live up to the magnificent director Ben Affleck. Also, both Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain lost out to Emmanuelle Riva for Amour. Christolph Waltz won for Django Unchained, and Daniel Day-Lewis surprised no one when he won another award for Lincoln. And, of course, little Annie Hathaway likely annoyed people in England, too, with her insincerity upon winning Best Supporting Actress.

Read More »
dj

For the myriad points of conversation discussed at this weekend's press conference for Quentin Tarantino's latest epic undertaking, Django Unchained, one of the best parts of the film remained to be uncovered: the soundtrack. Whether Tarantino's films always tickle your fancy or not, there's no doubt they can always be sure to perk up the ear drums with tunes that add an extra kick to his bitingly witty and visceral scenes. And Django is no exception. Although the film won't hit theaters until Christmas next week, you can now feast yourself on the music from the film in its entirety. From the spaghetti Western classic sounds of Ennio Morricone to new tracks from John Legend and voice tracks featuring the Christoph Waltz as Dr. Schultz (who I could personally listen to speak on loop forever) and Jamie Foxx as Django—the soundtrack is a fantastic mix that harken's back to Tarantino's own musical affinities for sounds of past. In addition to the this cornucopia of soulful and twangy songs, you can also check out a full 12-minutes of B-roll footage of behind the scenes action. Enjoy.

Read More »
jamie foxx django

With the holidays comes the time-honored end-of-the-year influx of crazy-hyped movies, and while many will choose to spend their Christmas Day ugly-crying for three hours to Les Misérables (no judgment!), there are other options. One of these is Django Unchained, the all-star Sergio Corbucci-inspired Spaghetti-Western-meets-Deep-South feature from Quentin Tarantino. Today the final trailer was released for the film, which stars Jamie Foxx as the title character, a former slave who joins forces with a bounty hunter (Tarantino favorite Christoph Waltz) to take out a gang and rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from her brutal master, played by Leonardo DiCaprio with a sinister-looking facial hair arrangement. 

Read More »
django unchained

It's been nearly three years since Quentin Tarantino's bloody World War II epic Inglourious Basterds, but luckily the violence connoisseur returns with another piece of revisionist history. In Django Unchained, Tarantino takes a stab at pre-Civil War America. Django, played by Jaime Foxx, is rescued by a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz, who played Inglourious Basterds' terrifying Nazi) who offers him his freedom and the chance to save his wife from slavery. Her captor is a brutal plantation owner played by Leonardo DiCaprio, making a surprise villainous turn. Will there be blood? Surely. Will be there be vengeance? Certainly? Will there be sweet soul music? It appears so!

Read More »
Django

There is a chain in the official poster for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, his first new movie since 2009's Inglourious Basterds. There may also be the guy named Django, the ex-slave on a revenge mission against his former master, though it isn't quite clear from the silhouettes which one he'd be. The man on the right with the period appropriate hat? The dual pistol-wielding guy on the left? Many questions to be answered! 

Read More »
blackbook.Image15703.tmagSF.jpg

Every year the Oscars try their damnedest to tap the pulse of American moviegoers and every year they cock it up. Some years ago, Crash won Best Picture and we head-desked until the only thing left on our necks was bloody pulp. Renée Zellweger won one of those gold statuettes for talking in a southern drawl in Cold Mountain and we asked the universe what we had done to have such mediocrity rewarded. Sometimes the Oscars do nice things do, too. Like tossing a win to David Lynch's Mulholland Drive for Best Director or giving a nod to Babel's Rinko Kikuchi. If the Grammys' fault lies in trying too hard to appeal to Joe Plumber, the Oscars' fault may lie in trying too hard to appeal to Joe Plumber's gender-queer niece who's hopping beds around Vassar. So it's a cause for celebration that this morning, when the 2010 Oscar nominees were announced, more than snubs, there were some real gems on the list. Nine of the very best, after the break

Read More »
blackbook.Image14129.waltz.jpg

Oh, look. Awards! Bestowed by a tight-knit coterie of L.A.-based film critics! And, lo! More awards! This time, conferred by some folks in Boston. A common thread among the breakout winners? A dastardly streak that makes Heath Ledger's Joker seem warm and cuddly. This awards season, it pays to be a ruthless villain. A few obvious and unlikely picks after the break.

Read More »

● Joe Jackson has elected himself the new King of Media and demands Kanye West be banned from all award shows and show business in general; it’s what Michael would have wanted. [PopCrunch] ● Barack Obama called Kanye West a "jackass" for his Taylor Swift stunt during a (not so) off-the-record interview with CNBC on Monday. [HuffingtonPost] ● Matt Damon will play Michael Douglas’ lover in the Steven Soderbergh-directed Liberace biopic. This is not a joke. [USAToday]

Read More »