Django Unchained (2012)

Quentin Tarantino delivers another snappily stylish film, this time taking us to pre-Civil War America giving him the opportunity to parade around some classic Western homages (along with the typical exploitation fare). The film is gruesome, violent, offensive, and sometimes disturbing, but do you expect anything less from the man? The film is also fantastic. Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx give magnetic performances driving us comfortably through the film, and Di Caprio does an incredible job as the vile Calvin Candie. Tarantino nailed the production aesthetic of a 1960s Western right on the head, and the soundtrack is perfect for the film. Django Unchained is not afraid to breach taboo subjects regarding slavery, race, or whatever, but with Tarantino at the helm I always wonder if he's trying to make the audience think or just exploiting the taboo. Whether intelligent, exploitative, or both, Django Unchained is deliciously entertaining. The film is not without its faults: As usual, Tarantino tends to go a bit overboard on the language and violence. There was one particular shootout that went on so long that I lost interest two-thirds of the way through. I also thought the play with morality (and the karmic results thereof), a staple of classic Westerns, should have caught up to the protagonists a little harder in the end--despite their ambition and goal, I wouldn't say their actions were necessarily good the entire time. Regardless, go see it. It's great!

8/10

PS: I forgot to mention Samuel L Jackson. He's acting in this one--and well!

Sphere (1998)

A solid sci-fi effort starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L Jackson. Unfortunately, while the premise is interesting and the first 3/4 of the film are entertaining, Sphere peters out in the end with a lackluster and disappointing climax. Once the film starts its attempt to wrap itself up, it devolves into ridiculous camp moments like an idiotic struggle through the "maze of the human mind."

6/10. Read the book instead.