John Turturro, The Coen Brothers And Especially John Goodman Are All In Top-Notch Form In Barton Fink

One of the most realistic depictions I've ever seen of being a writer came from, of all places, a SpongeBob SquarePants episode entitled Procrastination depicting the shows titular lead character trying to get an essay about red lights done for his boating class. What constantly gets in his way is his own inability to concentrate, SpongeBob keeps on finding new reasons for him to delay doing his essay, whether it's doing stretches or cleaning his kitchen until it's all shiny and chrome. It's a brilliantly funny episode in and of itself (so many of those classic SpongeBob episodes are) but it especially resonates with me as an accurate depiction of how hard it can be to focus on actually getting writing done.

Miller's Crossing Is Another Early Coen Brothers Winner

For their third directorial effort, The Coen Brothers (though only Joel Coen is credited as a director) returned to the crime genre that has served them well so many times in their expansive careers. For this particular take on the crime movie formula, they decided to go in the direction of a period piece, setting the tale in the 1920's specifically. Despite being set in the era where the sale of alcohol was banned, the film, entitled Miller's Crossing, was actually taking more cues in its tone and style from 1940's noir features, particularly ones like The Big Sleep involving a single lead character trying to use their wits to make a whole bunch of other peoples agendas work in his favor.

Blood Simple Is A Sublime Inaugural Directorial Effort For The Coen Brothers

Though Blood Simple may be the very first feature-film directorial effort from The Coen Brothers (like all their earliest works, only Joel Coen is credited due to DGA regulations), this movies does not come off as some sort of watered-down version of the duo's later filmmaking. There's already a noticeably assured hand behind the camera that brings to life a Texas-set noir with real flourish. To boot, it's interesting to note how Blood Simple feels like a combination of two of the Coen Brothers best works that would arrive more than two decades after Blood Simple arrived into theaters. Specifically, Blood Simple combines the grim Southern crime aesthetic of No Country For Old Men with the inexperienced criminals getting out of their element aspect of Burn After Reading.

Mindbogglingly Middling Mob Movie Mars Suburbicon

So this is the part of the review where I'd normally recap the plot of the movie I'm reviewing but for Suburbicon, that seems like a momentous task simply given that concisely recapping the plot proper of this George Clooney directed feature film is a little difficult given how all-over-the-place the story of Suburbicon actually is. But I'm never one to shy away from a challenge, so lemme give this a go. The motion picture starts with an African-American family moving into Suburbicon, a supposedly idyllic suburban paradise, in the year 1959 much to the intense anger of their white neighbors, who sign petitions to get the new neighbors kicked out and yell & scream outside the families house each night.

Raising Arizona Was An Early Hilarious Coen Brothers Effort

Sometimes, diving into the early parts of a well-known filmmakers catalog reveals movies far different from later efforts. Perhaps themes explored in a director's early work contrast with ideas presented in said director's newer pieces of cinema. For the Coen Brothers, Raising Arizona (their second feature film effort ever) certainly fits snuggly into their body of work. Oh sure, the duo would certainly go on to investigate heftier themes and concepts in far darker modern-day classics like No Country For Old Men and A Serious Man.

The Future Has Arrived In The First Trailer For Hail Caesar!

Alright, let's just get past the introduction folks, I know what you wanna see. Behold, the first trailer for the next film from Ethan and Joel Coen, Hail Caesar!

Film On The Television (10/7/2015): No Country For Old Men on Starz Edge

Many winners of the Best Picture Oscars see their reputations plummet after receiving such a prestigious award. The likes of Shakespeare In Love, Crash and A Beautiful Mind have become punchlines in the years since due to their being deemed the "unworthy" Best Picture winners by many pundits. One film that's managed to avoid such a fate (an impressive feat due to how much good cinema was released in 2007) is No Country For Old Men, a Coen Brothers effort that's overflowing with taut sequences of expertly crafted tension.

The Next Coen Brothers Movie Has A 2016 Release Date!

Whether it's through True Grit, Inside Llewyn Davis, Burn After Reading or the incomparable No Country For Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen have been an unstoppable directing duo in the 21st century after breaking through in the 90's with the likes of Fargo and The Big Lebowski. The duo will have a new movie called Hail Caesar! out soon, with a cast that includes Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.