Blood Simple: Criterion Collection
November 30, 2016
After the disastrous experience of making Crimewave (1986) with their friend and fellow filmmaker Sam Raimi, the Coen brothers – Joel and Ethan – parted company with him and decided to make a film on their own. They returned to their hometown and...
Inside Llewyn Davis: Criterion Collection
February 18, 2016
Every time I watch Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), I’m reminded of the Bob Dylan song, “It Ain’t Me, Babe” and how the lyrics pertain to the film’s titular character. Set in 1961, it is the Coen brothers’ bittersweet love letter to folk music....
The Big Lebowski: Limited Edition
August 11, 2011
It started with a rug that “really tied the room together” and how a simple case of mistaken identity can cause a whole lot of trouble. The Big Lebowski (1998) was just too odd for mainstream audiences and underperformed at the box office. However,...
A Serious Man
February 9, 2010
For years, the Coen brothers have had an ideal set-up. They make modestly budgeted films so that expectations for financial returns are not very high. This is turn allows them a considerable amount of creative freedom. Thanks to their reputation for making...
No Country for Old Men: 3-Disc Collector’s Edition
April 3, 2009
After two lackluster efforts – the bland romantic comedy, Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and the unnecessary remake of The Ladykillers (2004) – the Coen brothers return to form with a vengeance with No Country for Old Men (2007). Even though it is an...
Burn After Reading
December 19, 2008
As they did with Fargo (1996), the Coen brothers followed up the Academy Award-winning crime thriller No Country For Old Men (2007) with a comedy, in this case Burn After Reading (2008), a farce set in Washington, D.C. The Coens have adhered to the pattern...
No Country for Old Men
March 7, 2008
After two lackluster efforts – the bland romantic comedy, Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and the unnecessary remake of The Ladykillers (2004) – the Coen brothers return to form with a vengeance with No Country for Old Men (2007). Even though it is an...
Paris, Je T’aime
December 18, 2007
The short film, much like the short story, is an artform unto itself. It takes a certain set of skills as a storyteller to be able to tell a tale succinctly. People who make commercials have even less time. Unfortunately, outside of television stations...
The Big Lebowski: Collector’s Edition
February 6, 2006
It started with a rug that “really tied the room together” and how a simple case of mistaken identity can cause a whole lot of trouble. The Big Lebowski (1998) was just too odd for mainstream audiences and promptly tanked at the box office. However,...
The Ladykillers
January 31, 2005
For years, the Coen brothers have been trying to achieve mainstream acceptance. Their first real attempt was with The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). Not even the presence of big-time Hollywood producer Joel Silver helped and the film was a critical and commercial...
