Leonardo DiCaprio - (Please Read First Post Prior to Posting)

[oxford25]

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12.31pmTarantino says there is "an aspect of Broomhilda is a princess in exile". He describes Leo as the "evil King who has ruined the countryside".

12.30pmShe praises him for writing strong, intelligent women and asks for more info on those characters in this film, and asks him to advise other writers on how to do it. "One of the things in my work, I don't really do family dramas, I do genre cinema, be it action films or kung-fu films. In the history of genre cinema, there's quite a history of female avengers... I just dig strong chicks, I don't know how to write it any other way than that."

12.29pmAudience Q&As. First woman is dressed as The Bride. Tarantino flirts with her.

12.28pmAre there any characters in this film that are forebearers to other Tarantino characters? "There is one, but I don't want to say. I will say that Broomhilda von Shaft and Django will have a baby, then that baby will have a baby and so on and so on.... and then John Shaft will be born."

12.26pmQuestion about Jonah Hill's role. Tarantino: "We shot his stuff last week. He's in a sequence with Don. They're not the KKK because that came about after the civil war to keep black folks in line, but the predecessors to the KKK was a group called The Regulators, who were there to keep slaves in line and terrorise them basically. It's a regulator raid being led against Djaango and Schultz. It starts off like it's going to be scary and intense, but then there's this sequence that is the funniest thing I've ever written. It's one of those realities that's been starting us in the face when it comes to KKKism that no-one's ever been addressed. It's up there with the colour names in Reservoir Dogs."

12.24pmThere is one week left of shooting, apparently.

12.23pmTarantino says that as he wrote the script, he realised that Django's journey mirrors the German story of Siegfried rescuing Brynhildr.

12.22pmWashington: "This film scared the shit out of me. When the ball started rolling, I was a little bit paralysed about how to step into this terrible world that Broomhilda had to survive in." She adds that she focused on learning her German and how to horse ride.

12.20pmWashington reveals that in the script originally, it calls for her character to whistle but she admitted she couldn't, so they turned it into her singing the German lullaby.

12.19pmThe moderator asks Waltz how he worked with Washington and how her German was. "She learnt it by singing children's songs. She sang one of the most beautiful lullabies that exists in the German culture, from the early nineteenth century, which is right for the period too. She started singing it and I almost started crying. So there was nothing to coach."

12.18pmWashington plays Broomhilda von Schaft. "She got her name the way most people of African-American descent did, and that's by the people who owned her. She got her name from a German family." She adds that she has to speak German in the family.

12.15pmJohnson says to get into the role, he did a lot of reading about the midwest. "I just happened to be reading about a lot of this historical stuff, and Quentin and I had talked about working together for number of years. When he mentioned Big Daddy, I thought he was a character I could step into and make him Big Daddy. Make him big and flamboyant. Not to diminish the seriousness of the time and the period, this character is one who where if you can find something to love... he's funny and bad."

[MakeItCount]

Makeitcount

No, Leo's character doesn't have the same screen time as Foxx/Waltz , but , in the time Calvin he will leave a lasting impression on all of us

Yes it's sure !

[oxford25]

Having read the script, I agree with the blogger's description of the relationship between Stephen (Samuel Jackson) & Calvin (Leo)

12:12: Stephen is a slave but not a sympathetic character. He apparently raised Calvin Candie from when he was a little boy and is the only person Calvin listens to. He’s the man whispering in the king’s ear.

[barilace]

Thanks for all the info, Oxford!

I actually like that Leo didn't go. I mean, I'd love new photos but at least the press is actually, kinda focusing on the poc actors (what the story is about) and not just Leo, which will be all that most talk about come premiere time. Ha

[oxford25]

Entertainment writer's description of today's Comic Con footage

The reel plays like an extended version of the previously released trailers, with additional bits from the first half of the movie. The reel opens with Django (Foxx) walking in the slave line, once again encountered by, Dr. King Schultz (Waltz). The slave owners parading Django about want to know what kind of doctor Schultz is. He points to a giant tooth dangling on the top of his cart. A great visual gag that's pure Tarantino humor. Once Schultz's intentions are clear — he wants Django — the slave owners tell the doc to move on. No dice. "Are you pointing your weapon at me with lethal intention?" Schultz fires a bullet into the two gents, exploding one guys head and obliterating the other's leg.

Cue: Johnny Cash's soulful tunes, segueing to Django and Schultz's bigger journey. Schultz wants Django to help him kill three brothers, the same men who kidnapped Django's wife. But before they can go white man hunting, Schultz teaches the newly-freed man a few tricks of the bounty hunting trade. Here's a pistol tip: "Smooth is more important is fast. Once you get smooth then you get fast." Django's a natural — he takes out a snowman's eyes and nose with graceful brutality.

We also get our first juicy look at Don Johnson's Mr. Bennett Don aka "Big Daddy." Johnson plays him as the over-the-top, hateful ass he should be, sporting a white suit and a Foghorn Leghorn accent. Schultz distracts Don by talking business, while Django goes searching across the plantation for one of the brothers. He finds him whipping a slave and quickly puts the torture to rest. Django's first big kill and he doesn't blink. Foxx nails the Man with No Name attitude, but the progression to that seems important to the first half of Django

Tarantino's sizzle reel doesn't give too much away — he was only half way through shooting when it was first assembled for Cannes. But it speaks perfectly to what's in store. The director's signature, violent style is on full display (there must have been 28 shots of people firing guns in the short snippet of footage), but there's a powerful emotional arc on display as well. Unlike Inglorious Basterds, which featured multiple storylines that focused more on plot and history than human characteristics, Django emphasizes its lead character's perspective. One highlight are a set of torturous flashbacks, shot as an oversaturated nightmare. They shake Django's bones, but it only makes him more focused on his murderous venture.

We didn't see too much of Kerry Washington or Leonardo Dicaprio, but the latter looks like he's having a ball. He's like Waltz in Inglourious Basterds — absolutely insane, but never out of character. Oh, Waltz won an Oscar for that role? You don't say...

Django Unchained drops later this year, and might be the best adult entertainment of 2012. It's unforgiving in a way that's completely unlike the usual Hollywood fare, but expected from Tarantino. If you're a fan, it'll be a must see. If you're not, same thing.

[by_princess]

Ok...I see the point. As Calvin doesn't have much time on screen, I guess what he has to reveal about the character will not be that much either, and then in the subsequent interview would be the same old stuff.

Oh! bye bye Leo pics on the Comic con.

However Oxford Thanks for the updates on the Comic con panel.

[oxford25]

Bari

Yes, as mentioned above, I , too, feel if Leo had been there the press would have focused on him rather than the film's true two leads : Foxx/Waltz

I mean we know better than anyone ; it is hard to focus on anyone else when Leo is IN the room

Plus, as I stated above, this way when Leo does talk about his role,etc in interviews in the fall, his comments will be 'new'/ something to look forward to hearing rather than just a rehash of his comments today .

ByPrincess

Yes, exactly

So we just have to look elsewhere for our next new Leo pix; I have a strong, strong feeling we'll see some new ones tomorrow

[oxford25]

More Django tweets

MCN‏@MCNtweets

RT @Variety_JLD: I mean honestly. I still cannot unhinge this shit-eating grin. That was real grownup fun. ‪#DJANGO‬ ‪#SDCC‬

4mMCN‏@MCNtweets

RT @Ethan_Anderton: DJANGO UNCHAINED footage is awesome. DiCaprio ia one dastardly, dirty villain. Great banter between Waltz and Foxx

[by_princess]

Yes, as mentioned above, I , too, feel if Leo had been there the press would have focused on him rather than the film's true two leads : Foxx/Waltz

I mean we know better than anyone ; it is hard to focus on anyone else when Leo is IN the room

This is NOT fair ... They are discriminating Leo for being more pretty/ important/ huge movie star

Must be hard being Leo... he probably was excited to attend and they don't passed to him the invitation

[oxford25]

We'll have to save our money to buy our 5 issues Django Unchained comic books !

DC Entertainment taps Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained for 5 issue miniseries to coincide w/ film release.” Squeee!

[BarbieErin]

ox: thanks a LOT for the whole Comic con information.

And now we all know why Leo is not there and makes sense.

[neonntiger92]

oh man i am even more excited for django now than i was before. it's going to be a huge hit, i can already tell. this many positive reactions can't be wrong. plus the cast? it's a recipe for success.

also, regarding the comics, i wonder if the characters in them will be done in the likeness of the actors. thoughts?

[Pami]

Yes I have the same impression...his character wont have much time on screen,so sad!

But it's interesting to observe how much his presence is impressive as his name is always present when it comes to Django!

It's something like that...lemme give you a simple example...

"Hey,what are the stars we'll see in this movie?"

"Well...Samuel L.Jackson,Chris Waltz,Jamie Foxx,Kerry Washington...Leo DiCaprio"

"Wait...Leo DiCaprio....I must see it now!!! "

Tks for the articles and tweets girls...I can't longer control my anxiety of watching Leo in both movies!!

[oxford25]

Neon

If they want me to buy an issue, Calvin better look like Leo

i wonder if the characters in them will be done in the likeness of the actors. thoughts

[by_princess]

"Hey,what are the stars we'll see in this movie?"

"Well...Samuel L.Jackson,Chris Waltz,Jamie Foxx,Kerry Washington...Leo DiCaprio"

"Wait...Leo DiCaprio....I must see it now!!! "

Pami that is the "Leo effect"...

[geegine]

Thanks for all the info, Oxford!

I actually like that Leo didn't go. I mean, I'd love new photos but at least the press is actually, kinda focusing on the poc actors (what the story is about) and not just Leo, which will be all that most talk about come premiere time. Ha

now that I think about it.. I agree lol it'd be nice to have new pics but I'm kind of glad he wasn't there to "overshadow" the others. I remember watching an inception press con and they pretty much only asked leo questions (not that it's his fault lol) I can't wait for december though!

thanks for all the news! I don't know how I feel about a DU comic..

[osa castillo]

they are creating more expectations, Leo is the secret Weapon, and the most famous movie star, so we most wait for it, you will see that even in December they'll show us just a little bit more, until we'll see the whole movie we gonna have the complete Leo's Calvin.

[Lkjh]

I now need Leo to blow the whole movie away

Thanks Ox!!

[oxford25]

Video interviews with the cast of Django from today's Comic Con

USA Today recap of today's Django footage/panel

Filled with "spaghetti surrealism," Django Unchained is a buddy comedy, slave narrative, love story, blood-soaked action flick and tale of a master and his apprentice.

In other words, it's a trademark Quentin Tarantino movie.

The iconic indie director appeared at Comic-Con with his cast, including stars Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz, and talk about his latest movie 13 years in the making.

It was also announced today that Jonah Hill just joined the cast, and Tarantino is also teaming with DC Comics to publish a five-issue comic-book adapation beginning in November of Django Unchained, which the director finds to be one of his "biggest adventures" alongside the Kill Bill movies.

"I'm always stuck with adapting my own script everyday," Tarantino said. "So what is great about the comic is that it will include the entire first draft of the script. All the material that didn't make the movie. And I'm really excited about it."

In the film out Christmas Day, dentist/bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Waltz) breaks Django (Foxx) out of his slave chain gang in the Antebellum South and they team up to go after a group of brothers who've kidnapped Django's wife. They also run afoul of an evil plantation owner by the name of Calvin Candie, played with over-the-top glee by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Schultz teaches Django how to be a bounty hunter, but when they both are surrounded by the racial hatred of the time period, Django helps Schultz through it.

"Frankly, to tell you the truth it can't be more nightmarish than real life," Tarantino says. "It can't be more outrageous than in real life. It was (messed) up.

"Reality and historical aspect fits into the biggest canvas you could think of for this movie."

Working with DiCaprio, Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Don Johnson "was was like waking up in the morning and going to an all-star game," Foxx said. But at the beginning, Tarantino did pull Foxx aside and said, "I'm worried you can't get to that slave. You live your life as Jamie Foxx -- how do you strip everything away and get to that slave?"

"He said, 'Throw that out the door right now so we can get to the work,' " Foxx said.

The Oscar-winning actor thought back to growing up in racially charged Texas and the experiences he had being called various racial epithets.

"It was something I had to deal with coming from the South," Foxx explained. "But by having that done to me, I was able to grasp what was being said in the script. I knew because it had been done to me.

"When the project becomes magical, that means certain parts in your life parallel the story. I used it to my advantage

In the relationship between Schultz and Django, Tarantino also explores "that experienced gunfighter who teaches the no-nothing kid how to shoot a gun, how to kill," he said, and the next step from Steve McQueen and Brian Keith in the 1966 Western Nevada Smith all the way to Yoda and Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back.

"They are a team and it changes, of course, but whether it's a teacher or a father figure, I don't know," Waltz says.

Why is Schultz able to forge this bond with Django? "I don't care about other white men," Waltz said, smiling.

The German actor, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for Taraninto's Inglourious Basterds, was impressed with Tarantino's tweaking of the Spaghetti Western genre, popularized by filmmakers such as Sergio Leone in the 1960s.

This is a different relationship than someone picking up a slave and rescuing him. This is a unique and fabulous relationship that's forged in fantastic adventures," Waltz said.

"I find it sensational that Italian directors import a genre to Italy to forge a new thing, and an American director takes the new thing and brings it back to America."

[neonntiger92]

Neon

If they want me to buy an issue, Calvin better look like Leo

i wonder if the characters in them will be done in the likeness of the actors. thoughts

that's pretty much exactly how i feel tbh