# Recommend me more films by & similar to the Coen brothers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485 "2005-07-07T17:53:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/1 "2005-07-07T17:53:22Z")
I saw Fargo last weekend, and I thought it was truly inspired, particularly Frances McDormand’s acting as Marge Gunderson. I saw Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? this week and while I utterly despise John Goodman loved it. The scene with the KKK made me shudder and my SO flinch. I didn’t much like the Big Liebowski. (Blasphemy, I know!) This was mostly because John Goodman is a jackass. But I loved Raising Arizona. I looked on imdb to see their films, but out of the above three I’ve already disliked one so I don’t want to start picking at random. What movies of theirs are good? What does everyone recommend? Also, are there other movies out there of this caliber? Recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/2 "2005-07-07T18:03:17Z")
My favorite Coen Brothers film is [Barton Fink](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101410/). However, John Goodman has a really big role in that, so you may not like it. You might want to try [Blood Simple](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086979/), then. It also stars Frances McDormand, so you’ll probably like it. I’d advise you to stay away from [The Hudsucker Proxy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110074/). It’s got Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh, both of whom I adore, and one of the most quotable lines in all of the Coen films (“You know. For kids!”) but I _really_ didn’t like it. It’s in the style of a Frank Capra film, and it gets old quick. Plus, Jennifer Jason Leigh puts on the most obnoxious Katharine Hepburn accent ever. It’s my least favorite Coen Brothers film, and I’ve seen all of them. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/3 "2005-07-07T18:13:48Z")
I’ll second “Blood Simple” and I enjoyed “Hudsucker” but wouldn’t rank it among their best. A tip, when watching Coen brothers films, especially the earlier ones - see if you can spot Bruce Campbell. He’s in most of them (even Blood Simple, though you’ll never spot him…) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/4 "2005-07-07T18:18:06Z")
I’d say **Miller’s Crossing** is in the CB Top 3. I’d go with _Blood Simple_ after that. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/5 "2005-07-07T18:50:19Z")
I hope that this isn’t too much of a hijack, but what is the issue with John Goodman? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/6 "2005-07-07T18:53:10Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > I hope that this isn’t too much of a hijack, but what is the issue with John Goodman? Me? He just strikes me as a _deep breath_ arrogant, no-good, sonofabitch, stuck-up, bad actor, assholish, idiotic person. Or in other words, a candidate for “Celebrities you hold unreasoning hate for”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/7 "2005-07-07T19:13:52Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I saw Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? this week and while I utterly despise John Goodman loved it. The scene with the KKK made me shudder and my SO flinch. > > I didn’t much like the Big Liebowski. (Blasphemy, I know!) This was mostly because John Goodman is a jackass. But I loved Raising Arizona. You have therefore seen the two best Coen movies, and recognized the most overrated. I enjoyed _Hudsucker Proxy_ quite a bit, although I don’t think it stands up to repeated viewing as well as _O Brother_ and _Raising Arizona_. I may be the only person who will respond to this thread who actually _liked_ Jennifer Jason Leigh’s affected delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/8 "2005-07-07T19:35:52Z")
Stay away from _Intolerable Cruelty_. I would highly recommend _Raising Arizona_, but there is that John Goodman thing you got going on so maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/9 "2005-07-07T19:38:26Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > I may be the only person who will respond to this thread who actually _liked_ Jennifer Jason Leigh’s affected delivery. Nope. _Miller’s Crossing_ and _Barton Fink_ are the two Coen brothers movies you most need to see next. They’re “serious” Coen, like _Fargo_, not “wacky hijinx” Coen like _O Brother_ and _Raising Arizona_. Wonderful films, both. Gabriel Byrne in MC rocks my world, hard. _Blood Simple_ is good, but I’ve never been able to fully get into it. Probably just need to watch it more. All the Coen brother movies benefit immeasurably from repeated viewing. (Especially _The Big Lebowski_, btw. I firmly believe that anyone who says they don’t like it simply hasn’t seen it enough.) If you get the DVD, be sure to check out the commentary track. Hilarious. _Intolerable Cruelty_, _Hudsucker Proxy_, and _The Ladykillers_ are all inferior works. IC is probably the worst of the lot, but even it has its moments. HP exemplifies the most common criticism of Joel and Ethan, which is that their movies are all flash and no substance. I don’t buy that in general, but it very much applies to this movie. Still, it’s got gobs and gobs of style, and is enjoyable on that level alone. _Ladykillers_ is a remake, and like most remakes, you’re better off just seeing the original. Although Tom Hanks is a hoot in this one. Lastly, can you expand on why you view John Goodman so negatively? I can understand not liking _The Big Lebowski_, but not liking John Goodman is like not liking puppies and sunshine. It makes no sense, and I get dizzy if I try to think about it too much. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/10 "2005-07-07T19:39:41Z")
I would say “Shallow Grave” is Coen-like (rays of light like in “Blood Simple” I believe) but it may be too derivative, and it’s not quite as quirky as the Coens. But it does have a similar vibe. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/11 "2005-07-07T19:46:04Z")
Apparently there is a scene in “Cool Hand Luke” where the warden keeps listing the bad behavior that make “you go to the box”. I finally realized that “The Hudsucker Proxy” uses the same set-up when the boss is listing all the things that will result in “you get docked”. I guess Paul Newman is the missing link. I was working a job at the time I saw HP where there were all kinds of things that could get you docked, so I identified with that, but never made the connection to Cool Hand Luke. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/12 "2005-07-07T19:56:49Z")
I seemed to be in a minority: The Hudsucker Proxy is the film by them I liked the best. Barton Fink was awful. Raising Arizona was funny in a dumb hick way. My wife loves Fargo, I liked it once but would watch it a second time. I really recommend The Hudsucker Proxy as an all time great movie. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/13 "2005-07-07T19:59:30Z")
_Miller’s Crossing_ is my favorite film, period. The cream of the crop of the other Coen brothers films, in my opinion, are _O Brother, Raising Arizona, and Fargo_. I also feel _Lebowski_ is overrated. It has a lot of great bits, but they don’t add up to much. I have somehow never managed to see _Blood Simple_, though I keep meaning to. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/14 "2005-07-07T20:01:05Z")
Always really liked the Hudsucker proxy. Raising Arizona is always a great movie and I’ve got a soft spot for “The Man who wasn’t there” ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/15 "2005-07-07T20:03:13Z")
> [@Ganster Octopus](#): > > Stay away from Intolerable Cruelty. I would highly recommend Raising Arizona, but there is that John Goodman thing you got going on so maybe not. What is a Gangster Octopus anyway? I guess he could hold a lot of guns, at least. I liked Raising Arizona, actually…not astounding but a cute funny film with a lot of character. > [@Miller](#): > > Lastly, can you expand on why you view John Goodman so negatively? I can understand not liking _The Big Lebowski_, but not liking John Goodman is like not liking puppies and sunshine. It makes no sense, and I get dizzy if I try to think about it too much. I thought you and I were quits since I didn’t like Leibowski? 🙂 John Goodman does not remotely resemble puppies & sunshine! I think he’s a no-account hack, personally, and I think the Big L would have been 100x better without him in it. It might have even been funny then. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/16 "2005-07-07T20:05:52Z")
> [@SisterCoyote](#): > > A tip, when watching Coen brothers films, especially the earlier ones - see if you can spot Bruce Campbell. He’s in most of them (even Blood Simple, though you’ll never spot him…) Really? Is he in _Raising Arizona_, or _Fargo_? (Films which I’ve seen several times, but can’t remember any Bruce Campbell in.) Could you point him out? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/17 "2005-07-07T20:17:57Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > What is a Gangster Octopus anyway? I guess he could hold a lot of guns, at least. It’s a fairly obscure reference from The Simpsons. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/18 "2005-07-07T20:24:37Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I thought you and I were quits since I didn’t like Leibowski? 🙂 John Goodman does not remotely resemble puppies & sunshine! I think he’s a no-account hack, personally, and I think the Big L would have been 100x better without him in it. It might have even been funny then. Heh. Yeah, I gathered that much. I just meant, based on what specific performances do you think so poorly of him? He’s done a lot of bad movies, but I think that he’s always been somewhat limited in what’s available to him because of what he looks like. When given a good role, such as in _Barton Fink_ or _O Brother_ (or especially _Lebowski_) he’s one of the best character actors working today. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/19 "2005-07-07T20:36:22Z")
I enjoy most of the Coen ouevre, except Raising Arizona, which sets my teeth on edge. Still want to see Crimewave, if it ever makes it to DVD… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485/20 "2005-07-07T20:43:38Z")
I loved The Hudsucker Proxy but I think you have to be familar with the kind of films of the 30’s and 40’s that it pays homage to in order to enjoy it. Barton Fink and Miller’s Crossing are great. I think films that not by the Coens that are like the Coens may be the films of Terry Gilliam. The ‘laugh parts’ are played with a completly straight face. So check out Brazil, Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Von Muchausen and The Life of Brian. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-more-films-by-similar-to-the-coen-brothers/311485.md?page=2)