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Quentin Tarantino deals with violent subject matter in his upcoming film "Django Unchained"-- which comes as no surprise when compared with his body of work.

However, "Django," resonated more intensely with the famed auteur, the film's star Jamie Foxx told Yahoo! Movies during an interview on Saturday at Comic-Con in San Diego.

Foxx said that one scene was so intense, Tarantino got teary on the job: "Quentin Tarantino -- while he was shooting -- his eye piece filled up with water because he was crying." When it came to shooting violent scenes of torture include the whipping of slaves, Foxx added, "I knew it was going to be powerful, but I didn't know it was going to be that powerful."


"Django" is about a pre Civil War-era black slave -- played by Foxx -- who becomes a bounty hunter, and is in a desperate search for his slave wife, played by Kerry Washington. As a bounty hunter, Django plays out ultimate revenge on his and his people's torturers.

Tarantino's last film "Inglorious Basterds" also plays out the revenge of a disenfranchised group -- Nazi-era Jews. Foxx pointed out that geography is key to setting "Django" apart: "The Holocaust... It seemed in a distant land. This [slavery] is right here." He added, "This happened not too long ago. And some of that -- I call it residue -- still lingers."

"Django Unchained" lands in theaters on Christmas Day, 2012.

In a surprise move that wowed the fans in attendance, Marvel Studios officially announced four new films in development during their Saturday panel at Comic Con.

Producer Kevin Feige formally set the titles and release dates for sequels "Thor: The Dark World," (November 8, 2013) and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," debuting on April 4, 2014. In addition, Feige announced that brothers Anthony and Joe Russo will helm the "Captain America" sequel.

Marvel also confirmed speculation that they are developing the cosmic superhero franchise "Guardians of the Galaxy," which is scheduled for release on August 1, 2014.

But the announcement that received the biggest reaction from the crowd was test footage of the forthcoming "Ant Man" from director Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead").

"I've always thought there was a great film to make out of that," Wright told the cheering crowd. "And one that would look better on the screen than in the page."

During the clip of test footage, the film's hero who, can change his size at will, is hiding inside a tiny air duct while two security guards stand in a long hallway.

Ant Man, no more than a few inches in stature, then launches an attack on the guards, morphing into full human size to deliver a punishing kick before shrinking in an instant to literally ride on top of one of the guard's guns.

Even in rough cut form, the footage wowed the audience and seemed to quiet speculation as to whether the character could succeed on the big screen.

"Ant Man will kick your ass one inch at a time," Wright quipped.

Judging by the applause, it seems fairly safe to say that when Peter Jackson unveiled 12 ½ minutes of "The Hobbit," many of the patient fans in Comic-Con's Hall H got what they were waiting for.

Before giving them the goods though, Jackson wanted to get one more shot, using his camera to film the entire Hall H while, on the count of three, we chanted, "Hi From Comic-Con!" After which, Jackson said, "No need for take two, that was bloody good."

And without further ado, Jackson asked for the lights to be dimmed so some footage could be screened.

The presentation started with a featurette examining the last five days of principal shooting, an epic that lasted 266 days all told. The featurette starts with Jackson introduces the labor of love, with stunning pillars beside him, and a green screen behind him. This captures the feeling of the shoot, as all the sets were glorious — particularly the giant pile of gold in the dragon's lair — and all seemed to be shadowed by green screens.

There was a lot of footage of the dwarves, in fact, each of them was given a moment to introduce themselves, all while in various forms of heavy makeup and prosthetics. There was a particularly funny sequence where one of the dwarves, hiding in a barrel, is covered in actual dead fish.

One of the cool aspects of filming shown was the way they built the set for Bilbo Baggins' house, using gigantic tables and chairs, in an effort to make the dwarves and hobbits look smaller.

The featurette also showed Andy Serkis's efforts, not just in usual role of Gollum, but also in his new duty as the director of the second unit. He seemed to be well-loved by his crew. But love was pervasive in the featurette, and from the panel itself. At the end of 266 days, there was a lot of hugging, but none that lasted longer than Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) and Jackson.

The lights came up and Jackson introduced the illustrious panel: Philippa  Boyons, co writer/ producer, Serkis, Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), McKellen (who received a standing ovation and the biggest applause of the whole day), and Elijah Wood (Frodo), who upon entrance bear hugged Serkis.

Jackson didn't want to waste any time getting to the footage, but he felt compelled to say that the music was held in place by temporary tracks, as Howard Shore hasn't started recording with the London Philharmonic yet. Jackson also made sure to preface the fact that most of the effects shots weren't finished. And also, as a nice added bonus, not all of the footage would be from part 1, "An Unexpected Journey," but also some glimpses of part 2!

The footage itself starts in the Shire, at Baggins' home, where the dwarves have assembled around a large table. There is talk of ominous signs, of dragons. Gandalf is there, and it is agreed that the time has come to take back the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the treacherous dragon Smaug. But how? Gandalf unveils a mysterious key, which he says Thorin's father entrusted to Gandalf. Now Gandalf gives the key to Thorin.

The crew agrees they need a burglar to sneak into the lair. Someone stealth and courageous. All agree that's not Bilbo, especially Bilbo. But Gandalf insists in a very grand and menacing way. The dwarves agree. They hand Bilbo a contract that includes payment plans and funeral arrangements. Bilbo faints.

We cut to Gandalf riding a horse at a rapid pace, sword unsheathed. We see Saroman. We see Galadriel (Cate Blanchet). We see a frozen river.  Gandalf appears at the edge of mysterious place, danger looms. A fellow rider asks Gandalf what if it's a trap. Gandalf knows it is but enters anyway.  A flurry of a mad bearded man, stalking Gandalf through a maze.

Next we see Bilbo and Gollum in a cave, somewhere near the dragon's lair. Bilbo has his sword drawn. Gollum's dual personalities scare Bilbo, yet he senses he can negotiate with Smaegal. They agree to a battle of riddles, where Gollum will Bilbo the way out of the cave.

Now we're in the Rivendell. Galadriel asks Gandalf why he has chosen the Halfling for the job. Gandalf says he doesn't know, except that Bilbo gives him courage when he is afraid.

Back in the cave, we see a flash of the one ring to rule them all. A Hobbit hand picks it up.

We cut to a scene in a field where Gandalf and Bilbo walk together. Gandalf notices a change in Bilbo. Bilbo wants to confess about what he found in the cave. But when pressed, Bilbo only answers that he found his courage. "Good," says Gandalf, "You'll need it!"

Smash cut to lots of fighting. Orcs! Trolls! Creatures great and small and Orlando Bloom. Fade to black. And the shrieks and cries of appreciative fans, who now knew they didn't wait in vein.

After the roar from the crowd, the moderator went straight to fans for their questions. It's important to note that every fan was visibly moved, nearly overwhelmed with emotion. Here are some of the highlights:


A fan asked Jackson about his cameo in the film. Jackson said, "I haven't shot my cameo yet."  But Jackson explained he's going back to shoot his cameo in New Zealand tomorrow. He also mentioned that we probably wouldn't recognize him.

A female fan asked what kind of role Galadriel plays, and if any female characters were added? Boyons remarked that Galadriel is the most powerful being in middle earth at this time. She also said that Tariel is a new female elf created for specifically for the film, played by Evangeline Lilly. She said they treated the character with care, and made sure she belongs in the world.

Another fan asked if it was hard to act in prosthetics, and hard to wear hobbit feet. Freeman remarked, "It's a little like a fledgling duck, finding your flippers" for first few days of wearing hobbit feet. Freeman said he had it easy though, compared to Armitage, and deferred the question to him. Armitage remarked that it was "quite an evolutionm for the look of Thorin and the other dwarves. He noted he had "to work your face harder" because of the prosthetics, and that after day one he didn't think he could do it again, but by end he couldn't do without it.

Another questioner asked Freeman if he was nervous stepping into an already established team. Freeman said, "I didn't feel a huge amount of pressure, I certainly didn't feel intimidated." They just wanted him to be in the film. His job was to play. "I had to find my way into it," he said, mentioning that he and Jackson would negotiate about Bilbo, and that "Pete usually won."

The moderator asked Wood if he had watched footage the yet, to which he replied he hadn't, but made sure he was watching as it was shown to Hall H. "It has amazingly emotional story telling," Wood said, "I was made to feel emotional watching that footage."

A lot of fans were effusive over McKellen, but no one asked him a question, even though he visited fans who camped out last night.

The moderator asked Serkis about the experience. Serkis noted that he was only supposed to be coming back for two weeks to play Gollum. But Jackson asked him to direct the 2nd unit of 160 people, and there was no way he was going to say no. So Serkis spent a year and a half on the project. Serkis called it a "huge film education" enabled by the greatest film mentor ever. He thanked Jackson, genuinely.

Serkis went on to say that Jackson filmed the Gollum/Bilbo scenes for two weeks, and treated them like a theater piece, so they could play.

The moderator asked Serkis for a demonstration of Gollum's voice. After an expletive, Gollum said, "You said you weren't going to whore yourself."

The crowd went wild. Giving the cast and crew another standing ovation.

The early reviews on "The Dark Knight Rises" are in, and they are overwhelmingly positive. (Rotten Tomatoes measures critics reviews in at 96% positive, so far. )

Perhaps most notably, new villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy, is said to measure up to the late Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning Joker in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy grand finale.

Nolan himself has said he sought out "someone completely different from the Joker - that he be a brute force" (via Flicks and Bits). And Hardy has further pointed out key differences: "The Joker didn't care. He just wanted to see the world burn, and he was a master of chaos and destruction, unscrupulous and crazy. Bane is not that guy. There is a very meticulous and calculated way about Bane. There is a huge orchestration of organization to his ambition. He is also a physical threat to Batman. There is nothing vague about Bane. No jokes. He's a very clean, clear villain" (via Entertainment Weekly).

Here are some of things critics are saying about "TDKR" and it's brand new villain Bane:

Perhaps inevitably, one also feels the absence of a villain as indelible as Heath Ledger's Joker, although Hardy does make Bane a creature of distinct malevolence with his baroque speech patterns and rumbling bass tones, provoking a sort of lower-register duet when pitted against Batman's own voice-distorted growl (the sound mix rendered their dialogue mostly if not entirely intelligible at the screening attended). -- Justin Chang, Variety


Chang wasn't the only reviewer to note Ledger's noticeable absence. In The Hollywood Reporter review, Todd McCarthy's opening thoughts included: "Entirely enveloping and at times unnerving in a relevant way one would never have imagined, as a cohesive whole this ranks as the best of Nolan's trio, even if it lacks -- how could it not? -- an element as unique as Heath Ledger's immortal turn in The Dark Knight. It's a blockbuster by any standard." And while Ledger was missed, it didn't stop him from approving of Bane's presence:

And the fact that Gotham City has, for the first time, realistically used New York City for most of its urban locations merely adds to the topical resonance of Bane's brilliantly engineered plot, in which he eventually takes the entire population of Manhattan hostage. Nolan has always been a very serious, even remorseless filmmaker, and never more so than he is here. -- Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter


Many reviews noted Bane's brute physical dominance and a methodical evil -- different from the Joker's unpredictable lunacy:

Bane's plan to bring Gotham to its knees is elaborate and, once revealed, somewhat horrifying.  He is not simply a rehash of the Joker, who was more of a force of chaos than anything.  Bane is evil.  He is unrelenting, unquestioning, destructive evil.  He has no goal other than pain and horror and death, and he represents the first truly irresistible force that Batman has encountered. -- Drew McWeeny, HitFix


On the other hand, after being marketed as heir to the Joker in "The Dark Knight," Tom Hardy's Bane is a different sort of villain — a focused and more ideologically-developed version of Heath Ledger's anarchist — but one with equally ruthless charm. -- Todd Gilchrist, Indiewire


A grandiose theatrical display filled to the brim with a barrage of visual, sound and plot explosions could have easily misfired, says Guardian reviewer Xan Brooks:

[Christopher Nolan] takes these cod-heroic, costumed elements and whisks them into a tale of heavy-metal fury, full of pain and toil, surging uphill, across the flyovers, in search of a climax. "I'm still a believer in the Batman," murmurs Joseph Gordon-Levitt's rookie cop at one point. Arm-twisted, senses reeling, I am forced to concede that I am too. --Xan Brooks, The Guardian


There was at least one dissenting voice:

Now comes The Dark Knight Rises, bringing in the Bane character (played, with my condolences, by Tom Hardy) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway, one of the movie's few highlights). Nolan gets so caught up in creating an epic adventure that he hammers the "epic" and neglects a crucial component: the adventure. --Marshall Fine, Huffington Post

important date -- which we assume will someday be a German national holiday -- we're posting this completely bizarre, stream-of-twisted-consciousness audio interview with "The Hoff." If words can be considered gold, this interview should be stored in Fort Knox.

While Hasselhoff may have become world famous for his starring roles on "Knight Rider" (1982) and "Baywatch" (1989), at this point, he's probably best known just for being "The Hoff." But who is "The Hoff," exactly? Obviously, he's a complex amalgamation of melodramatic actor, German singing sensation, and embarrassing YouTube video star. But behind all that there is a gloriously unfiltered aspect of The Hoff, which guarantees pop culture relevance: his mouth.


Perhaps there is no one in Hollywood, or anywhere for that matter, who says as much crazy stuff as "The Hoff." Some prime examples:


" I feel like Elvis. Only alive."
"Beyond its entertainment values, 'Baywatch' has enriched, and in many cases, helped save lives."
"These products will be an extension of who I am, and what better way to start your day than by spraying yourself with me and then heading out to face the world?" (About his signature fragrance.)



Hasselhoff was just as quote worthy when I spoke to him in May about playing himself in the T&A/ horror film, "Piranha 3DD" (due out on DVD and Blu-ray September 4). While the interview is jam packed with quality quotes, there is one in particular that I have chosen to live by: "Once you realize life isn't fair and it's a bit of a joke, then you can get on your Hoff Train and take a ride." I've been much happier ever since.

To celebrate 60 years of "The Hoff," we invite you to climb on board the Hoff Train and enjoy this most entertaining interview, either the recording, which begins with Hasselhoff yelling at his assistant, or the transcription below. Either way, it's one amazing ride.


Adam Pockross: Mr. Hasselhoff, how did you prepare to play Mr. Hasselhoff?

David 'The Hoff' Hasselhoff: I went into a deep trance, and every night I meditated, and I read David Hasselhoff's book to try to find out who he was about. I spent probably two days eating cheeseburgers. I also prepared by looking at old "Baywatch" episodes that he was in. And then I talked to his children, Taylor-Ann and Hayley, and spoke to them at length about what it's like living with their father. And then I visited the Berlin Wall and saw exactly the part where he cracked that exact spot. I stood on the wall for a while and I cried, because it was so emotional. And then I went onstage with the director, and we did some emotional recall where you lie down and you go into your childhood memories. Like, 'If you were David Hasselhoff, what would have been your first big toy?' And it was a go-kart that came to me, like in 'Knight Rider.' It was really weird. And, 'What was your second-favorite thing?' It was the beach, and I was like, 'Wow!' So, that's how I did it.

And I think it worked because I was able to play him and kind of get to the essence of him, especially with the line, 'Holy f---, I'm old.' That was a hard line for me to do because I don't feel old, and I never say the word 'holy' and 'f---' together. I've said 'f---,' but never 'holy f---.' But that was the hardest part, to say, 'Holy f---, I'm old.' But I got to do it. And then also, I did get some blood in my eye when I was making the film, but the best part about it was I just kept going. And the director said, 'God, that's fantastic!' And if you look really closely, you'll see me trying to clear my eye during the movie.

AP: You're a pro. No doubt about it. So, you say you got to the essence of David Hasselhoff? In a sense you were born to play this part. So what is the essence of David Hasselhoff?


The Hoff: The essence of David Hasselhoff is … mostly sushi. I think that without sushi there would be no David Hasselhoff, because sushi is like the perfect way of describing the insides of David Hasselhoff. He is like a protein, clean and easy. That's how I feel about myself. I feel I'm protein, I'm clean, and I'm very easy to eat.

AP: That is a remarkable combination.

The Hoff: Thank you.

AP: Did you make sushi out of any piranhas?

The Hoff: No. The piranhas on the set were disgustingly stupid and not real, similar to the breasts on a lot of the girls. … In fact, the piranhas were actually more attractive than a lot of the girls, because the girls were laying there in blood and half-eaten, and not eaten in a nice way. It was horrible. But I had to endure it. It was a very tough shoot for me.

AP: It sounds very difficult. Did your experience on "Baywatch" prepare you for this?

The Hoff: No. Nothing prepared me for this movie. And I'll never be the same ever again. Nothing. Especially when I watched the movie and they used a lot of outtakes that I didn't know we even made. The movie was over, and the movie was not over, and the movie wasn't over for about a year and a half. And it just kept going on. So I think every stupid outtake that I did was left in the movie.

AP: Were there any lines you were embarrassed by?

The Hoff: No, nothing. Nothing embarrasses me.

AP: You've never uttered an embarrassing line in your life?

The Hoff: No. The hardest line that I ever had to say in my life was, 'I'm David Hasselhoff.' And that was in 'Sponge Bob' and I couldn't figure out how to say it. So I had the director come over and give me a line reading, which was really kind of demeaning and humiliating, but he did give me the line.

AP: What was so difficult about phrasing that line?

The Hoff: I couldn't say it. And that's the truth. I could not. 'How the f--- do I say this line?' 'Well, you say it like you're a superhero: "I'm David Hasselhoff!"' So I said, 'Oh OK. I'm David Hasselhoff!' It was just too funny.

My problem is people seem to laugh at me, but the one that laughs harder than anybody is me. I mean, I laugh at everything and I laugh at things that are supposed to be drastic and 'Oh my God.' It's like my manager doesn't want me to do 'Chelsea Lately.' I said, 'Why not? What's wrong? Come on. I'm going to have a blast. Who cares?' Once you realize life isn't fair and it's a bit of a joke, then you can get on your Hoff Train and take a ride.


AP: Is there a difference between David Hasselhoff and The Hoff?

The Hoff: The Hoff has taken over David Hasselhoff. David Hasselhoff really doesn't know who he is anymore. Everywhere I go, it's The Hoff. I did a video with Train. And the guy, his name is Pat, the lead singer, he says, 'Should I call you Hoff or Mr. Hoff or…' I said, 'No. You should call me "The."' So, I'm The now.

AP: Well, that doesn't sound confusing at all.

The Hoff: Yeah, The.

AP: Now The, did you compose the song that you sing in this film?

The Hoff: We made that song up on the spot! We had a keyboard. You can have a little keyboard on your little iPhone, right? So we're playing on the keyboard, and we just started hitting these notes. The director was Clu Gulager's son. What is the director's first name, John? I can't remember. John Gulager?

PR Lady: Yes, John.


The Hoff: And Clu Gulager was like a superhero to me when I was growing up. Clu Gulager was Billy the Kid. You wouldn't even remember him. And I thought it was the coolest thing ever. And John really had a take on, 'Let's play your character really real, you know, like you really believe this.' So, we just sat there and started singing, 'Love hunter … hear what I say. Love hunter … two chicks for me.' And we just made that up. And I said that all I require for the scene is two girls. I cannot have just have one girl. My reputation will be over. And they wanted them naked, but I said, 'No. If they're naked then no one will watch me.'

So, we made sure that the girls were clothed. But in the end, I kind of wished they were naked because they were really pretty.

AP: Are you a fan of the genres and, if so, what are your five favorite horror movies?

The Hoff: Well, 'Exorcist' is No. 1. I think 'Cape Fear' is No. 2. 'The Shining' is No. 3. The one with Sissy Spacek, was it 'Halloween'?

AP: 'Carrie.'

The Hoff: 'Carrie'? Yeah, 'Carrie.' Oh God, 'Carrie!' And then the other one for me was 'Jaws.'

AP: Yeah, very horrific, similar to "Piranha 3DD," but without the double D's really.

The Hoff: I think when they look back, you'll see 'Citizen Kane,' 'The Seventh Seal,' '2001,' 'Gone With the Wind,' and then 'Piranha 3DD.' It will definitely be there. There is no question about it. I'm hoping to be in the sequel. I've already heard that it could be called 'Piranhas on a Plane,' which could be really interesting.