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Django Unchained

Film

The 10 Most Painfully Awkward Moments of the 2013 MTV Movie Awards

By Jason Bailey on

At risk of putting too fine a point on it, complaining about the crassness and low entertainment value of the MTV Movie Awards is somewhat akin to complaining about the impersonal touch at your local whorehouse. While the show has yielded a few memorable moments over the years, it’s usually a vapid exercise in Twilight and Transformers recognition, wrapped up in the by now pro forma technical clumsiness and vaguely directionless air of any MTV live show. The 2013 MTV Movie Awards, which went out live (or not quite live, considering the number of Samuel L. Jackson’s “motherfuckers” that didn’t make it to air) last night, was about what we expected it to be: non-stop shilling for this summer’s big movies, back-patting for last summer’s big movies, awards for those who showed up (which is about the only way we can explain, as one example, Tyler Lautner beating Channing Tatum for Best Shirtless Performance), a few laughs and more than a few winces for host Rebel Wilson, and endless, endless vaguely patronizing thank-yous for “all the faaaaans” who voted for the winners. But beyond the expected yuckiness, there was awkwardness a-plenty, and our picks for the night’s most peculiar moments await you after the jump. … Read More

Film

A Beginner’s Guide to Spaghetti Westerns

By Jason Bailey on

Next week marks the DVD and Blu-ray debut of Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-winning tribute to his favorite of all cinematic subgenres, the Spaghetti Western. Ah yes, you might nod, unafraid to ask the follow-up question: And what, exactly, is a Spaghetti Western? The short answer — if you’re willing to allow the use of the term, which some of those who made these films take as a slam — is an Italian-made western made roughly between 1964-1973 (there were about 500 of them, give or take a few). But if you’d care to sound a little more informed than that at your next film-geek gathering (shut up, we occasionally gather), or if you’d like to use Django as a jumping-off point for a deeper exploration of these popular works, we offer another of our helpful Beginner’s Guides, this one giving you a brief overview of the practitioners and practices of the Spaghetti Western. … Read More

Art

Incredible Mondo Posters Celebrating the 2013 Academy Award-Nominated Films

By Alison Nastasi on

We’re big fans of Mondo, the art division of the Alamo Drafthouse that creates limited edition posters honoring classic and contemporary films. They’ve also got a few vinyl movie soundtracks and VHS re-releases up their sleeves (and they sell tees). Mondo’s latest offering is a collection of posters tied to nominated movies in select Oscar categories. The Austin-based gallery was kind enough to give us a preview of some of the artworks, which we’ve featured in our gallery. Several regular Mondo contributors like Olly Moss, Tyler Stout, and Jay Ryan wooed us with their versions of Django Unchained, Moonrise Kingdom, Best Picture winner Argo, and more. Check out these beautiful posters, and then head to Mondo’s Twitter feed for purchase details. … Read More

Film

Sorry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Sometimes ‘B Movies’ Do Deserve Oscars

By Jason Bailey on

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is apparently America’s hottest new cultural commentator, so he’s followed up his out-of-nowhere Huffington Postreview of Girls with an Esquire post explaining why Django Unchained “shouldn’t be up for Best Picture.” Not because he disliked the movie, or was troubled by its racial politics or revisionist history — to the contrary, he “liked Django Unchained and has been recommending it to everyone.” He heartily applauds the acting nomination for Christoph Waltz, and finds Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washignton, and “Jamie Fox” equally commendable. No, the trouble with Django Unchained, writes Mr. Abdul-Jabbar, is that it’s not reputable and respectable enough for the refined Best Picture category. … Read More

Film

New Oscar Categories We’d Like to See — And Who We’d Nominate to Win Them

By Jason Bailey on

The Academy hasn’t added any new Oscar categories since Best Animated Film was established back in 2001; that was the first in 30 years. Every winter we discuss ways to spice up the ceremony, whether it’s new hosts or new production ideas or streamlining the handing out of the statues — but maybe it’s time to rethink the categories… Read More

Pop Culture

Exclusive: Cocktails to Drink During the Golden Globes

By Jennifer Lewis on

We took a handful of the biggest film and TV nominees and turned them into tasty and/or jokey drinks to enhance your Golden Globes experience (and by “jokey” we mean a few of these might not sound fantastic, but they’re all drinkable, we promise). So, feel free to chug one of these suckers whenever its respective production wins an award, or just sip on your favorite throughout the evening — whatever floats your Life of Pi… Read More

Film

Flavorwire's Flick of the Week: 'Django Unchained' Is Top-Shelf Tarantino

By Jason Bailey on

Sergio Cobucci’s 1966 Spaghetti Western Django was such a phenomenal hit that it begat dozens of unofficial sequels — only one involving the personnel of the original film, which means that Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained falls well within the tradition of filmmakers reconfiguring the character for their own means. Though he’s endlessly respectful of his picture’s namesake, adopting its distinctive theme song and casting (with a lovely “friendly participation of” credit) original Django Franco Nero, he is, as usual, up to more than friendly borrowing, or creating in-jokes for his fellow cinephiles. The Spaghetti Western, as a subgenre, wasn’t immune from occasional silliness. But these were big, extravagant, and often emotional vehicles — they dealt in mythology and iconography, and Django Unchained finds Tarantino digging in to that element of the form with relish. … Read More

Pop Culture

30 Amazing Tattoos Inspired by Quentin Tarantino Films

By Alison Nastasi on

It’s been three years since we’ve been graced with a film from hyper director, Quentin Tarantino, but western throwback tale Django Unchained hits theaters on Christmas, and fans are brimming with anticipation. QT has only directed about 10 films (unless you don’t count the scene he shot in Sin City), but his filmography is loaded with graphic and stylish imagery that makes a lasting impression. The intensity and loyalty of Quentin Tarantino fandom ranks just about as high as Star Wars, which is why we’re not surprised to see his films etched across the flesh of adoring fans everywhere. We scouted high and low for amazing tattoos that were inspired by Tarantino’s movies — the ones he’s directed, written, and starred in. If you have your own QT-inspired tattoo, leave us a link so we can check it out! … Read More

Film

On Sandy Hook, Movie Violence, and 'Jack Reacher'

By Jason Bailey on

Any time there’s a senseless, random mass shooting, the responses come in waves — and senseless, random mass shootings have become so common that you can all but set your watch by those responses anymore. First, there’s shock. Then, there’s the insistence that “now is not the time” to talk about guns, or to “politicize a tragedy.” And then the anti-gun people either wait a while or don’t, and start talking about gun control, and then the pro-gun people start talking about arming everyone, and comparing outlawing guns to outlawing cars and spoons and fertilizer. And then the blaming starts: of parents, of a deficient mental health system, even (this time) the lack of men around. Alex Jones will lead the charge of tinfoil hat-sporting nutjobs claiming that the whole thing was a government operation enabling them to “come git our guns.” And, at some point in the midst of all that, it will be time to blame pop culture. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds In Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on

Today at Flavorpill, we briefly considered this bizarre sweater onesie for the winter ahead. We were drawn to the awfulness of real estate agent headshots. We watched a moving performance of Pina Bausch’s legendary “Kontakthof,” put on by senior citizens. We browsed New York City’s Recession Art’s local holiday gift guide — connecting emerging artists and aspiring collectors. We remembered when six real-life authors turned themselves into fictional characters. We listened to Tupac mashed up with James Brown for the Django Unchained soundtrack. … Read More