Quentin Tarantino’s Greatest Female Characters

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January 18, 2016

*This story contains NO plot spoilers for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight! Enjoy!*

Having strong female characters is very buzz-worthy these days. It makes sense: men and women are equals, so it stands to reason that well-written female characters should be just as popular as well-written male characters. Unfortunately, in the grand scheme of film history, they haven’t always gotten their day in court. That’s why it’s so great when filmmakers put out characters like Furiosa and Rey, showing that a woman can take center stage and hold a story without her gender even playing a role. Yes, 2015 has been a year to make Alison Bechdel proud.

But one filmmaker has been utilizing strong female characters for over two decades: Quentin Tarantino. Long ago, in the wild west that was 90’s film, Tarantino proved that women make for interesting, badass characters, sometimes even more so than their male counterparts. He has consistently written women that captivate viewers’ attention with much more than just their looks. He’s done it yet again with The Hateful Eight and Daisy Domergue. With that in mind, it seems like a great time to look back and remember the very best women of the Tarantino-verse:

Honorable Mentions

Mallory Wilson Knox, Natural Born Killers, Alabama Whitman, True Romance, & Kate Fuller, From Dusk till Dawn

These three were ultimately passed on to other directors who brought them to life. But Tarantino created them with his writing, so they get honorable mention, at the very least!

All of these women can be defined in two words: Bad. Ass. They’re survivors, and they do/kill whoever they need to ensure the continuance of their story. Their intentions may not always be pure (looking at you, Mallory), but their will is strong and their drive is endless. Most importantly: they’re interesting and fun to watch. If these names/films don’t sound familiar (shame on you), head to your local Blockbuster today (or Netflix/Amazon)!

6. Mia Wallace, Pulp Fiction

Mia Wallace is the reason this list went from a Top 5 to a Top 6. Honestly, she doesn’t do much, other than dance, accidentally snort heroine, and almost get John Travolta killed by Ving Rhames. But she has some of the best dialogue of the characters on this list, and “Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife” is one of the most re-watchable sequences Tarantino has ever done. Her character comes down to one word: mesmerizing. She may not play as large of a role in the grand story as Marsellus or Butch, but she just may be the most memorable character in the film, earning her place on this list.

5. Abernathy Ross, Kim Mathis, & Zoë Bell, Death Proof

Death Proof is easily Tarantino’s weakest film (it’s still awesome though; how many filmmakers would make a purposefully bad movie this beautifully?). However, that doesn’t negate the strength and bravery of these three. They do insanely awesome stunts even before their showdown with Stuntman Mike, like riding on the hood of a 1970 Dodge Challenger going at top speed. That move alone should get Zoë consideration on this list. Then they throw the cherry on top by being the three who finally put an end to Mike’s homicidal run. Doubt their ferocity? Just watch the flick’s NSFW, spoiler-filled ending.

4. Jackie Brown, Jackie Brown

“Aw, the milk went bad while I was in jail.” How could we have a “Women of the Tarantino-verse” list and not include the filmmaker’s first solo female lead? Jackie Brown may not be Tarantino’s biggest film, but it is a fascinating character study of what a person will do to get across 110th Street. Jackie is at rock bottom when the movie starts. Tired of being kept there by people and circumstance, she decides to seize an opportunity that falls in her lap, and pulls some pretty bold moves to make off with half a million dollars in cash. Brown may be Tarantino’s first strong, independent female character, who doesn’t even acknowledge the story’s romantic element until the final minutes.

3. Daisy Domergue, The Hateful Eight

Keeping it spoiler-free. The Hateful Eight has only been in theaters a short time, but Daisy Domergue has already established herself as one of Quentin’s more fun female characters. Her name alone is fun to say. Rumor is that Jennifer Lawrence was the director’s first choice for the role, but now it’s hard to imagine anyone but Jennifer Jason Leigh as The Prisoner (especially in light of her Oscar nomination). Daisy is dark yet hysterical, twisted yet lovable, and she steals whatever scene she’s in (which is most of them). She is the glue that holds the story together, and, out of the eight hateful performances, hers has the most staying power.

2. Shosanna Dreyfus, Inglourious Basterds

This woman played a role in killing Hitler! Shosanna, like many women on this list, just lives her day-to-day life the best she can. She bides her time, and when opportunity comes knocking, she spares no expense to get revenge on the Nazis who killed her family. Jews who survived the Holocaust are strong to begin with, but the patience and perseverance that Shosanna showed is jaw-dropping. She had some (unneeded) help from Aldo Raine’s Basterds, but there’s no doubt that Shosanna was the film’s real hero.

Plus, the final message that she splices into the film reel is chilling. Burn it down? Oui, Shosanna.

1. The Bride, Kill Bill

Any of the female characters from the Kill Bill duology could have made this list. Unfortunately, all but one of them were killed; the women on this list are survivors (mostly). The one who eliminated them stands supreme at #1: Beatrix Kiddo, Black Mamba, The Bride.

An essay could be written on why The Bride is not only Tarantino’s top female character, but one of the greatest female characters of all time. She’s strong; she’s lethal; she’s loving. She’s damn complex, is what she is. Her dichotomy is perfectly expressed between the two films, and yet she leaves fans wanting more. She’s sympathetic enough to justify the bloodshed, and scary enough to make men act extra nice to their girlfriends. A simple blurb can’t do her character justice, and that complexity is what makes her the best.

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Do you agree with this list? Who do you think is missing? Who would you rank differently? Sound off in the comments!

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HBO’s ‘Westworld’ Faces a Major Setback

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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January 18, 2016

HBO’s series adaptation of Westworld has been delayed for a few months, adding to the growing list of delayed, high-profile HBO projects.

According to Variety, Westworld is closing down for a couple of months while writers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy work on the final four screenplays to tie up the series. “As we head into the final phase of production on ‘Westworld,’ we’ve made the decision to take a brief hiatus in order to get ahead of the writing,” said HBO in a statement.

This is merely the latest in a string of delays and cancellations plaguing HBO these days. David Fincher’s Utopia series went through a roller coaster of on-again-off-again production delays before finally being scrapped altogether. Then there is Casey Affleck’s Lewis and Clark series, which was initially delayed but now has gone all the way back to the drawing board after creative differences upended any progress.

Despite the two-month delay, HBO still plans of having Westworld premiere in 2016. It’s reasonable; the show will wrap up shooting in November, with the majority of the season presumably already in the bag. We shall see if Nolan and hs writing team can get all their ducks in a row before they resume filming in March.

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Why DC hasn’t learned from ‘Green Lantern’

By

Anthony Wendel

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January 17, 2016

After watching the new trailers for the upcoming Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, one thing has become incredibly obvious: DC comics did not learn their lessons from Green Lantern. What did they miss? Why do they continue to make the same mistakes?

The Green Lantern film came off as a disappointment to the studios after it earned $116 million at the box office and a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. The biggest flaw in the film was it stuffed far too much into one film. If you think about it the story in the film could have been spaced out into an entire trilogy. In movie one, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) gets his power rings, trains with it, and defeat Hector Hammond. Movie 2: Sinestro gets the power ring of fear and released Parallax. Movie 3: Parallax who has been mentioned and eluded to in the first and second film increasing its danger and threat is now on the loose and it’s up to Hal to defeat him and restore order. Doesn’t this layout sound much more preferable than the product we got? But DC is far too busy to look back and instead charges forward and make similar mistakes.

The trailer for the upcoming movie has a pretty basic lay out on how the film will break down. Batman wants to take down Superman who he sees as a threat, Lex Luthor will create Doomsday as a way to fight Superman, Wonder Woman will arrive to aid in the fight. Now there is even talk of the film introducing Bizarro while Lex Luthor is experimenting on General Zod`s corpse. Just like how they tried to introduce too much in Green Lantern, they plan to introduce far too much in the upcoming Batman v. Superman all in an attempt to get to Justice League faster. Why haven’t they learned their lessons and insist on getting to Justice League as quick as possible?

The reason is not hard to see, DC wishes to obtain the same success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have been trying to copy the formula Marvel introduced which led to the Avengers. Green Lantern was to be the original starting point for DC’s cinematic universe but after the disappointment with its reception this plan was scrapped and they instead decided to make the marginally more successful Man of Steel, the new starting point to work toward a Justice League movie. Now with the coming of the second film in their cinema universe you would think they would make sure to not repeat the mistakes they made with Green Lantern. Unfortunately it looks like they still have a lot to learn. Batman vs. Superman sounds just as complicated and cumbersome as Green Lantern.

Could Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice still be a good film? It’s possible but the writing’s on the wall. The film will have a lot of moments it wants to feature. Not to mention they will have to starts whispers of some type of ultimate threat the heroes will have to face in the Justice League movie the studio wants more than anything. Don’t count on them learning from their mistakes anytime soon.

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Blackstar Captures The Beauty Of The Life and Death of David Bowie

By

Sam Casale

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January 17, 2016

On January 10 of 2016, the world lost one of the greatest music legends that has ever lived. David Bowie, who tragically died of liver cancer passed away at the age of 69. But before he left us, he managed to give us one last gift in the form of the masterpiece that is Blackstar. I was in a lucky scenario in which I was able to listen to this album both before and after learning about his death. Though the album itself remained the same, the messages and themes that this project contains were only more fully revealed through the death of David Bowie. This album is amazing. Even if Bowie had not died, critics across the world would agree that this album is quite possibly one of his greatest and most thought provoking projects. Yet at the same time, his passing compliments and in a strange way, fulfills the message of this album. Considering the circumstances, it is almost certain that Bowie made this album knowing that he was approaching death.

I truly believe that Bowie made this album to tell to the public that he was dying, and I can not imagine a better way to do so than through this album. While there are a few blatant examples such as when he quite literally says “I’m dying to” in the track “Dollar Days,” he is a bit more discreet yet open about his feelings of his approaching death in the song “I Can’t Give Everything Away.” The first time I heard this (which was before his death), I distinctively recall thinking about the classic religious teaching that we can not take material objects with us into the world beyond. During my first listening after his passing, I was blown away for a lack of a better term. Everything that I had briefly questioned about this album from the first few times I had listened were answered. David knew that this was it. Though I wont go as far as to say that he knew exactly when he would die despite the lyric ‘Where the fuck did Monday Go?’ in the track “Girl Loves Me,” I do believe that he knew that death was on the horizon. The title of the album can even be perceived as a reference to how his life has run out of light, making him the Black Star. There are too many examples of this foreshadowing to fit into one article. I imagine that there are still references to his death that we have yet to discover. All that I can say is that David Bowie left an impact on the Earth that changed music forever. From the standpoint of a reviewer, I honestly believe that most of the music that I love and enjoy would not exist without the life and talent of David Bowie. From the perspective of a life long fan, I am deeply saddened by his death and I will always remember him for being one of the biggest musical influences and icons in my life. I hope that the rest of the world will remember the Starman himself in a similar way.

Blackstar Forever

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The Crescendo and Decrescendo of River Song

By

Anthony Wendel

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January 17, 2016

SPOILERS SWEETIE

With the recent Dr. Who Christmas Special, “The Husbands of River Song” it looks like the fans have seen the last of Dr. Song. The character came in like a hurricane but somewhere along the way momentum was lost and her appearance was less of a treat. What went wrong? How did this character go from being a fan favorite to having a less than welcoming appeal? It should be noted the fault was not with Alex Kingston, the actress who portrayed River as she always seemed to come in and put all she had into the character. Instead, it would be better to look at River Song’s complicated backstory.

The character was introduced in “Silence in the Library” as a mysterious woman who knew the Doctor in a very personal way. Fans were immediately hooked on this peculiar woman and intrigued with what connect she may have with the Doctor. Unfortunately, in the very next episode, “Forest of the Dead”, River died saving the consciousness of many innocent individuals. The incomprehensible nature of the character was still fascinating and fans wanted to see more of her and learn about the intimate connection she shared with the Doctor.

Though her death was inevitable, with the Doctor’s ability to travel through time it would not be long before the two would meet again. Sure enough in the two parter, “The Time of the Angels” and “Flesh and Stone” River returned with more intrigue about who she really is. This time it was revealed she murdered someone, saying it was “The best man I ever knew”.

With the curiosity of the character at an all time high fans were hoping questions would be answered in the 5th series finale. Unfortunately, a side track would occur with “The Pandorica opens” and “The Big Bang” as the bigger threat of the Legendary Pandorica was revealed. River was still a welcome addition though as few beings in the universe are able to get a Dalek to beg for mercy.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtJwZjZGABw[/embedyt]

It was in the next two part story line (“Impossible Astronaut” and “Day of the moon”) where people seemed to have had enough of the question “Who is River Song?” A much more pressing issue had been introduced with The Doctor fated to die (permanently) by the Impossible Astronaut. This grim impending future was much more of a concern than whatever the truth behind River Song could possible be. Fans had waited long enough and seemed to scream in unison “Just tell us who she is already.”

This time the wait only a few weeks as in “A good man goes to war” the truth was finally revealed. River Song was the daughter of Rory and Amy and her ability to regenerate came from being conceived in the TARDIS. This was what the fans had been waiting for and they weren’t really happy with it. Frankly, it felt uncomfortable. The daughter of one of the Doctor’s best friends would grow up to have a relationship with him. It didn’t really help their were blatant suggestions to the idea Melody Pond (River’s Birth name) was actually the child of Amy and The Doctor. It was an awkward situation to say the least.

In “Let’s Kill Hitler” it was further revealed Amy’s childhood friend Melody was in fact River before her regeneration into her more recognizable form. This additional information just complicated the character’s origin even greater.

The final nail in the coffin would come with “Closing Time” and “The Wedding of River Song.” It was disclosed River was the Impossible Astronaut and tied together early clues which showed she had been manipulated by the creatures known as the Silence into killing the Doctor. The quick save for fixing was she had killed a robot and not the actual Doctor. This tepid ending and the feelings for River Song had reached a new low. To quote from “The Wedding of River Song” itself:

River: “I’m his wife.”
Amy: “And I’m his mother in law”
River: “Father: dear I think mummy might need a drink.”

The fans felt the same way and wanted to drink away the bad taste in their mouths which was the mystery of River Song. This feeling of disdain would continue in her next appearance (“The Angels Take Manhattan”) where by the end of the episode the married companions of Rory and Amy were sent back in time by the Weeping Angels to be stuck in a paradox which cut them off from the Doctor. The feeling of malcontent was cemented. River was a bad penny, whose appearance was a cause for dread, and she had delayed her death long enough.

She would make a brief appearance in “The Name of the Doctor” which seemed to reflect the fact fans could only take a brief appearance of her anymore. She was too complex and burdensome of a character. The love was gone and fans wanted her to take her trip to the library as soon as possible.

Now with the most recent special it appears as if fans have gotten their wish and seen the last of her. The episode showcased her next mission would be to the library where she would meet her end. Knowing her fate the Doctor took her to a planet where the two of them could enjoy one last night together but revealed a night on the planet was 24 years. River had finally found the moment where she and the Doctor could be together, truly and it was this touching moment which made fans remember, why they fell in love with her in the first place.

Though the complications behind her backstory had spoiled the sentiment a bit, overall she was another of the Doctor’s great companions who kept the fan community hooked on the show for quite a while. Farewell, Dr. Song. Perhaps, further down the road, the Doctor will pop into the library you now reside and seek solace from his journey with the woman he once called his wife.

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‘Jessica Jones’ renewed for Second Season at Netflix

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 17, 2016

It was announced at the Television Critics Association winter press tour that Marvel’s Jessica Jones will return to Netflix for a second season. Jessica Jones is the second of five planned Marvel dramas for Netflix, joining Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the miniseries The Defenders. It’s executive produced by showrunner Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight, Dexter) and Liz Friedman (Elementary). Regarding when we should expect season two, that wasn’t released, but Season two will consist of 13 episodes.

When pressed for more information, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sardos said “The Defenders production will really determine” season start dates for other Marvel series like Jessica Jones as well as Daredevil, which launches its second season on March 18. Showrunner Rosenberg told THR at the top of the freshman run that she hopes it would arrive before The Defenders.

Melissa Rosenburg added:

“There certainly is storytelling wise. The question becomes is there actual time? There are logistics involved, because Defenders has to shoot by a certain time, contractually,” she said. “Actually, I’m not sure; I’m not at all involved in those conversations, much to my dismay. The first question is whether or not we will even get a second season. The second question is, if so, when? Will it be before The Defenders or after? I’d certainly love it to be before but there are things that play into that — time, availability.”

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“Apocalypse Is The Biggest X-Men Film We’ve Done” Says Writer

By

EJ Moreno

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January 17, 2016

What’s In Store For The X-Men When Apocalypse Arrives?

X-Men Apocalypse producer & screenwriter Simon Kinberg has declared the upcoming film will be the biggest X-Men film of all-time during a question and answer session with fans. While answering fan questions, Simon teased, “I think in some ways it’s the biggest X-Men film we’ve ever done.”
“We’ve never done one of these movies where the whole world — there’s like an extinction-level threat to the world,” Kinberg said.

Will the X-Men be able to come together to stop the super-villain & his Four Horsemen or will ‘The First One’ En Sabah Nur prove he is really the greatest mutant of all time?

Find out on May 27, 2016!

X-Men: Apocalypse stars James McAvoy as Charles Xaver, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Oscar Issac as Apocalypse. Also Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Lucas Till as Havok returning to their roles.

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Adam Driver Hosts Saturday Night Live

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 17, 2016

Last night on Saturday Night Live, Adam Driver was the host, and as expected, they did a sketch that focused on Driver’s character Kylo Ren. Apparently Kylo Ren is a terrible boss, and now the First Order Storm Troopers have him as an undercover boss. Driver’s character tells the audience ” You get so caught up in restoring the galaxy to its rightful state that you miss what’s going on behind the scenes.”I’m looking forward to having some real talk with some real folks.” Check out the sketch from last night.

Kylo shuns his black robes for overalls as he masquerades as the geeky Matt the Radar Technician. Cameras are set up in the canteen and the storm troopers are unaware that “Matt” is the commander of the first order.The skit sees the disguised Ren ask some stormtroopers if they like working there and what they reckon of Kylo’s chances of “finishing what Darth Vader started.The highlight of the sketch was when one of the storm troopers referred to Kylo as a “little punk bitch.”

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The Latest X-Files Trailer – First Reaction

By

Jess Morton

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January 17, 2016

Over the last two months Fox has been releasing several previews, promos and behind-the-scenes videos for the new X-Files. On Friday fans got the latest full-length trailer, and oh does it give audiences a lot to think about.

The original X-Files ran from 1993-2002 for 9 seasons. At the end of Season 9 the FBI shut down the X-Files, and Mulder and Scully learn of an impending alien invasion. Of course none of the problems presented at the end of Season 9 were resolved later on. The next film installment in the franchise, The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008), turned into a standalone plotline.

It’s been 13 years since fans have gotten a taste of the weird and unknown, and government conspiracies. With this trailer, among others, the new X-Files seems to be bringing back the good stuff. According to an article by Entertainment Weekly, new series is heavily influenced by a post-9/11 context. In the trailer this is pretty obvious with clips of paramilitary soldiers storming into public, surveillance equipment, and a U.S. drone. “They police on us, spy on us, tell us that makes us safer,” says Mulder. Here is the perfect combination for a serious government conspiracy, and of course Chris Carter has to raise the stakes. A simple government cover-up of aliens on Earth won’t cut it for today’s audience.

Reworking The X-Files for a modern audience, which has a beloved 90s feel to it, requires something a little more fast-paced. The trailer gives us that with upping the hostile government storyline. Mulder’s still obsessed with aliens, but he sounds pissed off. There’s also a ton of explosions. The Smoking Man is back, again, because apparently the old man just won’t die. Every time they re-open the X-Files the guy rises from his assumed grave.

The show is clearly trying to pick up where it left off in Season 9. The trailer gives audiences the horror/sci-fi element with what looks like human experiments. There are also some strong hints at Scully’s son coming into the story. Scully gave up her son William for adoption in Season 9. The idea of bringing back such a significant character would seriously shake up the character dynamics.

The X-Files is premiering on Fox on January 24, 2016. Most of the plot details are top secret, but the series will bring back David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and Mitch Pileggi.

https://youtu.be/Qi_9YuMynW0

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‘Deadpool’ TV Spot now with 5% more footage

By

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

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January 16, 2016

Deadpool seems to be getting into the spirit of the football playoffs, releasing it’s second sports-themed TV spot. This one arrived during the NFL Playoff game between New England and Kansas City. This one isn’t that much different that the “Canadian Rules” TV Spot, but 20th Century Fox promises 5% new footage. Check it out!

Now that the NFL playoffs are in full swing, the Merc with the Mouth is celebrating the only way he knows how.This video shows Ryan Reynolds’ title character seemingly lining up a “field goal,” only to kick one of his enemies square in the head.

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most original anti-hero, Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts a new alter ego.Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life. Deadpool is slated for release on February 12, 2016. Ryan Reynolds stars as the Merc With the Mouth, with a supporting cast that includes Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, Olesia Shewchuk, Style Dayne, Rachel Sheen and Dan Zachary. Tim Miller makes his directorial debut with Deadpool, working from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Deadpool is based on the Marvel comic book series created by Rob Liefeld.

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