MOVIE INFO
Set in the South two years before the Civil War, Django Unchained stars 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 (Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. 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 and Schultz's search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave.
After a lovely sit down meal at Aroma there was about 10 or so of us that caught the late night showing on Tuesday. Firstly can I thank everyone that showed up, and secondly can I mention that Rob Jones, stop saying yes to everything, when I book tickets to a film that you RSVP yes to, I expect you to turn up, and on my f*cking birthday. Oh and Jimbo Corkery, when I say I'm going to book tickets, that doesn't mean go ahead and purchase your own ticket you nimrod. I say that with the utmost love and affection for you both.
Now the film itself started with a lovely track by Luis Bacalov which was taken from the original Django film which is a 1966 Italian Western that was so violent that it didn't even get a certificate in Britain till 1993. I know this score of music well because I used it on a podcast I made about a man locked in a toilet. Without wanting to suck my own erection it is probably my finest work, my legacy.
It's 15 minutes long and can be found at this link.
http://thewrongbox.podomatic.com/entry/2012-03-14T13_15_44-07_00
Anyway, so that was slightly jarring. Now Tarantino has had a few misfires of late, personally I doubt he'll ever emulate Pulp Fiction which is probably as near to perfection as you can get from a film. But this for me is up there, better than Kill Bill, Jackie Brown and certainly topping the baggy and over indulgent Deathproof. Because of the genre and the backdrop in which this movie takes place, Tarantino exploits to the fullest the use of gunplay, his affinity with mexican standoffs, and his obsession with the N word. I think Tarantino handles the subject matter well as it sheds light on perhaps how little we know about the human rights towards the black community at that time. That said though I hear many critics are up in arms about how certain barbaric scenes of violence is only focused on the slaves and glossed over more so when whitey is trying to kill each other. You will have to make your own minds up on that one.
This film is a lot funnier than I expected it to be. It's definitely the funniest thing Tarantino has done, and Samuel L Jackson really does steal the show for the last half hour of the film.
Now for you gamblers out there its worth noting that Christopher Waltz is nominated for best supporting actor and SHOULD win this, even though I haven't seen Lincoln yet and I hear Tommy Lee Jones is the bookies favourite. Waltz was 25-1 with most bookies, way off the pack, and then he went and won the Golden Globe award and now those odds have shortened to 15-1. And even though the Globes are no longer a shoe in for the Oscars, Waltz is still well worth a punt. I mean he put in nearly 3 hours of pure dialogue. Alan Arkin was on screen for 18 minutes in Argo, come on. The one thing I would say is that will Hollywood, in this current climate, endorse such a film that has gun violence at its core? My answer, probably not.
Best bit - The clan scene when they are complaining about their masks
Worst bit - The Tarantino cameo
Tomato Meter - 88% (critics)
Tomato Meter - 94% (audience)
Peter Meter - 89%
Now moving on, later in the week I sat through Carry on Cleo which readily available on DVD pretty much anywhere.
MOVIE INFO
The multi-million dollar film extravaganza Cleopatra was too convenient a target for Britain's "Carry On" funsters to ignore. The plot of Carry On Cleo, if one can discern a plot amidst the sight gags and outrageous puns, involves the attempts by a bungling slave (Kenneth Connor) to rescue Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) from assassination. Instigators of the plot are Cleopatra (Amanda Barrie) and Mark Anthony (Sidney James), who comport themselves like a couple of Liverpool pub owners. The best bit involves Mark Anthony's "beheading" of the legendary asp. Filmed on a tight 160,000 pound budget and utilizing leftover sets from the Taylor/Burton epic, Carry On Cleo's reputation rests chiefly on a legal brouhaha involving its advertising artwork, which was deliberately patterned after the ads for the "real" Cleopatra.
This is the 3rd film I've seen on Cleopatra now as a study for my online degree. I never got on with Carry on films as a kid, bit too much 'where's me wash board' element of humour about it for me. But I did actually find myself laughing out loud on quite a few occasions. It heralds the famous line INFAMY INFAMY, THEY ALL HAVE IT INFAMY! Screamed of course by Kenneth Williams playing the role of Ceaser, which is the best thing about this flick. I think I might invest in more Carry on films now because the sounds that emanate from Sid James and Kenneth Williams when they are seen oogling near naked ladies is hilarious.
Best bit - When Kenneth Williams is told there is a rumbling in the republic to which he replies, 'What do you expect with all that spaghetti they eat?'
Worst bit - Probably the bike with square wheels scene.
Tomato Meter - no score (critics)
Tomato Meter - 36% (audience)
Peter Meter - 52%
I haven't had the chance to watch much else this week, apart from Africa and bits and bobs of Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. But I would recommend a nature documentary, Land of the Lost Tiger on the iPlayer. It's not as good as Africa but I feel it could do with a bit more press because at this rate the Tigers will be extinct quicker than the Attenboroughs. So watch LAND OF THE LOST TIGER and NOT DJANGO UNCHAINED OR CARRY ON CLEO.
No comments:
Post a Comment