The old Ealing Comedy movie “The Ladykillers” starring Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, etc. is one of my favorite movies. Now, my current favorite movie team, the Coen Brothers, are doing a remake. I was in doubt about this, as they have never (to my knowledge) remade someone else’s work. In addition, they’re featuring a major star: Tom Hanks.
Well, I just saw the trailer here at work and was trying not to wet my pants laughing. I’m going to go on record and say we have a winner here. Check it out:
Oh my - well at least they’ve totally changed the setting.
I know that making a new version doesn’t stop you watching the old one - but the original of this is a priceless gem which I cannot imagine even the Coen Brothers improving - but I’m willing to check, just in case they did
I am looking forward to this; it’s a great story and the kind of black comedy that should be right up the Coen’s alley. I wouldn’t be surprised if they manage to equal the original or even improve on it.
Hmm… questionable. Can you spell “stereotype”?
Still, I’m more than likely going to see it, once it comes out, since it’s a Coen brothers movie and all. And to be fair, stereotypes have always been a big part of Coen movies.
My biggest beef, however: Marlon Wayans? The Coen brothers can probably get any actor in Hollywood to work for them at half their normal rate, and they pick Marlon Wayans? That’s just sad.
Hud was about a cowboy named Hud; Hudsucker Proxy was about the Hudsucker company. Both featured Paul Newman, but if there’s another similarity I’m missing it.
The Big Chill was about a reunion of former college radicals at a friend’s funeral; The Big Lebowski wasn’t about that at all.
The Odyssey and O Brother were similar only in that each contained a journey. I notice on IMDb that “Homer” is listed as a cowriter of O Brother, though.
I don’t see how any of these are “along the same lines.” Could you elaborate?
The story for Intolerable Cruelty (2003), which the brothers directed, was written by outside sources - Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, and John Romano. Ramsey and Stone collaborated with the brothers on the screenplay.
O Brother is supposed to be based on The Odyssey, but they both Coen brothers admit they never read it. O Brother is based on The Odyssey just like Fargo is based on a “true story.” It’s a joke.
It’s tough to judge the movie just from the trailer, but the phrase “pale imitation” leaps to mind, I’m afraid. On top of that, Tom Hanks’ bad accent might be enough to kill the flick for me.
The thing is, if one had never seen nor heard of the original Ladykillers, the plot to the movie is classic Coen Bros.: a carefully planned criminal undertaking falls apart, and murder is but one of the results. I don’t think one ought to compare this to the original, but just view it as the next CB movie.
And yes, it’s going to have stereotypes. All their movies have stereotypical Americans from various regions - Italian-American mobsters, dumb southern crackers, California surfer hippie dudes, crazed Vietnam vets, bland Minnesotan scandahoovians, you name it. I don’t think it could be a CB movie without stereotypes.
Myself, I’m looking forward to Tom Hanks’s performance - I want to see how he plays the carefully controlled gentleman who, at bottom, is not wrapped too tight at all.
I thought it looked pretty good. Also, anyone here who saw Requiem for a Dream knows that Marlon Wayons has more substance than he appears. Tom Hank’s accent bothered me too, though.
