And it was their first film, too. I love that one. I’m a huge Coen Bros. fan. My favorite is Miller’s Crossing.
I’ve only seen it once, but I really want to see it again – A Serious Man. It was so surreal. And the last scene had a big impact on me. Hard to articulate why.
Another classic movie I re-watched recently is the 1940 Howard Hawks’ film, His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
What a delightful screwball comedy, with witty, lightning-paced dialogue! The average film dialogue rate is ~90 words/minute. His Girl Friday clocks in at a boggling 240 words/minute! Every word of dialogue is clear and well-enunciated. And, to Hawks’ credit, he encouraged his actors to ad-lib as much as possible.
I’m not a huge fan of modern mealy, mumble-mouth acting. Sure, it’s more real, but I want to hear and understand what’s being said on screen—screw hyper-realism.
In fact, you can have both realism and clear dialogue in a film. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (which I mentioned up-thread) is a prime example. You understand every vile word spewed forth in that film and it’s painfully realistic. A masterpiece of cinema.
Bring back well-written and well-acted screwball comedy, Hollywood! Start by re-animating a CGI Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
Speaking of which, just the other night we watched What’s Up Doc?, Peter Bogdanovich’s 1972 homage to the screwball comedy. (HBO). I don’t think I’ve seen it since it was first released but was prompted to do so by the recent demise of the auteur. It holds up really well–I think Barbra Streisand’s character is more annoying than quirky/charming, but some of the gags are still laugh-out-loud funny.
Oddly, coincidentally, 3 of the actors in supporting roles are also in Young Frankenstein.
Watched the updated DUNE on HBO
Loved the original. Was not expecting much from this one.
I was wrong. It was much better, MUCH better. Except for the fact that the original didn’t leave me hanging with them walking into the desert with credits rolling. They managed to make it longer AND telling only half the story and I cannot watch them back to back. Arrrggghhhh!!!
But anyway, thumbs up!
I’m completely with you on these Coen Bros films (other than the couple I haven’t seen yet - Lebowski and Ladykillers). Didn’t much like Blood Simple, or A Serious Man, or O Brother, either. And like you, I quite liked No Country for Old Men.
They are kind of the “Neil Gaiman” of movie directors for me. He is a popular author, but I find his books mostly mediocre. Love Neil Gaiman as a person, though. Good Omens is great and his friendship with the great Terry Pratchett was amazing.
My own Coen Bros. favorites list, from the top, would be The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, Fargo, A Serious Man, Raising Arizona and Inside Llewyn Davis. I hated, to varying degrees, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Hail, Caesar! and Barton Fink. The rest I either haven’t seen or don’t particularly care for.
You’ll definitely want to read the hilarious autobio Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother. The director got his first break in Hollywood as the Coen Brothers’ cinematographer, and he has some great stories about filming Blood Simple.
I love What’s Up, Doc! Very, very funny - one of my all-time favorite comedies. And at least four of the cast were also in Paper Moon, another favorite Bogdanovich movie for me.
You may wish to take a look here: Dune (Film) Post-release thread (open spoilers from film)
Thanks! Just ordered it.
Oh, I forgot, I loved The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - the only Coen bros movie I can say that about.
I liked but didn’t love it, I’d say.
carrps, you’re in for a treat!
The Outlaw Josey Wales on TCM
I saw the original Theater release in 1976. Brought my grandmother. 
Neither of us expected the rampant profanity and brief nudity. 
Poor grandmother saw more skin in various HBO movies.
I saw Josey again on HBO in the 1980’s.
It was fun watching it again after 35 years. Clints use of chewing tobacco is still very funny. Especially when he nails the cur dog.
It’s best seen at a theater. The big screen and audio makes a huge difference. The action scenes (like the murder of the men surrendering) punches the viewer in the gut.
It’s a little less impressive on a 42 inch tv. I’m using the built-in speaker. No sound bar.
Overall The Outlaw Josey Wales is a must see movie. It has the perfect mix of humor and action.
My latest five:
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Often funny, sometimes cringeworthy romcom. I think they used just about every Greek and/or immigrant joke ever written.
The Courier
Benedict Cumberpatch is terrific in this based-on-a-true-story Cold War drama about a British businessman drawn into high-stakes espionage leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Merab Ninidze, a Georgian actor, is also quite good as his Soviet contact. Highly recommended.
The French Dispatch
Wes Anderson comedy about a New Yorker-esque magazine in Sixties and Seventies France. Underwhelming, all in all, although it has its moments.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I rewatched the 2011 David Fincher version and was struck again by its icy precision, Nordic style and relentless drive. A great cast and a great story filled with memorable moments. It’s become one of my all-time favorite murder mysteries.
Hart’s War
It got so-so reviews when it came out in 2002, but I enjoyed this WWII courtroom drama set in a German POW camp. There are some great twists and turns, and Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell actually turn in subtle, controlled performances.
The Jesus Music - streams on Hulu
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
This is a great movie, though I rather doubt its appeal would be too wide to those that do not remember at least some length of the times covered in the movie. I’ve never heard of Kirk Franklin and that section was only OK for me. The rest was pretty great.
Wow, that middle section on the late 80’s and 90’s created a major nostalgia wave in me. It was kind of incredible to hear these famous artists and bands talk openly about the music that was always on in my youth group room at church. I’m sure most of this content has been covered and reported on elsewhere, but I had never even heard what the heck happened to DC Talk.
It filled in the gaps for me too. I was a kid during all this, but I think this movie helped me understand what was going on in the background.
The Erwin brothers are middling to average directors. They should stick to documentaries, to be honest. This was excellent.
**My school growing up taught about witchcraft and women divorcing men was indeed mentioned. We were also taught that being tardy/late was a minor form of witchcraft. This was in 1995 or so, not 1695←-lol.
Heh, like I need another book. But, truly, thank you.
I just watched Justine Bateman’s Violet this morning. At first I thought it was going to be overly artsy-fartsy, and I hated the opening credits. But I became totally involved with the character and her progress. I loved the closing credits. I think it’d could have been a tiny bit tighter, but I don’t know what I’d cut. I identified with too much of the bits.
I used to enjoy a decent slasher movie but for decades Michael, Jason, Freddie (or whoever) have been portrayed as invincible. Within a single film (let along the franchise) you can stab, shoot, run over with a car AND burn them and they keep on going. Which bores me.
I just watched Australian slasher The Furies (2019) on UK TV and I liked it. A half dozen abducted young female ‘Beauties’ are released into the remote outback initially unaware just as many masked men in boiler suits ‘Beasts’ pursue them with machetes and sickles.
The film will only appeal to slasher fans. The kills are gruesome (and practical effects not the dreaded CGI) and other than a jarring piece of pretty much sci-fi technology it’s more or less set in the real world. Beauties AND Beasts die after injury. There is also a fairly obvious but plausible explanation for all the events. Which is not Sci-fi or Supernatural.
Has plenty of bad points if you think even briefly (including casting obvious twenty somethings as teenagers and - worse - as a twelve year old even though the characters would all be fine as twenty somethings).
It’s not in any way great or innovative and won’t change any one’s mind about anything. But at a mere 80 minutes and concentrating almost entirely on just the slashing. I’m not going to apologise about this. Best, albeit totally disposable, film I’ve seen in a while.
TCMF-2L
The Time Machine 1960 with Rod Taylor.
I understand the point of the book and movie is the foolishness of war. Its a classic Cold War nuclear warning movie.
I get frustrated that the Time Traveler shows no interest in the time periods he visits. He stops in 1917 and talks with his Friends grown son and leaves? Doesn’t he have any interest in how his town has changed? He doesn’t even buy a newspaper to show his friends in 1900. Same thing in 1940. He shows no interest in war torn England. Doesn’t inquire about the conflict.
I didn’t like the Left turn into the cannibalistic future. It’s like I’m watching a different movie. Horror instead of Science Fiction. Rod Taylor’s rescue of Yvette Mimieux is thrilling. Definitely Doctor Who worthy.
There are some positives. The time machine is well designed and awesome. Rod Taylor plays a convincing character.The time travel genre had to start somewhere. The Time Machine serves that purpose.
I’d recommend it as a Cold War movie.
Time After Time 1979 TCM
Malcolm McDowall and Mary Steenburgen were excellent in this movie. Malcom’s take on HG Wells is what I expected. A brilliant man that adapts quickly to 1979. Steenburgen always creates unique and interesting characters. David Warner is very good as the crazed killer.
I highly recommend Time After Time. Exciting story that makes good use of time travel.
I loved The Time Machine as a child. But, the thought of those hideous Morlocks preying on my sweet Weena made my young blood boil with anger and a yearning for revenge. Eloi Weena was my first screen crush and I wanted desperately to avenge her by karate chopping those ugly beasts into submission.
The Morlocks gave me nightmares almost as severe as the hyper-realistic Zanti Misfits (warning: do not view if you have a weak stomach!):
I stepped on a lot of ants after seeing that Outer Limits episode!
The 1960 version of The Time Machine is also an attempt to keep much of the 1895 story by H. G. Wells (and the 1888 shorter version of that called The Chronic Argonauts) while adding a little about the period from 1895 to 1960. Wells thought that there would be a continuing split between richer people and poorer people that would eventually become so stark that the rich would spend all their time above the ground (and in happy ignorance) and the poor would spend all the time below the earth, doing most of the work. The story The Time Machine is an English socialist in 1895 displaying his fears about the English class system:
Wow…we had the same 1960-era nightmares! How did you feel about Darby O’Gill and the Little People? 