Two great-looking films are heading our way later this year. Each visits the past when heroes required wit and intelligence to match their skill in a fight. One is from Takashi Miike while the other is the much-anticipated Western from Quentin Tarantino.
‘Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai’
Takashi Miike’s latest film is another samurai feature (after last year’s amazing ‘13 Assassins‘). This time, it’s a remake of Masaki Kobayashi’s 1962 classic about a ronin who seeks vengeance for the forced seppuku of a friend’s son. Miike’s retelling is expected to be shown in 3D, which further peaks my interest. If we go by this preview, the movie looks absolutely gorgeous.
‘Django Unchained’
If you haven’t already picked up on the fact that Quentin Tarantino loves – no, adores – the exploitation genre, then his next film, ‘Django Unchained’, should make that about as obvious as it could ever get. This is his first movie, and his first full-fledge Western for that matter, that’s directly associated with a previously-established franchise character from the days of the drive-in.
For those devoted fans of the Italian Western, otherwise affectionately called the “Spaghetti Western,” Django is a gunslinger more famous than Clint Eastwood’s nameless outlaw with over thirty different film adventures. Knowing Tarantino, you won’t likely need to be familiar with any of those cult classics, but just in case, High-Def Digest has Blu-ray reviews for two of them available through Blue Underground: ‘Django‘ and ‘Django Kill‘. Reportedly, Franco Nero makes a cameo appearance in Tarantino’s new flick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjvgNM91R1k&feature=em-uploademail
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CK
Judging by the trailer, Django Unchained doesn’t look like it has anything to do with the original Django; though I could be mistaken, it has been a long time since I saw it. And, btw, Franco Nero is an actor, the original Django, not a director.
M. Enois Duarte
AuthorYou’re totally right. No idea why it read director. I was probably thinking of something else at the time.
As for any connections, none of the ‘Django’ films are related. It’s not a franchise. It’s only a name for a particular character type used in several Italian westerns. Tarantino is simply evoking the name to participate in that tradition for his new character and his first entry into the western.
Josh Zyber
That was my fault, not E’s. I added it during editing because I got confused and thought that Nero had directed the films. Should be fixed now.
I hope that those aren’t the actual theatrical subtitles on that Hara-Kiri trailer, because they’re terrible.
JM
I wonder if ‘Django Unchained’ will be too violent to get best picture?
This trailer doesn’t even hint how fucked up this movie is.
Jason
If there ain’t a coffin gun/s then it ain’t Django in my book.
M. Enois Duarte
AuthorThat would be cool if Tarantino has a coffin loaded with guns somewhere in the movie. If Nero already makes a cameo appearance, why no the coffin?
JM
A coffin full of guns sounds very ‘Desperado.’