Why "Inglourious Basterds" is Still Quentin Tarantino's Best Film

Scene from Inglourious Basterds

For Quentin Tarantino, the year 2009 was a turning point for his career that at the time seemed unexpected. With the success of Pulp Fiction now 15 years behind him, his three films since were a mix of underappreciated (Jackie Brown) and more stylized (Kill Bill). He still had the knack to entertain audiences, but what exactly was his defining achievements in his career? With Inglourious Basterds, he did something unfathomable. He didn't just dive into genre, this time taking on the World War II action films, he found a way to remind audiences that he was a gifted writer, capable of pushing boundaries that hadn't been seen in over a decade. He had the style, but Inglourious Basterds proved that he was capable of being an auteur, kicking off a decade of repurposing history through cinema to explore some of the most important themes of the 21st century, but with plenty more razzle-dazzle.

The First "Downsizing" Trailer Shrinks Anticipation Just a Little

Scene from Downsizing

There's something curious about Alexander Payne's latest movie Downsizing. Whereas he generally has made small and intimate comedies, he sees himself exploring stories that are small in every way but concept. The film looks to explore the effects of getting smaller, with another performance by Matt Damon (see also: Suburbicon). It's an odd venture for sure, but one has to wonder if Payne has what it takes to return to the Oscars circle following his Best Picture-nominated Nebraska. If there's any sign from the first trailer, things are at least off to a shaky but promising start.

Theory Thursday: "Inglourious Basterds" is Tarantino's Best Film

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Inglourious Basterds" (2009)

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Will Smith Opens Up About Not Starring in "Django Unchained" With Hypocritical Reasoning

Will Smith in Wild Wild West

There's a good chance that if you're attentive to the news cycle, you'll know that director Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained almost ended up a little differently. While audiences now know title character Django Freeman as being played by Jamie Foxx, there was a time where it looked to belong to Men in Black actor Will Smith. While nobody really had a good idea why that was, guesses were that it was just too violent or crazy for the actor who has consistently been self-aware of his image (though that doesn't explain After Earth). In a recent interview while doing the rounds for his latest drama Concussion, he has opened up to why things didn't pan out. On the plus side, it's not anything irrational. On the other hand, it's a little strange.

The Full Length Trailer for "Spectre" is Bond Doing Bond in Bondly Ways

Daniel Craig

One of the many big movies of the Fall is likely to be the latest film in the James Bond series. Following the critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated Skyfall, director Sam Mendes returns to deliver Spectre. As one can expect, there will likely be more of the familiar espionage and fast cars to keep fans of the British spy series entertained. Today marks the release of the first full trailer, which co-stars Daniel Craig and Christoph Waltz and sees the hero going on his 24th adventure. In predictable fashion, it looks just about as good as the recent Bond movies get.

Review: "Big Eyes" is an Intriguing Biopic on Artistic Ownership and Manufacturing

At its core, Big Eyes is very much a film that director Tim Burton cannot make. While he has played around in the real world before, he has always embraced the kitsch side of everything, choosing to illuminate visuals with sickly colorful landscapes. Ed Wood worked because it mixed this with a director with dreams outside of his talent. Big Eyes is a film predominantly rooted in the real world, which doesn't seem to interest Burton anymore. For those that are complaining that it lacks style because of this, look at it another way. This is Burton showing actual interest in his work. Why else would he tackle a biopic about Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), who is as far from eccentric as his catalog gets? It is a film that shouldn't work but kind of does, and that's the fascinating hat trick.

A Look at the Early Divisive Reactions to "Big Eyes"

Left to right: Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams

It has been awhile since we last heard about director Tim Burton's Big Eyes. After the great first trailer was released, the buzz has been silent in favor of more pressing films. Still, it seemed like was bound to be an Oscar contender in a lot of aspects. It teams up Burton with the writers of his best film: Ed Wood. It also looks to be one of his more realistic and interesting films that focuses more on drama than visual flourishes. Also, it has Amy Adams gunning for a potential Oscar nomination. The only question is if it could last. Based on early reports, it doesn't look all that likely of a lock.

The First "Big Eyes" Trailer Doesn't Look Like a Tim Burton Film in the Best Way Possible

Amy Adams

For some strange reason, the words "Oscars" and "Tim Burton" are almost verboten from being within a three sentence radius. Yes, there is plenty evidence to suggest that the director's recent work from the past 10 years is arguably inferior to his more creative heyday. However, there seems to have been an exception with buzz around his latest film Big Eyes, which hasn't played any festival nor has it received any other acclaim than that it may be Amy Adams' shot at the Oscar (a move that I am all for). This is a strange concept for a Burton movie as of late. However, what's even more strange is that after the first trailer, it may be his most normal-looking movie since Ed Wood with a lot of his signature surreal visuals missing. From the looks of things, this is a great thing.

Top 20 Highlights of the 85th Academy Awards

Seth MacFarlane

Now that the Oscars are over for another year, it is time to look back and remember what was great about the ceremony. I know, I have already written up a brief recap about the events, and with majority of things officially over with, I too must wrap up coverage. I assure you, this will be the last for the 2013 Oscar season. However, keep in mind that I plan to continue to post weekly on films that could possibly get nominated next year, even if the logical ones are months away. To wrap up this season, here is a look at 20 memorable moments from the 85th Academy Awards Ceremony hosted by Seth MacFarlane.

Were Your Predictions Spot on with this Year's Oscar WInners?

Clockwise top to bottom: Daniel Day Lewis, Anne Hathaway,
Christoph Waltz, and Jennifer Lawrence

As many people undoubtedly know by now, the 85th Academy Awards was a success for the most part. True, it seemed more fragmented than normal, but it wasn't an egregious year for the most part. There weren't too many upsets, at least in terms of winners. However, it is that time to reflect on how YOU the viewer did and see if you predicted the show, or was left in awe of Ang Lee's Best Director win for Life of Pi. As my results will show, it wasn't exactly a great year for me. However, let's run down the winners and see how they matched up.

Review: "Django Unchained" Suffers From Multiple Genre Personalities

Samuel L. Jackson

I am officially back from my two weeks hiatus. I want to thank you for being patient and I hope to continue to bring you updates and other entries detailing my thoughts on this upcoming Oscars ceremony, including predictions on Seth MacFarlane's performance, why Argo will win Best Picture, and quite possibly a Zero Dark Thirty review.  But for now, we look at director Quentin Tarantino's latest slave epic Django Unchained. Is it up to par with the other Best Picture nominees, and does it have what it takes to win big on Oscar Night?

Predictions: Who Should Get a Best Supporting Actor Nomination in 2013?

2012's Best Supporting Actor winner Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

We are in an exciting time for Oscar enthusiasts. We are officially one week away from the announcement of this year's nominees. In order to contribute some thoughts, I will be going down the major categories (Acting, Directing, and Best Picture) and predicting who will be the most likely to get nominated, as well as a few tidbits on why I agree with these decisions. Be warned that every story that I am going to write in relation to predictions will not actually feature any bias towards who should win. However, I will be detailing why I think each should be nominated. Also stay tuned for post-coverage in which I will actually be sharing my thoughts on the nominations and solidify who I believe should win in each category.

Will the Academy Award "Django Unchained" for its Portrayal of Revisionist History?

Jamie Foxx

One of the longest hold outs of the awards season, director Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, finally made its premiere at a Directors Guild of America screening on December 1, a little over three weeks until its international release. Speculation has long surrounded the film on if it is worthy of at very least a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. While there were differing opinions and a standing ovation at the screening, the question remains unanswered. For now, we cannot help but wonder if Tarantino can pull back-to-back nominations, or if he just created another fun film.