Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Mixed 'Basterd' Messages From Weinstein?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/mixed-basterd-messages-from-weinstein/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/mixed-basterd-messages-from-weinstein/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/08/mixed-basterd-messages-from-weinstein/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I've been keeping my eye on this whole Inglourious Basterds mishegoss, because I'm a fan of Tarantino's, and of Nazi movies, and of movies where Nazis are killed in spectacularly violent ways, even though the atrociously spelled title is enough to give a copy editor or any responsible writer an aneurysm.

When I read that Harvey Weinstein spectacularly dissed the movie in an interview with GQ, I was a little confused. According to WENN, Weinstein told GQ, "It isn't funny; it isn't exciting; it isn't a realistic war movie, yet neither is it an entertaining genre spoof or a clever counterfactual wartime yarn. It isn't emotionally involving or deliciously ironic or a brilliant tissue of trash-pop references. Nothing like that. Brad Pitt gives the worst performance of his life, with a permanent smirk as if he's had the left side of his jaw injected with cement, and which he must uncomfortably maintain for long scenes on camera without dialogue."

Continue reading Mixed 'Basterd' Messages From Weinstein?

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]]>brad pittBradPittharvey weinsteinHarveyWeinsteinInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoJenni MillerWed, 08 Jul 2009 15:02:00 ESTI Reckon Westerns Are Coming Back ...http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/15/i-reckon-westerns-are-coming-back/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/15/i-reckon-westerns-are-coming-back/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/15/i-reckon-westerns-are-coming-back/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Sorry, Hugh Jackman ... I don't think its musicals that are back. I think it's the clink of spurs, and the fast draw that's enjoying a renaissance. I know, they say William Munny killed it along with Little Bill Daggett (and if so, it certainly went out with one hell of a last line), but then came The Missing, The Proposition, Open Range, 3:10 to Yuma, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Appaloosa. There's also been a few that stretched the definition beyond the classic, pistols-at-sunset sort and tackled a more modern definition and locale, such as All the Pretty Horses, Brokeback Mountain, No Country for Old Men, and Australia. Asia has gotten in on the fun with Sukiyaki Western Django and the upcoming The Warrior's Way.

Of course I'm leaving a few of them out (apologies to the Texas Rangers fans out there), and it's also worth noting that not all of them were successful or popular. Some of them were downright disastrous. But they were made when Unforgiven supposedly shot them down, and they were clearly popular or interesting enough to warrant a few more remakes and revivals. The Lone Ranger is set to call on Silver, the Coen Bros are re-hiring Rooster Cogburn, and Gerard Butler will reportedly try to duck the noose in The Hanging Tale. On the graphic novel end, you'll have Jonah Hex wrecking bloody havoc, and Preacher may finally go to Texas. Today, Variety is reporting that Roy Rogers may rise from the dead for a new film trilogy. It won't be a biopic, nor a traditional Western, but be some kind of "family-fantasy adventure" that will use the characters of Rogers, Dale Evans, and Trigger, capitalizing (their words, not mine) on their iconic status, and introducing them to a new generation.

Continue reading I Reckon Westerns Are Coming Back ...

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]]>3:10 to Yuma3:10ToYumaAll the Pretty HorsesAllThePrettyHorsesAppaloosaAustraliabrokeback mountainBrokebackMountainJoss WhedonJossWhedonno country for old menNoCountryForOldMenOpen RangeOpenRangequentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoRoy RogersRoyRogerssukiyaki western djangoSukiyakiWesternDjangothe assassination of jesse james by the coward robert fordThe Hanging TaleThe Lone RangerThe Lonr RangerThe Missingthe propositionThe Warriors WayTheAssassinationOfJesseJamesByTheCowardRobertFordTheHangingTaleTheLoneRangerTheLonrRangerTheMissingThePropositionTheWarriorsWayElisabeth RappeMon, 15 Jun 2009 19:03:00 ESTShould Internet Fanboys Shut Up or Have Their Say?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/27/should-internet-fanboys-shut-up-or-have-their-say/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/27/should-internet-fanboys-shut-up-or-have-their-say/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/27/should-internet-fanboys-shut-up-or-have-their-say/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Typical Internet Fanboy (Comic Book Guy from 'The Simpsons')Whoever wrote, "Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan," obviously lived before the Internet was created. Nowadays, we're all too eager to find a fall guy -- either an individual or a group -- on whom failure can be blamed. The most recent example is Terminator Salvation. Our own Jessica Barnes suggested several culprits, including the Internet itself: "Terminator could be a good example of how filmmaking at 'gunpoint' never ends well. It's possible that the leaked ending forced WB's hand to create something different when in fact we should have just let McG do his thing with the original script."

Lane Brown at New York Magazine's Vulture blog takes that idea further, giving odds on four "massively anticipated" movies that will 'have their failure blamed on a director listening to people on the Internet.' Lane lists Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2, Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, and Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables as the most likely suspects.

We're on a slippery slope here, because as a dedicated movie site written by hard-core film buffs, Cinematical is inclined to obsess over every little item on upcoming movies, freely offering our strong opinions way in advance, often prompting dozens of different opinions from readers. Personally, I see nothing wrong with filmmakers paying attention to what fans are saying. And if they choose to change their movies based on the opinions of an unruly mob of fanboys, that says more about them than it does about the Internet. What do you think? Should Internet fanboys continue to have their say? Or should we all shut up and wait for the movie to come out before saying anything?

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]]>fanboysfeaturedinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsinternet fanboysInternetFanboysiron man 2IronMan2the expendablesTheExpendableswhere the wild things areWhereTheWildThingsArePeter MartinWed, 27 May 2009 16:02:00 ESTQuentin Tarantino Will Tweak 'Inglourious Basterds'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/26/quentin-tarantino-will-tweak-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/26/quentin-tarantino-will-tweak-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/26/quentin-tarantino-will-tweak-inglourious-basterds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The version of Inglourious Basterds that played to mixed reviews at Cannes won't be the version we see, for better or for worse. Quentin Tarantino is heading back into the editing bay next month, and giving the film an extra scene or two. (And nothing is harder to write about than a film you and the rest of the moviegoing world hasn't even seen, so bear with me here.)

The director admitted to Variety's Anne Thompson that he felt overfiddling had hurt Death Proof, so he deliberately put Basterds on a Cannes deadline -- but it was one that was so tight that he had to rush "a dripping-wet print" to the festival. As a result, Basterds was 19 minutes less than he needed to retain final cut.

So, he's adding footage back in. One is a scene that he filmed, but hasn't yet assembled that introduces the characters of Michael Fassbender and Diane Kruger's more thoroughly. For those of us who didn't get to see the film at its Cannes debut, that means little. But if you read the script, it comes before the La Louisiane sequence. However, if you're hoping to see Maggie Chung as Madame Mimieux, you'll be disappointed. The scenes between Mimieux and Melanie Laurent's Shoshanna Dreyfuss won't be restored as Tarantino feels they don't add to the narrative.

But the final edit might rest on audience approval. Tarantino's going to be doing some test screenings "outside of California" to see how the film plays to the people, and will fine tune it from there -- but hopefully not to the point of Death Proof fiddling ...

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]]>Cannes 2009Cannes2009featuredinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoElisabeth RappeTue, 26 May 2009 10:02:00 ESTCannes in 60 Seconds: Wednesday, May 20, 2009http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/21/cannes-in-60-seconds-wednesday-may-20-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/21/cannes-in-60-seconds-wednesday-may-20-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/21/cannes-in-60-seconds-wednesday-may-20-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Cannes in 60 Seconds - 2009

Nothing like a little war movie to bookend a day at the Cannes Film Festival. Lines began forming at the crack of dawn to see the first screening of Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds this morning, and, still, many were shut out. (Erik Davis rounded up the first reactions from those who did manage to gain admittance.) Evening brought the glamour, as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie led a parade of celebrities down the fabled red carpet for the black-tie and gown gala presentation. As a cherry on top, Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell screened at midnight.

Films Sold. Amazingly -- or maybe not, when you consider all the free publicity it's already accrued -- Lars Von Trier's highly controversial and divisive Antichrist sold to IFC Films. The company says they will release the same version as the one screened in Cannes, according to indieWIRE. Specific release plans were not announced, but expect it this fall, in order to capitalize on the buzz. Also, I suggest a poster highlighting Willem Dafoe's previous, religiously-titled movie: "From The Last Temptation of Christ to ... Antichrist!"

Much less controversially, IFC also picked up Ken Loach's Looking for Eric, which the company describes as the director's "most accessible, crowd pleasing film." More details at indieWIRE.

Key Screenings. Competition: Alain Resnais' drama Wild Grass, starring Mathieu Amalric (the reviews so far, collected by David Hudson at IFC's The Daily, range from reserved to rave). Un Certain Regard: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's supernatural-tinged drama Nymph (Todd Brown at Twitch reviews), Luc Mullet's Land of Madness. Directors' Fortnight: Axelle Ropert's The Wolberg Family (a small town mayor's obsession with his family), Ho Tzu Nyen's Here (a middle-aged man deals with life as a patient in a medical institution).

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]]>alain resnaisAlainResnaisangelina jolieAngelinaJolieantichristbrad pittBradPittcannes film festivalcannes in 60 secondscannes2009CannesFilmFestivalCannesIn60Secondsdrag me to hellDragMeToHellinglouriousbasterdsken loachKenLoachlars von trierLarsVonTrierlooking for ericLookingForEricquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinowild grassWildGrassPeter MartinThu, 21 May 2009 02:02:00 ESTBuy This: Brad Pitt's 'Basterds' Coathttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/buy-this-brad-pitts-basterds-coat/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/buy-this-brad-pitts-basterds-coat/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/buy-this-brad-pitts-basterds-coat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Depending on who you read today, Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds was either a total win or a total bore (read our earlier review recap). The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday, wasn't as well received by critics as we might have hoped for -- and, instead, we have folks like The Guardian calling it a "turkey" and "Gott-awful," while Variety (who just recently released their official review) said this: "By turns surprising, nutty, windy, audacious and a bit caught up in its own cleverness, the picture is a completely distinctive piece of American pop art with a strong Euro flavor that's new for the director."

We get it: Some people liked it more than others, and it'll be interesting to see how (or if) Tarantino fine-tunes the film prior to its August release, especially if the Weinstein Co. is counting on this to be their big, squishy, box office teddy bear come late summer. In the meantime, though, you at home can now own the special coat Brad Pitt's character wears throughout the film. Not the actual coat, mind you, but the version of the coat that was specifically created for the film and for Pitt's Lieutenant Aldo Raine.

The coat comes from Belstaff, who also helped create the look for Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and it's "made from Belstaff's genuine Antique 10 wax cotton, known for its' strong and protective design against the elements." Additionally, "the distinguished sheepskin shawl collar adds to the comfort of the jacket and completes the look," so says the Belstaff website. Unfortunately, this sucker comes with a pretty hefty $1700 price tag ... though some would argue that having the chance to dress like Brad Pitt is priceless. Check out a larger image of the coat below.

Gallery: Brad Pitt's 'Basterds' Coat



[via TheAwesomer]

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]]>brad pittBradPittcinematicalinglourious basterdsinglouriousbasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoErik DavisWed, 20 May 2009 16:02:00 ESTFirst Reviews and Clips for Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/first-reviews-and-clips-for-tarantinos-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/first-reviews-and-clips-for-tarantinos-inglourious-basterds/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/first-reviews-and-clips-for-tarantinos-inglourious-basterds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Quentin Tarantino's long-awaited WWII epic Inglourious Basterds premiered at the Cannes Film Festival mere hours ago, and so far critics seem to be finding the film entertaining, sure, if a tad too talkative. Would you expect anything less from the man? Here's a rundown of some early thoughts, and we've posted three new clips in between some of the quotes.

"Inglourious Basterds is great fun to watch, but the movie isn't entirely engaging. And it is defiantly an art film, not a calculatedly mainstream entertainment. Tarantino throws you out of the movie with titles, chapter headings, snatches of music. You don't jump into the world of the film in a participatory way; you watch it from a distance, appreciating the references and the masterful mise-en-scene. This is a film that will benefit from a second viewing. I can't wait to see it again." -- Anne Thompson, Variety

"The
 film is by no means terrible -- its running time of two hours and 32 minutes 
races by -- but those things we think of as being Tarantino-esque, the long
 stretches of wickedly funny dialogue, the humor in the violence and outsized 
characters strutting across the screen, are largely missing." Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter



"Forget what you think you know is such a cliché, but here it more than applies. Tarantino has made a career out of subverting expectations - this is the man who made a heist flick without a heist, after all - but he's outdone himself with Basterds. It's an action movie that has barely any action. The Basterds themselves, including Brad Pitt's Lt. Aldo Raine, are off-screen for long periods of time. And it takes wild liberties with history." -- Chris Hewitt, Empire

More quotes and clips after the jump ...

Continue reading First Reviews and Clips for Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds'

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]]>brad pittBradPittcinematicalfeaturedinglourious basterdsinglourious basterds reviewsInglouriousBasterdsInglouriousBasterdsReviewsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoErik DavisWed, 20 May 2009 09:50:00 ESTExclusive: 'Inglourious Basterds' Character Poster - Mélanie Laurenthttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/08/exclusive-inglourious-basterds-character-poster-melanie-lau/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/08/exclusive-inglourious-basterds-character-poster-melanie-lau/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/08/exclusive-inglourious-basterds-character-poster-melanie-lau/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Click image below to enlarge poster

Cinematical has just received this exclusive character poster for Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, which is part of a set of other character posters that have arrived online over the past week. This particular one features French actress Mélanie Laurent, who plays Shosanna Dreyfus in the film -- a French-Jewish girl who fled to France under a new identity after witnessing her family's murder at the hands of Nazis. Now in France running a movie theater, she just may get a chance to exact her revenge when a group of German soldiers decide to stop in for a visit. To view the entire poster, click on the image below.

Gallery: Inglorious Basterds Poster - Mélanie Laurent



Laurent is joined by a cast that includes Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, B.J. Novak, Mike Myers, Cloris Leachman and Samuel L. Jackson (who narrates) among others. Inglourious Basterds, which is easily one of my most anticipated films this summer, will premiere later this month at the Cannes Film Festival before arriving in theaters on August 21. Click below to check out the other character posters and more images from the film.

Gallery: Inglourious Basterds

Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus. Brad Pitt

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]]>brad pittBradPittcinematicalinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsmelanie laurent character posterMelanieLaurentCharacterPosterquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoErik DavisFri, 08 May 2009 10:02:00 ESTTarantino Gets a Taste of His Own Post-Modern Medicinehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/06/tarantino-gets-a-taste-of-his-own-post-modern-medicine/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/06/tarantino-gets-a-taste-of-his-own-post-modern-medicine/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/06/tarantino-gets-a-taste-of-his-own-post-modern-medicine/#commentsFiled under: , ,



James Hyman is a DJ, turntablist and music supervisor who built a name for himself in Europe and around the world by creating a series of mash-up albums combining movie clips, dialogue quotes, and pop songs. Following the release of a James Bond/ 007 mix in June 2004, Hyman mounted his most ambitious project to date, a single-disc masterpiece entitled Pulp Mixin', a dizzying blend of Quentin Tarantino's dialogue and movie music set against the backdrop of the hottest pop music of the day. Not content to relegate his recording to a purely stereoscopic assault, Hyman recently announced that he is currently assembling a feature-length film that will make Tarantino's own genre mash-ups look as complicated as a kid combining two colors of play-doh.

Specifically, Hyman plans to use not only music videos and film clips from the samples he originally employed for his Pulp Mixin' CD, but throw in some new ones as well, and then dig up obscure performances from bands included on Tarantino's eclectic soundtracks in order to combine them all into a blitzkrieg mosaic of movie references and music cues. Provisionally titled the James Hyman / Quentin Tarantino Movie Mash-Up, you can check out the trailer after the jump.

Continue reading Tarantino Gets a Taste of His Own Post-Modern Medicine

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]]>james bond 007james hymanJamesBond007kill billKillBillmash-uppulp fictionquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoturntablistTodd GilchristWed, 06 May 2009 17:45:00 ESTCinematical Seven: Our Most Anticipated Films of Summer '09http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/30/cinematical-seven-our-most-anticipated-films-of-summer-09/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/30/cinematical-seven-our-most-anticipated-films-of-summer-09/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/30/cinematical-seven-our-most-anticipated-films-of-summer-09/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,



Not many movie-going summers have had the good sense or fortune to formally kick themselves off with the likes of Hugh Jackman and his razor-sharp jazz hands, but as these are the times in which we live in, it's a clear indication that we're in for about eighteen weeks of spectacular spectaculars worth gulping down popcorn and guzzling down pop* with.

Eugene's already shone the spotlight on a fair amount of smaller titles worth your while, so our staff tried to keep the focus on that which we haven't seen, those spectacles for which we're most excited and least likely to text during. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: sit down and shut up, because these are the seven movies that we're fairly f**kin' pumped for.

(*Okay, I pretty much never call soda that, but you get the idea.)

Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Our Most Anticipated Films of Summer '09

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]]>adam sandlerAdamSandleralison lohmanAlisonLohmanbrad pittBradPittcate blanchettCateBlanchettchris pineChrisPinechristian baleChristianBalecinematical sevencinematical summerCinematicalSevenCinematicalSummerdaniel radcliffeDanielRadcliffedrag me to hellDragMeToHelleric banaEricBanafunny peopleFunnyPeopleharry potterharry potter and the half-blood princeHarryPotterHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrincehayao miyazakiHayaoMiyazakiinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsj.j. abramsJ.j.Abramsjohnny deppJohnnyDeppjudd apatowJuddApatowjustin longJustinLongmichael mannMichaelMannpixarpixars upPixarsUpponyoponyo on the cliffPonyoOnTheCliffpublic enemiesPublicEnemiesquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinosam raimiSamRaimiseth rogenSethRogentiny feyTinyFeyupWilliam GossThu, 30 Apr 2009 23:02:00 ESTCannes Film Festival Reveals Lineup, Somehow Gets Cooler Than Everhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/23/cannes-film-festival-reveals-lineup-somehow-gets-cooler/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/23/cannes-film-festival-reveals-lineup-somehow-gets-cooler/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/23/cannes-film-festival-reveals-lineup-somehow-gets-cooler/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ah, the Croisette. I can feel the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, the gentle crash of the waves reverberating through my ear canal... oh, wait. None of that rings a bell, because I've never been to the Cannes Film Festival.

But those who have seem to love it, and with a lineup like this year's, it's not hard to see why. As we recently mentioned, the fest will open with Pixar's apparently awesome Up, and showcase the latest from Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds), Ang Lee (Taking Woodstock), Terry Gilliam (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon), Pedro Almodovar (Broken Embraces), Ken Loach (Looking for Eric), Lars von Trier (Antichrist), Alejandro Amenabar (Agora), Michel Gondry (L'epine dans le coeur) and Park Chan-wook (Thirst), among others.

Yes, there's more. Sundance hit Precious (formerly Push) will make an appearance, as will SXSW fave Drag Me to Hell (to see all those tuxes and gowns jolt from their seats might qualify as an entertainment all its own). The 62nd Festival will run from May 13th to the 24th, and Erik, Scott: you still totally have time to send me, and I still totally have time to get a tux, and to update my passport, and to learn French... Just think about it.

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]]>cannes film festivalCannesFilmFestivalfeayuredWilliam GossThu, 23 Apr 2009 13:45:00 ESTQuentin Tarantino Guest Directs On 'American Idol'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/15/quentin-tarantino-guest-directs-on-american-idol/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/15/quentin-tarantino-guest-directs-on-american-idol/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/15/quentin-tarantino-guest-directs-on-american-idol/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Music lover and Quentin Tarantino did a guest stint on American Idol to "direct" the final seven competitors. Those hoping for an extra glimpse of Inglourious Basterds probably came away disappointed, although he did get a pretty fantastic introduction.

If you were hoping that by "directing" the singers, Tarantino might have forced them to fight ninjas or drown one another in a toilet, you'd be disappointed. Instead, the closest they got to the world of Tarantino was by singing movie songs ... and not even the kinds of songs the director puts in his films, but every overplayed "ballad" you've ever heard: I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, Everything I Do, I Do It For You, Born to be Wild, Have You Ever Loved a Woman, Endless Love, Falling Slowly, The Rose.

Tarantino did try to beef up the performances (encouraging Anoop Desai to "kill" the aforementioned Bryan Adams tune was pretty funny), but no one seemed to take his advice much to heart. He's an obvious fan of the show though, eagerly awaiting to see what Adam Lambert does to rock classics. But it seems like if you're going to have Tarantino "coaching" your singers, they ought to be singing stuff he's picked, or stuff from his movies. How about performances of Stuck In the Middle, Hooked on a Feeling, and Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down.

Am I wrong? Then again, I'm not much of an Idol fan, so maybe I expect far too much out of a guest coach ... even when that coach is Tarantino. Was this really the best they could do with a category like movie songs?

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]]>American IdolAmericanIdolfeaturedinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoElisabeth RappeWed, 15 Apr 2009 10:02:00 ESTCinematical Seven: Our Favorite Hot Rod Girlshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/02/cinematical-seven-our-favorite-hot-rod-girls/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/02/cinematical-seven-our-favorite-hot-rod-girls/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/02/cinematical-seven-our-favorite-hot-rod-girls/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Tracie Thoms in 'Death Proof'

Growing up in Los Angeles as an admittedly shallow, callow youth in the 70s, I always wanted a stylish hot rod so I could attract the girls who liked guys in fast cars. Alas, I had to be content with puttering around in very practical, somewhat beat-up used cars (1964 Chevy Corvair, graduating to a 1965 Ford Falcon), but dreams die hard. Even though I'm still driving a very practical, somewhat beat-up used car, I still yearn for a sizzling hot motor vehicle and an attractive lady passenger urging me to go faster, faster.

These thoughts are prompted by the imminent release of the hot rod-loving Fast & Furious, due in theaters tomorrow, which features the return of the gorgeous Jordana Brewster and the equally lovely Michelle Rodriguez, two talented ladies who have a definite need for speed. (Oh, yeah, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel are back, too, and so is director Justin Lin.) In their honor, we present our seven favorite, fabulous hot rod girls.

1. Tracie Thoms, Death Proof

Tracie Thoms packs an unbeatable combination of brains, beauty, and bravado as Kim, a stunt woman in Quentin Tarantino's twisted ode to 70s car chase movies and 80s slasher flicks. Kim is rowdy and rambunctious with her girlfriends, but her hot rod heart starts beating fast when she revs up the engine of a borrowed 1970 Dodge Challenger, with Zoe Bell precariously perched on the hood. Smashing!

Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Our Favorite Hot Rod Girls

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]]>american graffitiAmericanGraffitiangelina jolieAngelinaJoliebonnie bedaliaBonnieBedaliacindy williamsCindyWilliamsdeath proofdeath race 2000DeathProofDeathRace2000gone in 60 secondsGoneIn60Secondsheart like a wheelHeartLikeAWheelmary woronovMaryWoronovmegan foxMeganFoxnatalie woodNatalieWoodrebel without a causeRebelWithoutACausetracie thomsTracieThomstransformersPeter MartinThu, 02 Apr 2009 22:02:00 ESTTarantino's 'Basterds' Heads to Cannes as More Photos Arrive Onlinehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/02/tarantinos-basterds-heads-to-cannes-as-more-photos-arrive-onl/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/02/tarantinos-basterds-heads-to-cannes-as-more-photos-arrive-onl/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/02/tarantinos-basterds-heads-to-cannes-as-more-photos-arrive-onl/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,



Last year when Quentin Tarantino announced that he'd have his WWII epic Inglourious Basterds ready to screen at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the majority of us thought the guy was out of his mind. At the time, his script wasn't finished, the film wasn't cast and production hadn't even begun. Now, here we are less than a year later and Variety reports that the Cannes Film Festival has invited Tarantino's film to screen, and he has told them it will be ready to do just that. Nothing official is out yet, however, since the festival doesn't release its schedule until April 23, but you have to hand it to the man for sticking to his guns. Whether the final product is any good is a whole different matter.

This news comes as Vanity Fair revealed new portrait-style images from the set of Basterds, giving us our first good look at French actress Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus (see above), who, in the film, plays a woman who flees to Paris and opens a theater after witnessing Nazis murder her family. Inglourious Basterds will arrive in theaters on August 21; check out a few more VF images below and the rest over on their site.

Gallery: Inglourious Basterds

Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus. Brad Pitt

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]]>cannes film festivalcannes2009CannesFilmFestivalcinematicalingloruious basterdsIngloruiousBasterdsmelanie laurentMelanieLaurentquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoErik DavisThu, 02 Apr 2009 12:15:00 ESTScenes We Hate: Kill Bill Vol. 2http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/03/scenes-we-hate-kill-bill-vol-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/03/scenes-we-hate-kill-bill-vol-2/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/03/scenes-we-hate-kill-bill-vol-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Erik Davis' puke-filled Scenes We Hate debut inspired my offering. I'm not a horror or gore connoisseur like my other co-editor, Scott Weinberg, but I can hold my own when it comes to blood and guts. There are a few exceptions ... and one of those is definitely anything to do with eyeballs.

When Elle Driver turned up in an eyepatch in Kill Bill Vol 1, I should have suspected we'd see some eye-oriented gore, but I was left unprepared and downright sick with what happened to her other eye. Actually, it was one of the only times I've heard an entire audience groan and retch along with me -- and it wasn't the plucking (although that was pretty bad), it was the squishing. Once was enough for me. I close my eyes every time she flings it down on the carpet.

Actually, I really do hate this entire fight scene -- it's depraved, disgusting, and unspeakably painful. Squirting limbs and gallons of blood are all well and good, but a can of tobacco spit and a visit to Budd's toliet bowl is just foul. Needless to say, this clip is not for the weak and it's definitely NSFW.


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]]>daryl hannahDarylHannahkill billkill bill 2KillBillKillBill2Scenes We HateScenesWeHateuma thurmanUmaThurmanElisabeth RappeTue, 03 Mar 2009 21:03:00 ESTDiscuss: Are These The Top 25 Directors Working Today?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/21/discuss-ews-list-of-the-top-25-directors-working-today/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/21/discuss-ews-list-of-the-top-25-directors-working-today/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/21/discuss-ews-list-of-the-top-25-directors-working-today/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



I just love a good list, I really do. You can't tear me away from those Top 100 AFI specials, so for me, there is no such thing as a bad list -- even if I disagree with it. Because, isn't that half the fun of talking about movies in the first place? EW has just released a list of the top 25 active directors (which I guess was a nice way of saying 'no dead guys allowed'), and there are a few surprises, but luckily they haven't gone crazy and pronounced Joel Schumacher as the misunderstood auteur of our time. So who did make it to the top of the heap? Well, it's the usual suspects: Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino, Soderbergh, and The Coens rounding out the top ten. But there are some nice surprises to the list as well, like Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, and Ron Howard (whose directorial talents don't always get the respect they should).

But, we film geeks love a good debate, and Anne Thompson has started us off with some passionate commentary on EW's choices; including a slap on the wrist for their habit of relegating directors of a certain age, gender, or race to the top 50 -- I told you she was feisty. So even though I think EW got it right most of the time, I am going to have second Thompson when she says, "their order does not compute." I like Zak Snyder as much as the next girl, but I'm not sold that he deserves the #16 spot on the list when P.T. Anderson is at #22, and Woody Allen didn't even crack the top 25.

Well, ladies and gentlemen start your engines; what do you think of EW's list? Are there any glaring errors? And if you had make a list of the best and worst working directors today, who would you nominate?

Sound off below....

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]]>anne thompsonAnneThompsonentertainment weeklyEntertainmentWeeklyfeaturedjon favreauJonFavreauListmartin scorseseMartinScorsesequentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinosteven soderberghStevenSoderberghWoody AllenWoodyAllenzack snyderZackSnyderJessica BarnesSat, 21 Feb 2009 12:02:00 ESTThree 'Inglourious Basterds' Posters Pop Onlinehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/20/three-inglourious-basterds-posters-pop-online/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/20/three-inglourious-basterds-posters-pop-online/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/20/three-inglourious-basterds-posters-pop-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Just as the Inglourious Basterds teaser talk died down, and "I want my scalps!" faded from Facebook and Twitter updates comes "Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France ..."

Yep, Basterds has a new tagline, and we've got something else to whet your appetite for Nazi carnage, as three brand new bloody posters have debuted online. Their origin is a little murky -- Empire is claiming them as an exclusive, as is IGN and Ain't It Cool News, but they're here now, and can be found in our Basterds gallery:


Gallery: Inglourious Basterds

Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus. Brad Pitt



Striking, aren't they? Everyone will have a favorite! (Mine's the rifle.) Whatever you think of the teaser, you can't deny that they're a little bit brilliant. Quentin Tarantino's posters are always things of beauty, and especially welcome in a world of increasingly bland and Photoshopped floating heads. Will these become staples of dorm rooms and film fanatic dens like the Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill posters have? In fact, if you're one of those who still has Pulp Fiction framed on your wall, I suggest you replace it with one (or all) of these. Not only will guests assume that by idolizing Tarantino you know buckets about grindhouse cinema and spaghetti westerns, they'll also realize you're in favor of Nazi smackdowns and scalpings. You'll be the coolest person they know.










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]]>brad pittBradPitteli rothEliRothfeaturedinglouriousbasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinothe weinstein co.the weinstein companyTheWeinsteinCo.TheWeinsteinCompanyElisabeth RappeFri, 20 Feb 2009 08:40:00 EST'Inglourious Basterds' First Look!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/10/inglourious-basterds-first-look/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/10/inglourious-basterds-first-look/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/10/inglourious-basterds-first-look/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,



UPDATE 3: The full trailer is now online over at Yahoo!

UPDATE 2: A much better HD version of the ET trailer is over here.

UPDATE: Entertainment Tonight premiered the first trailer earlier this evening, and so until it arrives online, here's one of those cruddy bootleg versions to keep you entertained.

What does it mean when we crave footage so much that we post a preview of a trailer? Granted, this is a Quentin Tarantino movie, and it is one that we've been teased with for ten years. I think we can be forgiven for salivating over snippets of footage ... especially when even the tease is fun to watch.

While the official Inglourious Basterds trailer hits Entertainment Tonight later , The Movie Box managed to get a snippet and put it on YouTube in the wee hours of the morning. If you want a big, high-definition version, that's where you should click. But just in case you don't want to leave the cozy confines of Cinematical, we've embedded above. Tell them thanks as you enjoy Brad Pitt's crazy ass accent -- and remember, it's only a few more hours until you get to see the whole damn thing.

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]]>Brad PittBradPittEntertainment tonightEntertainmentTonightinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinothe weinstein companyTheWeinsteinCompanyuniversalElisabeth RappeTue, 10 Feb 2009 22:02:00 ESTWatch This: Two Kids Re-Create a 'Pulp Fiction' Diner Scenehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/09/watch-this-two-kids-re-create-a-pulp-fiction-diner-scene/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/09/watch-this-two-kids-re-create-a-pulp-fiction-diner-scene/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/09/watch-this-two-kids-re-create-a-pulp-fiction-diner-scene/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Cinematical's Scott Weinberg and I were invited to attend the Oxford Film Festival as panelists this weekend, and while Weinberg will have a more thorough recap of our time in Mississippi later on, I wanted to share this delicious morsel from Saturday night's awards ceremony.

As one of the prepared comedy bits interspersed between the awards, they had clips of local people re-enacting diner scenes from movies. Two were basically just straightforward re-creations of scenes from Back to the Future and Five Easy Pieces, but one was from Pulp Fiction, and it was performed by two little kids. Enjoy.



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]]>Eric D. SniderMon, 09 Feb 2009 17:32:00 ESTDiscuss: The Action Flicks of 2009http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/05/discuss-the-action-flicks-of-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/05/discuss-the-action-flicks-of-2009/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/05/discuss-the-action-flicks-of-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So Erik-with-a-k covered the coming comedies of 2009, Scott was all over the horror picks (though his inclusion of Race to Witch Mountain still boggles my mind), Eric-with-a-c nabbed the family-friendly fare, and Elisabeth went over the geek fodder that awaits. But while I respect their calendar years and made-up math alike, I've opted to divide my list of 2009's action and adventure flicks into four categories: Action Flicks I Couldn't Care More About, Action Flicks I Couldn't Care Less About, Action Flicks That I Hope Surprise Me, and Those Which Fell In Between. Enjoy!

Action Flicks I Couldn't Care More About: First and foremost -- Watchmen (March 6th). It's one hell of a graphic novel and looks to be one hell of an adaptation (with or without the Giant Blank), but the only problem is it may not hit theaters on time if 20th Century Fox has anything to say about it. Both Fox and Warner Brothers are fighting over who actually owns the rights, and if a judge favors Fox comes January 20th (when the court date is set), we're looking at a delayed release and a whole ton of angry fans. Then there's Public Enemies (July 1st), which has me sold on not the subject matter, but sheer pedigree: Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp and Christian Bale as '30s gangsters. (It doesn't hurt that the earliest word ranges from damn good to great.) On the skimpier side, I can only hope that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 17th) streamlines its source material as the previous one had, and I can only hope that Crank 2: High Voltage (April 17th) lives up/down to the depravity of its predecessor. There's one last action movie that I couldn't care more about because, well, I've already seen a version of it. The international cut of Taken (January 30th, though reportedly opening with some R-dodging trims) is about as brisk and butt-kicking as one might hope out of a man-on-a-mission kidnapping thriller, and if you disagree, I'll send Liam Neeson to change your mind.

Gallery: Watchmen

Continue reading Discuss: The Action Flicks of 2009

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]]>12 rounds12Rounds2009preview2012actionamanda peetAmandaPeetarmoredavatarbruce willisBruceWillischris evanschris pineChrisEvansChrisPinechristian baleChristianBaleclive owenCliveOwencrank 2crank 2 high voltageCrank2Crank2HighVoltagedaniel radcliffeDanielRadcliffedenzel washingtonDenzelWashingtondiane laneDianeLanedragonballdragonball evolutiondragonball zDragonballEvolutionDragonballZdwayne johnsonDwayneJohnsonfast and furiousfast and furious 4FastAndFuriousFastAndFurious4g.i. joeG.i.Joegamegerard butlerGerardButlerharry potterharry potter and the half-blood princeHarryPotterHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrincehugh jackmanHughJackmaninglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdsj.j. abramsJ.j.Abramsjames cameronJamesCameronjason stathamJasonStathamjohn cenajohn cusackjohn travoltaJohnCenaJohnCusackjohnny deppJohnnyDeppJohnTravoltajonathan mostowJonathanMostowkillshotland of the lostLandOfTheLostliam neesonLiamNeesonmatt dillonMattDillonmichael mannMichaelMannmickey rourkeMickeyRourkeneveldinetaylornext day airNextDayAirnimrod antalNimrodAntaloliver plattOliverPlattoutlanderpreview2009public enemiesPublicEnemiespushquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinorace to witch mountainRaceToWitchMountainroland emmerichRolandEmmerichstar trekStarTrekstreet fighterStreetFightertakenterminatorterminator 4terminator salvationTerminator4TerminatorSalvationthe fast and the furiousthe internationalthe surrogatesthe taking of pelham one two threeTheFastAndTheFuriousTheInternationalTheSurrogatesTheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThreetom tykwerTomTykwertony scottTonyScotttransformerstransformers 2Transformers2underworldunderworld rise of the lycansUnderworldRiseOfTheLycanswatchmenwolverinex-menx-men origins wolverineX-menOriginsWolverinezack snyderZackSnyderWilliam GossMon, 05 Jan 2009 22:02:00 EST