Coen Brothers

[Collin]

Some of the best working directors in film. Always make a good discussion.

Their films from best to worst (In my humble opinion):

1. No Country For Old Men
2. The Man Who Wasn't There
3. Fargo
4. Barton Fink
5. True Grit
6. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
7. Blood Simple
8. The Big Lebowski
9. A Serious Man
10. Miller's Crossing
11. Burn After Reading
12. The Hudsucker Proxy
13. Raising Arizona
14. The Ladykillers
15. Intolerable Cruetly

[Jon]

1. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

• One of the greatest literary (play/stage/poem/epic) "adaptations" for film, ever.
•• See also: Throne Of Blood (Akira Kurosawa)


2. No Country For Old Men

• I'd much rather see Javier Bardem in movies like this over a (probably horrible) Dark Tower movie, anyway.
•• See also: Biutiful (Alejandro González Iñárritu) ; Carne Trémula [Live Flesh] (Pedro Almodóvar)

• One of my favorite, more-recent Tommy Lee Jones movies
•• See also: In The Electric Mist (Bertrand Tavernier)


3. The Man Who Wasn't There

• I love more recent, noir/neo-noir type movies (in theme or atmosphere)
•• See also: early Christopher Nolan (Memento ; Following) ; The Machinist (Brad Anderson)


4. Fargo

•• See below


5. Blood Simple

• Early films that would foreshadow a great and varied career
•• See also: early Danny Boyle (Shallow Grave ; Trainspotting)


EDIT: I think all of these (with the exception of Shallow Grave and Blood Simple) are available streaming on Netflix (computer, gaming console, blu-ray player, hdtv, roku)

[thevoid99]

I'm going to do a piece on the Coen Brother around the spring of 2012. I just need to see Intolerable Cruelty, The Ladykillers, and The Hudsucker Proxy. Here's what I have so far...

1. Barton Fink
2. The Big Lebowski
3. Fargo
4. Blood Simple
5. No Country for Old Men
6. Raising Arizona
7. Miller's Crossing
8. A Serious Man
9. To Each His Own Cinema-World Cinema
10. O Brother Where Art Thou?
11. Paris Je T'aime-Tullieres
12. True Grit
13. The Man Who Wasn't There
14. Burn After Reading

[diptych]

What about the masterpiece that is Crimewave (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088967/)? They didn't direct it, but they wrote it!

[xmd 5a]

I love every one of their films I've seen.

Rough order of preference:

1. True Grit (a masterpiece IMHO)
2. No Country For Old Men
3. Fargo
4. The Big Lebowski
5. Burn After Reading (underrated as hell- couldn't stop laughing)
6. A Serious Man (a great film, but hard to "enjoy" for obvious reasons)

I really need to check out more of their stuff.

[Harry Seaward]

The only movies of theirs I have seen are:

No Country For Old Men
True Grit
The Big Lebowski
Burn After Reading

I enjoyed them all, but not enough to make a ranked list. The Big Lebowski, however, may be my favorite movie ever. To think it's not at the top of a single list in this thread makes me realize you are all clinically insane.

[Dra508]

You people don't give Raising Arizona enough props.*



Fargo, Blood Simple, and Miller's Crossing are my personal faves. And in the confessional, I admit I have never seen The Big Lebowski all the way through - *walking away in shame.

[Mantra]

You people don't give Raising Arizona enough props.*

Yeah, I think it's very underrated among their films. I also think that Barton Finck tends to get overlooked, which is a real shame since it's one of the coolest movies ever made.

[Harry Seaward]

I watched Raising Arizona and O Brother recently.

Both terribly mediocre films. I liked Ed Wood, and Ed Wood really wasn't that great.

[frankie teardrop]

ed wood is s tim burton film. maybe it's the exhaustion talking but where's the connection?

the coen's are hit or miss for me (and i haven't seen many for no good reason other than "i haven't gotten around to them"), but i do like raising arizona, fargo, & hudsucker proxy. i could never get into the big lebowski, despite multiple attempts. dying to see blood simple though. seems up my alley.

[theruiner]

I love the Coens. I haven't seen all their films, but I plan to at some point. They're definitely hit or miss, but they have made some great, great movies.

The ones I either loved or really liked:

The Big Lebowski
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Man Who Wasn't There
Burn After Reading


And then there were the ones I didn't:

No Country for Old Men
The Ladykillers
Fargo
True Grit


I've seen The Hudsucker Proxy, too, but it's been so many years that I don't remember anything about it. I don't even remember if I liked it or not.

And yeah, if I had to rank them, The Big Lebowski would be at the top. That movie is amazing in every way possible, from the acting to the writing to just everything. The performances in that movie are out of this world.

[Pemulis]

Miller's Crossing is the best Coen Bros. movie for me.

To round out a top five, I'd throw in Fargo, No Country For Old Men, The Big Lebowski, and Burn After Reading.

Don't much care for " super zany Coens". I find shit like Raising Arizona and The Hudsucker Proxy more annoying than amusing.

[bobbie solo]

def. see Bloodsimple if you can. solid film.

[Harry Seaward]

ed wood is s tim burton film. maybe it's the exhaustion talking but where's the connection?

I just happened to watch all three in close succession so I included it. I was expecting to like the Coen Brothers movies much more, so I was surprised that Ed Wood beat them.

[botley]

I love The Big Lebowski more than almost any other modern American comedy film (with the exception of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, which might have it beat for endless replay value).

[aggroculture]

Buster Scruggs mention in the Netflix thread


I thought The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was utterly amazing.

The theme, metaphor, symbolism and allusions blew my fucking mind.

but maybe we can bring it into a larger Coen Bros convo? I agree with elevenism
Yet a) I wished the whole movie was about Buster and b) "Meal Ticket" was too much for me: my wife was also freaked out by it and we had trouble sleeping that night lol
But apart from (or maybe because of?) that, I think Buster Scruggs is up there with their best: I've already watched the Buster segment three times now

[wizfan]

I'm a Coens fool. Give me anything by them and I'll watch it. Hell, if they ever filmed a video of a cat shitting in a box, I'd still watch it, as it would have brilliant editing, spectacular cinematography and a heartfelt score by Carter Burwell.

[Mantra]

Buster Scruggs mention in the Netflix thread
"Meal Ticket" was too much for me: my wife was also freaked out by it and we had trouble sleeping that night lol

I liked the 'Meal Ticket" segment a lot actually. In terms of pure craft, I thought it was interesting how the whole thing had no real dialogue outside of the recited monologues. Everything is communicated to the audience through actions and facial expressions. That was cool.

And in terms of the subtext and thematic content, I appreciated them showing how much cruelty lies within Western mythology. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the Western genre in some cases, but it's definitely a genre that's loaded with all sorts of complicated political baggage. Kind of like the post-apocalypse genre, it can sometimes take the form of a kind of libertarian, revisionist daydream that romanticizes the imagined "freedom" of an undeveloped society with little to no government. So I liked how "Meal ticket" explored this vision of society from another angle, showing how brutal and sad it is.

[imail724]

I thought the whole film was fantastic. Had somewhat low expectations after Hail, Caesar! (which was the closest I've ever come to walking out of a movie theater), but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. I think it could have worked as a miniseries as well, but I'm glad they presented it as a feature length film, forcing me to sit and watch the entire thing in one go.

[Alexandros]

Had somewhat low expectations after Hail, Caesar! (which was the closest I've ever come to walking out of a movie theater)

Wow, really? I thought Hail Caesar was delightful! Not one of their best to be sure, but a real joy to watch nonetheless.

[aggroculture]

I liked the 'Meal Ticket" segment a lot actually. In terms of pure craft, I thought it was interesting how the whole thing had no real dialogue outside of the recited monologues. Everything is communicated to the audience through actions and facial expressions. That was cool.

And in terms of the subtext and thematic content, I appreciated them showing how much cruelty lies within Western mythology. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the Western genre in some cases, but it's definitely a genre that's loaded with all sorts of complicated political baggage. Kind of like the post-apocalypse genre, it can sometimes take the form of a kind of libertarian, revisionist daydream that romanticizes the imagined "freedom" of an undeveloped society with little to no government. So I liked how "Meal ticket" explored this vision of society from another angle, showing how brutal and sad it is.

I was also thinking the episode can be read as a critique of Trumpism: the money-grabbing impresario who chooses brainless entertainment for personal gain brutally and murderously discards the vulnerable, the artistic, the disabled.

I've watched the first episode multiple times now, and it's perfect in its narrative and visual economy and grace, it's almost like a ballet, a choreography: I wish Buster had a whole movie dedicated to his exploits.

Also, I watched Hail, Caesar, and enjoyed it a lot: annoying Netflix has taken down all other Coen Bros films, I want to watch them now.

[Mantra]

I was also thinking the episode can be read as a critique of Trumpism: the money-grabbing impresario who chooses brainless entertainment for personal gain brutally and murderously discards the vulnerable, the artistic, the disabled.Oh yeah, wow, that's a really interesting way of seeing it. I think one of the cool things about that chapter is the way it functions sort of like a myth or a bit of folklore, and where it's open to a whole range of interpretations. Like I was thinking recently that it kinda works as an anticapitalist fable.

I think it would be cool for them to do another movie in this exact same vein, maybe in a few years. I'm glad that they ditched the idea of making this a show and instead combined them all into a single film. It gives all of it a better sense of weight.


annoying Netflix has taken down all other Coen Bros films, I want to watch them now.I just looked yesterday and Netflix does have a few Coen Bros movies up right now. I think they have Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, and A Serious Man.

Incidentally, I watched A Serious Man for the first time a few weeks back, and holy shit that movie was so incredible. I actually went back to watch it a second time. Right now I feel like it might be my favorite movie from them.

[theruiner]

Had somewhat low expectations after Hail, Caesar! (which was the closest I've ever come to walking out of a movie theater)
Oh my god, THIS.

I love the Coen Brothers. Love love love love. They are two of my absolute favorite filmmakers, I will see ANYTHING they do. Anything. But holy crap, that was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. My friend and I (also a huge fan of theirs) were sitting there in shock at how bad it was.

[aggroculture]

I thought it was a gentle and feelgood tribute to classic Hollywood, I was kind of relieved no one got splattered.


I just looked yesterday and Netflix does have a few Coen Bros movies up right now. I think they have Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, and A Serious Man.

Netflix in Canada is different lol

[Mantra]

Netflix in Canada is different lol

Oh, shit, that's right. Damn. Do you do the dvd mail service part of netflix? You could just get em all that way.

[Kodiak33]

WHAT IS THIS.

1088481555582996480 (https://twitter.com/TheJeffBridges/status/1088481555582996480)

[october_midnight]

An announcement during the Super Bowl. Please please please don't just be a commercial or something...

[Kodiak33]

An announcement during the Super Bowl. Please please please don't just be a commercial or something...

Crap, it probably is.

[october_midnight]

Crap, it probably is.

Fingers crossed for more lol

[Toadflax]

Crap, it probably is.

Yarp.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX8TMYRk6_w&ab_channel=StellaArtois

[imail724]

Anticlimactic, but certainly not surprising.

[Jord]

WHAT IS THIS.

1088481555582996480 (https://twitter.com/TheJeffBridges/status/1088481555582996480)

It's just like the Matthew Broderick Ferris Bueller kinda one he did a few years back. Teased everyone into thinking there was a sequel coming when it was just an ad.

[bRoot]

1. No Country For Old Men - wow this one left a mark, pretty good portrayals all 'round
2. Barton Fink - very curious, very arty
3. Fargo - nice structure, nice palette, awesome film
4. O Brother, Where Art Thou? - anyone know where I can get that hair (balm?) dapper dan! the man!
5. The Big Lebowski - depending on the occasion, I can bowl (damn town, changed the bowling alley to yet ANOTHER liqour store! bastards!
6. Burn After Reading - I must, I must, I must increase my bust! (look it up he he he)

[onthewall2983]

I've seen them all but Intolerable Cruelty, which from what I understand won't rank too high on anyone's list anyway.

1. No Country/Big Lebowski. They both represent the extremes of what they do so well, I couldn't imagine putting one on top of another.
2. Blood Simple. For such a limited amount of experience and budget, they pulled this off so well you'd be forgiven for not thinking this was their first.
3. Hudsucker Proxy. Such a bold and brash production of something that was perhaps not what the world was wanting, but I still enjoy it now.
4. True Grit. Such a weird yet traditional Western, and a really fun time at the theater.

[GulDukat]

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was a damn masterpiece.

[bobbie solo]

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was a damn masterpiece.

this is on my quarantine watch list! Pumped to finally be getting to it over the next few weeks.

[theruiner]

I watched A Serious Man a couple weeks ago for the first time in about 10 years and I kind of loved it. I wasn't sure what to think the first time I saw it and have been meaning to give it another viewing ever since. Finally got around to it, no idea why it took me so long. Such a great movie, and hardly anyone talks about it.

[GulDukat]

this is on my quarantine watch list! Pumped to finally be getting to it over the next few weeks.I don't know why more people aren't aware of this movie, it was seriously one of the best movies I've ever seen that was released in the last few years.

[Kodiak33]

I don't know why I haven't watched that yet...welp time to do it.

[bobbie solo]

I don't know why more people aren't aware of this movie, it was seriously one of the best movies I've ever seen that was released in the last few years.

It's really easy for things that go right to streaming to get lost in the mix now. There's so much content out there. Plus a western anthology has an uphill battle to begin with.

[talkingnothing]

i went on a Coen binge a couple weeks ago, watched most of what was available on the streamers i subscribe to.
True Grit - 2nd viewing, holds up well. i like this one.
Hudsucker Proxy - 2nd viewing, first time i was probably 10. didn't get it then. enjoyed as a 39 year old.
Raising Arizona - 2nd viewing, hadn't seen for a long time. i find parts of it grating. the screaming in the car for example.
A Serious Man - 2nd viewing. I like this one.
Intolerable Cruelty - hadn't seen before, was ok. Didn't have the Coen vibe as strong as most.
Ladykillers - hadn't seen before, it was amusing but not too special. Probably won't watch again.

none of those crack my top five probably.
My faves are (in no order):
Fargo
Lebowski
O Brother
No Country
Inside Llewyn Davis
Buster Scruggs

Have not seen the Man Who Wasn't There or Blood Simple (i think)

been a while since i saw Miller's crossing and Barton Fink

[Mantra]

I watched A Serious Man a couple weeks ago for the first time in about 10 years and I kind of loved it. I wasn't sure what to think the first time I saw it and have been meaning to give it another viewing ever since. Finally got around to it, no idea why it took me so long. Such a great movie, and hardly anyone talks about it.

YES.

I'm always so happy whenever I encounter someone else who appreciates this movie as much as I do.

A Serious Man is my favorite Coen Bros movie, hands down. I only discovered it a couple years ago, but I fucking love that movie now. It kinda gets overlooked, I think, because there's very little action or violence, nor is it one of their crazier comedies. It's maybe the most subtle and "normal" film they've ever done. But god, it just hits me so hard every time. There's something about this movie that feels very me, like a good summation of how I often feel about my own life and the people around me. I often struggle with this sense of randomness and absurdity in life, particularly as it pertains to things like violence, poverty, suffering, etc, both in my own personal experience and on a broader societal level. I've spent so many of my years craving purpose and interpretation and narrative as means of coming to terms with the darker aspects of existence that I have an unhealthy tendency to dwell upon, and this movie perfectly captures the hilarious futility of that. It honestly IS a comedy, just an incredibly sad one. It depicts pain and suffering with a perfect mixture of sincere human empathy and incredibly black humor. Like that Junior Rabbi telling Larry, "Look at the parking lot Larry! Just look at that parking lot!" It's so horribly sad but so incredibly funny at the same time. God I'm obsessed with this movie.

[theruiner]

YES!!! That's awesome! I don't think I know anyone who has seen it, except maybe my brother (and I haven't had the chance to ask him). I think it's going to end up being one of those movies I revisit from time to time and it is definitely a film that I am trying to introduce a lot of people to. I'm hoping maybe I can do a Netflix Party thing to watch it with my friend in Colorado, as she was my movie buddy up until a few months ago when she moved out of state (and, you know, the plague descended upon us). Like, I am just so so excited to share this movie with people. The humor is super subtle and dry but that's exactly what I love about it. And I love the characters, especially Larry. Michael Stuhlbarg knocks it out of the park. And Richard Kind- holy crap. I really like that guy anyway but he is SO GOOD in this. I really felt for him, especially the scene where he breaks down crying in the motel pool while talking about his pending trial. The movie is also, like, SO specific. It really feels lived in, if that makes sense. This world feels real and yet just a bit off at the same time. And it feels authentic. You can tell the Coens really put their own experiences growing up into it. At least it seems that way to me.


And yes! The futility of all of it, the search for meaning where there may not be any, it is such a great concept to explore and was so wonderfully done. And I loved the way they explored the idea of paradoxes, specifically taking Schrödinger's cat and actually using that as a template for the entire movie, basically. Like, at the end, when Larry opens the envelope and accepts the bribe- THAT'S when everything comes crashing down. Did he have cancer or not? Well, now that he has accepted the money, the two possibilities collapse into one and, hey, he just got a phone call from his doctor that I think we can safely assume is bad news. His kid might be about to die. It looks like he may not be receiving his tenure. Like, this all happened right when he decided to take that bribe. But then you have to ask yourself: is that REALLY what happened? Did the universe sort of collapse into one of those possibilities, did he seal his fate with his decision, or did that have nothing to do with it? Is it all just chaos? Are we looking for meaning in this thing when there really isn't one there? And isn't that the point of the whole movie? Maybe there's a meaning, maybe there's not, but prooooobably not. Either way, stop worrying about it and just live your life and try to be a good person. That's basically the point, right? But on a meta level we as the audience have to decide if this is all just coincidence or if there really is something to this, something behind this. Just like Larry is trying to figure out. And maybe the whole point is that we shouldn't be worried about it either. God, I don't know. But I love that. I love everything about that. And this movie.

[Deadpool]

I watched A Serious Man a couple weeks ago for the first time in about 10 years and I kind of loved it. I wasn't sure what to think the first time I saw it and have been meaning to give it another viewing ever since. Finally got around to it, no idea why it took me so long. Such a great movie, and hardly anyone talks about it.

Same! My friend got me to sit down for a rewatch a few weeks ago (my first since it was in theaters!!) and I was blown away. I remembered liking it when it came out, but I totally fell in love upon finally seeing it again.

"Accept the mystery." <3


Also, me and that same friend watched Miller's Crossing tonight which was my first time. I knew *nothing* about it going in which made it an extra fun experience. What Coens flick should I watch next? I still need to see Blood Simple, Hudsucker Proxy, O Brother, etc.

[theruiner]

Have you seen The Man Who Wasn't There? That film is amazing.

Granted, I haven't seen it in about 20 years, but I remember absolutely loving it. O Brother is great, too.

[bobbie solo]

What Coens flick should I watch next? I still need to see Blood Simple, Hudsucker Proxy, O Brother, etc.

thats the one.

[Deadpool]

thats the one.

I was hoping someone would say this! Will report back...

It's been on my mind a lot: 1) part of me just wants to start from the beginning and go in chronological order, 2.) I was watching an interview with the Coens conducted by Guillermo del Toro (!) and of course they discuss it, 3.) I still regularly think about another Criterion bonus feature (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsGRhaPpGh0) comparing Blood Simple's final shots with its storyboards. Frances McDormand talks about how important it is to her that she sees storyboards for the movies she works on. As a 'board artist, I always find stuff like that very heartening.