list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around A Serious Man 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/A_Serious_Man/327897/default.aspx Title: A Serious Man
Year: 2009
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Plot: Filmmaking duo Joel and Ethan Coen write, produce, and direct this dark comedy, which will serve as the second in a two-picture deal that the siblings made with Focus Features and Working Title. The first film in the deal, entitled Burn After Reading and starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Frances McDormand, was set to go into production in the summer of 2007, with the production of A Serious Man scheduled to commence shortly thereafter. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Number of Lists: 1
Number of blog posts: 1
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 5
]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:44:15 GMTA Serious Man2009Ethan Coen, Joel CoenFilmmaking duo Joel and <a href="/players/P____85372/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ethan Coen</a> write, produce, and direct this dark comedy, which will serve as the second in a two-picture deal that the siblings made with Focus Features and Working Title. The first film in the deal, entitled <a href=/films/296465/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Burn After Reading</a> and starring <a href="/players/P____56988/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Brad Pitt</a>, <a href="/players/P____13722/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>George Clooney</a>, and <a href="/players/P____47305/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Frances McDormand</a>, was set to go into production in the summer of 2007, with the production of A Serious Man scheduled to commence shortly thereafter. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide1125http://www.spout.com/images/no_image.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/A_Serious_Man/327897/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/It_s_a_Wonderful_Night_for_Oscar/Re_Oscar_Buzz_and_Awards_Season_2010/46/44564/1/ShowPost.aspxPost By: pippin06
Post To: It's a Wonderful Night for Oscar!
Post Date: 12/17/2009 12:39:18 AM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] What's your opinion of movies this year? I was looking at the Golden Globe nominations and I kind of realized there weren't that many movies this year that people were really going crazy about. I have no clue what movie would even have a chance of winning best picture. There is no stand out. Maybe there are a few more that will squeeze in here at the end of December?? Brothers seemed like it might have been a good drama. And I have a website that keeps highly recommending The Hurt Locker to me. Inglourious Basterds was quite fun and very cinematic, but do you really think an exploitation style movie like that has a chance of winning any awards? Do you think it was good enough to? I loved A Serious Man, but at this point I can't imagine ever not loving a new Coen brothers movie. I've heard great reviews, but not enough hubub to make me expect it to win much. Maybe it's like this every year though... [/quote] I think you are definitely right in the sense that the popular excitement around the awards season crop is at a new low. Another part of the reason I haven't been so devoted to this group/thread because the buzz has been very slow in coming....but it's coming now. Still, I don't hear people talking about these films as much as they are talking about Twilight and maybe Sherlock Holmes (which looks fun, though will likely see no awards gold). The biggest buzz is circling around Up in the Air, George Clooney's new vehicle about a frequent flyer who ponders his life from the many airports and planes he frequents. It has been very well reviewed (90% at Rotten Tomatoes in limited release; 83 at Metacritic) and may have the draw because of Clooney. So far, it is the most nominated film for the Globes and the Critics Choice awards (those group lists are in process...). The movie piques my interest for sure; I think it's an early front runner for Best Picture. I like George Clooney, and the story is actually intriguing and relevant to our current culture. I think Inglorious Basterds will see a lot of nominations, but I would be surprised if it won anything big. Perhaps screenplay...but it is a very niche film, and as creative as QT is, he never sees the love come awards season because of his very niche style. I haven't seen it yet, but maybe if the voters are younger and hipper (unlikely)... The Hurt Locker will be well nominated. It's timely and relevant, though its serious, timely, and relevant subject matter might not draw audiences until after the awards fanfare. I anticipate some acting award noms for this film, though the buzz for Best Actor has been coalescing around Colin Firth for A Single Man, about a gay professor who has lost his longtime partner and must cope with the help of his best friend Julianne Moore. A Serious Man will see the usual nominations for the Coens (writing; directing), but I would be surprised if it won. It is as not as well reviewed as their achievements of recent previous years, namely No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading (and oh, how I am so behind). Avatar, James Cameron's long-awaited over-budget scifi epic, I expect to win a bunch of the technical awards, particularly visual effects. Up, Pixar's latest effort, is the usual animated front-runner, though not by much - the Princess and the Frog (Disney's return to cel animation with African-American characters) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson does animation!) are very stiff competition for the otherwise almost-perfect Pixar. Brothers will get love for Tobey Maguire, at least as far as nominations, but that film has not been as well reviewed. I want to see it, because I love the three main leads (including Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal, whom I've often confused for Tobey Maguire in the past), but I don't expect it to get too many nominations and, thus, wins. Other likely (and actual) nominees include the film adaptation of the musical Nine, which was adapted from Fellini's 8 1/2, though that's not a critics' shoo-in; Invictus for Morgan Freeman's performance as post-apartheid Nelson Mandela; and Precious (see the page for the whole title) because it took home several film festival prizes. In fact, I'm just studying the two lists and remembering many of the reviews I usually read on imdb, Rotten Tomatoes, and the New York Times. I'm probably most excited to see Inglorious Basterds and Up in the Air of all of them as well as Fantastic Mr. Fox. Whether I get a chance to see any of them will be the real question in the coming months. So that's my two cents. Any other thoughts?
]]>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:39:18 GMTpippin06It's a Wonderful Night for Oscar!12/17/2009 12:39:18 AM[quote user="Risselada"] What's your opinion of movies this year? I was looking at the Golden Globe nominations and I kind of realized there weren't that many movies this year that people were really going crazy about. I have no clue what movie would even have a chance of winning best picture. There is no stand out. Maybe there are a few more that will squeeze in here at the end of December?? Brothers seemed like it might have been a good drama. And I have a website that keeps highly recommending The Hurt Locker to me. Inglourious Basterds was quite fun and very cinematic, but do you really think an exploitation style movie like that has a chance of winning any awards? Do you think it was good enough to? I loved A Serious Man, but at this point I can't imagine ever not loving a new Coen brothers movie. I've heard great reviews, but not enough hubub to make me expect it to win much. Maybe it's like this every year though... [/quote] I think you are definitely right in the sense that the popular excitement around the awards season crop is at a new low. Another part of the reason I haven't been so devoted to this group/thread because the buzz has been very slow in coming....but it's coming now. Still, I don't hear people talking about these films as much as they are talking about Twilight and maybe Sherlock Holmes (which looks fun, though will likely see no awards gold). The biggest buzz is circling around Up in the Air, George Clooney's new vehicle about a frequent flyer who ponders his life from the many airports and planes he frequents. It has been very well reviewed (90% at Rotten Tomatoes in limited release; 83 at Metacritic) and may have the draw because of Clooney. So far, it is the most nominated film for the Globes and the Critics Choice awards (those group lists are in process...). The movie piques my interest for sure; I think it's an early front runner for Best Picture. I like George Clooney, and the story is actually intriguing and relevant to our current culture. I think Inglorious Basterds will see a lot of nominations, but I would be surprised if it won anything big. Perhaps screenplay...but it is a very niche film, and as creative as QT is, he never sees the love come awards season because of his very niche style. I haven't seen it yet, but maybe if the voters are younger and hipper (unlikely)... The Hurt Locker will be well nominated. It's timely and relevant, though its serious, timely, and relevant subject matter might not draw audiences until after the awards fanfare. I anticipate some acting award noms for this film, though the buzz for Best Actor has been coalescing around Colin Firth for A Single Man, about a gay professor who has lost his longtime partner and must cope with the help of his best friend Julianne Moore. A Serious Man will see the usual nominations for the Coens (writing; directing), but I would be surprised if it won. It is as not as well reviewed as their achievements of recent previous years, namely No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading (and oh, how I am so behind). Avatar, James Cameron's long-awaited over-budget scifi epic, I expect to win a bunch of the technical awards, particularly visual effects. Up, Pixar's latest effort, is the usual animated front-runner, though not by much - the Princess and the Frog (Disney's return to cel animation with African-American characters) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson does animation!) are very stiff competition for the otherwise almost-perfect Pixar. Brothers will get love for Tobey Maguire, at least as far as nominations, but that film has not been as well reviewed. I want to see it, because I love the three main leads (including Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal, whom I've often confused for Tobey Maguire in the past), but I don't expect it to get too many nominations and, thus, wins. Other likely (and actual) nominees include the film adaptation of the musical Nine, which was adapted from Fellini's 8 1/2, though that's not a critics' shoo-in; Invictus for Morgan Freeman's performance as post-apartheid Nelson Mandela; and Precious (see the page for the whole title) because it took home several film festival prizes. In fact, I'm just studying the two lists and remembering many of the reviews I usually read on imdb, Rotten Tomatoes, and the New York Times. I'm probably most excited to see Inglorious Basterds and Up in the Air of all of them as well as Fantastic Mr. Fox. Whether I get a chance to see any of them will be the real question in the coming months. So that's my two cents. Any other thoughts? http://www.spout.com/groups/It_s_a_Wonderful_Night_for_Oscar/Re_Oscar_Buzz_and_Awards_Season_2010/46/44563/1/ShowPost.aspxPost By: Risselada
Post To: It's a Wonderful Night for Oscar!
Post Date: 12/16/2009 4:24:44 PM
Body: [quote user="pippin06"] Greetings group and Spout at large! I am late to the starting line this year, partially due to the fact that this website seems to be dying a slow death. Disagree? Sound off below! (I learned that from Mike Ausiello at ew.com). This thread is to discuss all Oscar buzz and the noms for the major Oscar predictors. As a reminder, those predictors are the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the Screen Actors' Guild awards, and the Directors' Guild awards. If the film or person wins an Oscar in at least one category, chances are, it won one of these awards first (and the preponderance of these award wins is pretty much a guarantee). In years past, I've devoted this thread to random news items. I may still, but my focus will not be as much on the news items or the buzz as it will be on the predictions, which will appear in a new thread after the Oscar noms come out in January/February. Keep checking back if you're interested. I will still develop the nom lists for all of the predictors and the Oscars, but I have been steadily working on what is known as the AFI Project (see my blog), and I'm so close to completing a list and having watched a good chunk of those films that I haven't been so focused on newer films. That will change in the coming months, I'm sure, but there it is. However, if YOU would like to talk buzz, this is the place to do it. Don't be shy! There are some obvious buzzworthy candidates already cropping up on the Golden Globes short lists, which were announced today. Feel free to discuss. I may check back to do the same on occasion. In the meantime, it's a wonderful season for Oscar! Let us Oscar-lovers rejoice...! [/quote] What's your opinion of movies this year? I was looking at the Golden Globe nominations and I kind of realized there weren't that many movies this year that people were really going crazy about. I have no clue what movie would even have a chance of winning best picture. There is no stand out. Maybe there are a few more that will squeeze in here at the end of December?? Brothers seemed like it might have been a good drama. And I have a website that keeps highly recommending The Hurt Locker to me. Inglourious Basterds was quite fun and very cinematic, but do you really think an exploitation style movie like that has a chance of winning any awards? Do you think it was good enough to? I loved A Serious Man, but at this point I can't imagine ever not loving a new Coen brothers movie. I've heard great reviews, but not enough hubub to make me expect it to win much. Maybe it's like this every year though...
]]>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:24:44 GMTRisseladaIt's a Wonderful Night for Oscar!12/16/2009 4:24:44 PM[quote user="pippin06"] Greetings group and Spout at large! I am late to the starting line this year, partially due to the fact that this website seems to be dying a slow death. Disagree? Sound off below! (I learned that from Mike Ausiello at ew.com). This thread is to discuss all Oscar buzz and the noms for the major Oscar predictors. As a reminder, those predictors are the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the Screen Actors' Guild awards, and the Directors' Guild awards. If the film or person wins an Oscar in at least one category, chances are, it won one of these awards first (and the preponderance of these award wins is pretty much a guarantee). In years past, I've devoted this thread to random news items. I may still, but my focus will not be as much on the news items or the buzz as it will be on the predictions, which will appear in a new thread after the Oscar noms come out in January/February. Keep checking back if you're interested. I will still develop the nom lists for all of the predictors and the Oscars, but I have been steadily working on what is known as the AFI Project (see my blog), and I'm so close to completing a list and having watched a good chunk of those films that I haven't been so focused on newer films. That will change in the coming months, I'm sure, but there it is. However, if YOU would like to talk buzz, this is the place to do it. Don't be shy! There are some obvious buzzworthy candidates already cropping up on the Golden Globes short lists, which were announced today. Feel free to discuss. I may check back to do the same on occasion. In the meantime, it's a wonderful season for Oscar! Let us Oscar-lovers rejoice...! [/quote] What's your opinion of movies this year? I was looking at the Golden Globe nominations and I kind of realized there weren't that many movies this year that people were really going crazy about. I have no clue what movie would even have a chance of winning best picture. There is no stand out. Maybe there are a few more that will squeeze in here at the end of December?? Brothers seemed like it might have been a good drama. And I have a website that keeps highly recommending The Hurt Locker to me. Inglourious Basterds was quite fun and very cinematic, but do you really think an exploitation style movie like that has a chance of winning any awards? Do you think it was good enough to? I loved A Serious Man, but at this point I can't imagine ever not loving a new Coen brothers movie. I've heard great reviews, but not enough hubub to make me expect it to win much. Maybe it's like this every year though... http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/11/17/44382.aspxPost 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/Coming_Soon/Re_Is_anyone_out_there_excited_about_any_upcoming/216/42731/1/ShowPost.aspxPost By: Risselada
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 6/19/2009 2:44:15 PM
Body: [quote user="dakidhasdough"] Hey there folks. I just want to get a heads up and see if anyone out there is excited for any upcoming release in the drama/comedy category. I don't mind foreign language films. Thanks. [/quote] I'm not sure how soon these are coming out, but these are ones that are in completed or post-production stages that I'm looking forward to: A Serious Man The Rum Diary The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Inglorious Basterds Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans The Tree of Life This is largely based on who is directing these films.
]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:44:15 GMTRisseladaComing Soon6/19/2009 2:44:15 PM[quote user="dakidhasdough"] Hey there folks. I just want to get a heads up and see if anyone out there is excited for any upcoming release in the drama/comedy category. I don't mind foreign language films. Thanks. [/quote] I'm not sure how soon these are coming out, but these are ones that are in completed or post-production stages that I'm looking forward to: A Serious Man The Rum Diary The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Inglorious Basterds Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans The Tree of Life This is largely based on who is directing these films. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_April_20_Abducted/625/41807/1/ShowPost.aspxPost By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 4/27/2009 12:30:03 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] Well it seems lots of other people liked it but I thought Taken was really rather weak. But we can talk about it anyway because it fits the theme. On of the most drastic differences between the quality of an original film and it's remake has got to be Spoorles and The Vanishing. Unfortunately for me, I had the misfortune of seeing the remake first, which kinda ruined the original for me. So far my favorite Kurosawa film is still High and Low, which is a gripping story about a kidnapping and ransom of a young boy. Everyone should watch this film. It works on pretty much every level imaginable. The cinematography is absolutely brilliant. And y'all know by now that I can't talk about kidnapping (or any other theme) without bringing up the Brothers Coen. These guys have somewhat of a kidnapping trilogy of sorts with Raising Arizona, Fargo and The Big Lebowski. These films together raise the most important question: If you were kidnapped, who would you rather have looking for you. [/quote] You are right, the Coens are the kings of kidnapping movies. And more in general their films usually involve some kind of scheme for getting money, if not kidnapping, then some kind of ransom, blackmail, heist, scheme, robbery, etc... In fact, looking over their filmography, the only movie of the 13 they have directed that doesn't involve something like this that I can think of is Barton Fink. And even that I think has some element of businessmen trying to manipulate for more money. I would be surprised if their next film A Serious Man doesn't feature someone attempting to scheme for huge sums of money, even though the descriptions of it make no mention of anything like that. Spoorloos is a great mention in this category! I think I will avoid seeing the remake ever. Doesn't sound like there is any reason to. When mentioning that movie I always have to mention that the music at the end is probably the creepiest music I've ever heard. Also, the bad guy is so identifiable, to me at least. I am always wondering what would happen if I took that step from imagining these occasional strange compulsions in my head to actually doing them! Not that I think I ever will, but maybe that's why this movie is good to watch. Have you seen Buffalo '66? That is one of the stranger kidnappings in a film. You almost start to forget she was actually kidnapped after a while.
]]>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:30:03 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme4/27/2009 12:30:03 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] Well it seems lots of other people liked it but I thought Taken was really rather weak. But we can talk about it anyway because it fits the theme. On of the most drastic differences between the quality of an original film and it's remake has got to be Spoorles and The Vanishing. Unfortunately for me, I had the misfortune of seeing the remake first, which kinda ruined the original for me. So far my favorite Kurosawa film is still High and Low, which is a gripping story about a kidnapping and ransom of a young boy. Everyone should watch this film. It works on pretty much every level imaginable. The cinematography is absolutely brilliant. And y'all know by now that I can't talk about kidnapping (or any other theme) without bringing up the Brothers Coen. These guys have somewhat of a kidnapping trilogy of sorts with Raising Arizona, Fargo and The Big Lebowski. These films together raise the most important question: If you were kidnapped, who would you rather have looking for you. [/quote] You are right, the Coens are the kings of kidnapping movies. And more in general their films usually involve some kind of scheme for getting money, if not kidnapping, then some kind of ransom, blackmail, heist, scheme, robbery, etc... In fact, looking over their filmography, the only movie of the 13 they have directed that doesn't involve something like this that I can think of is Barton Fink. And even that I think has some element of businessmen trying to manipulate for more money. I would be surprised if their next film A Serious Man doesn't feature someone attempting to scheme for huge sums of money, even though the descriptions of it make no mention of anything like that. Spoorloos is a great mention in this category! I think I will avoid seeing the remake ever. Doesn't sound like there is any reason to. When mentioning that movie I always have to mention that the music at the end is probably the creepiest music I've ever heard. Also, the bad guy is so identifiable, to me at least. I am always wondering what would happen if I took that step from imagining these occasional strange compulsions in my head to actually doing them! Not that I think I ever will, but maybe that's why this movie is good to watch. Have you seen Buffalo '66? That is one of the stranger kidnappings in a film. You almost start to forget she was actually kidnapped after a while. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/12/35065.aspxPost By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/12/2008 2:00:54 PM
Body: Everybody remembers the bigger name Coen Bros. regulars, such as John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, Billy Bob Thornton and now George Clooney. And of course, there are the one-shot stars, like Nicolas Cage, Gabriel Byrne, Jeff Bridges, William H. Macy, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julianne Moore, Paul Newman, Albert Finney, Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins and now Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. But who ever talks about Michael Lerner? He received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Barton Fink, yet he never seems to get the same kind of respect that Javier Bardem gets, and it’s not just because Bardem won the award for No Country for Old Men. With their new film, Burn After Reading, the Coens have again recast some lesser known character actors that I hope get the recognition they deserve. Both Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons have previously appeared in the Coens’ films, but each has seriously risen in notability since their last collaboration with the filmmakers. Hopefully, they’ll continue to be cast by the brothers. Obviously, all my favorite Coen Bros. actors can’t be in every Coen Bros. movie (especially since some of them are dead). And interestingly enough, the brothers’ next film, A Serious Man, is being cast with (so far) only actors they’ve never employed. So, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the less-recognized actors and actresses who have done tremendous work for Joel and Ethan, not so much in the hopes that they’ll be re-employed (some can’t be) but in the general interest of giving them some much-needed praise. Tony Shalhoub (Barton Fink; The Man Who Wasn’t There) At the rate he’s going with his Coens film appearances, he’s due for another role come 2011. And seeing as his hit TV series Monk may be in its final season, the guy is probably going to be available. I’ve highlighted his performance as the defense attorney Freddy Riedenschneider, from The Man Who Wasn’t There, above, but be sure to also take another look at his portrayal of movie producer Ben Geisler, from Barton Fink, which can also be seen on YouTube. Stephen Root (O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Ladykillers; No Country for Old Men) I got so excited when I saw Root in No Country for Old Men, but he was again underutilized. After appearing in three of the Coens’ films, the actor best known for playing Milton in Office Space and Jimmy James on TV’s News Radio, is due for a more substantial role. In fact, he really needs to be getting better parts in general, not just in the works of the Coens. In the video above he can be seen as the blind character credited only as “Radio Station Man.” Jon Polito (Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; The Big Lebowski; The Man Who Wasn’t There) He’s been really great in five Coen Bros. films, so it’s a shame he’s not as well-known as Turturro or Buscemi. For some reason, only the Coens seem to employ him in worthwhile roles, and even they haven’t been able to give him as juicy a part as he had in Miller’s Crossing. He really shines here, and he’s got some memorable lines (”did somebody hit you?”; “always put one in the head”). In the selected scene, Polito opens the film with a monologue about ethics. I love it when he gets so angry that his whole bald head turns bright purple. For a great montage of his work, produced for his reception of a special award at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, check out this other clip, too. Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski) Obviously by including Hoffman on this list I don’t mean to claim he’s an underappreciated actor. He’s certainly recognized as one of the best we’ve got. But his bit work in The Big Lebowski often goes forgotten, despite it being yet another fine performance by Hoffman, even for such a minor role as the Big Lebowski’s assistant, Brandt. The Oscar-winner more recently worked with the Coens for a radio play titled “Sawbones,” but it would be great to see him work with the brothers again on camera. Trey Wilson (Raising Arizona) One of my favorite scenes in my favorite Coen Bros. movie (Raising Arizona) is the one in which the late, great Trey Wilson, as Nathan Arizona, gets extremely frustrated with the police investigating his son’s kidnapping (best line: “They were jammies. They had Yodas ‘n’ shit on ‘em!”). Wilson’s part isn’t huge, but he makes it seem like it is. And considering how many talented character actors appear in the film, it’s no small feat to deliver such a standout performance. Unfortunately, none of his scenes are separately available on YouTube, but the above clip is at least primarily the police investigation scene. M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple; Raising Arizona) I must confess something horrible: while compiling this list, I discovered that M. Emmet Walsh is alive. See, I’ve always confused him with J.T. Walsh, who died ten years ago. And when planning out this piece, it was constantly in my mind that I was featuring two deceased actors — Trey Wilson and M. Emmet. I guess it hasn’t helped my confusion that M.E. Walsh hasn’t really done much of worth in the decade since we lost J.T. (Roger Ebert’s “Stanton-Walsh Rule” was said to be broken after Walsh appeared in Wild Wild West). Anyway, I’m ecstatic that he’s still around, and my desire to celebrate his Coen Bros. roles isn’t changed one bit. In an even smaller part than Wilson’s, Walsh is also quite memorable in Raising Arizona as H.I.’s machine shop co-worker who won’t stop yapping (”… his sandwich in one hand, the fuckin’ head in the other…”). But it’s for his more prominent role in Blood Simple, as a scummy private dick, that the rarely leading actor should be remembered when he actually does pass on. I’m always astonished that after giving such a terrific performance in their debut, Walsh wasn’t utilized by the Coens more. Also, they probably should have worked again with Dan Hedaya, another great character actor who can be seen opposite Walsh in the selected clip from Blood Simple above. Michael Badalucco (Miller’s Crossing; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Man Who Wasn’t There) It was great seeing Badalucco cast in a major role for The Man Who Wasn’t There, but I get more excited over his short but recurring stint as George “Don’t Call Him Babyface” Nelson in O Brother. His portrayal of the in-and-out, seemingly bipolar bank robber, he’s like a regenerating firecracker, exploding then fizzling then later exploding again. I wish there were more of his scenes available online, but since his police chase bit seems only to be found in Italian, I’ve highlighted his final appearance in the film, which can be seen near the end of the above clip. William Forsythe (Raising Arizona) If you were to judge Forsythe based on just any random role, such as his FBI agent from last year’s 88 Minutes, you might accept him as simply a serviceable supporting actor, hardly someone to honor in even one-tenth of a list on a blog. But look at a more selective sampling of his work — specifically his performances in The Waterdance, Dick Tracy, Palookaville and Raising Arizona — and you’ll see that he has more range than he’s probably given credit for. While watching him as the rather simple-minded Evelle Snoats in Arizona, in fact, I often forget that he’s the same guy that was later reunited with Nicolas Cage (as a fellow FBI agent) in The Rock. Though he’s somewhat overshadowed by his onscreen big brother, played by John Goodman, he does get in a good amount of memorable lines and actions, as you can see in the clip above. John Carroll Lynch (Fargo) Norm Gunderson is such a thankless role, especially since it’s so overshadowed by the Oscar-winning performance by Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson. But it came early in Lynch’s career, which is still not rising as fast as it maybe should be, and now it’s time for the understated yet often hilarious and/or creepy actor to properly appear in a more comedic Coen Bros. part. For lack of a precise clip, I’ve featured a montage reel of Lynch’s work, which includes one of his scenes from Fargo as well as some of his more showy roles, like his recurring cross-dressing character from The Drew Carrey Show. Another one of his scenes as Norm can also be found at the end of another montage reel specifically spotlighting his comedy work. Beth Grant (No Country for Old Men) You kind of want to hate her for how inadvertently awful her character is in No Country, but the Coen Bros. are too good at giving us such wonderfully irksome characters, like Glen (Sam McMurry) in Raising Arizona, Gaear (Peter Stormare) in Fargo and Homer Stokes (Wayne Duvall) in O Brother. And Grant is so good at delivering such delectably despicable performances that her part as Carla Jean’s mother left me wanting more. Considering the Coens rarely reuse previously employed actresses (McDormand is a constant probably more because she’s Joel’s wife than because she’s such a talent, and both Holly Hunter and Jennifer Jason Leigh have just barely been recast), it would be even more of a treat if they someday work with Grant again. Between the distinctness of her physical features and voice and her ability to be so nasty makes her a perfect candidate for future Coen Bros. movies. Because no clips of her in No Country could be found — plus most of her scenes would include spoilers anyway — I’ve showcased her other most memorable and hated character from Donnie Darko. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:00:54 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/12/2008 2:00:54 PM Everybody remembers the bigger name Coen Bros. regulars, such as John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, Billy Bob Thornton and now George Clooney. And of course, there are the one-shot stars, like Nicolas Cage, Gabriel Byrne, Jeff Bridges, William H. Macy, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julianne Moore, Paul Newman, Albert Finney, Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins and now Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. But who ever talks about Michael Lerner? He received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Barton Fink, yet he never seems to get the same kind of respect that Javier Bardem gets, and it’s not just because Bardem won the award for No Country for Old Men. With their new film, Burn After Reading, the Coens have again recast some lesser known character actors that I hope get the recognition they deserve. Both Richard Jenkins and J.K. Simmons have previously appeared in the Coens’ films, but each has seriously risen in notability since their last collaboration with the filmmakers. Hopefully, they’ll continue to be cast by the brothers. Obviously, all my favorite Coen Bros. actors can’t be in every Coen Bros. movie (especially since some of them are dead). And interestingly enough, the brothers’ next film, A Serious Man, is being cast with (so far) only actors they’ve never employed. So, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the less-recognized actors and actresses who have done tremendous work for Joel and Ethan, not so much in the hopes that they’ll be re-employed (some can’t be) but in the general interest of giving them some much-needed praise. Tony Shalhoub (Barton Fink; The Man Who Wasn’t There) At the rate he’s going with his Coens film appearances, he’s due for another role come 2011. And seeing as his hit TV series Monk may be in its final season, the guy is probably going to be available. I’ve highlighted his performance as the defense attorney Freddy Riedenschneider, from The Man Who Wasn’t There, above, but be sure to also take another look at his portrayal of movie producer Ben Geisler, from Barton Fink, which can also be seen on YouTube. Stephen Root (O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Ladykillers; No Country for Old Men) I got so excited when I saw Root in No Country for Old Men, but he was again underutilized. After appearing in three of the Coens’ films, the actor best known for playing Milton in Office Space and Jimmy James on TV’s News Radio, is due for a more substantial role. In fact, he really needs to be getting better parts in general, not just in the works of the Coens. In the video above he can be seen as the blind character credited only as “Radio Station Man.” Jon Polito (Miller’s Crossing; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy; The Big Lebowski; The Man Who Wasn’t There) He’s been really great in five Coen Bros. films, so it’s a shame he’s not as well-known as Turturro or Buscemi. For some reason, only the Coens seem to employ him in worthwhile roles, and even they haven’t been able to give him as juicy a part as he had in Miller’s Crossing. He really shines here, and he’s got some memorable lines (”did somebody hit you?”; “always put one in the head”). In the selected scene, Polito opens the film with a monologue about ethics. I love it when he gets so angry that his whole bald head turns bright purple. For a great montage of his work, produced for his reception of a special award at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, check out this other clip, too. Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski) Obviously by including Hoffman on this list I don’t mean to claim he’s an underappreciated actor. He’s certainly recognized as one of the best we’ve got. But his bit work in The Big Lebowski often goes forgotten, despite it being yet another fine performance by Hoffman, even for such a minor role as the Big Lebowski’s assistant, Brandt. The Oscar-winner more recently worked with the Coens for a radio play titled “Sawbones,” but it would be great to see him work with the brothers again on camera. Trey Wilson (Raising Arizona) One of my favorite scenes in my favorite Coen Bros. movie (Raising Arizona) is the one in which the late, great Trey Wilson, as Nathan Arizona, gets extremely frustrated with the police investigating his son’s kidnapping (best line: “They were jammies. They had Yodas ‘n’ shit on ‘em!”). Wilson’s part isn’t huge, but he makes it seem like it is. And considering how many talented character actors appear in the film, it’s no small feat to deliver such a standout performance. Unfortunately, none of his scenes are separately available on YouTube, but the above clip is at least primarily the police investigation scene. M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple; Raising Arizona) I must confess something horrible: while compiling this list, I discovered that M. Emmet Walsh is alive. See, I’ve always confused him with J.T. Walsh, who died ten years ago. And when planning out this piece, it was constantly in my mind that I was featuring two deceased actors — Trey Wilson and M. Emmet. I guess it hasn’t helped my confusion that M.E. Walsh hasn’t really done much of worth in the decade since we lost J.T. (Roger Ebert’s “Stanton-Walsh Rule” was said to be broken after Walsh appeared in Wild Wild West). Anyway, I’m ecstatic that he’s still around, and my desire to celebrate his Coen Bros. roles isn’t changed one bit. In an even smaller part than Wilson’s, Walsh is also quite memorable in Raising Arizona as H.I.’s machine shop co-worker who won’t stop yapping (”… his sandwich in one hand, the fuckin’ head in the other…”). But it’s for his more prominent role in Blood Simple, as a scummy private dick, that the rarely leading actor should be remembered when he actually does pass on. I’m always astonished that after giving such a terrific performance in their debut, Walsh wasn’t utilized by the Coens more. Also, they probably should have worked again with Dan Hedaya, another great character actor who can be seen opposite Walsh in the selected clip from Blood Simple above. Michael Badalucco (Miller’s Crossing; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Man Who Wasn’t There) It was great seeing Badalucco cast in a major role for The Man Who Wasn’t There, but I get more excited over his short but recurring stint as George “Don’t Call Him Babyface” Nelson in O Brother. His portrayal of the in-and-out, seemingly bipolar bank robber, he’s like a regenerating firecracker, exploding then fizzling then later exploding again. I wish there were more of his scenes available online, but since his police chase bit seems only to be found in Italian, I’ve highlighted his final appearance in the film, which can be seen near the end of the above clip. William Forsythe (Raising Arizona) If you were to judge Forsythe based on just any random role, such as his FBI agent from last year’s 88 Minutes, you might accept him as simply a serviceable supporting actor, hardly someone to honor in even one-tenth of a list on a blog. But look at a more selective sampling of his work — specifically his performances in The Waterdance, Dick Tracy, Palookaville and Raising Arizona — and you’ll see that he has more range than he’s probably given credit for. While watching him as the rather simple-minded Evelle Snoats in Arizona, in fact, I often forget that he’s the same guy that was later reunited with Nicolas Cage (as a fellow FBI agent) in The Rock. Though he’s somewhat overshadowed by his onscreen big brother, played by John Goodman, he does get in a good amount of memorable lines and actions, as you can see in the clip above. John Carroll Lynch (Fargo) Norm Gunderson is such a thankless role, especially since it’s so overshadowed by the Oscar-winning performance by Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson. But it came early in Lynch’s career, which is still not rising as fast as it maybe should be, and now it’s time for the understated yet often hilarious and/or creepy actor to properly appear in a more comedic Coen Bros. part. For lack of a precise clip, I’ve featured a montage reel of Lynch’s work, which includes one of his scenes from Fargo as well as some of his more showy roles, like his recurring cross-dressing character from The Drew Carrey Show. Another one of his scenes as Norm can also be found at the end of another montage reel specifically spotlighting his comedy work. Beth Grant (No Country for Old Men) You kind of want to hate her for how inadvertently awful her character is in No Country, but the Coen Bros. are too good at giving us such wonderfully irksome characters, like Glen (Sam McMurry) in Raising Arizona, Gaear (Peter Stormare) in Fargo and Homer Stokes (Wayne Duvall) in O Brother. And Grant is so good at delivering such delectably despicable performances that her part as Carla Jean’s mother left me wanting more. Considering the Coens rarely reuse previously employed actresses (McDormand is a constant probably more because she’s Joel’s wife than because she’s such a talent, and both Holly Hunter and Jennifer Jason Leigh have just barely been recast), it would be even more of a treat if they someday work with Grant again. Between the distinctness of her physical features and voice and her ability to be so nasty makes her a perfect candidate for future Coen Bros. movies. Because no clips of her in No Country could be found — plus most of her scenes would include spoilers anyway — I’ve showcased her other most memorable and hated character from Donnie Darko. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
Number of films tagged: 1087

Number of people who tagged: 253

Number of times used: 1342

]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:38:30 GMT10872531342Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drama/MemberTagFilms.aspxdrama
Number of films tagged: 527

Number of people who tagged: 102

Number of times used: 627

]]>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:01:29 GMT527102627Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/money/MemberTagFilms.aspxmoney
Number of films tagged: 508

Number of people who tagged: 46

Number of times used: 145

]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:03:25 GMT50846145Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/divorce/MemberTagFilms.aspxdivorce
Number of films tagged: 1042

Number of people who tagged: 45

Number of times used: 121

]]>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:35:44 GMT104245121Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/marijuana/MemberTagFilms.aspxmarijuana
Number of films tagged: 165

Number of people who tagged: 24

Number of times used: 82

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:26 GMT1652482Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/student/MemberTagFilms.aspxstudent
Number of films tagged: 1420

Number of people who tagged: 24

Number of times used: 63

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:35:57 GMT14202463Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/professor/MemberTagFilms.aspxprofessor
Number of films tagged: 742

Number of people who tagged: 22

Number of times used: 39

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:14 GMT7422239Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/bully/MemberTagFilms.aspxbully
Number of films tagged: 232

Number of people who tagged: 21

Number of times used: 29

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:42 GMT2322129Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/dentist/MemberTagFilms.aspxdentist
Number of films tagged: 101

Number of people who tagged: 12

Number of times used: 16

]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:32:30 GMT1011216Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/minnesota/MemberTagFilms.aspxminnesota
Number of films tagged: 8

Number of people who tagged: 10

Number of times used: 11

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:29:42 GMT81011Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/telephone/MemberTagFilms.aspxtelephone
Number of films tagged: 123

Number of people who tagged: 10

Number of times used: 24

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:15:40 GMT1231024Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/car-crash/MemberTagFilms.aspxcar-crash
Number of films tagged: 12

Number of people who tagged: 6

Number of times used: 13

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:13:16 GMT12613Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/tornado/MemberTagFilms.aspxtornado
Number of films tagged: 80

Number of people who tagged: 6

Number of times used: 7

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:15:01 GMT8067Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/phone/MemberTagFilms.aspxphone
Number of films tagged: 16

Number of people who tagged: 5

Number of times used: 17

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:15:40 GMT16517Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rabbi/MemberTagFilms.aspxrabbi
Number of films tagged: 47

Number of people who tagged: 4

Number of times used: 5

]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:11:03 GMT4745Tag