Inspired by the massive response to the Ang Lee edition, oh wait...well, anyway. Next up, those zany, madcap Coen Brothers. Again, what do they have 10, 11 films...so we are just gonna go Top 5. Hey, Susan, what's number one? Oh yea, let's verify that rumor, RIGHT NOW!.

1. Barton Fink: Fanf-ingtastic script! Great lead performances by Turturro and Goodman and I swear, I laugh every time John "Breech my levee at your peril" Mahoney and Judy Davis is just terrific too. Being a write, I naturally relate to our relcuctant hero Mr. Fink but overall there are many more reasons why this is my favorite Coen film

2. The Big Lebowski: This is one of the most quoted films on the Gazette. Again, the script is gangbusters. Bridges' comic timing, especially with the dialogue is hilarious and Goodman, well, what can you say about his performance except "This is what happens, Larry!". Julianne Moore shows her vesatility yet again and great cameos by the likes of Ben Gazarra and Jon Polito

this is where it gets tricky...

3. Fargo: when I look at their last two films, Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers, I ask myself, what happened to the unparallel writing that got them to that point. We can only hope they can retain their once apparent glory on future projects. Something along the lines of Fargo. When you get 3 actors like McDormand, Buscemi and Macy (and slthough we love them, they weren't exactly household names at the time) performing their asses off in ths very interestingly twisted story, you really can't go wrong.

4. Miller's Crossing: yeah, you got Goodfellas and The Godfather, but I would put Miller's Crossing in my top 3 favorite mob films...The story is so well put together with some great twists and turns and Gabriel Bryne's best performance of his career, throw in a little Turturro and Jon Polito's very evil, yet very funny nemesis ("are you giving me the high hat?") and JE Freeman's great performance of the Dane (yeah, I know it is pretty much a 30's version of Marcello Santos, but he plays it so well)and finally Albert Finney was outstanding in his mob boss role.

5. Blood Simple: A more than valiant first effort. M. Emmett Walsh plays a terrific villian. The dialougue is so deadpan and very funny in parts...if only Dan Hedaya could have been in it more, One of my favorite scenes is when John Getz comes back to the bar and Dan is sitting out back..Dan is great in that scene. "That's not what's funny...what's f-ing funny is.."...And the ending is still one of the best endings in films of this genre.                     

"Every day holds a new beginning and every hour holds the promise of an Invitation to Love." 

We're not far off here, Smokey.

Here's my ranking though I do not include the most recent two films. Why? Not just because I didn't see them. I've critiqued movies I haven't seen. Nope. In this case, I have no plans to see them. I'm hoping the Coen Brothers return to being the Coen Brothers but until they do, I won't sully my fine overall impression by watching Intolerable Cruelty or Lady Killers.

1. Barton Fink! In fact this is in the top 5 of all time movies in general imo. The film that was said to have "Spawned a Thousand Film School Theses." The Life of the Mind never gets old!

2. Big Lebowski. Another one that is so much fun you can jump in any time. Not as deep on BF but a gas all the same. "Who is Jeffrey Lebowski?" "Have you heard of the Port Huron Statement? The original version. Not the watered down second draft" "No." "Well, I wrote that." Or something.

(Photo - Watered Down Second Draft by the ex-Mr. Jane Fonda)

3. The Man Who Wasn't There. If it ended soon after Billy Bob's droll voice over, "Sure I worked in a barber shop. But I never considered myself a barber," that would have been enough for me!

4. Blood Simple. A nice neat little tale of murder and betrayal. A classic especially the later digitally reswabbed masterpiece.

5. Fargo. The anti-populist in me has to drop this one to number 5 though it's probably unfair. The only other reason for my assigning it a lower spot is that I got a little tired of the Meen-ah-SO-tah jokiness. William Macy was FABULOUS!

Here's hoping they return to the former greatness within!

The book version of the Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing scripts has an intro by their editor, Roderick Jaynes, that is hysterically funny! I know people who still believe in Roderick Jaynes even after treading his degrading descriptions of the two lads. Long live Beyond Mombasa!

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

The Big Lebowski is probably the ony Coen film I like as a whole. They have made nothing good this side of that movie.

You obviously and clearly know nothing about that Barton Fink Feeling, Booth, but both Smokey and I have it in spades.

Hmphf.

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Considering I've only seen Fink and The Ladykillers, it comes as no surprise that I cast the former as my top Coen's film.

Well, ok, I've seen most of Lebowski... on TV. Which is like not watching it at all, strangers and Alps notwithstanding. 

Logic Hat Online- logichat.org

1. Fargo - I do have that same "anti-populist" bug as Susan, but as far as this firm goes it hasn't bitten... yet! Maybe that's more to do with the circles I associate with - I mean, both my dad and my closest friend at work thought that it was a "serious drama". Perfect in every way!

2. The Big Lebowski - if only for the way (the great) Jeff Bridges says that he "doesn't do coitus", but it's got a lot more than that!

3. O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Another flawless film but I find myself liking the "Big L" more.

4. The Hudsucker Proxy - a much underrated, overlooked film (has anyone else mentioned it?)... pity about Jennifer Jason Leigh though, eh?

5. Barton Fink - more clever than it really needs to be, the Coens were still juggling with how to be clever, quirky, arty and entertaining all at the same time (see Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing) and had not got there yet. Still a fine 5th place on any list!

I actually liked Intolerable Cruelty, even though it veered too much into that safe Hollywood-y territory, very un-Coen-like, but still enjoyable fluff"

Haven't seen the Ladykillers due to my Tom Hanks allergy!

DMG

I hope they cannot see / The limitless potential / Building inside of me / To murder everything / I hope they cannot see / I am the great destroyer

You're right, Erwin.

My membership card for the Coen Foundation has been torn up in shame!

I hope they cannot see / The limitless potential / Building inside of me / To murder everything / I hope they cannot see / I am the great destroyer

• The woodchipper shot in Fargo ranks as one of favorite moments in contemporary cinema.
• Jeff Bridges' delivery of the rambling explanation in the Lebowski limo stands out as mastery of craft.
• The follow-up revelation -- the package they hand the Dude, the first real dread in the story -- is a brilliant pivot moment for the film.