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Quentin Tarantino’s latest film has been getting plenty of hype locally, owing to some scenes being shot here last winter when a snowy backdrop was needed.

In the wake of the Newtown massacre, a British interviewer had the nerve to ask Tarantino yesterday about the abundance of graphic violence in his films. Skip to 2:40 in the video for Tarantino’s petulant reaction.

I’ve always had a problem with the director’s glamorization of violence, and skipped most of his work since Reservoir Dogs. In the interview he says he already has addressed the question, but in fact he has said very little. I know because after recently watching Inglorious Basterds on video, I did Google “Tarantino use of violence” to try to understand where he is coming from.

Last winter, during the Django shoot, he had an assistant call ahead to a Jackson restaurant to request a particular cut of steak. Watching him freak out in this clip, it’s easy to see why. If a news interview is a “commercial” for his movie, we’re all here to serve his whims, while he has no responsibility to anyone.

Posted under Art, Entertainment, Media

Tags: films

Last Saturday, 1 Percent for the Tetons staged perhaps its most successful Schechter Fest yet: screenings of eight short films about the latest round of projects funded by 1 Percent donations.

Nearly 400 people — many of them friends of the young filmmakers — poured into Center for the Arts to watch the clips and vote for their favorite. The above video, by KGB Productions, was the funniest — no surprise, given that KGB are the professional makers of Wyoming Triumph. Because it was voted best by the audience and a panel of judges, the video won an additional $1,000 for the filmmakers and $1,000 for the Candyland Trail built by Teton Freedom Riders.

1 Percent is continuing the Blitz with online voting that will award an additional $1,000, to be split between maker and nonprofit. All of the videos are posted on the 1 Percent website, and the deadline to vote is 5 p.m. Nov. 2.

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Posted under Art, Economy, Environment, Humor

Tags: conservation, films, Media, mountain biking, nonprofits

With the Tetons freshly capped in snow for the first time this autumn, the timing couldn’t be better for Saturday’s screening of Further, the second installment in the backcountry riding trilogy from snowboarder Jeremy Jones and filmmaker Teton Gravity Research.

Picking up where he left off in Deeper, the film finds Jones continuing to push his limits as he ventures into more remote terrain — without the use of lifts or helicopters. “Through research, patience and hard work, the crew was able to live in caves and on glaciers to ride untouched lines without another human in sight,” TGR explains.

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Posted under Entertainment, Environment, Media, Sports

Tags: backcountry, films, powder, skiing, snowboarding, teton gravity research

Here’s the new trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s latest shoot-’em-up, Django Unchained, filmed last winter in Jackson Hole, New Orleans and California.

There are scenes from a ranch north of town, as well as by Kelly Warm Springs in Grand Teton National Park. Tarantino chose Jackson Hole because there wasn’t enough snow in California at the time.

The movie is due out at Christmas. What are the chances of a star-studded premiere in Jackson, with Leo and the cast in town? Maybe the Travel and Tourism Board should get on it.

A Fistful of Dollars it ain’t, but add this Tetons cameo to a long tradition including Rocky IV, The Mountain Men, Shane and Any Which Way You Can.

(Promo photo via Huffington Post)

Posted under Art, Entertainment, Media

Tags: films, grand teton national park, new orleans, tourists

Tonight the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, American Rivers, Snake River Fund and a host of other nonprofits and businesses have teamed up to present the Wild and Scenic Film Festival at Center for the Arts. Admission is $5.

Eight of the nine films are shorts ranging from two to eight minutes. The longest is 45-minute “Kadoma,” about a wild and ultimately ill-fated river expedition in Central Africa. A synopsis follows after the jump.

Combining adventure with inspiration, the night is dedicated to the Don’t Frack the Hoback campaign. A coalition of conservation and sportsmen’s groups has been working together to protect the Hoback River headwaters from proposed natural gas drilling.

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Posted under Art, Entertainment, Environment, Politics, Sports

Tags: films, oil and gas, river running, snake river, travel