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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   2405 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for October 25, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I've been a fan of Scott Sumner's movie reviews, and he recently created a website compiling all of the movies he has covered: https://www.sumnerscores.com/

I don't recall seeing any Coen brothers movies, but I feel like I should. I plan to watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs this weekend.

I recently saw Apollo 11, which was perhaps one of the best documentary films I've ever seen. Be sure to watch it in 4k, they cleaned up historical footage and it feels like you're watching it live. Everyone knows about the moon landings in general, but this documentary drives home the incredible difficulties they faced while trying to execute the mission.

I wouldn't recommend Buster Scruggs as your first film from the Coen brothers, it's a collection of short stories that I suspect was made largely to satisfy Netflix's insatiable lust for content. Not that it's a bad collection, just not what I would recommend if you wanted to get introduced to the directors. I would heavily recommend starting with Fargo

I don't recall seeing any Coen brothers movies

Lucky you.

They're about the best American film makers of the last 30 years.

Regarding Coen brothers, I thoroughly enjoyed Fargo, The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading. The Hudsucker Proxy was decent, but not as successful a comedy as either Burn After Reading or The Big Lebowski. A Serious Man is weird, and I still have no idea what to make of it, ~15 years later. I only got around to seeing No Country for Old Men this year, and in all honesty I was decidedly underwhelmed, excellent villain performance from Javier Bardem notwithstanding. It's not at all representative of their oeuvre.

Buster Scruggs is a bit weird, if you end up not liking it don’t let it put you off the rest of their output. I would suggest trying Fargo and the Big Lebowski. Those are kind of their two most iconic movies and it gives you a pretty good idea of the kinds of movies they make. No Country for Old Men is very good, but it’s pretty different from anything else they ever made. It’s more of a Cormac McCarthy movie than a Coen Brothers movie.

The Coen brothers are among my favorite directors. No Country for Old Men is a must see. Fargo and The Big Lebowski as well.

I enjoyed BoBS but didn't really care for the final vignette. There's a semi famous meme that you might recognize and point your finger at.

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