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New 'Django Unchained' trailer features fast funny word play and more DiCaprio

Yep... that's a Quentin Tarantino movie all right

By Drew McWeenyWednesday, Oct 10, 2012 9:10 PM

Leonardo Di Caprio gets to indulge his sleazy side as Calvin Candie in 'Django Unchained'

Credit: The Weinstein Co.

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It looks like The Weinstein Company and Columbia are on track for that Christmas Day opening for "Django Unchained" after all.

I would not have been shocked to learn that they were moving it until 2013. After all, production ran much longer than expected, and Tarantino was constantly tweaking and adjusting the script during production. I'm sure that's a good thing, and everything I've heard from people on the film is that it's coming together really well. But sometimes it takes longer to get a film right than is originally planned, and this looked like one of those cases.

In addition, this is the first time Tarantino has made a film without his editor, Sally Menke, and she was a pretty important part of his process. Fred Raskin, who is cutting the film, served under Menke on a few films, and he's been an assistant editor on a number of films like "Boogie Nights" and "Insomnia" and "Punch-Drunk Love." He's also been sole editor on the last three "Fast and Furious" movies as well as Justin Lin's "Annapolis," and my guess is Tarantino wanted some sense of continuity, and Raskin was around during the "Kill Bill" films, so there's already a certain level of comfort.

The new trailer is incredibly confident. It does a nice job of streamlining what is a fairly loose structure, showing how King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and Django (Jamie Foxx) get together, and what their deal is. It also places a heavy emphasis on Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) as the main bad guy of the film, making him look like a real piece of garbage in just a few quick minutes. DiCaprio doesn't play this kind of filthy amoral bad guy often, and it looks like he's relishing all the opportunities a part like this affords him. We also get a glimpse of Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen, Calvin's most trusted slave, and it's a pretty striking look for him in the film.

I love the glimpse we get of the Jonah Hill scene, one of the funniest scenes in the script, and it also suggests the scope of the film. I can't wait for this one, and at this point, I hope there's no more new footage because I won't be able to resist looking, and right now, I feel like I've seen more than enough to sell me.

"Django Unchained" arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.

Drew McWeeny
Film Editor

A respected critic and commentator for fifteen years, Drew McWeeny helped create the online film community as "Moriarty" at Ain't It Cool News, and now proudly leads two budding Film Nerds in their ongoing movie education.

FistOSalmon

I gotta tell you Jamie Foxx is almost a deal breaker for me. Expressionlessness and no presence. Tarantino knows how to get good performances out of limited actors but this is the second trailer Foxx has slack-jawed his way through. I feel like he was the second or third choice for this role.
October 11, 2012 at 4:05AM EST Reply to Comment
- Interesting... I feel like he has incredible presence, and he's the reason I'm most excited for this movie. I can't imagine this film working as well with anyone else in the role.
  October 11, 2012 at 5:25AM EST
- Shawn Well...Will Smith would have made it a "Will Smith movie" Didn't know what Tarantino was thinking there. But I felt once negotiations fell flat with Smith, he moved to Foxx. So Foxx being the third or fourth makes no sense.
  October 11, 2012 at 9:25AM EST
- Fawst I hate to say it, but I have zero desire to see this. I mean, I'm sure I'll wind up checking it out, but I am not feeling any pull whatsoever. DiCaprio doesn't strike me as a really bad guy, Jamie Foxx is pretty wooden, Christoph Waltz is just kinda OK... really it's not working for me at all. I wish I shared the enthusiasm that others did, because I hate seeing so many people I enjoy (really would have preferred Will Smith) come together to make something and have it fall completely flat for me. Oh well, maybe the final film will work better.
  October 11, 2012 at 9:59AM EST
- Totally agree about Will Smith making it a Will Smith movie. He's the only one I'm aware of being connected to the role before Foxx, and I can't see the movie working as well with "Will Smith as Will Smith" usurping the movie. I've seen trailers before where a performance looks a certain way, and then in the film seen more in context, those choices make sense and work well. Maybe that will happen with the OP's interpretation (not that I even agree with it) of Foxx being slack-jawed.
  October 11, 2012 at 6:11PM EST
- FistOSalmon I wasn't saying Foxx wasn't the first choice because he actually wasn't, I was making a point about his talent relative to other actors. I didn't know Will Smith was ever up for this, I quit paying attention to any QT announcement years ago. For awhile every off the cuff remark he made was reported as actually happening. A few years ago I'd have been iffy on Will Smith but the 1st half of I Am Legend made me a believer. Frankly I'd be okay with this being a movie star's picture, that's likely how Jamie Foxx sees it if the reports from a few years back on Miami Vice have any truth to them. Not to bash on him, I'm just not a fan. He was okay in Collateral and I understand and agree with your point about context BT, but between some of the casting (Jonah Hill) and my general wearying of Tarantino's non-linear storytelling (admit it, at this point it's a crutch) I just don't get up for his movies anymore.
  October 11, 2012 at 8:35PM EST
- @FistoSalmon I'm actually with you on not being a big fan of QT's movies any more. For me, every film he's made has been worse than the one that came before it all the way back to Reservoir Dogs... with the exceptions of Kill Bill Vol 1 being a slight blip up and Death Proof being a bigger drop downward than usual. However, I like Foxx and think he looks great in this... and this is the first QT film in over a decade that I'm actually excited about, if somewhat marginally. To me, it looks like his best since Pulp Fiction, and better than Kill Bill. It helps that the story here is actually about something, rather than just an excuse to be cool or film cool-looking shit, but granted it's still going to have those usual QT trappings of trying ever-so-hard to be cool. I am a bit wary about the Jonah Hill bit, but I'm hoping it will be a bit that works rather than a bit that sacrifices some of the reality of the rest of the film. I guess we'll see.
  October 11, 2012 at 8:49PM EST
- FistOSalmon Really? I actually consider Jackie Brown his best. I know that sounds like the retroactive hip opinion, I can only assure you I come by it honestly. At the time it came out and people were calling it a let down after Pulp I felt like I was the only one that knew what Soylent Green was. I was particularly let down with Inglorious Basterds, after the trailer had prepped me for insane Kill Bill-style Dirty Dozen action I spent most of the movie trying not to fall asleep watching some french chick I could give a shit about. Maybe it wasn't most of the movie in actual minutes but it sure felt like it. You're spot on about Death Proof, Christ! Again half a movie spent with some girls I could care less about! I'm half afraid I get into this one and it's about Kerry Washington cranking a spinning wheel and languorously washing dishes while looking hot and everyone else exists only in a couple of flash backs that are coincidentally about as long as the two trailers I've seen.
  
  Actually I'd watch Kerry Washington do two hours of dishwashing since she's insanely hot but that's not my point. My point is:
  
  Jamie Foxx- uninteresting, limited talent and miscast.
  Jonah Hill- funny with some range but basically a tubby Michael Cera.
  QT-Hit the top of his arc early and while it was a high arc hasn't tried to tell a story without narrative tricks which makes me suspect he can't and will likely be looked back on as a bit of a lightweight compared to his contemporaries.
  Kerry Washington- Super fucking hot.
  
  I'll see it but depending on what else is out it's probably not at the top of the list. Although I totally hope I'm wrong, I love it when a movie beats my expectations.
  October 12, 2012 at 1:20AM EST
yourblindspot

I was sold, sight unseen. There is a special kind of excitement I reserve for the arrival of a new Tarantino film, and I already know this will be my favorite Christmas present this year.
October 11, 2012 at 8:58AM EST Reply to Comment
DefRef

I'm not feeling it yet. The previous trailer had a better quotable line - "Kill white people and get paid for it. What's not to like?" - and Jonah Hill's appearance makes it seem like a joke and not in a good way. Still, other than Death Proof, QT hasn't made any terrible movies, so I'll check it out.
October 11, 2012 at 9:05AM EST Reply to Comment
- Fawst I hate this whole "white guilt" thing that's supposed to be making the movie tick. It doesn't work on me. There have been plenty of assholes through the years, of all races. Just because American slavers existed doesn't mean I feel any guilt about it. Why should I? Hitler was white, but I don't share the blame for what he did. So when I hear a line like that "kill white people" one, it only pushes me further from it rather than entice me.
  October 11, 2012 at 10:04AM EST
- DefRef Well, you're obviously a racist then for feeling uncomfortable when your "white skin privilege" is held up for you to be ashamed about.
  
  /irony
  October 11, 2012 at 10:15AM EST
- Jameson @Fawst. Just wait till you move to country without your conscent, beatten regularly, set foot on the country and have absolutely no rights. Not get those rights for hundreds of years later, almost lose them again. Then in the 21st century, still be looked down upon in some circles of the country.
  
  Seriously the kill white people beat is no big deal.
  October 11, 2012 at 3:09PM EST
- DefRef @Jameson - If things are so bad here, why isn't there a mass exodus back to their home continent? There are airports everywhere with regular flights back to Africa, so what's keeping these mythical oppressed victims here?
  
  Intellectual Honesty Test: If the line coming out of a WHITE characters mouth was, "Kill black people and get paid for it. What's not to like?" would anyone be saying that it's no big deal or would that writer and/or director's career be instantly over in the way being a fugitive child-rapist doesn't?
  
  Slavery ended a century-and-a-half ago; the Civil Rights Act was passed nearly a half-century ago; we elected a totally unqualified and unvetted man President in order to prove we weren't racist and he's laid ruin to the nation, but no one is allowed to criticize him without being called a racist; so this grievance-mongering is specious and divisive.
  October 11, 2012 at 3:30PM EST
- FistOSalmon "their home continent" WOW! That is some seriously racist shit.
  
  Ok Drew? You can pull this comment if you want, I know you don't like your comment section going off topic and into the socio/political weeds but there is no way I'm letting this go.
  
  @DEFREF The United States IS the home continent for blacks born and raised in this country. This would be like saying "If it's so bad for whites here why don't you move back to your home continent of Europe" if your great-great-great grandparents moved here from Germany.
  
  Except your white ancestors moved here from somewhere and immediately started participating in the American experience relatively unhindered because the color of their skin was the same as that of the white ruling class. So while your theoretical ancestors in particular may not have, as a group white immigrants had access to full citizenry right off the boat. That includes the right to own property and pass it on to their progeny thereby giving them a leg up in society by virtue of their access to capital and social standing. The ability to vote for politicians and policies that would aid their own socio-economic group and act in an exclusionary fashion against members of other groups, legislatively and statutorily embedding privilege for their class into our society.
  
  You want an Intellectual Honesty Test start with this one: How strong is your argument when you have to start with "I didn't personally own slaves which proves I'm not a racist"? That the fact nobody actually owns a brown person in this country means there's no more racism. That you felt the need to draw in the worst mass murderer of the industrialized era to demonstrate how perfect and un-racist our society is except for when you're being put upon for being white.
  
  Yes, slavery ended 150 odd years ago which means there are people alive today that would have lived chained to a wall just a few generations ago. The Civil Rights Act passed about 50 years which means there are people living right now that couldn't eat at the same counter in a restaurant as you because of their skin color. You think the fact that someone's father couldn't get into college because of their skin just might have an effect on whether or not they could afford to send their own children to college to get a degree and good paying job and so on down the line? Or might have something to do with what kind of school those children went to, what kind of neighborhood they grew up in and how that affected the opportunities they were exposed to?
  
  Then apropos of nothing you bring up President Obama who, if you have electrical power to turn on your computer and type this kind of hateful crap up, has clearly not actually laid ruin to the country, has a news station dedicated to criticizing him 24/7, and took over for a qualified (i.e. white) guy that started a war in the wrong country after he allowed 3000 citizens to be murdered on his watch, went from a budget surplus of 200 billion to a budget deficit of 1.2 trillion and watched the nation's economy implode after getting elected because he had the same name as his dad.
  
  Guess what? You are a racist and the majority of the "white guilt" the rest of us have to carry comes from having to apologize for your ignorant ass every time you open your mouth and this kind of crap dribbles out.
  
  And if you changed it to "Kill black people and get payed for it" and it was contextually relevant to the scene nobody's career would be over, every adult would say it was no big deal, and a bunch of Fox-watching children would say it's fine because there's no more racism here because "teh black president!!" while secretly pumping their fists and laughing their bigoted little hearts out.
  
  You are a jerk sir.
  October 11, 2012 at 9:38PM EST
- Jameson I was gonna respond, but the person above me said it pretty darn well...your second comment just proves how full of 'white priveledge' you are, and how you relish in it. Enjoy life being hateful and ignorant, I and seemingly dozens of other readers on this site will stay open-minded and for a lack of a better word, sane.
  October 11, 2012 at 10:06PM EST
- Del Toro @Defref...nothing qualified all the glorious republicans for their shitstorms on our nation either. And how exactly did Obama lay ruin to our nation? Because he hasn't fixed the economy? Well lets get something out of the bag now, the economy WONT be a quick fix, at least the guy tried and is proactive about trying. Plus he got the most wanted man in the world, something your precious republican ex-prez only dreampt of doing. Go back to your whole.
  
  And Obama may not have fixed the economy but your dumbshit of president before Obama PUT us in the problem we are in now, just like ever other Republican president always does...
  
  Just like 99.99% of all other republicans...bunch of ignorant one-sided thinkers.
  October 11, 2012 at 10:14PM EST
- DefRef I love how I'm the one who commented about the lack of a snappy one-liner like the first trailer's "kill white people" and when someone else drags "white guilt" into the discussion and then someone else peddles the tired tropes of racial grievance-mongering promptly my ironic comments, suddenly I'm supposedly the racist for daring dispute the false premises that liberal racists trot out when they project their racism on others.
  
  I'm not going to waste the time debating politics with angry liberals on a film thread. You know nothing of my politics other than your automatic presumption that because I recognize what a failure Obama has been means something you don't like. By all means, let's have four more years of the last four years.
  
  As for Django Unchained, I'm more concerned about Jonah Hill's presence than what angry liberals have to spew. Ta.
  October 11, 2012 at 11:52PM EST
- FistOSalmon @DEFREF I owe you an apology, I mistakenly attributed the Hitler reference made by the other racist in this comment thread to you. I am sorry for that.
  
  However since you grabbed the "white guilt" baton and ran with it I stand by the rest of my previous comment particularly since you are dragging out the "liberals are the real racists" bit. Nothing screams "I AM A TOTAL RACIST" quite like the I'm rubber you're glue defense. Thanks for not wasting MY time by cutting and pasting any more "facts" out of a Sarah Palin Facebook post.
  
  Having addressed my misattributed comment I'm comfortable lumping FAWST in with DEFREF as also being part of the white guilt I carry and as such, also a jerk.
  October 12, 2012 at 12:57AM EST
Paul S

Looks like it's a nod to one of QT's favourite films, the chemistry between Foxx & Waltz reminds me of some of the comic scenes between Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach in a Leone film...hopefully it will come close to that one.
October 11, 2012 at 1:36PM EST Reply to Comment
- That Werewolf Guy EVERYTHING Tarantino does is a not to one of his favourite films.
  October 11, 2012 at 4:21PM EST
Shawn

People who prefer Smith to Foxx make me laugh. Sense when has the guy had any talent? Sense when has Smith played ANYBODY ELSE except himself? Tarantino and Smith would have butted heads the entire time, guarenteed. He's an ignorant asshole with an ego bigger than our solar system and has an ugly ego-ridden wife as well...children too.

Foxx at least has class. And is a good actor.
October 11, 2012 at 3:06PM EST Reply to Comment
- Roy Munson SINCE -- not sense
  October 14, 2012 at 10:27AM EST
Shawn

Why does it all of a sudden feel like its somehow "cool" to hate on Tarantino?" What did he do that was so terrible?
October 11, 2012 at 3:07PM EST Reply to Comment
- DefRef He was a film nerd video store clerk who got to make movies while all the other film nerds just sat in their basements posting to Movie Poop Shoot and whining about him. It's just crabs in a bucket.
  October 11, 2012 at 3:32PM EST
- Well, he made Death Proof for one thing, which was just abysmal. And I feel like pretty much every movie he's made since Reservoir Dogs has been worse than the one that came before it. That said, Django Unchained looks like the best thing he's done since Pulp Fiction, and I'm happy to be excited for a Tarantino film for the first time in over a decade.
  October 11, 2012 at 6:15PM EST
- Shawn I just don't understand how one misstep automatically makes everything he does pure shit. I guess its just me but I have liked generally most of QT's filmography. Just because he didn't go to film school is no excuse to say that his impact on film should count any less. Some artists just spring up out of the blue, some people are just born to do certain things.
  
  But alas, haters gon' hate.
  October 11, 2012 at 10:09PM EST
Roy Munson

@Brian -- The guy who played Stringer Bell on The Wire (forget his name now) was supposed to play Django at some point. That would have been AWESOME!!

But JF is better than Will Smith. A lot better
October 13, 2012 at 1:32AM EST Reply to Comment
- Ethan That would be Idris Elba, and I agree, he would have been wonderful.
  October 14, 2012 at 12:53AM EST

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New 'Django Unchained' trailer features fast funny word play and more DiCaprio

Comments

Interesting... I feel like he has incredible presence, and he's the reason I'm most excited for this movie. I can't imagine this film working as well with anyone else in the role.

Shawn Well...Will Smith would have made it a "Will Smith movie" Didn't know what Tarantino was thinking there. But I felt once negotiations fell flat with Smith, he moved to Foxx. So Foxx being the third or fourth makes no sense.

yourblindspot

I was sold, sight unseen. There is a special kind of excitement I reserve for the arrival of a new Tarantino film, and I already know this will be my favorite Christmas present this year.

DefRef Well, you're obviously a racist then for feeling uncomfortable when your "white skin privilege" is held up for you to be ashamed about.

/irony

Paul S

Looks like it's a nod to one of QT's favourite films, the chemistry between Foxx & Waltz reminds me of some of the comic scenes between Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach in a Leone film...hopefully it will come close to that one.

That Werewolf Guy EVERYTHING Tarantino does is a not to one of his favourite films.

Roy Munson SINCE -- not sense

Shawn

Why does it all of a sudden feel like its somehow "cool" to hate on Tarantino?" What did he do that was so terrible?

DefRef He was a film nerd video store clerk who got to make movies while all the other film nerds just sat in their basements posting to Movie Poop Shoot and whining about him. It's just crabs in a bucket.

Roy Munson

@Brian -- The guy who played Stringer Bell on The Wire (forget his name now) was supposed to play Django at some point. That would have been AWESOME!!

But JF is better than Will Smith. A lot better

Ethan That would be Idris Elba, and I agree, he would have been wonderful.

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New 'Django Unchained' trailer features fast funny word play and more DiCaprio

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Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Interesting... I feel like he has incredible presence, and he's the reason I'm most excited for this movie. I can't imagine this film working as well with anyone else in the role.

Shawn Well...Will Smith would have made it a "Will Smith movie" Didn't know what Tarantino was thinking there. But I felt once negotiations fell flat with Smith, he moved to Foxx. So Foxx being the third or fourth makes no sense.

yourblindspot I was sold, sight unseen. There is a special kind of excitement I reserve for the arrival of a new Tarantino film, and I already know this will be my favorite Christmas present this year.

DefRef Well, you're obviously a racist then for feeling uncomfortable when your "white skin privilege" is held up for you to be ashamed about./irony

Paul S Looks like it's a nod to one of QT's favourite films, the chemistry between Foxx & Waltz reminds me of some of the comic scenes between Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach in a Leone film...hopefully it will come close to that one.

That Werewolf Guy EVERYTHING Tarantino does is a not to one of his favourite films.

Roy Munson SINCE -- not sense

Shawn Why does it all of a sudden feel like its somehow "cool" to hate on Tarantino?" What did he do that was so terrible?

DefRef He was a film nerd video store clerk who got to make movies while all the other film nerds just sat in their basements posting to Movie Poop Shoot and whining about him. It's just crabs in a bucket.

Roy Munson @Brian -- The guy who played Stringer Bell on The Wire (forget his name now) was supposed to play Django at some point. That would have been AWESOME!!But JF is better than Will Smith. A lot better

Ethan That would be Idris Elba, and I agree, he would have been wonderful.

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yourblindspot

I was sold, sight unseen. There is a special kind of excitement I reserve for the arrival of a new Tarantino film, and I already know this will be my favorite Christmas present this year.

DefRef Well, you're obviously a racist then for feeling uncomfortable when your "white skin privilege" is held up for you to be ashamed about.

/irony

Paul S

Looks like it's a nod to one of QT's favourite films, the chemistry between Foxx & Waltz reminds me of some of the comic scenes between Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach in a Leone film...hopefully it will come close to that one.

Shawn

Why does it all of a sudden feel like its somehow "cool" to hate on Tarantino?" What did he do that was so terrible?

Roy Munson

@Brian -- The guy who played Stringer Bell on The Wire (forget his name now) was supposed to play Django at some point. That would have been AWESOME!!

But JF is better than Will Smith. A lot better

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Motion/Captured is updated