Jump to content

Eric Atreides

THE COEN BROTHERS COUNTDOWN | List complete! How did your fave do?????

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, Jake Gittes said:

 

Curious you focus on that given that the movie is a lot more ambivalent and ironic I feel. The Hollywood people may be unscrupulous capitalists but at least e.g. Shalhoub's character is honest about it where Barton is arrogant and delusional, never caring to listen to the "common man" he's supposedly the voice of - he doesn't back up his High Culture cred with any actual substance (that we get to see, IIRC), so how much is it worth in his case really? He's not a totally unsympathetic character but he definitely gets taken down a peg, and he has it coming.

True, Barton is at fault for his character and ego and his own descent, but the film is still very much a slam against the commodification of art and writing in terms of its depiction of Hollywood and its figures. There is a sense of frustration in the way the system is run that does eat into Barton and play into his own self-destruction. And there's something that I empathize with seeing how Barton, despite his own wrongdoing, is further exacberated by people who don't get or understand the craft. But of course, Barton Fink as a film is very much an "eyes of the beholder" text that your interpretation is for sure valid and there's plenty of nuance in both of our statements.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



#7

Raising Arizona

137 points, 20 lists

"Edwina's insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase."

MV5BOGUwZTEwZTYtZmQ0OS00NmM1LWE2ZTQtNjZi

 

#2 placements: 3

#3 placements: 1

Top 5 placements: 11

Box Office: $22.8M DOM, $29.2M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Metacritic: 69

Awards: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Ranked #31 in AFI's Top 100 Comedies and #45 on Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies. Reportedly the last movie the Coens "made that made any significant amount of money". An all-time favorite for Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, and Spike Lee. Gave Randall "Tex" Cobb a paycheck.

 

Commentary: And speaking of Looney Tunes, Raising Arizona is perhaps the silliest, the weirdest, the downright goofiest film ever made by Joel and Ethan. The premise is already a strange one, as two infertile hillbillies kidnap a baby. And it leads to one of the most insane films ever made. The comedy and humor is turned up to 11 with classic bits of mugging, hilarious bits of visual humor, and a universe full of crazy, offbeat characters. This is all capped off with some of the best directed comedy scenes ever and a car chase that is absolutely golden, with joke after joke after joke, all hitting like bullseyes. It’s incredible to think this was only their second movie.

 

The Coens designed this film to be a complete departure from everything Blood Simple was, which is absolutely brilliant. It not only allowed the filmmakers to get out of their comfort zone, but show the world they are more than just one thing. They have the power to make movies that aren’t just the dark comedy crime thrillers that their first film presented. And while the latter is what people know them best for, Raising Arizona still shows there is more under the hood. That they have a movie for everybody. And that’s more important than anything else, really.

 

BTW Nicolas Cage is sooooooooo sexy in this movie. That moustache is just oml 😍

 

 

  • Like 13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

#6

Inside Llewyn Davis

144 points, 21 lists

"Folk singer with a cat. You queer?"

MV5BMjAxNjcyNDQxM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzU2

 

 

#1 placements: 1

#2 placements: 2

#3 placements: 2

Top 5 placements: 8

Box Office: $13.2M DOM, $33M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Metacritic: 93

Awards: Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, 2 Academy Award nominations, 3 BAFTA Award nominations, 4 Critics Choice Award nominations, 3 Golden Globe Award nominations, 3 Independent Spirit Award nominations

 

Its Legacy: Appeared in AFI's and NBR's Top 10 Films of the Year. #11 on NYT's "Best Movies of the 21st Century So Far". #14 on Rolling Stone's "50 Best Movies of the 2010s". Brought to light the life of Dave Van Ronk. Brought the Cones back with T Bone Burnett post-O Brother. Joined the Criterion Collection in 2016. Was criticized by some folk music circles. Gave Justin Timberlake a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Yeah this movie’s also funny and the folk music is wonderful. Kind of surprised the soundtrack didn’t take off like O Brother’s did if I’m being honest. But its main storyline is a brutal one. Llewyn Davis’ quest, really, is finding purpose. He’s a man who is passionate about his art, but nobody wants to listen to him or give him even the most basic of courtesy. It only shuts him down and makes him more isolated from the world and feel as if the universe is out to get him.

 

It’s an oddly relatable feeling. While Davis is not the kindest person out there, the feeling that there’s nobody who understands what you are going through...that’s relatable. A little too relatable in some cases. But that’s what film is all about. Places where we discover ourselves and find new truths.

 

 

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites



#5

Garfield: The Movie

171 points, 26 lists

"If I didn't have a box over my head, I'd be humiliated."

6793758_so.jpg

 

#1 placements: 2

#3 placements: 2

Top 5 placements: 10

Box Office: $75.4M DOM, $203.2M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 14%

Metacritic: 27

Awards: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Brought the popular comic strip to the mainstream. Showed the world the importance of keeping your pets spayed and neuteured. Made people aware about the good tastiness of Wendy's via subtle product placement. Boosted sales of lasagna ten-fold. Garnered a sequel and a reboot with Christ Pratt. Gave Stephen Tobolowsky a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Did you guys know that this is a Coen brothers movie? Joel Coen himself wrote the screenplay and I guess directed it under the pseudonym Peter Hewitt? Odd choice, but I respect that. Anyways, while Garfield was slammed by critics, there’s a lot to like just on the concept alone. Garfield has always been a fascinating character who embraces sloth and gluttony, making him a morally complex figure that audiences are still oddly supportive of. A perfect Coens figure right alongside Anton Chigurh.

 

And with Bill Murray expertly delivering the voice to this character laden with nuance and sarcasm, we have a comedy that features tons of charm, a thrilling story, plenty of laughs and a weirdly high level of Wendy’s product placement. And it seems people here really wanted to stick it to the critics, because of just how high it placed. So good on you guys for voting against the grain and supporting a movie from the heart. It's clear, since almost everybody voted for this seemingly slight and drab kids movie that this is a real, true classic to so many of you. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go get a Baconator. And maybe some lasagna too while I’m at it.

  • Haha 3
  • Astonished 3
  • Disbelief 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



#5

True Grit

171 points, 26 lists

"You must pay for everything in this world, one way or another. There is nothing free except the grace of God."

MV5BMTU5MjU3MTI4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTQx

#1 placements: 2

#3 placements: 2

Top 5 placements: 10

Box Office: $171.2M DOM, $252.3M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Metacritic: 80

Awards: 10 Academy Award nominations,

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "What strikes me is that I'm describing the story and the film as if it were simply, if admirably, a good Western. That's a surprise to me, because this is a film by the Coen Brothers, and this is the first straight genre exercise in their career. It's a loving one. Their craftsmanship is a wonder. Their casting is always inspired and exact. The cinematography by Roger Deakins reminds us of the glory that was, and can still be, the Western."

 

Its Legacy: The highest-grossing Coen Brothers movie of all time. One of the highest-grossing Westerns ever. The epic debut of Hailee Steinfeld (paging @WrathOfHan). Became the definitive interpretation of the 1968 novel. Forced Jeff Bridges to do the same voice for a decade plus. Gave Barry Pepper a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Adapting a popular book is hard. Adapting one of the great American novels is harder. But picture adapting one of the great American novels when it already has an amazing film adaptation already. 1969 saw True Grit, based on the 1968 book. And this John Wayne starrer was already canonized as an instant classic, noted for its strong story, great box office, and for giving John Wayne his only Academy Award. So having to make a new True Grit under the shadow of an already revered classic was tough.

 

So did Joel and Ethan succeed? Well, not only did it too earn Oscar gold (well not actual Oscar gold but a bunch of nominations. You know what I mean), but their take is oft-considered superior and the definitive interpretation of Charles Portis’ novel. This is the film people now think of when they hear the title “True Grit”. And who can blame them really? It’s a well-crafted, well-acted, engaging Western drama with high stakes and surprisingly restrained direction. The eccentricities found in the Coens’ other works isn’t really here all that much. It’s a very traditional, yet very profound take on the source material that still allows for great drama and incredible sequences.

 

At least until we get to the ending. Following the original novel, the final few minutes are vague, confusing, and full of complex emotions, a contrast to the classic Hollywood ending of the 1969 film. And it’s this ending that ties everything together and still shows this is a Coens film in its blood and DNA. This is the highest-grossing film the brothers have ever made and will likely stay that way barring them directing a Transformers movie or something. And it’s good to know one of their best has that distinction and hopefully introduced the many youngsters who first saw it in 2010 to dozens more iconic and memorable films.

 

 

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

#4

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

177 points, X lists

"Damn! We're in a tight spot!"

MV5BMjZkOTdmMWItOTkyNy00MDdjLTlhNTQtYzU3

 

 

#1 placements: 2

#2 placements: 2

#3 placements: 4

Top 5 placements: 12

Box Office: $45.5M DOM, $71.9M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 78%

Metacritic: 69

Awards: 2 Academy Award nominations, 3 BAFTA Award nominations, 1 Golden Globe Award and 1 nomination, 2 Grammy Award wins, 2 MTV Movie Award nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "All of these scenes are wonderful in their different ways, and yet I left the movie uncertain and unsatisfied. I saw it a second time, admired the same parts, left with the same feeling. I do not demand that all movies have a story to pull us from beginning to end, and indeed one of the charms of "The Big Lebowski," the Coens' previous film, is how its stoned hero loses track of the thread of his own life. But with "O Brother, Where Are Thou?" I had the sense of invention set adrift; of a series of bright ideas wondering why they had all been invited to the same film."

 

Its Legacy: Competed for Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Its soundtrack went 8x Platinum. More successful than the film itself. Created the Soggy Bottom Boys and the Down from the Mountain concert tour. Gave the youths a fresh spin on Homer's The Odyssey. The first collaboration between the Coens and T Bone Burnett. Also the first collaboration between the Coens and George Clooney. Gave Charles Durning a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Have you ever found yourself reading Homer’s The Odyssey and asked yourself, “what if it took place in the South and had folk music”? Well Joel and Ethan have your back. Much has been said about this film’s Grammy-winning soundtrack, which took America by storm in 2001 with 8.2 million copies sold. T Bone Burnett and his team created something that was authentic to the music of that time, but still feels fresh, with modern recordings of classic tunes that permeate all through the film and give it a memorable charm and identity.

 

But you also add in a very strong story about three men running from the law and fantastic cinematography that recreates a sepia-toned look common at the time, courtesy of the legendary Roger Deakins, and it’s no wonder why this film was such a success and why those Soggy Bottom Boys are still endearing and charming to audiences even today. A true classic whether you’re a country boy or not.

 

 

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites



I'm gonna guess... Big Lebowski No Country Fargo. I feel like Lebowski or No Country have gotta be #1, can't go wrong with any of those rankings though.

 

Also respect to y'all for getting O Brother high up on the list where it belongs. One of the most impactful movies of my childhood, my family and I loved it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites





#3

No Country for Old Men

198 points, 25 lists

"What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"

MV5BMjA5Njk3MjM4OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTc5

 

 

#1 placements: 5

#2 placements: 3

#3 placements: 4

Top 5 placements: 18

Box Office: $74.2M DOM, $171.6M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Metacritic: 91

Awards: 4 Academy Awards and 4 nominations, 3 BAFTA Awards and 6 nominations, 3 Critics Choice Awards and 2 nominations, 2 Golden Globe Awards and 2 nominations, 3 National Board of Review Awards

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "This movie is a masterful evocation of time, place, character, moral choices, immoral certainties, human nature and fate. It is also, in the photography by Roger Deakins, the editing by the Coens and the music by Carter Burwell, startlingly beautiful, stark and lonely."

 

Its Legacy: The first and only time Joel and Ethan Coen won the Academy Award for Best Director. Competed for the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The Best Film of 2007 by the National Board of Review. Contextualized themes and locations found in Blood Simple and Fargo in a whole new way. Made Javier Bardem a household name. Revitalized Cormac McCarthy's work for a whole new generation. Gave Stephen Root a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The grittier and sadder companion piece to 1996's Fargo. And frankly, what can be said that hasn’t already been said about Anton Chigurh? Performed by Javier Bardem to spectacular results, we follow one of the scariest figures to ever hit the big screen. This is a man with no remorse or compassion. A psychopath who kills with a purpose, but said purpose is frequently selfish and oftentimes at the drop of a hat. He’s practically the human version of a Terminator, always set to kill, while still having human intelligence.

 

It’s one of the scariest performances to ever hit the silver screen and is all thanks to the incredible talents of Joel and Ethan Coen, Cormac McCarthy, the original author of the novel this is based on, and Javier Bardem, who perfectly displays such a complex, amoral figure despite donning a Dora the Explorer haircut.

 

There’s of course a lot more to like about No Country for Old Men outside of Chigurh. There’s a great storyline, its tense sequences, and nihilistic atmosphere are all great. But Chigurh is a big reason why this movie is so popular and...well, if I didn’t praise him like everybody else, that would be weird.

 

 

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites



#2

The Big Lebowski

212 points, 27 lists

"See what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?!"

MV5BMTQ0NjUzMDMyOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODA1

#1 placements: 3

#2 placements: 5

#3 placements: 3

Top 5 placements: 22

Box Office: $18.2M DOM, $47M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Metacritic: 71

Awards: Grand Prix nomination at the Belgian Film Critics Association

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "This is a plot and dialogue that perhaps only the Coen Brothers could have devised. I'm thinking less of their clarity in "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men" than of the almost hallucinatory logic of "Raising Arizona" and "The Hudsucker Proxy." Only a steady hand in the midst of madness allows them to hold it all together--that, and the delirious richness of their visual approach."

 

Its Legacy: The definitive cult classic (but is it a cult classic anymore?). Created the annual Lebowski Fest and The Dude Abides, another festival/convention. Created a whole religion with Dudeism. Two African spider species are named after this movie. Bridges reprised The Dude in a Stella Artois commercial. Earned a 2020 spin-off The Jesus Rolls. Has books analyzing the film's themes and ideals. #8 on EW's Funniest Movies of the Past 25 Years. Joined the National Film Registry in 2014. Gave Philip Seymour Hoffman a paycheck.

 

Commentary: It’s kind of hard to really explain why The Big Lebowski is a good movie. It’s not hard to follow or interpret per se, but more so that it’s so unique in its writing, characters, and style that I can’t really put it into words. It takes place in a strange world with oddball characters with a comedy of errors storyline that has so many twists and turns and yet it oddly feels like little progresses at the same time. There’s so many unresolved plotlines, scenes that meander endlessly, extended dream sequences that exist to showcase surrealist visuals and nothing else, and the final resolution doesn’t really resolve much of anything. But even though it breaks all the usual storytelling conventions, I still love this movie. A lot of people do. And considering all the other films this beat out, so does BOT. It's actually the only film to appear on every single list

 

So...why do we love this movie? How come a film that is so loose and flimsy in its structure capture people’s hearts this much? In a way, the messiness of the film is a deliberate one, when looked from the perspective of The Dude. Bridges plays a man who is everybody we should not be. He’s a lazy, unhygienic slacker with selfish desires and seemingly indifferent to the world around him. Yet there’s also something fascinating about his lifestyle. A Taoist lifestyle of cool-headedness and relaxation, “go with the flow”, when faced with the difficulties and terrors of life. To simply try and find inner peace and comfort in what really matters to you personally, even if it is against the endless dream-chasing society forces us into.

 

It’s no wonder a character like him would resonate, especially among college students, who were the life and blood of this movie for a good while. And it represents what makes the film so good. The film is a mess because The Dude is a mess. And that’s what we should strive to be. A mess.

 

 

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites



#1

Fargo

224 points, 26 lists

"You're darn tootin'!"

MV5BNDJiZDgyZjctYmRjMS00ZjdkLTkwMTEtNGU1

 

#1 placements: 8 

#2 placements: 9

#3 placements: 3

Top 5 placements: 22

Box Office: $24.6M DOM, $60.6M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Metacritic: 85

Awards: 2 Academy Awards and 5 nominations, 1 BAFTA Award and 5 nominations, 4 Golden Globe Award nominations, 6 Independent Spirit Awards, 2 National Board of Review Awards

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "Marge Gunderson is one of a handful of characters whose names remain in our memories, like Travis Bickle, Tony Manero, HAL 9000, Fred C. Dobbs. They are completely, defiantly themselves_in movies that depend on precisely who they are."

 

Its Legacy: The film that made the brothers superstars and household names. Spawned a very successful television series on FX. Based on a true story and also not...it's weird. Joel Coen won the Prix de la mise en scene for best directing at the Cannes Film Festival. Also nominated for Palme D'Or. Considered the 32nd best screenplay by the Writers Guild of America. Ranked #84 on AFI's Top 100 Films of All Time and #93 on the 2007 edition, as well as Marge Gunderson as #33 on AFI's Top 100 Movie Heroes. Joined the National Film Registry in 2006. Made Minnesota accents cool to the masses...I think. Gave William H. Macy a paycheck.

 

Commentary: I mean...what do you want me to say? It was pretty obvious since the beginning this would be #1 and so many people happily put this as their #1 on their list without any hesitation. And it’s easy to understand why, even if I prefer some other Coen classics. It’s a perfectly-paced taut thriller with a great cast, super memorable characters, especially the highly endearing Marge Gunderson, performed by the spectacular and amazing Frances McDormand, and expert dialogue that became instantly iconic. And of course, it’s utterly hilarious, with some of the best deadpan comedy to ever hit the big screen.

 

This and Big Lebowski were neck-and-neck through much of the countdown duration, but it was getting clear by the end that Fargo just had the edge. For its story, its screenplay, its direction, and its performers, especially Frances McDormand, who won her first Oscar and is far from her last. And I guess also that FX show. Do people think that’s good? I’m going to assume yes.

 

This will forever be the most iconic and beloved Coens film. While No Country may be too sad for some, and Big Lebowski too weird for others, this is the representation of everything that makes Joel and Ethan’s movies so fun, memorable, and iconic. So it’s fitting that this is BOT’s #1.

 

 

  • Like 8
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



And that's it. I know this didn't take long and there were far fewer films than before, but this definitely took a lot of time and energy from me. Both because of personal mental health issues, as well as just talking about films that have a lot to talk about, but hard to describe at the same time. Which hey, shows just how talented these guys are at making unique films unlike anything else. But I apologize if my commentary wasn't as strong as years past. Either way, I'm happy enough with what I wrote and I was very happy at the strong turnout for this year. Especially since some people who did the other two lists didn't turn up here (not a bad thing, I understand)

 

So in that regard, super-duper extra huge thank yous to @A Star is Delayed @Tower @BestPicturePlutoNash @XXR Tulkun Rider @ringedmortality @EarlyDeadlinePredictions @Joel M @krla @TalismanRing @Last Man Standing @lilmac @MOVIEGUY @Lucas @Kalo @4815162342 @DAR @Fancyarcher @Jake Gittes @aabattery @Ronin46 @MrPink @Rorschach @charlie Jatinder @Cap @Ozymandias and @Blankments

 

Literally, without your contributions, this countdown would not have happened. So you have my full love and gratitude for your contributions and making this countdown a joy for all.

 

And of course a super-duper extra huge thank you to Joel and Ethan Coen, for your idiosyncracies, your creativity, and your showcasing Frances McDormand to the world. Don't know what you guys have next on the docket, but we can only hope, together or separate, you continue to give us bangers.

 

And lastly, I have to reveal next year's director countdown. So in December 2023, expect, the one, the only...

 

NOTHING

 

Okay, okay, I'm only kind of kidding here. I am actually skipping a director's countodwn this year. But that's because I'm doing, not one, but two...count them, TWO countdowns for 2023. And if you know about 2023 and its relation to film history, you probably know what's up.

 

Our first countdown, which will officially kick off on April 4, 2023, will be...

 

The Top 100 Warner Bros. Movies

 

That's right ladies and gentleman. Starting on April 4, you get to vote for what are the best films made by one of the greatest movie studios in the world on its official 100th anniversary. Casablanca, A Streetcar Named Desire, My Fair Lady, The Exorcist, Superman, The Right Stuff, Heat, Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, Inception, American Sniper, Space Jam 2, you name it. This also includes stuff from New Line Cinema into the mix as well. Either way, you don't want to miss out on something epic like this.]

 

But that's just the beginning. Because later on, officially starting on October 16, 2023, we'll also have...

 

The Top 100 Disney Movies

 

Now this is going to be the big guns and going to hit us all on the childhood feels. Because starting October 16, we get to decide what are the absolute bests of the best from another one of the greatest movie studios in the world, to celebrate its 100th anniversary as well. Snow White, Bambi, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Robin Hood, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, Frozen, The Avengers, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Strange World, the list goes on. And yes, films from Touchstone, Miramax, 20th Century, and Searchlight will also be included. So you have zero excuse not to vote here.

 

Or for either one really. This is something I have been prepping since 2020 and I am beyond excited to do these two countdowns. They'll take a lot of time to make, but I promise to go all out on these two lists and create something that will change BOT forever. I hope everybody who voted this year takes part in both of these lists, because you will not want to miss out on this Warner and Disney goodness. And better yet, tell your friends and get them involved, because I want anybody who is anybody to be a part of these sure to be epic lists.

 

Thank you all for taking the time to read, like, and discussing this list. Have a wonderful holiday and remember that Timothee loves you!

  • Like 5
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites











Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Guidelines. Feel free to read our Privacy Policy as well.