It's becoming increasingly difficult to find original movies these days. One not based on a comic book, novel, TV show, or that aren't a reboot, remake or sequel (or prequel). Thank Jebus then for Quentin Tarantino! Today marks the release of his 9th film, and it's called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. So guess what Jason and Howie are talking about when From The Basement storms the Radio NL 610 AM Morning News at 8:40 this morning?

People hated the latest spin on Brian Garfield's 1972 novel from the minute it was announced. They didn't like the idea of Eli Roth directing, and didn't get too excited when Bruce Willis took on the lead. And, when the trailer hit, they didn't like the tone, saying it was too light and action-witty, a phrase I just made up. To me, the dislike for Death Wish is further proof movie fans are incapable of liking anything, and prefer to bitch and complain as much as possible, about anything. Yes, I used anything twice in the same sentence, wanna fight about it?

You may recall we only Top 5s here in The Basement. Why? Because, when crunched for time on live radio, it was quicker to get five list items in then 10. Hence, Shawn and I have always listed off five of things instead of 10s. It's just that simple. While everyone else has a Top 10 list of best movies from the last year, I have five. This is good as I didn't even get to see a fraction of what came out in 2015. Partly due to time, partly due to money, and partly due to a lack of interest.

Coming at a movie long after everyone else on the planet has seen it can be tough. Others' perceptions will impact how a flick, especially one as well received as Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained , plays for the viewer. But a rainy afternoon, an HD projector, a fridge full of beer and a enough chili to feed an army warranted sitting down and giving this almost three-hour western a go.  With the help of a German bounty hunter , a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.  I'll come right out and say it, Django is Tarantino's best flick. It's his most complete work, and best shows off his talent for dialogue, music and violence without compromising what is a loving homage to the spaghetti western . Django is, quite simply, brilliant. How much so? The two-hour-and-45-minute run time blows by. I was never bored, not even for a second. No line of dialogue is out of place, each character is expertly written and per...

I bet most of you almost forgot Quentin Tarantino's western Django Unchained was coming out on Christmas Day. It's been months since we saw a preview or image, which is a lifetime in Hollywood terms. Well, we've scored a second trailer for Django (the D is silent by the way), and it looks bad to the ass! More story, more violence, more comedy, and more Jonah Hill as a KKK member. Sounds like fun in my book. With the help of his mentor (Christoph Waltz), a slave-turned-bounty hunter (Jamie Foxx) sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner played by Leonardo DiCaprio. What more do you need to know? Get on this motherfucker! Looking forward to this one! Now peep the preview and have yourselves a great night!

About a week or so ago we showed you some pics from Quentin Tarantino's upcoming crack at the old west, Django Unchained. Now we've got the first ever trailer, right here in The Basement. I'm totally psyched to see how Tarantino brings his trademark dialogue, humour and gritty violence to this genre. The western has long been considered dead and buried by Hollywood, but if anyone can breathe new life into it, Tarantino can. This is a great trailer, only hinting at what's to come I'm sure. The use of music is brilliant, some of the lines pretty damn funny, and everyone looks to be having a great time. We'll know more when the movie opens this Christmas. The film follows Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave who treks across America with Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German dentist turned bounty hunter. Together, they try to retrieve Django's wife Broomhilda from the charming but sadistic plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) and h...

It's hard not to get excited when a new Tarantino movie comes along. As a writer and director, he just gets better with age. As good as Pulp Fiction is, and it's great, I still loved the shit out of the Kill Bill movies and Inglourious Basterds. Basterds is my hands down favourite of his. Knowing a new Tarantino movie is coming just in time for Christmas has me excited. And the fact that he's making a spaghetti western has me downright giddy. Throw in a cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and Don Fucking Johnson and I'm sold. This is one of five films I will endure a theatre for this year. The teaser for Django Unchained will appear before Prometheus on June 8, but we've got a few pics below to satiate you with until then. The film follows Django (Foxx), a freed slave who treks across America with Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), a German dentist turned bounty hunter. Together, they try to retrieve Django's wife Broomhilda from ...

As I said in my review for True Grit, 2010 was a terrible year for movies. I ventured to a theatre perhaps five times this year and sought out very few of the year's offerings on DVD. Given that our Basement duties require us to seek out the odd, obscure and crappy, Shawn and I have little time to catch up on the latest releases anyway. But I was able to scrounge up a Top Five for the year, which are listed below. Keep in mind these are my biased choices based on what I've seen. Films that could very well be in the running include The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, The Fighter and a slew of others. But, based on what I've watched, I will stand by and hang by this list. Remember, Shawn and I are back in The Basement next Friday (Jan. 7) at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca . The podcast will be up by the Monday. We'll put the urban legend documentary Cropsey and the mockbuster sequel Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus on the chopping b...

How does one describe Inception? Smart, innovative and thrilling come to mind. So does mind blowing, visual stunning and incredible. The Dark Knight was a masterpiece, but that property wasn't 100 per cent Christopher Nolan's. Inception is, and it is a great piece of work. A masterwork from a master craftsman. This is a movie people will go see and then argue about and then, very likely, go see again. It is the must-see film of the summer, if not the year. Nolan dares us to think big here, yet he also thrills us with some of the biggest and best action scenes to ever reach the big screen. Inception is the film movie fans have waited all year for, it's a slick brain-twister that makes the year's other mainstream releases look boring and empty-headed in comparison . . . because they are.A Good review from The Basement, and a most enthusiastic one at that.