One of our most-anticipated films this year doesn’t hit until Christmas day, which I supposed is ever so appropriate. Quentin Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED is his love letter to the Spaghetti Western era of moviemaking, featuring Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz going up against an evil Leonardo DiCaprio (who looks like he’s having WAY too much fun in this role). The supporting cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Zoe Bell, Samuel L. Jackson, and the great Franco Nero. Check out the newest (and most likely final) trailer below, followed by info on the soundtrack.
Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive. Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago. Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival… ‘
Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the U.S. by The Weinstein Company on December 25, 2012, and internationally by Sony Pictures.
1. WINGED
2. DJANGO (MAIN THEME) – LUIS BACALOV, ROCKY ROBERTS
3. THE BRAYING MULE – ENNIO MORRICONE
4. IN THAT CASE, DJANGO, AFTER YOU…
5. LO CHIAMAVANO KING (HIS NAME IS KING) – LUIS BACALOV, EDDA DELL’ORSO
6. FREEDOM – ANTHONY HAMILTON & ELAYNA BOYNTON
7. FIVE-THOUSAND-DOLLAR NIGGA’S AND GUMMY MOUTH BITCHES
8. LA CORSA (2ND VERSION) – LUIS BACALOV
9. SNEAKY SCHULTZ AND THE DEMISE OF SHARP
10. I GOT A NAME – JIM CROCE
11. I GIORNI DELL’IRA – RIZ ORTOLANI
12. 100 BLACK COFFINS – RICK ROSS
13. NICARAGUA – JERRY GOLDSMITH FEATURING PAT METHENY
14. HILDI’S HOT BOX
15. SISTER SARA’S THEME – ENNIO MORRICONE
16. ANCORA QUI – ENNIO MORRICONE AND ELISA
17. UNCHAINED (THE PAYBACK/UNTOUCHABLE) – JAMES BROWN AND 2PAC
18. WHO DID THAT TO YOU? – JOHN LEGEND
19. TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG – BROTHER DEGE
20. STEPHEN THE POKER PLAYER
21. UN MONUMENTO – ENNIO MORRICONE
22. SIX SHOTS TWO GUNS
23. TRINITY (TITOLI) – ANNIBALE E I CANTORI MODERNI
The soundtrack is released on December 18th. The press release contained a quote from Quentin Tarantino personally showing gratitude for the contributors to the soundtrack. Here’s what he had to say:
I want to thank all the artists who contributed original songs (a first for me) to the picture. Most of these contributions came out of the artists’ own inspiration and their illustration of the film’s soul is invaluable. In addition to the new original songs I am also using a lot of older recordings on the soundtrack – many of which came from my personal vinyl collection. Instead of having the record companies give me new digitally cleaned up versions of these recordings from the 60’s and 70’s, I wanted to use the vinyl I’ve been listening to for years – complete with all the pops and cracks. I even kept the sound of the needle being put down on the record. Basically because I wanted people’s experience to be the same as mine when they hear this soundtrack for the first time.