Take that Barbara Walters

After a nearly year-long hiatus, the awesome "Between Two Ferns" is back with a two-part, star-studded affair with Zach Galifianakis interviewing several Oscar nominees. Enjoy the hilarity below:

Between Two Ferns: Oscar Buzz Edition Part 1 from Zach Galifianakis

Between Two Ferns: Oscar Buzz Edition Part 2 from Zach Galifianakis

And Django was his name-o

Here's the latest trailer for Quentin Tarantino's new film, Django Unchained set to come out this Christmas.

2012 Fall Movie Preview (December)

DJANGO UNCHAINED (December 25)
Plot: 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.

Quick thoughts: I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Quentin Tarratino's work (I'll admit I still haven't see Pulp Fiction) but I absolutely loved Inglorious Basterds, so I'm excited to see what he does for a follow up. Having a pair of Oscar winners as the leads and Leonardo DiCaprio in the mix hamming it up seems like a recipe for success to me. This isn't the most conventional Christmas movie, but it seems like it'll certainly be a nice gift for all moviegoers.


THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (December 14)
Plot: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Quick thoughts: While three of the four movies on this month's list were no-brainers, I struggled with the final one. I ultimately chose The Hobbit because it will no doubt be the 'biggest' of all the movies I considered. While I admired the filmmaking of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the story did not capture my interest like so many other people. While I doubt I would be rushing out to see this on my own, I have friends who are huge fans of anything Tolkien, so I'll no doubt be checking this one out as well later this year.


JACK REACHER (December 21)
Plot: Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. Sure enough, ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter, a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right, and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning, and then beat him shot for shot.

Quick thoughts: After last year's fourth Mission: Impossible film, I learned never to question Tom Cruise's ability when it comes to action films again. So even though he doesn't exactly match the description of Jack Reacher as author Lee Child has established him in his series of novels, I have all the confidence in the world that Cruise will be able to pull the role off and deliver another terrific thriller.


THIS IS 40 (December 21)
Plot: Writer/director/producer Judd Apatow ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Funny People") brings audiences "This Is 40," an original comedy that expands upon the story of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) from the blockbuster hit "Knocked Up" as we see first-hand how they are dealing with their current state of life.

Quick thoughts: It's been three years since Judd Apatow directed a film and even longer since he directed a good one. I'm anxious to see him return to greatness and based on the trailers, he's got a shot with this one. 40 was a lucky number for him when he did Virgin with Steve Carell, and Rudd and Mann were the best part of Knocked Up, so let's hope that all adds up to a winner here.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Les Miserables (December 14)
Monsters Inc. 3D (December 19)
Zero Dark Thirty (December 19)
The Guilt Trip (December 25)

Unchained melody

Check out the first trailer for Quentin Tarantino's latest, Django Unchained, which is set to hit theaters this Christmas.

RBR: Carnage

Directed by Roman Polanski, this is an adaptation of the play God of Carnage. It centers around two pairs of parents who have come together to discuss a recent altercation that occured between their two sons. As their conversations escalate, more gets revealed about their relationships and who they are as individuals. Based on the trailer, this looked like it would share some of the uncomfortable, yet unpredictable fun that is often depicted in bottle episodes of sitcoms. Unfortunately, what worked in a 2 minute trailer becomes unbearable when expanded into a feature length film. Despite a great quartet of actors (Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christophe Waltz, and John C. Reilly) none of them come off looking great here. What might have served as compelling on the stage just comes off as annoying here as you wonder why these two couples continue to be with each other as their animosity for the other grows. As a viewer it becomes futile trying to side with anyone here as none of them are relatable or sympathetic. The only clarity the situation brings is that the incident between the two kids is a clear reflection on their upbringing or lack thereof. That's just a sad social commentary that I took no pleasure in witnessing. I feel bad being so negative toward a film that has a cast of actors whose work I typically enjoy, but this simply is not a good effort from anyone. Do yourself a favor and avoid the Carnage. Rating: **

Quarreling Quartet

Here's a trailer for Carnage, based on a play titled Gods of Carnage. The film centers around a pair of parents who agree to meet after their sons were in a fight. With such a low concept premise, you need strong performances to drive the narrative and based on this first look, it seems like we have that.