list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around No Country for Old Men on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/No_Country_for_Old_Men/280434/default.aspx Title: No Country for Old Men
Year: 2007
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Plot: When a Vietnam veteran discovers $2 million while wandering through the aftermath of a Texas drug deal gone horribly awry, his decision to abscond with the cash sets off a violent chain reaction in a stripped-down crime drama from Joel and Ethan Coen. Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) has just stumbled into the find of a lifetime. Upon discovering a bullet-strewn pick-up truck surrounded by the corpses of dead bodyguards, Moss uncovers $2 million in cash and a substantial load of heroin stashed in the back of the vehicle. Later, as an enigmatic killer who determines the fate of his victims with the flip of a coin sets out in pursuit of Moss, the disillusioned Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) struggles to contain the rapidly escalating violence that seems to be consuming his once-peaceful Lone Star State town. Woody Harrelson, Javier Bardem, and Kelly McDonald co-star in a distinctly American crime story that explores timeless Biblical themes in a contemporary southwestern setting. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 63
Number of Lists: 75
Number of blog posts: 75
Number of discussion threads: 33
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:29:43 GMTNo Country for Old Men2007Ethan Coen, Joel CoenWhen a Vietnam veteran discovers $2 million while wandering through the aftermath of a Texas drug deal gone horribly awry, his decision to abscond with the cash sets off a violent chain reaction in a stripped-down crime drama from Joel and <a href="/players/P____85372/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ethan Coen</a>. Llewelyn Moss (<a href="/players/P_____8657/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Josh Brolin</a>) has just stumbled into the find of a lifetime. Upon discovering a bullet-strewn pick-up truck surrounded by the corpses of dead bodyguards, Moss uncovers $2 million in cash and a substantial load of heroin stashed in the back of the vehicle. Later, as an enigmatic killer who determines the fate of his victims with the flip of a coin sets out in pursuit of Moss, the disillusioned Sheriff Bell (<a href="/players/P____36238/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tommy Lee Jones</a>) struggles to contain the rapidly escalating violence that seems to be consuming his once-peaceful Lone Star State town. Woody Harrelson, <a href="/players/P_____3887/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Javier Bardem</a>, and Kelly McDonald co-star in a distinctly American crime story that explores timeless Biblical themes in a contemporary southwestern setting. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide63Tag Target (>10)7575334http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s280434.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/No_Country_for_Old_Men/280434/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_July_6_The_Song/625/43024/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/13/2009 11:29:43 AM
Body: [quote user="Smooth_J"] I was planning on mentioning the complete lack of music in No Country because it's a bad habit I have.[/quote] Actually I think there was a little bit of diegetic music in No Country for Old Men. It's coming out of a radio in a car in one scene I believe. It's all the more striking though for the lack of music anywhere else.
]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:29:43 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme7/13/2009 11:29:43 AM[quote user="Smooth_J"] I was planning on mentioning the complete lack of music in No Country because it's a bad habit I have.[/quote] Actually I think there was a little bit of diegetic music in No Country for Old Men. It's coming out of a radio in a car in one scene I believe. It's all the more striking though for the lack of music anywhere else. http://www.spout.com/blogs/kevynknox/archive/2009/7/11/42999.aspx Post By: KevynKnox
Post To: KevynKnox Blog
Post Date: 7/11/2009 2:41:31 AM
Body: (this review was first published at www.thecinematheque.com on 2/13/08) Leave it to the Coens, denizens of the mundanely macabre, to create a villian so heinous, yet so methodically efficient (yes, even hired assassins have a work ethic) that you actually find yourself both titillated and repulsed by the mere fact that you are rooting for him to track down and kill his intended quarry. Okay, maybe that was just me. Sure, he likes to use a high-powered air gun to put holes through people's heads and at his flippantly morosest, flips a coin to decide the fate of someone unlucky enough to look his way, and yes, he does seem to get quite the bug-eyed satisfaction over strangling a cop with the very handcuffs he has been shackled in, but Javier Bardem plays hired gun Anton Chigurh with such a straight-faced cruelty, such a blasé yet secretively gleeful matter-of-fact workmanship, as if channeling the ghost of Robert Mitchum from whatever netherworld he may currently be residing in (all that's missing are love and hate tattooed on each set of knuckles), that one cannot help but get their own perverse sense of propitiation out of watching him go about his deliberate, disciplined dispatchment of death. Too substantially evil to be considered an anti-hero though - and Josh Brolin's somewhat inept opportunist already fits that bill anyway - Bardem's Chigurh is more aptly fitted with the title of death. Not the bringer of death, just simply death - with a capital D. But enough about death (for now) for this is more than just a one trick pony show. After a spate of very un-Coen (and unsuccessful) misfires - the faux elegant Ladykillers, the visually stunning yet ultimately (and shamefully) forgettable The Man Who Wasn't There and the completely unnecessary Intolerable Cruelty - the brothers are back in form (and very top form at that) with their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, which plays out as both the brashest of westerns and the grandest of operas while at the very same moment acting as the most personal and individualistic thesis on man's struggle with not only his fellow man, but nature itself. Never bogged down with the pratfalls that have turned many a past Coen Bros. film into almost a parody of themselves, No Country for Old Men is the closest the Brothers Coen have ever come to creating what in essence is a near-masterpiece. An epic homage to the likes of Anthony Mann, John Huston, Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah, all rolled into one grand opus of (and here's that word again) death, No Country for Old Men is one of several 2007 American movies - along with Anderson's There Will be Blood, Haynes' I'm Not There, Fincher's Zodiac, Burton's Sweeney Todd and even to a point, Tarantino's Death Proof half of Grindhouse - to be hailed as an auteurist onslaught, replete with the most sincere genuflection of filmic history. In short, a new American cinema. New cinema as it is though, blood opera as it is, 21st century nihilistic as it is No Country for Old Men is still the most classic work in this new age of auteurs that 2007 has set forth with such a giddy thunderbolt of abruptness. No Country for Old Men is a film that, take away the more obvious violence, could have easily been made by someone such as Orson Welles or Anthony Mann back in the 1950's. Full of noirish charm and a deep sense of foreboding - and the tensest of motel room scenes since Marion Crane stepped into that shower lo those many years ago - the Coens wrap their film in the blackest of night while simultaneously opening it up - figuratively and literally - to the most effulgent of themes - fate. The fate of those Mexican drug runners lying dead and decomposing in the desert of Texas. The fate of Brolin's Llewelyn stealing the abandoned drug money and taking it on the run. The fate doled out by Chigurh and his coin-tossing consequence. The fate of Llewelyn's wife (played with the sturdiest stand-by-your-man aplomb by Kelly Macdonald) as she is confronted by Chigurh and his coin of death in what is the most emotionall mind-numbing scene in the entire film. The fate of Tommy Lee Jones' Sheriff Ed Bell as he trails both Llewelyn and Chigurh only to find his own fate elsewhere. Fate is what brings these characters together and fate is what kills some of them and leaves others to live another day. Then again, as fateful as it may be, as black as it may be, No Country for Old Men is also a treatise on the corruptive deadly sin of greed right out of the ether of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The greed of those decaying Mexican drug runners. The greed of Llewelyn and his two million dollar desert theft. The greed of those who hired Chigurh to get their money back. The greed (or should we say lust?) of Chigurh as he doles out death throughout - his money is the souls he steals. Death. Fate. Greed. Again, this film, like those other works of the past year, is a veritable history book of cinema, and at the same time, an elegantly dooming dissertation on humanity. The best and most Judgment Day-ish film of the Coens 23 year career. No Country for Old Men is indeed, like their character of Chigurh, the Coens' at their very best, doing their very worst.
]]>Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:41:31 GMTKevynKnoxKevynKnox Blog7/11/2009 2:41:31 AM(this review was first published at www.thecinematheque.com on 2/13/08) Leave it to the Coens, denizens of the mundanely macabre, to create a villian so heinous, yet so methodically efficient (yes, even hired assassins have a work ethic) that you actually find yourself both titillated and repulsed by the mere fact that you are rooting for him to track down and kill his intended quarry. Okay, maybe that was just me. Sure, he likes to use a high-powered air gun to put holes through people's heads and at his flippantly morosest, flips a coin to decide the fate of someone unlucky enough to look his way, and yes, he does seem to get quite the bug-eyed satisfaction over strangling a cop with the very handcuffs he has been shackled in, but Javier Bardem plays hired gun Anton Chigurh with such a straight-faced cruelty, such a blas&eacute; yet secretively gleeful matter-of-fact workmanship, as if channeling the ghost of Robert Mitchum from whatever netherworld he may currently be residing in (all that's missing are love and hate tattooed on each set of knuckles), that one cannot help but get their own perverse sense of propitiation out of watching him go about his deliberate, disciplined dispatchment of death. Too substantially evil to be considered an anti-hero though - and Josh Brolin's somewhat inept opportunist already fits that bill anyway - Bardem's Chigurh is more aptly fitted with the title of death. Not the bringer of death, just simply death - with a capital D. But enough about death (for now) for this is more than just a one trick pony show. After a spate of very un-Coen (and unsuccessful) misfires - the faux elegant Ladykillers, the visually stunning yet ultimately (and shamefully) forgettable The Man Who Wasn't There and the completely unnecessary Intolerable Cruelty - the brothers are back in form (and very top form at that) with their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, which plays out as both the brashest of westerns and the grandest of operas while at the very same moment acting as the most personal and individualistic thesis on man's struggle with not only his fellow man, but nature itself. Never bogged down with the pratfalls that have turned many a past Coen Bros. film into almost a parody of themselves, No Country for Old Men is the closest the Brothers Coen have ever come to creating what in essence is a near-masterpiece. An epic homage to the likes of Anthony Mann, John Huston, Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah, all rolled into one grand opus of (and here's that word again) death, No Country for Old Men is one of several 2007 American movies - along with Anderson's There Will be Blood, Haynes' I'm Not There, Fincher's Zodiac, Burton's Sweeney Todd and even to a point, Tarantino's Death Proof half of Grindhouse - to be hailed as an auteurist onslaught, replete with the most sincere genuflection of filmic history. In short, a new American cinema. New cinema as it is though, blood opera as it is, 21st century nihilistic as it is No Country for Old Men is still the most classic work in this new age of auteurs that 2007 has set forth with such a giddy thunderbolt of abruptness. No Country for Old Men is a film that, take away the more obvious violence, could have easily been made by someone such as Orson Welles or Anthony Mann back in the 1950's. Full of noirish charm and a deep sense of foreboding - and the tensest of motel room scenes since Marion Crane stepped into that shower lo those many years ago - the Coens wrap their film in the blackest of night while simultaneously opening it up - figuratively and literally - to the most effulgent of themes - fate. The fate of those Mexican drug runners lying dead and decomposing in the desert of Texas. The fate of Brolin's Llewelyn stealing the abandoned drug money and taking it on the run. The fate doled out by Chigurh and his coin-tossing consequence. The fate of Llewelyn's wife (played with the sturdiest stand-by-your-man aplomb by Kelly Macdonald) as she is confronted by Chigurh and his coin of death in what is the most emotionall mind-numbing scene in the entire film. The fate of Tommy Lee Jones' Sheriff Ed Bell as he trails both Llewelyn and Chigurh only to find his own fate elsewhere. Fate is what brings these characters together and fate is what kills some of them and leaves others to live another day. Then again, as fateful as it may be, as black as it may be, No Country for Old Men is also a treatise on the corruptive deadly sin of greed right out of the ether of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The greed of those decaying Mexican drug runners. The greed of Llewelyn and his two million dollar desert theft. The greed of those who hired Chigurh to get their money back. The greed (or should we say lust?) of Chigurh as he doles out death throughout - his money is the souls he steals. Death. Fate. Greed. Again, this film, like those other works of the past year, is a veritable history book of cinema, and at the same time, an elegantly dooming dissertation on humanity. The best and most Judgment Day-ish film of the Coens 23 year career. No Country for Old Men is indeed, like their character of Chigurh, the Coens' at their very best, doing their very worst. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_May_18_Headin_Down_South/625/42332/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 5/19/2009 3:23:53 PM
Body: A few more US Natives making stints across the border: No Country for Old Men In Cold Blood From Dusk Till Dawn Pure Luck And also, check out the very beginning of the pilot episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. He walks into Mexico where he has no juristiction to beat the crap out of some robbers at a bar, tie them up, and bring them back to Texas.
]]>Tue, 19 May 2009 19:23:53 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme5/19/2009 3:23:53 PMA few more US Natives making stints across the border: No Country for Old Men In Cold Blood From Dusk Till Dawn Pure Luck And also, check out the very beginning of the pilot episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. He walks into Mexico where he has no juristiction to beat the crap out of some robbers at a bar, tie them up, and bring them back to Texas. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_March_23_Hotels_Motels_Inns/625/41407/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 4/2/2009 12:50:14 PM
Body: I'm not remembering some sleezy hotels with psychotic criminals One scene in From Dusk Till Dawn and another one in No Country for Old Men. It makes me kind of afraid to stay in one again. Oh and Leonard in Memento has been living in (and apparently renting several) hotel rooms for a while. Has anyone seen Tape? I'm not sure why I haven't seen it yet since Linklater's talky kind of dramas usually appeal to me quite a lot. But I see this one takes place in a hotel room, a Michigan hotel room nonetheless. Isn't there some movie where three famous people share a hotel room? I think one of them is a baseball legend, and one of them was Elvis or Einstein or something. Does anyone have a clue about what I'm talking about???
]]>Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:50:14 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme4/2/2009 12:50:14 PMI'm not remembering some sleezy hotels with psychotic criminals One scene in From Dusk Till Dawn and another one in No Country for Old Men. It makes me kind of afraid to stay in one again. Oh and Leonard in Memento has been living in (and apparently renting several) hotel rooms for a while. Has anyone seen Tape? I'm not sure why I haven't seen it yet since Linklater's talky kind of dramas usually appeal to me quite a lot. But I see this one takes place in a hotel room, a Michigan hotel room nonetheless. Isn't there some movie where three famous people share a hotel room? I think one of them is a baseball legend, and one of them was Elvis or Einstein or something. Does anyone have a clue about what I'm talking about??? http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40720.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:02:11 PM
Body: If Tyler Perry gets an Oscar nomination for his acting in Madea Goes to Jail, can a washed-up actress scold him for taking away female roles? Actually, could it just be Cuba Gooding Jr. in drag, a la Boat Trip? Seriously, though, Madea won’t be up for any Academy Awards next year, but damn is Perry’s character popular. Enough that the sassy matriarch has now evolved from a supporting character into the star of her own vehicle (which gave the filmmaker his biggest opening yet this past weekend). Yes, it’s true that Madea is a central figure in most of Perry’s films and has previously been the main protagonist in his plays (including the one Madea Goes to Jail is based on), but in the movie world she was introduced as a secondary role in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. So, now she belongs in that small club of supporting characters who’ve earned their own film(s); other members of which include Jay and Silent Bob, Bruce and Lloyd, Cousin Eddie, Marshal Samuel Gerard, the Scorpion King and Wolverine. And Madea is one of the very few female characters to belong to the club, which is another good reason for an actress to scold Perry. But the problem also lies with the people who write woman characters, apparently, since in coming up with ten other supporting characters who deserve their own spin off, we managed to only include two females on our list. Perhaps if we’d permitted classic film characters there’d be more to choose from — though even then we might be more likely to include a Peter Lorre or a William Demarest role than a Thelma Ritter or Eve Arden. Rev. Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), from Changeling Angelina Jolie got the entire spotlight for this film, earning an undeserved Oscar nomination among other things, but the only person truly worth watching in Clint Eastwood’s period piece is John Malkovich. He’s not exactly good in the role, but he looks amazing (and more creepy than ever) with his Marcel Wave hairdo and little mustache. The radio reverend could continue in a series of films in which he helps out other characters with their problems while constantly going up against the corrupt LAPD. Bust-Ass (Danny McBride), from All the Real Girls Danny McBride is starting to become a household name thanks to scene-stealing roles in last year’s Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder and his new HBO series Eastbound & Down, which he co-created with his Foot Fist Way collaborators Jody Hill and Ben Best. Yet his funniest performance is still arguably as Bust-Ass in All the Real Girls. So, even though that films’ director, David Gordon Green, has helmed episodes of Eastbound, we’d actually prefer the filmmaker go back and make a spin off to All the Real Girls starring the parka-wearing putz. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), from No Country for Old Men We could probably select just about any supporting character from a Coen brothers film (here’s a related list, to get some ideas); most would be good for a spin off of their own. But the character that won Javier Bardem an Oscar seems the most easily appropriated to any number of new situations. While Hollywood might prefer to be consistent by ruining the character’s mystique with a prequel explaining Anton Chigurh’s background, we think it’d be more fun to see any one (or number) of the following unconnected tales: Anton Goes to Jail; Anton Saves Christmas; Anton Takes Manhattan. John Givings (Michael Shannon), from Revolutionary Road John Givings functions perfectly as a minor plot device for the Wheeler’s story in Revolutionary Road, and he probably wouldn’t work as well at feature-length capacity in a film all of his own. But he could at least serve the same purpose in other stories, the way that Silent Bob functioned similarly throughout a number of Kevin Smith’s films. Then, maybe after a few more titles in which he’s still merely a supporting character he can finally get his own co-spin off, which will costar an also-deserving Kathy Bates. Currently, we like the title John Givings and His Mom Strike Back. Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), from 12 Monkeys Like Danny McBride, Brad Pitt needs to go back to his greatest performance, which was undoubtedly as the loony Jeffrey Goines, from Terry Gilliam’s underrated sci-fi masterpiece. A spin off (or franchise) would have to do away with the original film’s time travel angle, but it would still be interesting following Goines on other crazed adventures in animal activism. Plus, for Pitt it would mean another chance at winning an Oscar for his most deserved role, yet this time it could be for Best Actor (actually a number of actors on this list could do the Al Pacino-as-Michael Corleone Oscar promotion). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:02:11 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:02:11 PMIf Tyler Perry gets an Oscar nomination for his acting in Madea Goes to Jail, can a washed-up actress scold him for taking away female roles? Actually, could it just be Cuba Gooding Jr. in drag, a la Boat Trip? Seriously, though, Madea won’t be up for any Academy Awards next year, but damn is Perry’s character popular. Enough that the sassy matriarch has now evolved from a supporting character into the star of her own vehicle (which gave the filmmaker his biggest opening yet this past weekend). Yes, it’s true that Madea is a central figure in most of Perry’s films and has previously been the main protagonist in his plays (including the one Madea Goes to Jail is based on), but in the movie world she was introduced as a secondary role in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. So, now she belongs in that small club of supporting characters who’ve earned their own film(s); other members of which include Jay and Silent Bob, Bruce and Lloyd, Cousin Eddie, Marshal Samuel Gerard, the Scorpion King and Wolverine. And Madea is one of the very few female characters to belong to the club, which is another good reason for an actress to scold Perry. But the problem also lies with the people who write woman characters, apparently, since in coming up with ten other supporting characters who deserve their own spin off, we managed to only include two females on our list. Perhaps if we’d permitted classic film characters there’d be more to choose from — though even then we might be more likely to include a Peter Lorre or a William Demarest role than a Thelma Ritter or Eve Arden. Rev. Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), from Changeling Angelina Jolie got the entire spotlight for this film, earning an undeserved Oscar nomination among other things, but the only person truly worth watching in Clint Eastwood’s period piece is John Malkovich. He’s not exactly good in the role, but he looks amazing (and more creepy than ever) with his Marcel Wave hairdo and little mustache. The radio reverend could continue in a series of films in which he helps out other characters with their problems while constantly going up against the corrupt LAPD. Bust-Ass (Danny McBride), from All the Real Girls Danny McBride is starting to become a household name thanks to scene-stealing roles in last year’s Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder and his new HBO series Eastbound & Down, which he co-created with his Foot Fist Way collaborators Jody Hill and Ben Best. Yet his funniest performance is still arguably as Bust-Ass in All the Real Girls. So, even though that films’ director, David Gordon Green, has helmed episodes of Eastbound, we’d actually prefer the filmmaker go back and make a spin off to All the Real Girls starring the parka-wearing putz. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), from No Country for Old Men We could probably select just about any supporting character from a Coen brothers film (here’s a related list, to get some ideas); most would be good for a spin off of their own. But the character that won Javier Bardem an Oscar seems the most easily appropriated to any number of new situations. While Hollywood might prefer to be consistent by ruining the character’s mystique with a prequel explaining Anton Chigurh’s background, we think it’d be more fun to see any one (or number) of the following unconnected tales: Anton Goes to Jail; Anton Saves Christmas; Anton Takes Manhattan. John Givings (Michael Shannon), from Revolutionary Road John Givings functions perfectly as a minor plot device for the Wheeler’s story in Revolutionary Road, and he probably wouldn’t work as well at feature-length capacity in a film all of his own. But he could at least serve the same purpose in other stories, the way that Silent Bob functioned similarly throughout a number of Kevin Smith’s films. Then, maybe after a few more titles in which he’s still merely a supporting character he can finally get his own co-spin off, which will costar an also-deserving Kathy Bates. Currently, we like the title John Givings and His Mom Strike Back. Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), from 12 Monkeys Like Danny McBride, Brad Pitt needs to go back to his greatest performance, which was undoubtedly as the loony Jeffrey Goines, from Terry Gilliam’s underrated sci-fi masterpiece. A spin off (or franchise) would have to do away with the original film’s time travel angle, but it would still be interesting following Goines on other crazed adventures in animal activism. Plus, for Pitt it would mean another chance at winning an Oscar for his most deserved role, yet this time it could be for Best Actor (actually a number of actors on this list could do the Al Pacino-as-Michael Corleone Oscar promotion). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/peigan/archive/2009/2/18/40512.aspx Post By: peigan
Post To: peigan Blog
Post Date: 2/18/2009 12:45:52 AM
Body: This movie..ahh this movie SUCKS A LOT worst movie ever i think the Oscar guy's watched the wrong movie or someting cuz best movie HAH yeah right! Best piece of crap is what it should have won
]]>Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:45:52 GMTpeiganpeigan Blog2/18/2009 12:45:52 AMThis movie..ahh this movie SUCKS A LOT worst movie ever i think the Oscar guy's watched the wrong movie or someting cuz best movie HAH yeah right! Best piece of crap is what it should have won http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Overrated_Movies/190/40494/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Pepper-Ann
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 2/16/2009 10:21:18 PM
Body: 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey- I'm surprised not to see this one on more lists. I've had several film classes and every single teacher has showed this film. Every one. Now, I'm not a sci-fi fan. So I'm already at a loss. But I just didn't think this was one of the best movies. Yeah, the special effects were great for it's time and it's good as an art film. But it just didn't grab me. One of the things I like in my films, serious ones anyways, is to have some sort of connection with the characters. Whether I hate them or love them, and I just didn't give a crap about Dave. The scenes were too drawn out and there wasn't enough plot for me to pay attention to. Or at least it went over my head all 8 times I've watched it. Again, I love Kubrick. I just couldn't get into this movie. 2. Titanic- Oh boy, not only did this movie make the Celine Dion song that I still hear to this day popular, but it's also the reason people still say "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!" Now, the Titanic is actually a pretty good setting for an emotional movie. But to me, the whole thing played out as Romeo and Juliet on a sinking ship. And boy, was it ever long! Again, romance movies aren't my cup of tea either, so I might be a bit harsh. It won way too many Oscars, and there were some pretty good movies up for best picture that year. Then again, I've always felt the Oscars were a little one-sided. 3. Blair Witch Project- I think a lot of people realized that after it came out though. Maybe "over-hyped" is the word I need to be using for this one and not so much over-rated. 4. No Country for Old Men- Don't hit me. See, that's the sign that a movie is over-rated.That knee-jerk response. Because yeah, I've been attacked for my opinion on this one, and I know I'm going to be the only one here that says it, especially as a film fan. But I still stand strong. I totally understand where the Coens were going, and I liked that they showed another side of things but the ending? Oh man did that ending ever make me mad. And apparently some other guy in the theater who felt like standing up and shouting "The Coen Brothers are a**holes!" Javier's performance was stellar. I wish I could elaborate more about why I feel this, but to be honest, I barely remember most of it except the coin flipping. That's how much I liked it. 5. Shawshank Redemption- If we're going to praise movies based on Stephen King stories, I think that should go to The Green Mile. Either that or Stand By Me which I think is one of the most emotional movies of all time. Fantastic coming of age story and great performances by all the young boys. Before Corey Feldman let everything go to his head and got out of control. And one of my favorite movies ever. Or The Shining, but I think that gets more than enough credit. I didn't see anything in Shawshank Redemption that really stood out to me. And yes, I've read the short story too. Before I saw the movie. And see, everyone saying they don't like Goodfellas, I love movies about the mafia. I don't know why, but I've always been drawn to them. Even the really crappy ones. I like Scorsese movies too.
]]>Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:21:18 GMTPepper-AnnTop 52/16/2009 10:21:18 PM1. 2001: A Space Odyssey- I'm surprised not to see this one on more lists. I've had several film classes and every single teacher has showed this film. Every one. Now, I'm not a sci-fi fan. So I'm already at a loss. But I just didn't think this was one of the best movies. Yeah, the special effects were great for it's time and it's good as an art film. But it just didn't grab me. One of the things I like in my films, serious ones anyways, is to have some sort of connection with the characters. Whether I hate them or love them, and I just didn't give a crap about Dave. The scenes were too drawn out and there wasn't enough plot for me to pay attention to. Or at least it went over my head all 8 times I've watched it. Again, I love Kubrick. I just couldn't get into this movie. 2. Titanic- Oh boy, not only did this movie make the Celine Dion song that I still hear to this day popular, but it's also the reason people still say "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!" Now, the Titanic is actually a pretty good setting for an emotional movie. But to me, the whole thing played out as Romeo and Juliet on a sinking ship. And boy, was it ever long! Again, romance movies aren't my cup of tea either, so I might be a bit harsh. It won way too many Oscars, and there were some pretty good movies up for best picture that year. Then again, I've always felt the Oscars were a little one-sided. 3. Blair Witch Project- I think a lot of people realized that after it came out though. Maybe "over-hyped" is the word I need to be using for this one and not so much over-rated. 4. No Country for Old Men- Don't hit me. See, that's the sign that a movie is over-rated.That knee-jerk response. Because yeah, I've been attacked for my opinion on this one, and I know I'm going to be the only one here that says it, especially as a film fan. But I still stand strong. I totally understand where the Coens were going, and I liked that they showed another side of things but the ending? Oh man did that ending ever make me mad. And apparently some other guy in the theater who felt like standing up and shouting "The Coen Brothers are a**holes!" Javier's performance was stellar. I wish I could elaborate more about why I feel this, but to be honest, I barely remember most of it except the coin flipping. That's how much I liked it. 5. Shawshank Redemption- If we're going to praise movies based on Stephen King stories, I think that should go to The Green Mile. Either that or Stand By Me which I think is one of the most emotional movies of all time. Fantastic coming of age story and great performances by all the young boys. Before Corey Feldman let everything go to his head and got out of control. And one of my favorite movies ever. Or The Shining, but I think that gets more than enough credit. I didn't see anything in Shawshank Redemption that really stood out to me. And yes, I've read the short story too. Before I saw the movie. And see, everyone saying they don't like Goodfellas, I love movies about the mafia. I don't know why, but I've always been drawn to them. Even the really crappy ones. I like Scorsese movies too. http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/1/15/39560.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 1/15/2009 1:19:22 PM
Body: Burn After Reading You must first know (if you don't know me well already) that I am a full out Coen brothers fanatic. I have always loved everything they have done to an extreme. I have rated every single movie they have directed a 10 out of 10 except for their first Blood Simple which just about made it there with a 9 out of 10. Yes even the often despised The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty for me are amongst my top tier of most enjoyable cinema. Some may argue that their work was so formative in my love of film altogether and has grown to such hyperbolic proportions that I no longer have a real critical eye for any of their work and would be blind to any real sub-par work they may have or will ever release. Perhaps this is true in a ways, but as long as I truely am enjoying myself watching their movies I have no reason to feel bad. And I LOVE THEM ALL! So obviously I had been looking forward to Burn After Reading. Just to start with, the title is a wonderful thing. I was of course really looking forward to this one, like I always do. Here are some of the Coen staples this time around: -Someone seeking large sums of money (is there any of their movies that doesn't feature this?) -A very American culture or setting (fitness club chain). -A clashing of personalities -Inept people with their own agendas -Lots of swearing and sudden violence mixed with absurd humor -George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins After their much praised Oscar winner No Country For Men, seen as probably their darkest and humorless (although there still is a lot in there)yet, the Coens I think have followed up with a lot of the same themes but having oh so much more fun with it. *spoilers* They are able to take a genre and play with the conventions. They put in such original and distinct characters. And you know they had a lot of fun with top A-List celebrities, turning George Cloony into such a quirky pervert, and killing off Brad Pitt, who plays the most lovable character suddenly halfway through the movie. I think your reaction to that scene where Brad Pitt's character is shot is a kind of indicator of your attitudes towards Hollywood as a culture and certain conventions in Hollywood movies. For instance there was a guy in the movie theater who could not stop laughing very long and loud after he was shot, and his girlfriend kept hitting him and saying "Stop it! What's the matter with you? Why are you laughing?!" It made everyone else in the theatre laugh even more. I think the people who are laughing are the people who get that the Coens do not make much of the celebrity worship in this culture where A-List actors must always look good in their movies and be the center of attention until the end. They recognize that Brad Pitt has talent, let's make him act real goofy, people will be surprised they like it, but then we will kill him off halfway through the movie, because you'd never expect that to happen to Brad in a normal Hollywood movie where he is top billed like that. Maybe I'm off, but that's kind of how I sensed it. Thanks to my friend Noah for pointing this out. A lot of Coen brothers movies have some kind of retribution to characters for bad behaviors or attitudes. Some of them end with wonderful little phrases that try to give some kind of hope or victory for the good guy. The "There's more to life than a little money, you know" speech that Marge gives at the end of Fargo that for instance. That part really gets me emotional after all that happened, brings a tear to my eye. Whereas I pulled this excerpt from the very end of Burn After Reading from the Internet Movie Script Database. GARDNER CHUBB (CONT'D) ... What did we learn, Palmer. PALMER I don't know, sir. GARDNER CHUBB I don't fucking know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. PALMER Yes sir. GARDNER CHUBB Although I'm fucked if I know what we did. PALMER Yes sir. Hard to say.In this movie the madness and depravity really has no explanation. And you know, sometimes life is like that. There's a beautiful, happy and sad truth to the final summary in all of the Coen brothers films I'd say. I can't wait for their next one! Rating: 10/10
]]>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:19:22 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog1/15/2009 1:19:22 PMBurn After Reading You must first know (if you don't know me well already) that I am a full out Coen brothers fanatic. I have always loved everything they have done to an extreme. I have rated every single movie they have directed a 10 out of 10 except for their first Blood Simple which just about made it there with a 9 out of 10. Yes even the often despised The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty for me are amongst my top tier of most enjoyable cinema. Some may argue that their work was so formative in my love of film altogether and has grown to such hyperbolic proportions that I no longer have a real critical eye for any of their work and would be blind to any real sub-par work they may have or will ever release. Perhaps this is true in a ways, but as long as I truely am enjoying myself watching their movies I have no reason to feel bad. And I LOVE THEM ALL! So obviously I had been looking forward to Burn After Reading. Just to start with, the title is a wonderful thing. I was of course really looking forward to this one, like I always do. Here are some of the Coen staples this time around: -Someone seeking large sums of money (is there any of their movies that doesn't feature this?) -A very American culture or setting (fitness club chain). -A clashing of personalities -Inept people with their own agendas -Lots of swearing and sudden violence mixed with absurd humor -George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins After their much praised Oscar winner No Country For Men, seen as probably their darkest and humorless (although there still is a lot in there)yet, the Coens I think have followed up with a lot of the same themes but having oh so much more fun with it. *spoilers* They are able to take a genre and play with the conventions. They put in such original and distinct characters. And you know they had a lot of fun with top A-List celebrities, turning George Cloony into such a quirky pervert, and killing off Brad Pitt, who plays the most lovable character suddenly halfway through the movie. I think your reaction to that scene where Brad Pitt's character is shot is a kind of indicator of your attitudes towards Hollywood as a culture and certain conventions in Hollywood movies. For instance there was a guy in the movie theater who could not stop laughing very long and loud after he was shot, and his girlfriend kept hitting him and saying "Stop it! What's the matter with you? Why are you laughing?!" It made everyone else in the theatre laugh even more. I think the people who are laughing are the people who get that the Coens do not make much of the celebrity worship in this culture where A-List actors must always look good in their movies and be the center of attention until the end. They recognize that Brad Pitt has talent, let's make him act real goofy, people will be surprised they like it, but then we will kill him off halfway through the movie, because you'd never expect that to happen to Brad in a normal Hollywood movie where he is top billed like that. Maybe I'm off, but that's kind of how I sensed it. Thanks to my friend Noah for pointing this out. A lot of Coen brothers movies have some kind of retribution to characters for bad behaviors or attitudes. Some of them end with wonderful little phrases that try to give some kind of hope or victory for the good guy. The "There's more to life than a little money, you know" speech that Marge gives at the end of Fargo that for instance. That part really gets me emotional after all that happened, brings a tear to my eye. Whereas I pulled this excerpt from the very end of Burn After Reading from the Internet Movie Script Database. GARDNER CHUBB (CONT'D) ... What did we learn, Palmer. PALMER I don't know, sir. GARDNER CHUBB I don't fucking know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. PALMER Yes sir. GARDNER CHUBB Although I'm fucked if I know what we did. PALMER Yes sir. Hard to say.In this movie the madness and depravity really has no explanation. And you know, sometimes life is like that. There's a beautiful, happy and sad truth to the final summary in all of the Coen brothers films I'd say. I can't wait for their next one! Rating: 10/10 http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_January_12_What_Went_Wrong/625/39485/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Smooth_J
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 1/13/2009 6:42:31 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] Sam Raimi used this in his very aptly titled A Simple Plan. And my favorite filmmakers, the Brothers Coen have used this beautifully in Blood Simple and Fargo. [/quote] I feel like most of the Coen's movies fit into this category...you got The Man Who Wasn't There, The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, and even No Country for Old Men. Bottle Rocket is a pretty good heist-gone-wrong movie, and it's about as simplistic as movies can get. It's one of my personal favorites. Another one that may work is Dog Day Afternoon...a routine bank robbery turns into a televised sideshow starring a gay Al Pacino.
]]>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:42:31 GMTSmooth_JWeekly Theme1/13/2009 6:42:31 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] Sam Raimi used this in his very aptly titled A Simple Plan. And my favorite filmmakers, the Brothers Coen have used this beautifully in Blood Simple and Fargo. [/quote] I feel like most of the Coen's movies fit into this category...you got The Man Who Wasn't There, The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona, and even No Country for Old Men. Bottle Rocket is a pretty good heist-gone-wrong movie, and it's about as simplistic as movies can get. It's one of my personal favorites. Another one that may work is Dog Day Afternoon...a routine bank robbery turns into a televised sideshow starring a gay Al Pacino. http://www.spout.com/blogs/atacta/archive/2008/12/29/38941.aspx Post By: atacta
Post To: atacta Blog
Post Date: 12/29/2008 9:52:01 PM
Body: I think its fits in nicely within the Coen ouevre (i.e. people, sometimes dumb, sometimes not, getting involved in situations way over the heads) and they must have needed a break after they're masterpiece of No Country for Old Men and the grand attention it got....the problem with the film is that the thriller aspects of the film occur too late into the third act. So, in the meantime, the audience has to get by on enjoying the wild, over the top acting.....which is pretty good for the most part. However, if you are going to cast Pitt AND Clooney its going to be a distraction anyway - but when they are both trying so hard to give it that "Raising Arizona" intensity its alot to take in. Malkovich, McDormand, Swinton and Jenkins, all great actors, are sucked into the mayhem of the wildness of the script and are overwhelmed by it.*** / ***** No Country for Old Men (2007)
]]>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:52:01 GMTatactaatacta Blog12/29/2008 9:52:01 PMI think its fits in nicely within the Coen ouevre (i.e. people, sometimes dumb, sometimes not, getting involved in situations way over the heads) and they must have needed a break after they're masterpiece of No Country for Old Men and the grand attention it got....the problem with the film is that the thriller aspects of the film occur too late into the third act. So, in the meantime, the audience has to get by on enjoying the wild, over the top acting.....which is pretty good for the most part. However, if you are going to cast Pitt AND Clooney its going to be a distraction anyway - but when they are both trying so hard to give it that "Raising Arizona" intensity its alot to take in. Malkovich, McDormand, Swinton and Jenkins, all great actors, are sucked into the mayhem of the wildness of the script and are overwhelmed by it.*** / ***** No Country for Old Men (2007) http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/murder/MemberTagFilms.aspxmurder
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