Django Unchained - QT Cooks Up Some Spaghetti

By Bennett Owen

 Credit: - © Touchstone Pictures; Photo: Chris Large

If all goes well, Kevin Costner will soon be back in the saddle and up on the big screen and that is good news because both he and the western genre are making a making a big time comeback. Hopefully Quentin Tarantino’s spaghetti western will do for Costner’s career what “Cowboys and Aliens” is about to do for Harrison Ford, namely, catapult him back to the top of his game.

Credit: The Golden Closet

Tarantino wants Costner to play ‘Ace Woody,’ a character described as a ‘sadistic bad guy.’  Sounds like a role made for Costner, doesn’t it? Christoph Waltz, the Oscar-winning Austrian actor from Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ reportedly also has a role, as do Leonardo di Caprio and Samuel L. Jackson. 

As one critic put it, “Like him or loathe him, Tarantino has the rare ability to reboot a genre.”  Put me in the loathe category, but hey … it’s a western with Kevin Costner … so it will get my money.

Costner gets a lot of flack for his wooden acting style but like Brad Pitt, give him the right role and he’s golden.  He first caught my eye as ‘Jake,’ a young buck full of mischief in Silverado…

Credit: idiotflashback

Credit: idiotflashback

Watch a scene from Silverado at MovieClips.com.

Then came “Dances With Wolves,” “Wyatt Earp” and “Tin Cup” …  well, OK, “Tin Cup” isn’t a western but it’s set in Texas and features Rene Russo  …  a star that has affected my life in ways she will never know.  Come to think of it Costner’s character is ‘Jake,’ reincarnated as a West Texas golf pro…

Costner also directed “Open Range,” and starred alongside the mighty Robert Duvall.  It’s one of my all time favorites.

As his film star status flickers, Costner’s is a rising country western talent, with his award-winning band, “Modern West.” They’ll be performing next week at the Cheyenne Frontier Days. He’s also teamed up with German pop legend Nena (remember 99 Red Balloons?) on an upcoming album. Here’s a recent Modern West performance at the Grand Ol’ Oprey.

Kevin Costner leads his band Modern West Thursday night at Showcase Live. Credit: Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe

Well, OK, he’s no Waylon Jennings. But then again, Waylon probably wouldn’t have gotten too far with a gal like Rene Russo.