When Fargo was released 20 years ago, its subsequent success would have seemed unlikely, even impossible. The Coen brothers’ three previous films had all failed at the box office, despite receiving glowing reviews. On its surface the film would seem too dark and too violent to ever attract audiences, another flop in the making. But …
In his 30-year career as a composer, Carter Burwell’s film scores have run the veritable cinematic gamut. From composing for Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation., Where the Wild Things Are) to his work being the best parts of the Twilight saga, Burwell’s résumé is sporadic and unconventional, even for a man who makes film music for …
The Conversation is a feature at PopOptiq bringing together Drew Morton and Landon Palmer in a passionate debate about cinema new and old. For their twelfth piece, they discuss Terry Zwigoff’s irreverent entry in the holiday canon, Bad Santa (2003). DREW’S TAKE Re-watching the theatrical cut of Terry Zwigoff’s Bad Santa (2003) for the first time since its release, I …
It’s always a treat to hear what the Coen Brothers are up to. With their latest film Hail, Caesar! having just wrapped, it’s no surprise that the famous duo are looking for a new project. According to Deadline, the Coen Brothers are set to write and possibly direct an adaptation of Kenneth Millar’s crime novel Black Money …
30. Apollo 13 (1995) Lost to: Braveheart In 1995, director Ron Howard brought a true life story of hope in the face of peril and started sweeping up awards. He won the Directors Guild Award. He won the Producers Guild Award. He won the Screen Actors Guild Ensemble Award. He lost the Golden Globe Drama to …
It’s that time of the year again when the British Academy of Film and Television Arts celebrates the best of the cinematic world. With the awards taking place just shy of a month before the Academy Awards, it is time to start making those all-important predictions. Part 1 will cover: – Best British Film – …
‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ is an emotional hand grenade of a film, where its uncommon power will come hours or even days after seeing it.
Fargo Directed by Joel Coen Written by Joel and Ethan Coen 1996, USA The Coen brothers are a breed of their own, seamlessly melding quiet, unrelenting humor with often brutal violence. Their films present wild irony, eccentricity, and post-modern takes on classic genre films. I have always been a huge fan, from Raising Arizona to …
‘True Grit’ 1969, written by Marguerite Roberts and directed by Henry Hathaway. Starring John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Jeff Corey and Kim Darcy. ‘True Grit’ 2010, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on True Grit by Charles Portis. Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and introducing Hailee Steinfeld. …
She Monkeys Directed by Lisa Aschan Written by Lisa Aschan and Josefine Adolfsson Sweden, 2011 Oscar Levant once said, “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity”. Perhaps Levant was a genius (or perhaps he was insane), but the truth within his aphorism is both pithy and well documented. In cinema, the most notable auteurs …
Having focused perhaps too much attention on the negatives in cinema during recent musings, whether it’s the possibly warped conservatism of the Oscars, or films that are depressingly poor, time has come for this writer to look at some positives. So what could be more positive than the films that you simply must watch again, …
Chris Clemente, Justine Smith and Ricky D each choose their ten most anticipated films of 2012. The list begins with Chris’s picks. Click “Next Ten” at the bottom of the page to continue on. Please note: These lists are in no particular order. 2012 is shaping out to be a banner year for Hollywood blockbusters. …
Tim Doyle has created seven incredible art prints inspired by the movies of Quentin Tarantino for the upcoming art show put on by Spoke Art opening Thursday in New York City. As fans of both the Coen brothers and Tarantino, we’ve been following the show for a few weeks now, posting some of the great …
We recently posted an article (along with some images) about the upcoming Quentin vs. Coen – art show by Spoke Art. The show is you guessed it, a tribute to the films of Tarantino and the Brothers”, a followup to last year’s highly successful Bad Dads – a tribute to Wes Anderson. Ken Harman (founder …
It was reported a while back that Spike Jonze (Where The Wild Things Are) and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman are teaming up for their third collaboration together after the critically acclaimed hits Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. According to Deadline the project is in negotiations to be picked by Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures, and is “a …
True Grit surprisingly stands as the Coen brother’s biggest box-office success to date. The film opened wider than any Coen brothers film, across 3,047 venues, and yet earned a robust $8,402 per-theater average—a validation of the film’s strength in the marketplace. The film’s success could be attributed to several facts: The simple case of the …
A Serious Man Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Written by Joel and Ethan Coen 2009, USA The Coens are getting positively prolific these days, treating their hardcore fans with a movie a year, and with their latest release, A Serious Man they have taken the comedic strand of their work into uncharted waters …
Burn After Reading 2008, USA Directed by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Produced by Tim Bevan, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Eric Fellner Starring: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovitch, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt There’s a fine line between cynical black comedy and sociopathy. On one side of it, you …