So at the urging of BigMcGee I bumped Barton Fink to the top of my netflix queue and I have to say I really liked it. That being said, I really don't understand how it swept the awards at Cannes. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's amazing. Were Charlie and Barton the same person? Was the hotel hell? Or was it just the floor they lived on? (666) Maybe hell was just Charlie's room and Charlie was the devil. The President of the film company was really good. All the performances were really good. But I didn't think the story was even close to as good as The Hudsucker Proxy or No Country For Old Men, and Hudsucker didn't win anything at Cannes in 1994. Sure, it was up against Pulp Fiction for the Golden Palm, but I mean... COME ON! It didn't win anything! Last year, same thing for No Country.... no wins at Cannes. What do Europeans love about Barton Fink that they didn't understand about The Hudsucker Proxy or No Country For Old Men?

Does anyone else have any thoughts on Barton Fink?



Here are my list of Coen Brothers movies in the order that I love them....

1. No Country For Old Men
2. The Hudsucker Proxy
3. The Big Lebowski
4. Raising Arizona
5. Fargo
6. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
7. Barton Fink
8. The Man Who Wasn't There
9. The Lady Killers
10. Intolerable Cruelty

I just receiving Miller's Crossing today, and I'll be watching it for the first time tomorrow, so this list may change. I also haven't seen Blood Simple, but it's saved in my netflix queue.

i think you'll enjoy blood simple. that's all i've got, man. sorry.

This is probably the order that I love them, but so many of them are so good it's hard to choose.


1. The Big Lebowski
2. Fargo
3. Raising Arizona
4. Barton Fink
5. O Brother Where Art Thou?
6. No Country For Old Men (I should probably see this again)
7. Hudsucker Proxy (I am gonna watch this again)
8. Miller's Crossing
9. Blood Simple (you should see this, it is awesome)
10. The Man Who Wasn't There

Big Lebowski
No Country
Miller's Crossing
Hudsucker Proxy
Fargo
Barton Fink
Oh brother
Raising Arizona
The man that wasn't there
Lady Killers
Blood Simple
Intolerable Cruelty.




Intolerable Cruelty is a better movie than the best of what 90 percent of dirrectors have put out, btw. I think Big through Fargo are on another plane of good, and Barton through arizona are still really really good. the last four are good, but not mind blowingly good. I am really happy they put out "No country" because it has seemed like to me that they peaked at Fargo, and were trending downward.


Me and Brave disagree alot about movies, but we both agree Hudsucker is the most underrated movie of all time. It's outstanding..

Anyone have any thoughts on Barton Fink? What was happening? What's the underlying story?

Burn After Reading

Thoughts?

I ain't done nothin' funny, Ray

My favs:

No Country For Old Men
Blood Simple
Fargo
Miller's Crossing
Big Lebowski
Raising Arizona
Barton Fink

O Brother...

Fargo

Big Lebowski

No Country

Miller's Crossing

Barton Fink

O' Brother

Hudsucker Proxy

The Man that Wasn't There

Blood Simple

Raising Arizona

Lady Killers

Intolerable Cruelty

The cast is one in a million....

Brad Pitt

George Clooney

Tilda Swinton

John Malkovich

Frances McDormand

The "Sledge Hammer" dude (David Rasche)





The R rated trailer ... here.... makes it look totally awesome.

'Bout it. I'll be there, erection in hand.

Miller's Crossing
Big Lebowski
No Country
Fargo
Barton Fink
Blood Simple
Oh Brother Where Art Thou
Raising Arizona
Hudsucker Proxy
The man that wasn't there
Intolerable Cruelty.

I never was a big fan of Hudsucker, and I never got around to seeing The Ladykillers.

I'll play:

1. Blood Simple
2. Fargo
3. Raising Arizona
4. Miller's Crossing
5. No Country
6. Barton Fink
7. Big Lebowski
8. The Man who Wasn't there
9. Oh Brother
10. Hudsucker
11. Intolerable Cruelty

Haven't seen Lady Killers

The Top Five are awesome Films. The next five were average. And Intolerable Cruelty was painful to watch. Clooney's two worst movies have been Coen efforts

I have never understood why they cast Jon Polito in so many of their movies - he always comes across as a cartoonish actor. Sort of a poor man's Danny DeVito

I obviously disagree with you on Hudsucker being so low, but to say that the Big Lebowski is just 'average' is ridiculous.

What do you think is an excellent comedy?

Well.

Just from the Coen list I'd say Raising Arizona and Fargo (I consider this to be dark comedy)

Also, in no particular order just off the top of my head...

Kung Fu Hustle
Blues Brothers
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Graduate
40 Year Old Virgin
King Pin
Princess Bride
Young Frankenstein
Spinal Tap
Lots of stuff from Woody Allen and more Mel Brooks
Monty Python stuff especially A Fish Called Wanda

Comedy? It's a fantastic movie, but it's definitely not a comedy. Kudos though for mentioning the Blues Brothers.

Ooh, I didn't know there was a trailer yet. I'll have to check that out when I get home.

It looks very funny.

The one's I laughed at I don't think are worth comparing to the Big Lebowski and Hudsucker.
I would argue that Hudsucker and the Big Lebowski aren't pure comedys. While they do go for laughs ,they also aspire to be much more. King pin aspires to do nothing but make you laugh. Spinal Tap is brilliant in a whole other way, it was an amazing, ground breaking comedy, it's hard to compare them.


It's hard for me to even express why "The Hudsucker proxy" is so smart, funny, beautiful and brilliant. It just doesn't seem the same genre, the same zip code of movie that the 40 year old virgin is.

I'm not even going to do a rundown like you did. I just can't believe that he thinks that "The Big Lewbowski" is comparable to an 85-99 IQ. I simply don't understand how anyone could think it was ... just average.

Geez. Don't take it so personally - I don't like a movie you happen to love.

Lebowski just didn't do it for me. Guys pissing on the floor has never been real high on my comedy scale.

Always nice to see Julianne Moore neekid though.

As far as Hudsucker... I'm not much of a Tim Robbins fan. Liked him in "The Player" and seeing him get the crap beat out of him (even if just in a fantasy sequence) in "High Fidelity" was a high moment of cinema for me. I liked the "feel" of Hudsucker, reminded me a little of the movie "Brazil" for some reason.

I don't like Tim Burton movies either. They seem to be trying to be partly social commentary, part fantasy, and part off beat dark comedy, and just miss on each measure for me - that was how Hudsucker left me feeling.

...but hey lots of people seem to love Lebowski, not trying to talk you out of it, I just didn't dig the flick.

.

but a guy having a bull semen milk mustache does? That's about the stupidest dismissal of the Big Lebowski I've ever seen, as if the movie was a bunch of dik jokes and toilet humor.

Crimes And Misdemeanors, Play It Again Sam, and Hannah And Her Sisters are all great comedies as well, imo.

Whatever dude. I didn't like the movie.

What do you think about the Eagles? How about the The Divinci Code?

I like The Eagles. Can listen to much of their stuff. Especially lately as I've been playing a bunch of Alt Country due to the influence of my playing Partner. I can appreciate their influence on Billy Bragg, Uncle Tupelo (and of course Wilco and Sun Volt), The Jay Hawks, and others.

Have neither read nor seen "The DaVinci Code"

...I can appreciate Pop Mainstream culture and at the same time enjoy more "fringe" art, literature, music, etc. Sometimes I am a little stuck in time in the era in which I developed my tastes, and am certainly a child of AOR Radio and Prime Tie TV from the 70s, but haven't stopped finding new stuff that I enjoy - stuff that comes from a variety of sources, not just the asile and checkout end caps at Target.

I wasn't really trying to judge your art cred, I was just seeing if you passed or failed my litmus test. People who like the eagles and the diVinci code and dislike the big lebowski usually are poorly correlated in me liking them. The test is incomplete since you haven't read the Di Vinci code.

I like Big Lebowski and the Da Vinci Code.....although Angels and Demons was a much much better book. Da Vinci code had an interesting plot but the writing is awful. Really Dan Brown is just a bad writer but he is fantastic at finding/researching interesting material. He makes a good airplane book.

I dont like the Eagles much....though I would not yell at my cab driver if he put them on.


as for the Coen Brothers....I am a sucker for greek mythology so I love O Brother Where Art Thou? the most. Fargo was....different. I think I liked it but.....those minnesota accents. I dont know they just bother me. Obviously, that is my issue not theirs. I like No Country for Old Men more as time passes. At the time I was angered by the ending but I think I appreciate more now what they were trying to do there.

I enjoyed Hudsucker Proxy....Ladykillers I cannot grade fairly as I rented it off OnDemand and was so tired that I fell asleep 30 minutes in. Perhaps that means i didnt enjoy it though. Have not seen the others.....

I just watched The Hudsucker Proxy again last night - it was way better than I remembered it. Also I have a crush on Jennifer Jason Leigh (when she was like 20), but overall just a really really funny movie. The scene where the kid hula hoops for the first time ever is among the funniest things I've ever seen in a movie.

So true. Maybe because Hudsucker was a comedy, it didn't receive the respect that Barton Fink did at Cannes. I dunno. I think they both are excellent, and honestly I need to see Fink again, as it's been too long since I've seen it. the Coens are my favorite move making team that is still making movies right now and not far past their prime ( IE Scorsese and Spielberg.)

My favorite part is when the manager is giving Tim Robbins is "orientation" and the scene immediately after that.

"A576492184, THAT IS YOUR EMPLOYEE NUMBER. IT WILL NOT BE REPEATED. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR EMPLOYEE NUMBER TO RECEIVE YOUR PAYCHECK!!!"



The then just after with "Old Man Blue" from Old School.

"What do we do if the mail doesn't fit in the mailbox?"

"I usually just throw it out. If you fold it, they'll fire 'ya."




That is so amazingly funny I can't even stop laughing as I type it out. BTW, Hudsucker is in my DVD player right now. I watched it Sunday night.

So I just watched The Big Lebowski for the 20th or so time, and it was better than ever!

The Dude: It's like what Lenin said... you look for the person who will benefit, and, uh, uh...
Donny: I am the walrus.
The Dude: You know what I'm trying to say...
Donny: I am the walrus.
Walter Sobchak: That ****ing bitch...
The Dude: Oh yeah!
Donny: I am the walrus.
Walter Sobchak: Shut the **** up, Donny! V.I. Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov!
Donny: What the **** is he talking about, Dude?

I love that part.

Am I the only one who really, really likes Intolerable Cruelty? I think Clooney is hilarious in that movie. I mean, granted, being at the bottom of the Coen Brother's list is certainly doesn't mean it's a bad movie, I just want it to be clear that Intolerable Cruelty is great.

I liked it, but didn't think it was anything special. Granted, I have only seen it once, and I can't think of one Coen movie that I haven't liked more on repeated viewings.

Also, I never made a list:

1. Fargo
2. The Big Lebowski
3. No Country For Old Men
4. The Hudsucker Proxy
5. Miller's Crossing
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
9. The Lady Killers
10. Intolerable Cruelty

Yet to see Blood Simple and The Man Who Wasn't There

The following interaction makes the entire movie, the rest could be a pile of crap and this would save it:


Miles Massey: All right, so much for the ice-breakers. What are you after, Freddy?
[takes a drink of water]
Freddy Bender: My client is prepared to settle for 50 percent of the marital assets.
[Miles spits out some water]
Miles Massey: Why only 50, Freddy? Why not a hundred? While we're dreaming, why not 150? Are you familiar with "Kershner"?
Freddy Bender: "Kershner" does not apply.
Miles Massey: Bring this to trial, we'll see if "Kershner" applies.
Rex: What's "Kershner"?
Miles Massey: Please, let me handle this.
Freddy Bender: "Kershner" was in Kentucky.
Miles Massey: "Kershner" was in Kentucky?
Freddy Bender: "Kershner" was in Kentucky.
Miles Massey: All right, Freddy, forget "Kershner". What's your bottom line?
Freddy Bender: Primary residence, 30 percent of remaining assets.
Miles Massey: What, are you nuts? Have you forgotten "Kershner"?

Bunny Lebowski: I'll suck your co.ck for a thousand dollars.
Brandt: Ah hahahahaha! Wonderful woman. We're all, we're all very fond of her. Very free-spirited.
Bunny Lebowski: Brandt can't watch, though, or he has to pay a hundred.
Brandt: Ah haha. That's marvelous.
The Dude: Uh, I'm just gonna go find a cash machine.

Another...

Jackie Treehorn: People forget that the brain is the biggest erogenous zone.
The Dude: On you maybe.


Another...

Walter Sobchak: You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.
The Dude: Yeah, but Walter...
Walter Sobchak: Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish. These fuc.king amateurs...

Another...

Walter Sobchak: I'm saying, I see what you're getting at, Dude, he kept the money. My point is, here we are, it's shabbas, the sabbath, which I'm allowed to break only if it's a matter of life or death...
The Dude: Will you come off it, Walter? You're not even fuc.king Jewish, man.
Walter Sobchak: What the f.uck are you talkin' about?
The Dude: Man, you're fu.cking Polish Catholic...
Walter Sobchak: What the fuc.k are you talking about? I converted when I married Cynthia! Come on, Dude!
The Dude: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Walter Sobchak: And you know this!
The Dude: Yeah, and five fuc.king years ago you were divorced.
Walter Sobchak: So what are you saying? When you get divorced you turn in your library card? You get a new license? You stop being Jewish?
The Dude: It's all a part of your sick Cynthia thing, man. Taking care of her fu.cking dog. Going to her fuc.king synagogue. You're living in the fu.cking past.
Walter Sobchak: Three thousand years of beautiful tradition, from Moses to Sandy Koufax...
[shouting]
Walter Sobchak: You're goddamn right I'm living in the fu.cking past!


Lebowski rules ..... period.

Does anyone have ANY thoughts on Barton Fink... many of you put it high on your list... but NO ONE has said anything about it.....





I love all the movies the Coens have made. The bolded part is correct.


Since seeing Miller's Crossing (the forest scene with John Turturro is absolutely amazing... stunning.... unbelievable)

1. No Country For Old Men
2. The Hudsucker Proxy
3. The Big Lebowski
4. Raising Arizona
4.5 Miller's Crossing
5. Fargo
6. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
7. Barton Fink
8. The Man Who Wasn't There
9. The Lady Killers
10. Intolerable Cruelty

Will be seeing opening day.

I have to get Fargo from Netflix, I just got into watching some of the Coens stuff.

Red Band Trailer


New all-ages trailer

find a copy of the movie flesh+blood.

Hmm, based on this I think I will watch it. That and the Ladykillers are the only ones I haven't seen.

I just thought it was really well made, funny, interesting, and curious. Is it all in Fink's head? Is John Goodman the devil?

I think it's just like a lot of their movies - it takes place in a slightly more entertaining place than reality. It's a satirical look at screenwriting, and since it's a Hollywood screenplay by great screenwriters about a man who is a great writer and goes to Hollywood to start writing screenplays, I just find it really funny and personal to the Coen brothers.




I think this is my favorite:

This order is incorrect.



How YOU doin', Cindy? Busy Friday?

(I would switch 4 & 6)

So, I read about the new Coen bros movie, A Serious Man, which looks to be Jew-tastic. From IMDB...

I would like to point out that I took this advice about 6 months ago, and DAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMNNNNNNNN!!!!!! That's all I will say.


DAMN!!!

Blood Simple is not getting anywhere near as much love as it deserves. I think it's one of the best directorial debuts of all time. It's a film noir, a solid drama and has the usual Coen borther plot hijinks and dialogue, mistaken identity, etc.

Excellent movie...Excellent performances by Frances McDormand and Dan Hedaya and M Emmett Walsh.

I've never seen it and Netflix has it in the 'saved' section with DVD release unknown.

I just saw Blood Simple for the first time.

It's good, but pretty low on my overall Coen list. I would put it just below The Ladykillers.

I don't really have any desire to see it again. The dialouge was excellent, as expected, but several things annoyed me. It was clearly a Coen Brothers movie, but it had an unedited feel to it for me. I think it's amazing how much better they just keep getting. The whole movie had the feel of a Lifetime TV movie version of No Country for Old Men.



It's still better than 80% of the movies put out every week.

Just Rewatched Big Lebowski for the first time in many years and have to admit it was better than I'd remembered.

I'm dropping Raising Arizona a few spots and moving Big Lebowski up between No Country and Miller's Crossing

Part of the reason I have such a fondness for Blood Simple is partly because of when it came out, there was just nothing like it. It really was the movie that introduced me to modern film noir and I believe made the world safe for Tarantino. I love it for many of the same reasons I prefer Reservoir Dogs.

Yeah, many people love the big lebowski, but I think it's underrated as a serious film. I think it's just about perfect. I can totally understand the blood simple thing, right place right time thing. I just don't think it compares to their more polished work that came later.