list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Burn After Reading 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/Burn_After_Reading/296465/default.aspx Title: Burn After Reading
Year: 2008
Director: Joel Coen
Plot: A CIA agent who is currently in the process of writing a book loses the disc containing his only manuscript in this comedic tale of espionage that reunites filmmaking duo Joel and Ethan Coen with Intolerable Cruelty and O Brother, Where Art Thou? star George Clooney. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 87
Number of Lists: 37
Number of blog posts: 38
Number of discussion threads: 24
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:46:47 GMTBurn After Reading2008Joel CoenA CIA agent who is currently in the process of writing a book loses the disc containing his only manuscript in this comedic tale of espionage that reunites filmmaking duo Joel and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____85372/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ethan Coen</a> with <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/223559/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Intolerable Cruelty</a> and O Brother, Where Art Thou? star <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____13722/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>George Clooney</a>. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide87Tag Target (>10)3738243http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s296465.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Burn_After_Reading/296465/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/11/17/44382.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 11/17/2009 1:16:14 PM
Body: This is the forteenth feature length film I've seen by directors Joel and Ethan Coen. I chose to watch this film based on previous good ratings I've given other films by this director and to better my favorite directors by algorithm listing. A Serious Man It's a special moment that seems to have come around once a year in the fall season the last few years when I get to watch another new Coen brothers film. Since they are my favorite filmmakers, and being a film lover, there are few moments of cinematic anticipation as big as this for me. My love and admiration for their films always ends up being massive. Sometimes immediately, and sometimes as it sinks in. Last year's Burn After Reading was pretty much instantaneous. A Serious Man I knew I liked just as much, but took me a while longer to figure out completely why. The reason it took me a while, is actually the reason why it's so great. It has a lot of the wonderful and distinctive Coen brothers characters and dialogue. But in trying to make sense of the plot, the viewer is doing exactly what the protagonist is trying to figure out about his life. A lot of things and events occur in Larry's life that either seem like they have some kind of meaning or otherwise at least incite a search for their meaning. The same thing holds true about things and events in the film that incite the viewers to deeply question their meaning. It's like the story within a story of the goy's teeth. The Rabbi telling the story loves to tell it with enthusiasm, punctuating every detail, and seemingly building it up to a climax so that any average listener assumes there is some meaning behind the story that will be revealed. When in actuality the point is never reveal as anticipated and the story teller's reason for even telling the story seems ambiguous beyond just enjoying telling the story. I think the Coens see themselves as story tellers like this, and maybe they even sometimes see God as a story teller like this. Either way, they will point out that life can be like a good story where certain events seem to stick out as if they have some kind of important meaning or foreshadowing that we are meant to investigate. But a lot of times in life that meaning is never quite found, so why should a good story feel like it needs to give a clear answer or meaning in the end either? As an extra comment about the film, all of the scenes where Larry is in his office are my favorite. Be it either talking to the student Clive, or to his boss about his tenure, or on the phone with a representative from Columbia house. These scenes should be added to the huge list of other sublime moments from the Coens' spectacular oeuvre. Joel and Ethan Coen:Total feature length films seen: 14Previous average film score: 9.9231New average film score: 9.9286 Rating: 10/10
]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:16:14 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog11/17/2009 1:16:14 PMThis is the forteenth feature length film I've seen by directors Joel and Ethan Coen. I chose to watch this film based on previous good ratings I've given other films by this director and to better my favorite directors by algorithm listing. A Serious Man It's a special moment that seems to have come around once a year in the fall season the last few years when I get to watch another new Coen brothers film. Since they are my favorite filmmakers, and being a film lover, there are few moments of cinematic anticipation as big as this for me. My love and admiration for their films always ends up being massive. Sometimes immediately, and sometimes as it sinks in. Last year's Burn After Reading was pretty much instantaneous. A Serious Man I knew I liked just as much, but took me a while longer to figure out completely why. The reason it took me a while, is actually the reason why it's so great. It has a lot of the wonderful and distinctive Coen brothers characters and dialogue. But in trying to make sense of the plot, the viewer is doing exactly what the protagonist is trying to figure out about his life. A lot of things and events occur in Larry's life that either seem like they have some kind of meaning or otherwise at least incite a search for their meaning. The same thing holds true about things and events in the film that incite the viewers to deeply question their meaning. It's like the story within a story of the goy's teeth. The Rabbi telling the story loves to tell it with enthusiasm, punctuating every detail, and seemingly building it up to a climax so that any average listener assumes there is some meaning behind the story that will be revealed. When in actuality the point is never reveal as anticipated and the story teller's reason for even telling the story seems ambiguous beyond just enjoying telling the story. I think the Coens see themselves as story tellers like this, and maybe they even sometimes see God as a story teller like this. Either way, they will point out that life can be like a good story where certain events seem to stick out as if they have some kind of important meaning or foreshadowing that we are meant to investigate. But a lot of times in life that meaning is never quite found, so why should a good story feel like it needs to give a clear answer or meaning in the end either? As an extra comment about the film, all of the scenes where Larry is in his office are my favorite. Be it either talking to the student Clive, or to his boss about his tenure, or on the phone with a representative from Columbia house. These scenes should be added to the huge list of other sublime moments from the Coens' spectacular oeuvre. Joel and Ethan Coen:Total feature length films seen: 14Previous average film score: 9.9231New average film score: 9.9286 Rating: 10/10 http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Brad_Pitt_roles_is_your_f/657/44182/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: CassieAnnette
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 10/13/2009 8:46:21 AM
Body: I loved him in Burn After Reading, Too funny. Sorry it took me so long to reply and that this is no longer open. [quote user="Risselada"] Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. & Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy [/quote]
]]>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:46:21 GMTCassieAnnetteMovie Polls10/13/2009 8:46:21 AMI loved him in Burn After Reading, Too funny. Sorry it took me so long to reply and that this is no longer open. [quote user="Risselada"] Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. &amp; Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_October_05_Killer_Kill_Scenes/625/44153/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/8/2009 12:49:08 AM
Body: This one's gonna be another one of those "high-brow" topics y'all have come to love and expect from us here at the Weekly Theme. I know it's late, but in my defense, I was killed in a killer kill scene earlier and my zombie fingers have finally started working well enough to type. So let's talk this week about all of the greatest death scenes ever committed to film. One of my recent favorites is Ted Raimi's character in The Midnight Meat Train. Very very brutal... but still pretty damn fun. Also (without spoiling) I would say that last year's Burn After Reading had one of the most surprisingly and shockingly awesome kill scenes I've ever seen. But I would say my all time favorite comes from a film that I really didn't care for much. Soderberg's Out of Sight ('98) has a death involving a hefty fella running up a flight of stairs with a loaded shotgun...... Hilarity ensues!! Well let's hear it. I left quite a bit off this post, so I'll check back later and add some more. What's your favorite killer kill scene? Peace & Brains Emery the Living Dead.
]]>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:49:08 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme10/8/2009 12:49:08 AMThis one's gonna be another one of those "high-brow" topics y'all have come to love and expect from us here at the Weekly Theme. I know it's late, but in my defense, I was killed in a killer kill scene earlier and my zombie fingers have finally started working well enough to type. So let's talk this week about all of the greatest death scenes ever committed to film. One of my recent favorites is Ted Raimi's character in The Midnight Meat Train. Very very brutal... but still pretty damn fun. Also (without spoiling) I would say that last year's Burn After Reading had one of the most surprisingly and shockingly awesome kill scenes I've ever seen. But I would say my all time favorite comes from a film that I really didn't care for much. Soderberg's Out of Sight ('98) has a death involving a hefty fella running up a flight of stairs with a loaded shotgun...... Hilarity ensues!! Well let's hear it. I left quite a bit off this post, so I'll check back later and add some more. What's your favorite killer kill scene? Peace &amp; Brains Emery the Living Dead. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Brad_Pitt_roles_is_your_f/657/43933/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 9/17/2009 12:08:21 PM
Body: So I picked Chad from Burn After Reading. Of course! It's the Coen brothers duh! But really this is probably my favorite Brad Pitt role ever. It's hard to say, but Jeffrey Goines from Twelve Monkeys might still be my fave. Not that Brad wasn't already willing to make himself look silly on screen, but I still love how the Coens kind of subverted his image to make him such a spaztic dork. And what becomes of the character is such a shocker! "You think that's a Schwinn!" He was tons of fun in the recent Inglorious Basterds too I thought, even though Christoph Waltz definitely stole the show in that film. Those are actually the only two films I've seen on this list. I've been wanting to see Babel and The Assassination of Jesse James for quite a while though so I was curious to see how much votes they would get in this poll. But I was surprised to see that almost every category is getting an equal ammount of votes. I guess that means it's a pretty good poll then! Has anyone here seen Bejamin Button? I'd heard from a lot of people I trust that it wasn't that impressive. Anyone here have any opinions?
]]>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:08:21 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls9/17/2009 12:08:21 PMSo I picked Chad from Burn After Reading. Of course! It's the Coen brothers duh! But really this is probably my favorite Brad Pitt role ever. It's hard to say, but Jeffrey Goines from Twelve Monkeys might still be my fave. Not that Brad wasn't already willing to make himself look silly on screen, but I still love how the Coens kind of subverted his image to make him such a spaztic dork. And what becomes of the character is such a shocker! "You think that's a Schwinn!" He was tons of fun in the recent Inglorious Basterds too I thought, even though Christoph Waltz definitely stole the show in that film. Those are actually the only two films I've seen on this list. I've been wanting to see Babel and The Assassination of Jesse James for quite a while though so I was curious to see how much votes they would get in this poll. But I was surprised to see that almost every category is getting an equal ammount of votes. I guess that means it's a pretty good poll then! Has anyone here seen Bejamin Button? I'd heard from a lot of people I trust that it wasn't that impressive. Anyone here have any opinions? http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Which_of_these_recent_Brad_Pitt_roles_is_your_favo/657/43906/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 9/15/2009 2:42:49 PM
Body: Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. & Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy
]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:42:49 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls9/15/2009 2:42:49 PMPlease reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. &amp; Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy http://www.spout.com/blogs/ibetolis/archive/2009/2/21/40573.aspx Post By: Ibetolis
Post To: Film for the Soul
Post Date: 2/21/2009 6:01:50 PM
Body: Joel/Ethan Coen (2007)As promised, as expected and as always, the Coen's once again follow up a critically acclaimed, serious film, in the case of 'No Country For Old Men' (2007) an Academy Award winning one, with one of their more slapstick and playful films; just as 'Big Lebowski' (1998) followed 'Fargo' (1996) and 'Intolerable Cruelty' (2003) followed 'The Man Who Wasn't There' (2001). Burn After Reading, completes their monikered 'idiot trilogy', (with O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and Intolerable Cruelty parts one and two), again starring George Clooney in full gurning glory, supported by a plethora of regular actors from the Coen cannon; Frances MacDormand, J.K Simmons and Richard Jenkins amongst others. Joining them this time around, for their first Coen feature, are John Malkovitch, Tilda Swinton and, in a glorious comical role, one Mr. Brad Pitt.Filmed without the aid of their long time collaborator, cinematographer Roger Deakins, Burn After Reading finds the Coen's treading similar themes (the inept criminal) and motifs (misunderstandings, buffoonery), dotted with their panache for dialogue and framed in their particular Coenesque universe. In a plot too complicated, that's not to say daft to the very max, to do justice within a one paragraph synopsis, let's just say, to suffice, that every single character plays the idiot to aplomb, generally screw up and comes a cropper. Clueless, hapless and feckless, our ensemble cast not only constantly get the wrong end of the stick, they pick it up, pocket it and then run with it.Believe it or not, this is the Coen's first original screenplay since 2001, The Man Who Wasn't There, and harks back to some of their more savage black comedies, with a, sometimes, shocking taste for comical violence and an overwhelming sense of derision towards it's main players. Burn After Reading seems to revel in its character's ignorance, stupidity and eventual, demise, gleefully setting up each of them to look as worthless as possible, whilst the plot falls neatly into the background amongst a barrage of false leads and dead ends. It's a trick the Coen's have been playing on us for years, the shaggy dog story aspect that guides its audience in to their mad, defined little world whilst simultaneously blinding us with the red-herrings, 'Mcguffins' galore and dizzying dialogue spoken at scatter gun speed.In this particular instance the shaggy dog story starts with Chad (Brad Pitt); a bounding, excited, puppy dog of a man, forever trapped in the mind of a 14 year old boy, a performance so hilarious and delightful that it's probably the films major highlight, and his discovery of disk that appears, to Chad anyway, to contain 'top secret shit'. Working alongside Linda (Frances MacDormond), with another refined and sturdy performance from one of Hollywood's best known secrets, at the Hard Bodies gym, who, in attempting, to overcome her loneliness, wishes to hold back the years with a, seemingly, perverse cosmetic surgery schedule that will hopefully snare her the man she's desperately craves, takes the opportunity to bribe the owner of said disk, one Osbourne Cox, an ex-CIA analyst, played with delusional bitterness, basking in an alcoholic stupor, by John Malkovitch, in order to complete her costly procedure.Osbourne, at the centre of a personal crisis; having just lost his job, his wife (Tilda Swinton) is ready to dump him for her lover Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who is himself married and a serial philanderer; secretly dating Linda alongside countless other lonely, desperate women, fights the two, would be black-mailers, with his last whisky soaked breath, desperately trying to hold on this his solitary piece of dignity. Our main players, the CIA and even the Russian embassy are drawn in to a conspiring circle of nothingness, each trying out manoeuvre their adversary without the slightest idea why they're doing so. From here the film is in free-fall, it's anyone's guess as to what's really going on, as J.K Simmons perplexed CIA head-honcho says to his subordinate 'report back to me when it makes sense'.It's a compact film, as you would expect from the Coen's, the little touches are exquisite; the picture of Putin of the Russian Embassy wall, Brad Pitt's imbecile, Carter Burnwell's brilliant, paranoid, score, even down to the movie poster above advertising this film, are perfectly aligned and expertly delivered. Yet, despite the finesse Burn After Reading will leave you underwhelmed, deflated even, and if there is one over-riding criticism levelled at the film it's the distinct lack of warmth and empathy. Apart from Chad, you feel nothing for these characters and it's this nihilistic thread, which creeps in to the Coen's work from time to time, that leaves you so disengaged with the film. Ultimately, this feels more like a cold-hearted clinical piece of work rather than a labour of love, churned out by a 'brand' on a high, which appears more cynical with each fevered atrocity attributed to it's protagonists.Trailer - Burn After Reading Originally posted on:Film for the Soul
]]>Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:01:50 GMTIbetolisFilm for the Soul2/21/2009 6:01:50 PMJoel/Ethan Coen (2007)As promised, as expected and as always, the Coen's once again follow up a critically acclaimed, serious film, in the case of 'No Country For Old Men' (2007) an Academy Award winning one, with one of their more slapstick and playful films; just as 'Big Lebowski' (1998) followed 'Fargo' (1996) and 'Intolerable Cruelty' (2003) followed 'The Man Who Wasn't There' (2001). Burn After Reading, completes their monikered 'idiot trilogy', (with O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and Intolerable Cruelty parts one and two), again starring George Clooney in full gurning glory, supported by a plethora of regular actors from the Coen cannon; Frances MacDormand, J.K Simmons and Richard Jenkins amongst others. Joining them this time around, for their first Coen feature, are John Malkovitch, Tilda Swinton and, in a glorious comical role, one Mr. Brad Pitt.Filmed without the aid of their long time collaborator, cinematographer Roger Deakins, Burn After Reading finds the Coen's treading similar themes (the inept criminal) and motifs (misunderstandings, buffoonery), dotted with their panache for dialogue and framed in their particular Coenesque universe. In a plot too complicated, that's not to say daft to the very max, to do justice within a one paragraph synopsis, let's just say, to suffice, that every single character plays the idiot to aplomb, generally screw up and comes a cropper. Clueless, hapless and feckless, our ensemble cast not only constantly get the wrong end of the stick, they pick it up, pocket it and then run with it.Believe it or not, this is the Coen's first original screenplay since 2001, The Man Who Wasn't There, and harks back to some of their more savage black comedies, with a, sometimes, shocking taste for comical violence and an overwhelming sense of derision towards it's main players. Burn After Reading seems to revel in its character's ignorance, stupidity and eventual, demise, gleefully setting up each of them to look as worthless as possible, whilst the plot falls neatly into the background amongst a barrage of false leads and dead ends. It's a trick the Coen's have been playing on us for years, the shaggy dog story aspect that guides its audience in to their mad, defined little world whilst simultaneously blinding us with the red-herrings, 'Mcguffins' galore and dizzying dialogue spoken at scatter gun speed.In this particular instance the shaggy dog story starts with Chad (Brad Pitt); a bounding, excited, puppy dog of a man, forever trapped in the mind of a 14 year old boy, a performance so hilarious and delightful that it's probably the films major highlight, and his discovery of disk that appears, to Chad anyway, to contain 'top secret shit'. Working alongside Linda (Frances MacDormond), with another refined and sturdy performance from one of Hollywood's best known secrets, at the Hard Bodies gym, who, in attempting, to overcome her loneliness, wishes to hold back the years with a, seemingly, perverse cosmetic surgery schedule that will hopefully snare her the man she's desperately craves, takes the opportunity to bribe the owner of said disk, one Osbourne Cox, an ex-CIA analyst, played with delusional bitterness, basking in an alcoholic stupor, by John Malkovitch, in order to complete her costly procedure.Osbourne, at the centre of a personal crisis; having just lost his job, his wife (Tilda Swinton) is ready to dump him for her lover Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who is himself married and a serial philanderer; secretly dating Linda alongside countless other lonely, desperate women, fights the two, would be black-mailers, with his last whisky soaked breath, desperately trying to hold on this his solitary piece of dignity. Our main players, the CIA and even the Russian embassy are drawn in to a conspiring circle of nothingness, each trying out manoeuvre their adversary without the slightest idea why they're doing so. From here the film is in free-fall, it's anyone's guess as to what's really going on, as J.K Simmons perplexed CIA head-honcho says to his subordinate 'report back to me when it makes sense'.It's a compact film, as you would expect from the Coen's, the little touches are exquisite; the picture of Putin of the Russian Embassy wall, Brad Pitt's imbecile, Carter Burnwell's brilliant, paranoid, score, even down to the movie poster above advertising this film, are perfectly aligned and expertly delivered. Yet, despite the finesse Burn After Reading will leave you underwhelmed, deflated even, and if there is one over-riding criticism levelled at the film it's the distinct lack of warmth and empathy. Apart from Chad, you feel nothing for these characters and it's this nihilistic thread, which creeps in to the Coen's work from time to time, that leaves you so disengaged with the film. Ultimately, this feels more like a cold-hearted clinical piece of work rather than a labour of love, churned out by a 'brand' on a high, which appears more cynical with each fevered atrocity attributed to it's protagonists.Trailer - Burn After Reading Originally posted on:Film for the Soul http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/New_Movies_2_13_Get_your_date_movie_on/216/40390/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 2/10/2009 10:29:01 PM
Body: NEW TO THEATERS 2/13 Friday the 13th -- Watch the trailer. Did you know that hospitals are busiest on full moons? Yeah, weird but true. Do you know what buildings are busiest on Friday the 13th? Tents and cabins in the wilderness. Weird, huh? The International -- Watch the trailer. I've heard some rumors that this is suprisingly good. I'm intrigued by the premise, that a large multi-national bank would use its (our) funds to support terrorists and other criminals. And hey, two winners heading the show: Naomi Watts and Clive Owen. Confessions of a Shopaholic -- Watch the trailer. Hmm. I haven't read the book, but I have bought it several times. Anyone looking forward to this? Two Lovers (limited) -- Watch the trailer. Did you know that Joaquin Phoenix has retired from acting? It's true. And now for something that's not true: Two Lovers is the first installment in a teen-fantasy-based trilogy, completed by I Beat Up the Bully In Front of Everyone and I Win The Talent Show With My Own Power Ballad. Gomorrah (limited) -- Watch the trailer. This mafia movie set in modern-day Naples won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, and its American release is sponsored by Martin Scorsese. This movie looks like it can boast authenticity from its head to its toes...three of the actors are tied to mob activity, and the author of Gomorrah (the book this is based on) has been living under 24-hour protection since the book's release. NEW TO DVD 2/10 Blindness -- Watch the trailer. Sort of like Children of Men, but is it as good? Listen to Filmcouch. Burn After Reading -- Watch the trailer. Foot Fist Way -- Watch the trailer. I liked this one a lot. Listen to the review. Frozen River -- Watch the trailer. Won Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at Sundance 2008. Miracle at St. Anna -- Watch the trailer. Just a heads-up, I haven't heard one good thing about this movie. Son of Rambow -- Watch the trailer. Soul Men -- Watch the trailer. The final film performances of Isaak Hayes and Bernie Mac. W. -- Watch the trailer. Eh, it was so-so.
]]>Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:29:01 GMTspoutComing Soon2/10/2009 10:29:01 PMNEW TO THEATERS 2/13 Friday the 13th -- Watch the trailer. Did you know that hospitals are busiest on full moons? Yeah, weird but true. Do you know what buildings are busiest on Friday the 13th? Tents and cabins in the wilderness. Weird, huh? The International -- Watch the trailer. I've heard some rumors that this is suprisingly good. I'm intrigued by the premise, that a large multi-national bank would use its (our) funds to support terrorists and other criminals. And hey, two winners heading the show: Naomi Watts and Clive Owen. Confessions of a Shopaholic -- Watch the trailer. Hmm. I haven't read the book, but I have bought it several times. Anyone looking forward to this? Two Lovers (limited) -- Watch the trailer. Did you know that Joaquin Phoenix has retired from acting? It's true. And now for something that's not true: Two Lovers is the first installment in a teen-fantasy-based trilogy, completed by I Beat Up the Bully In Front of Everyone and I Win The Talent Show With My Own Power Ballad. Gomorrah (limited) -- Watch the trailer. This mafia movie set in modern-day Naples won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, and its American release is sponsored by Martin Scorsese. This movie looks like it can boast authenticity from its head to its toes...three of the actors are tied to mob activity, and the author of Gomorrah (the book this is based on) has been living under 24-hour protection since the book's release. NEW TO DVD 2/10 Blindness -- Watch the trailer. Sort of like Children of Men, but is it as good? Listen to Filmcouch. Burn After Reading -- Watch the trailer. Foot Fist Way -- Watch the trailer. I liked this one a lot. Listen to the review. Frozen River -- Watch the trailer. Won Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at Sundance 2008. Miracle at St. Anna -- Watch the trailer. Just a heads-up, I haven't heard one good thing about this movie. Son of Rambow -- Watch the trailer. Soul Men -- Watch the trailer. The final film performances of Isaak Hayes and Bernie Mac. W. -- Watch the trailer. Eh, it was so-so. http://www.spout.com/blogs/mconrad3/archive/2009/1/27/40006.aspx Post By: mconrad3
Post To: mconrad3 Blog
Post Date: 1/27/2009 11:40:40 PM
Body: I'm a late bloomer as far as Coen brothers' movies go. Never got around to seeing too much of their stuff when it came out with the exception of "O Brother Where Art Thou?". I suppose it was the same deal with "Burn After Reading". Despite the name drop, there wasn't much that really got me to go see it in theaters. I finally got the chance to tonight and it was a fun movie, but no masterpiece. The whole story is a somewhat complex string of relationships centering around a stolen disc believed to be state secrets. I didn't bother to try and solve it before the movie was over and found I enjoyed it much more as it simply unfolded before me. There's quite a cast in this flick and I only wish they all got ample opportunities at screen time. Because the cast was so large, most of them don't get more than twenty minutes or so of screen time. Shotwise, the Coen brothers throw in their fair share of interesting frames. I found the pacing to be a little too slow for my taste. I know they have a penchant for very deliberate filmmaking, but it could have been sped up a bit. Otherwise everything else was up to snuff. One of the things that bugged me a bit about this movie was that it was labeled as a black/dark comedy. They're one of my favorite types of movies, but it took too long to start introducing the dark humor. Most of my laughs up until the hour mark were for Brad Pitt's character. i thought the introduction of the "fuck chair" was pretty novel, but ultimately all the humor based off of death and despair didn't show up until the last twenty minutes of the film. "Burn After Reading" is a well rounded film. It doesn't make any big mistakes and it does a few good things. That's the standard coming from the Coens I suppose, but it didn't wow me. Expecting a high standard when I find out who's directing something is putting the horse before the cart, but when you're used to the horse pulling a golden cart...it's a little weird when it pulls a silver one.
]]>Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:40:40 GMTmconrad3mconrad3 Blog1/27/2009 11:40:40 PMI'm a late bloomer as far as Coen brothers' movies go. Never got around to seeing too much of their stuff when it came out with the exception of "O Brother Where Art Thou?". I suppose it was the same deal with "Burn After Reading". Despite the name drop, there wasn't much that really got me to go see it in theaters. I finally got the chance to tonight and it was a fun movie, but no masterpiece. The whole story is a somewhat complex string of relationships centering around a stolen disc believed to be state secrets. I didn't bother to try and solve it before the movie was over and found I enjoyed it much more as it simply unfolded before me. There's quite a cast in this flick and I only wish they all got ample opportunities at screen time. Because the cast was so large, most of them don't get more than twenty minutes or so of screen time. Shotwise, the Coen brothers throw in their fair share of interesting frames. I found the pacing to be a little too slow for my taste. I know they have a penchant for very deliberate filmmaking, but it could have been sped up a bit. Otherwise everything else was up to snuff. One of the things that bugged me a bit about this movie was that it was labeled as a black/dark comedy. They're one of my favorite types of movies, but it took too long to start introducing the dark humor. Most of my laughs up until the hour mark were for Brad Pitt's character. i thought the introduction of the "fuck chair" was pretty novel, but ultimately all the humor based off of death and despair didn't show up until the last twenty minutes of the film. "Burn After Reading" is a well rounded film. It doesn't make any big mistakes and it does a few good things. That's the standard coming from the Coens I suppose, but it didn't wow me. Expecting a high standard when I find out who's directing something is putting the horse before the cart, but when you're used to the horse pulling a golden cart...it's a little weird when it pulls a silver one. http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/1_30_TAKEN_shaken_and_stirred_by_new_movies/216/39913/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 1/26/2009 1:11:45 PM
Body: Finally The Wrestler is in wide release, and it is fantastic! I will not soon forget it. (Watch the trailer.) FilmCouch will discuss it this Friday. Taken -- Watch the trailer. I was wary of this film until I saw this tougher-than-nails trailer, where Liam Neeson gives a monologue as hard as anything ever put on film. The story: Neeson plays a former spy who will stop at nothing to save his teenage daughter from her captors. The criminals do not want ransom; they want to turn her into a sex slave. I'm excited to see it, but I wonder how it handles the modern problem of the sex-slave trade? Will Taken just exploit modern slavery to put a new twist on the old "they took my daughter" action plot? (For example, Arnold Swarzenegger's Commando.) The Class -- Watch the trailer. We might think we've seen this before, but I think we'd be wrong. A teacher struggles to meaningfully teach an ethnically diverse group of rough-and-tumble high schoolers...and the trailer makes it look like it's way more than a French Freedom Writers! Based on a novel by Francois Begaudeau, who also stars as Mr. Marin, essentially playing a version of himsef. It won the Palm d'Or at Cannes, and I'm really looking forward to it. The Uninvited -- Watch the trailer. A girl's mother returns from the dead to warn her about her father's new fiancee. The father is played by the excellent David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck, Bourne Ultimatum); his creepy new fiancee (who was nurse to his late wife) is played by the lovely Elizabeth Banks. It's a remake of the Korean horror flick Tale of Two Sisters. Has anyone seen it? (Here's the trailer.) It looks like the rare movie where the remake could be better than the original. New in Town -- Watch the trailer. Big-city Renee Zellweger gets a huge dose of culture shock when she's sent to a small Minnesota town to supervise a manufacturing plant's "restructuring." It's full of talented and likable actors: Nathan Fillion, Harry Connick Jr., and J.K. Simmons (Burn After Reading, Juno, Thank You for Smoking). But even if it's good, do you think this Neo-Great Depression flick will connect with audiences? I thought during the Great Depression people wanted to escape to movies that weren't about hard times? So, ladies and gentlemen, unless all the king's horses and all the king's men go to see New in Town, it looks like Paul Blart will remain the number one comedy in America for another week. Will Pink Panther 2 unseat the champ?
]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:11:45 GMTspoutComing Soon1/26/2009 1:11:45 PMFinally The Wrestler is in wide release, and it is fantastic! I will not soon forget it. (Watch the trailer.) FilmCouch will discuss it this Friday. Taken -- Watch the trailer. I was wary of this film until I saw this tougher-than-nails trailer, where Liam Neeson gives a monologue as hard as anything ever put on film. The story: Neeson plays a former spy who will stop at nothing to save his teenage daughter from her captors. The criminals do not want ransom; they want to turn her into a sex slave. I'm excited to see it, but I wonder how it handles the modern problem of the sex-slave trade? Will Taken just exploit modern slavery to put a new twist on the old "they took my daughter" action plot? (For example, Arnold Swarzenegger's Commando.) The Class -- Watch the trailer. We might think we've seen this before, but I think we'd be wrong. A teacher struggles to meaningfully teach an ethnically diverse group of rough-and-tumble high schoolers...and the trailer makes it look like it's way more than a French Freedom Writers! Based on a novel by Francois Begaudeau, who also stars as Mr. Marin, essentially playing a version of himsef. It won the Palm d'Or at Cannes, and I'm really looking forward to it. The Uninvited -- Watch the trailer. A girl's mother returns from the dead to warn her about her father's new fiancee. The father is played by the excellent David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck, Bourne Ultimatum); his creepy new fiancee (who was nurse to his late wife) is played by the lovely Elizabeth Banks. It's a remake of the Korean horror flick Tale of Two Sisters. Has anyone seen it? (Here's the trailer.) It looks like the rare movie where the remake could be better than the original. New in Town -- Watch the trailer. Big-city Renee Zellweger gets a huge dose of culture shock when she's sent to a small Minnesota town to supervise a manufacturing plant's "restructuring." It's full of talented and likable actors: Nathan Fillion, Harry Connick Jr., and J.K. Simmons (Burn After Reading, Juno, Thank You for Smoking). But even if it's good, do you think this Neo-Great Depression flick will connect with audiences? I thought during the Great Depression people wanted to escape to movies that weren't about hard times? So, ladies and gentlemen, unless all the king's horses and all the king's men go to see New in Town, it looks like Paul Blart will remain the number one comedy in America for another week. Will Pink Panther 2 unseat the champ? http://www.spout.com/blogs/gerosimov/archive/2009/1/25/39882.aspx Post By: Gerosimov
Post To: Gerosimov Blog
Post Date: 1/25/2009 12:07:34 PM
Body: Once again the Coen brothers deliver an awesome black comedy, with a great script and all-star cast. What more could you ask for.
]]>Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:07:34 GMTGerosimovGerosimov Blog1/25/2009 12:07:34 PMOnce again the Coen brothers deliver an awesome black comedy, with a great script and all-star cast. What more could you ask for. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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