Image Credit: Linda R. Chen
How much would Pulp Fiction’s “cool” factor suffer if Samuel L. Jackson weren’t the one reciting Ezekiel 25:17? Apparently, we came dangerously close to finding out …
Vanity Fair‘s oral history of Quentin Tarantino’s hit film reveals a few things you might not know about the movie, from casting news to Bruce Willis’ influence. Here’s what we learned: READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: The Weinstein Company
Slavery remains American’s original sin, written into the original U.S. Constitution and responsible for the country’s ever-evolving, ever-complicated attitudes about race. So when a director like Quentin Tarantino decides to use slavery as the backdrop for his spaghetti Western revenge fantasia Django Unchained, it should not be exactly surprising that the film has come under a great deal of scrutiny.
What should be surprising — what should be at the center of any conversation about slavery and the movies — is how infrequently the words “slavery and the movies” are spoken in the same sentence.
Last month, Spike Lee declared he would not see Django Unchained, tweeting ”American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust” — a not so subtle implication that American slavery is too fraught to serve as a venue for Tarantino’s unique blend of genre-smashing, blood-splattering filmmaking. Training Day director Antoine Fuqua later admonished Lee for not airing his beef with Tarantino in private, declaring “I don’t think Quentin Tarantino has a racist bone in his body.” (When reached by EW, a rep for The Weinstein Company and Tarantino had no comment regarding either statement.) But Spike Lee is far from alone in expressing concerns about Tarantino’s tale of the titular freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who teams up with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a nefarious slaveholder (Leonardo DiCaprio). The public handwringing over the film has included its profligate use of the N-word (sparking a most fascinating exchange between Samuel L. Jackson and a white journalist over speaking the word aloud); its impact among African-American cultural tastemakers and audiences; and its appropriateness for teenage audiences (as penned by EW’s Abby West).
None of the controversies have exactly harmed the film’s box office; quite the opposite, it just zoomed past $100 million this weekend, en route to becoming Tarantino’s biggest hit to date. READ FULL STORY »
No one knows how to make white men squirm quite like Samuel L. Jackson.
A post on Reddit last night has unearthed a prime example. Two weeks ago, the Django Unchained cast sat down with Jake Hamilton, host of Houston’s Emmy-winning film show Jake’s Takes, at a press junket. Things went smoothly enough until Hamilton approached Jackson with a question about the movie’s controversial use of the “n-word.” Jackson insisted that Hamilton, who is white, say the word out loud; after Hamilton repeatedly refused, they moved on. It was uncomfortable.
“The most awkward moment was just seeing everyone in the room freeze, and waiting to see what my reaction was going to be,” Hamilton says today. READ FULL STORY »
Did Samuel L. Jackson really lob an f-bomb on Saturday Night Live last weekend — or did he actually just say “fuh,” like he’s asserted since the incident?
Judging by video from the live telecast, it sure sounds like there was a “k” after that “fuh” — but according to the curse-happy actor, the only reason we’re questioning him is because SNL cast member Kenan Thompson didn’t cut him off fast enough during the sketch. (Warning: Sensitive language ahead, naturally.)
Image Credit: NBC
Saying last night’s episode of SNL fell short of expectations would be the understatement of the year. Martin Short didn’t disappoint, in fact he was my favorite host of the season. His brand of physical comedy and impeccable comedic timing were refreshing, but he didn’t have adequate material to work with. As expected, the episode was star-studded — complete with cameos from other SNL alums and show favorites — but the celebrity guests acted as background props for the most part instead of contributing to skits. However, every time Paul McCartney took the stage, his tender voice wiped my memory clean of any mediocre jokes that preceded his stellar performance. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The Walking Dead: The Game won five trophies at Spike TV’s 10th annual Video Game Awards, including the top prize of Game of the Year. The downloadable game, based on the hit comic-book series, also earned Telltale Games Studio of the Year. Borderlands 2 won four awards, including Best Shooter, and Journey won three awards, including Best Independent Game.
For the fourth time, Samuel L. Jackson hosted the live event, which also featured appearances from Jack Black and Tenacious D, cast members from the actual Walking Dead, Jessica Alba, and Star Trek‘s Zoë Saldana. Jackson set the tone early, warning the audience and the show’s producers, “Whoever’s in charge of the bleep button, keep your finger ready.” He delivered on his promise, dealing expletives like he had snakes in his carry-on at 30,000 feet.
In between handing out awards, the show was full of first looks and trailers for next year’s biggest games. The first video for South Park: The Stick of Truth debuted, with Cartman assaulting a hobbit. “I’m the wizard, and you’re the dwarf, and you will respect my authority,” he screamed.
For a list of all the winners, click below. READ FULL STORY »
On Dec. 7, Samuel L. Jackson will host the 10th annual Spike Video Game Awards. To mark this monumental birthday, Entertainment Weekly has teamed up with Spike TV to celebrate the videogames that defined the last decade. In the past 10 years, videogames moved decisively into the mainstream of popular culture. The societal impact of major franchises like Call of Duty, or Halo, or Grand Theft Auto arguably supersedes the effect of comparable movie franchises. If anything, Hollywood is more and more taking its cues from videogames. (Sometimes literally. See: Assassin’s Creed: The Movie That Might Not Be Terrible.) READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Spike
Who wins a showdown between an assassin on the prowl in colonial America and the repulsive zombie hordes that have lurched to fame on The Walking Dead? The answer to that burning question will be answered at the VGA Ten, the Dec. 7 awards show that will air live on Spike TV.
Samuel L. Jackson is back as host of the show (we caught up with him recently to talk about the franchise and his own video game passions, you check out the video below) which air on Spike and also will be streamed internationally on Spike.com and GameTrailers.com able. The show can also be viewed on Xbox consoles in the United States and in some international markets. READ FULL STORY »
The latest trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming spaghetti western/blaxploitation homage Django Unchained provides some tantalizing new glimpses of the film’s supporting characters and a few more examples of the director’s hyper-referential sensibility. We’re still a couple months away from the film’s Christmas Day release — what better time to spend an afternoon dissecting individual trailer frames? Warning: Silent movies and Miami Vice will be discussed! READ FULL STORY »
