The Coen Brothers list

[Gendo]

Wrote this up while talking to Robin about stuff. A list of all Coen Brothers movies, grouped by how good they are. I didn't want to make an actual ranking, because I really wouldn't be able to order a lot of them, not even picking a favorite or such. Within each group they're just chronological. Also only includes full movies directed by one or both of the brothers. So no segments of other movies they did, or movies they wrote or co-wrote that someone else directed. Apparently they co-wrote Bridge of Spies btw.

The best
The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Ladykillers, No Country for Old Men.

Great
Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Good
Blood Simple, Intolerable Cruelty, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, Inside Llewyn Davis

Didn't get/like
Barton Fink, The Man Who Wasn't There (Though I haven't given that one a second chance yet)

Haven't seen
True Grit, Hail, Caesar! (Because it hasn't come out yet)

[BruceSmith78]

Fargo and No Country for Old Men were really good. True Grit was pretty good. The rest of those that I've seen were bad to awful.

[Gendo]

Unless "the rest of those that you've seen" only includes Barton Fink, you're wrong.

[thesalmonofdoubt]

My View on the Coen thing - and I'll note that I haven't seen quite as many as you have.

The best
Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men,.Miller's Crossing, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona

Great
The Hudsucker Proxy,True Grit,

Good
Barton Fink

Didn't get/like
The Man Who Wasn't There, The Ladykillers, Burn After Reading

Haven't seen
Hail, Caesar!, Blood Simple, Intolerable Cruelty, , A Serious Man, Inside Llewyn Davis

[BruceSmith78]

The rest of those I've seen (or tried to see):

Raising Arizona - didn't finish cuz Jesus it was dumb

The Big Lebowski - was this supposed to make me laugh, cuz it didn't

O Brother Where Art Thou - saw this when I was strung out on coke at like 5 in the morning, so my mindset was not the greatest, but it fucking sucked

Intolerable Cruelty - saw maybe half an hour of this suckfest before deciding it'd be more entertaining to watch paint dry

[thesalmonofdoubt]

^not a Cohen Brothers fan apparently

[BruceSmith78]

Fargo and No Country for Old Men are two of my favorite movies. They might even make my top ten list if I could make such a list. The Coen Brothers just suck at comedy. It's weird, cuz No Country for Old Men and Fargo both have some great comedic moments; moments that are a fuck of a lot funnier than anything they put in their comedies.

[thesalmonofdoubt]

Guess we're just gonna have to disagree on that.
I loved the Big Lebowski, Oh Brother where art thou and raising Arizona. I really liked the Hudsucker Proxy but felt it was a little too Cute/quirky for its own good.


Really didn't like "Burn after reading" but probably more so cos it was the first Coen brothers movie that I had seen that I didn't really like so - my expectations going in were high .. Ive seen it again since and didn't like it even more than on the first watch.

Do agree with you on "No Country for old Men" and Fargo - Both amazingly good movies

[BruceSmith78]

I know I'm in the minority with my reception of Coen Brothers comedy, as they're widely acclaimed and incredibly popular, so I'm sure lots of people disagree with me on that front. I dunno. I think I have a pretty broad sense of humor, but their brand of humor just doesn't do it for me.

[CashRules]

Decent: True Grit, No Country For Old Men

Worth watching once: Raising Arizona

A symptom of the decline in cinematic quality and the public's respect for true cinematic quality: everything else

[Boomer]

I thought Fargo was a comedy?

[BruceSmith78]

Brandon's old.

As for Fargo, imdb lists it as a crime, drama, and thriller movie, and I'd have to agree. There are some scenes that are pretty fucking hilarious, but it doesn't present itself as a comedy.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/?ref_=nv_sr_4

[Gendo]

Yeah Fargo is only a comedy as much as Inside Llewyn Davis and A Serious Man are comedies. They may have some humor in the absurdity or the things going on, but the movies do not at all feel like comedies.

[CashRules]

One of the major problems with this world is there are people who actually like Fargo and The Big Lebowski.

[aels]

I have only seen Miller's Crossing (one of my favourite ever films and one of my favourite ever scripts) and about half of Fargo.

[Boomer]

A quick Google search has Fargo on a ton of black comedy top 10 lists, it was also nominated for a golden globe in the best musical or comedy category, and it sure as heck ain't a musical.

[BruceSmith78]

Well, I just watched one of the trailers on youtube, and it definitely looked like a trailer for a comedy. I didn't get the feeling it was a comedy when I was watching it though.

[Boomer]

Hmm, it's odd to me some don't view it as a comedy.

I thought it was hilarious myself.

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

I've always been surprised at the dislike at O Brother Where Art Thou.

I guess you have to be a fan of they Odyssey who is open to silly daptations & blue grass to really enjoy it.

[Gendo]

I was under the impression that O Brother was pretty well-liked, even outside of the circle of Coen Brothers fans.