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? 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: Spoiler: 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: Spoiler: 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.

[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.