Fans of Quentin Tarantino were happier than a tumbleweed in
the wind last week; the first trailer for DJANGO UNCHAINED, Tarantino’s first undisguised
venture into the old west, debuted. You can watch it here.
Although the trailer showcased an interesting cast and good
photography, there doesn’t seem to be much of a “hook” other than
wink-wink-Quentin-is-making-a-western. If any other name was attached to it, most
people would barely give it a glance. It is the Quentin Tarantino name which is
the selling point for this film. Not such a bad thing if it gets people into
the theatres, but not a great thing, either.
Directors and artists putting their names up front of the
marketing is nothing new. Tarantino has been doing it ever since his second
film. In literature, the cover of the newest Stephen King novel usually has
King’s name printed twice as large as the title of the book itself. The approach
has worked well for both of them, but depending on who the name is, it can
backfire. Michael Bay doesn’t need to put his name up front on any of his
blow-em-up films, but he does, and people veer away.
Quentin Tarantino has very much become his own Franchise;
when you see those Golden Arches on the horizon, you know exactly what you are
going to get. You know this from past efforts and reputation, and those Arches
will keep you coming back for more no matter what grade the meat is.
This Blogger takes issue with judging a film by way of who
is in charge of it. It is the film’s merits; acting, directing, story, etc.,
which matter the most. A bad film should not get a pass just because of the director’s
name, and a good film should not be drubbed for the same reasons. If DJANGO
UNCHAINED gets high praise upon its release (December), it should not be
because of the Name trying to be bigger than the Movie.
What say you?
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