Barton Fink 1991  R, 116 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, Tony Shalhoub, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi, Richard Portnow, David Warrilow, Christopher Murney, I.M. Hobson
When New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) goes to Hollywood, he checks into a seedy hotel and becomes friends with Charlie Meadows (John Goodman). Fink has trouble writing his story, and, instead of getting over writer's block, he becomes a murder suspect. The film received three Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actor Michael Lerner for his role as the studio chief.
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 The Big Lebowski 1998 R, 113 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Mystery
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Sam Elliott, David Thewlis, Ben Gazzara, Tara Reid, John Seymour Hoffman, Philip Moon, Mark Pellegrino, Peter Stormare, Flea
A case of mistaken identity brings together ex-surfer, now-bowler Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) and a pompous millionaire, Jeffrey "The Big" Lebowski (David Huddleston), whose wife Bunny (Tara Reid) owes money to Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara). When Treehorn hires thugs to retrieve the money, they break into "The Dude's" house by mistake. Later, they kidnap Bunny, and "The Dude" agrees to help by delivering the $1 million ransom–and finds himself in the midst of the Los Angeles underworld and part of the schemes of the daughter of "The Big" Lebowski, Maude (Julianne Moore).
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Blood Simple 1984 R, 96 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh, Samm-Art Williams, Deborah Neumann, Raquel Gavia, Van Brooks, Senor Marco, William Creamer, Loren Bivens, Bob McAdams, Shannon Sedwick, Nancy Finger, William Preston Robertson
Wealthy Texas bar owner Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) hires private detective Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh) to stalk and then kill his wife Abby (Frances McDormand) and her lover Ray (John Getz) who is one of Julian's bartenders. However, the job does not prove as easy as was initially thought, and Visser runs into more than a few problems accomplishing his assignment.
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Burn After Reading 2008  R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, David Rasche, J.K. Simmons, Olek Krupa, Michael Countryman, Kevin Sussman, J.R. Home, Hamilton Clancy, Armand Schultz, Jeffrey DeMunn
Ex-CIA analyst Osborne Cox's (John Malkovich) wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) has turned over to her lawyer the CD on which Osborne had listed his finances and his memoirs of days as a government spook. Katie is in love with Harry (George Clooney) and wants the CD to be used as evidence when she divorces Osborne. But, the lawyer loses the CD, and it turns up in the hands of health club workers Chad Feldheimer and Linda Litzke (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) who decide to enter the game of blackmail and turn the CD into cash.
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 Fargo 1996  R, 98 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare, Steve Reevis, Kristin Rudrud, John Carroll Lynch, Tony Denman, Gary Houston, Warren Keith, Larry Brandenburg, Bruce Bohne
This film by Joel and Ethan Coen is based on actual events that took place in Fargo, ND. Car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) plots to have his wife (Kristin Rudrud) kidnapped so he can collect the ransom from his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell). Frances McDormand won an Oscar as Best Actress for her role as the pregnant policewoman. An Oscar also went to the Coens for Writing, and five other nominations were received, including Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor (William H. Macy).
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The Hudsucker Proxy 1994 PG, 111 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Tim Robbins, Paul Newman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Charles Durning, Bruce Campbell, John Mahoney, Peter Gallagher, Steve Buscemi, Jon Polito, Joe Grifasi
In a ploy to drive down company stock prices, Mussberger (Paul Newman) plucks Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) from the mailroom and installs him in the presidential suite. Instead of losing business, Barnes proves himself adept in his new position, and stock prices rise. Different (what else would you expect from the Coen brothers?), 1950s look at big business out of control.
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Intolerable Cruelty 2003 PG-13, 100 min.
Genre: Comedy / Romance / Drama
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Cast: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Richard Jenkins, Billy Bob Thornton, Julia Duffy, Jonathan Hadary, Paul Adelstein, Tom Aldredge, Stacey Travis, Jack Kyle, Judith Drake, Irwin Keyes
When top-notch divorce lawyer Miles Massey (George Clooney) represented Marilyn Rexroth's (Catherine Zeta-Jones) philandering husband, Rex (Edward Herrmann), in their divorce, Rex came out the winner. Now, looking to recoup her losses, gold-digger Marilyn approaches Miles and asks him for a prenuptial agreement before her next marriage to wealthy, Texas oil man Howard D. Doyle (Billy Bob Thornton). Marilyn has plans to invalidate the prenuptial agreement and grab off Howard's assets. When Miles realizes what she has planned, he is mesmerized by her predatory powers and is drawn into his own, off-beat romance with her.
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 The Ladykillers 2004  R, 104 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Cast: Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst, Diane Delano, George(2) Wallace, John McConnell, Jason Weaver, Stephen Root, Lyne Odums
Professor G.H. Dorr (Tom Hanks) has ulterior motives when he rents a room in Bible reading, church-going, widow Marva Munson's (Irma P. Hall) house near the Mississippi River. Dorr and his friends (Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma, and Ryan Hurst) plan to tunnel from Mrs. Munson's root cellar into a riverboat casino's vault. Pretending to be a classical music ensemble practicing in the basement, they play sacred music on a recorder to cover up noises from their tunneling. Problems develop when Mrs. Munson uncovers the plot and tells them to return the money. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | Anonymous 01/29/2008 | | Except for some lousy language, this movie was a riot. It had a great story line and an unexpected ending. |
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 The Man Who Wasn't There 2001 R, 116 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, James Gandolfini, Scarlett Johansson, Katherine Borowitz, Jon Polito, Richard Jenkins, Tony Shalhoub, Christopher Kriesa
Set in Santa Rosa after World War II, this drama revolves around Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) who is married to Doris (Frances McDormand) and working in his brother-in-law Frank's (Michael Badalucco) barbershop. Ed suspects that Doris is having an affair with her boss, Big Dave Brewster (James Gandolfini). When Ed becomes intrigued by a get-rich scheme, he uses his suspicion to blackmail Big Dave for the $10,000 he needs for the venture. That marks the beginning of many twists and turns in this crime story.
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 Miller's Crossing 1990 R, 115 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman, Albert Finney, Steve Buscemi, Danny Aiello, Mike Starr, Olek Krupa
In this, another great, or at least near great, Coen Brothers film, we find ourselves in the midst of gangster wars ala the thirties with modern tools. Tom (Gabriel Byrne) is an apparently heartless gangster who is loyal to kingpin Leo (Albert Finney) and is now caught up in a gang war. The prize: control of the city. Lots of black humor, extreme violence, and interesting twists.
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 No Country for Old Men 2007  R, 122 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Barry Corbin, Stephen Root, Rodger Boyce, Beth Grant, Ana Reeder, Boots Southerland
Based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel, this story, set in Texas during 1980, is about Vietnam veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who comes across a truckload of drugs and a case containing $2 million in the middle of a half dozen murdered bodies. Moss picks up the $2 million and takes off with the cache. But, escape will not be easy. In hot pursuit are Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) who is outmatched by sadistic, psychopathic killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) who stays on Moss' trail across Texas. In this film, the Coen brothers give us a masterful story. The film received four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director(s), and Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem). Four other nominations were received.
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 O Brother, Where Art Thou? 2000 PG-13, 106 min.
Genre: Adventure / Comedy / Drama
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, Charles Durning, Chris Thomas King, Michael Badalucco, Daniel von Bargen, Stephen Root, Del Pentecost, J.R. Horne, Brian Reddy, Wayne Duvall, Ray McKinnon
Basing its characters on those met by Odysseus in Homer's "Odyssey," this comedy adventure revolves around a search by three convicts–Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Pete Hogwallop (John Turturro), and Delmar O'Donnel (Tim Blake Nelson)–who escape from their Mississippi chain gang, intent on finding a buried treasure. Just like Odysseus, they make various stops along the way and meet strangers who are not always what they seem.
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 Raising Arizona 1987 PG-13, 95 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson, John Goodman, William Forsythe, Sam McMurray, Frances McDormand, Randall "Tex" Cobb, M. Emmet Walsh
A childless couple, ex-con (Nicolas Cage) and his cop wife (Holly Hunter), decide they want a child. Not being the conventional couple, they find an alternative to adoption–they steal a child. The story goes on from there as the dizzy duo tries child rearing.
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A Serious Man 2009 R, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolff, Amy Landecker, Alan Mandell, Adam Arkin, Jessica McManus, Brent Braunschweig, David Kang, Benjy Portnoe, Ari Hoptman, Peter Breitmayer, Jon Kaminski Jr.
Set in 1967, this story involves the problems of physics professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) whose life seems to be unraveling when his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) tells him that she is leaving him for his colleague Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed). Meanwhile, Larry's unemployed brother Arthur (Richard Kind) follows Larry to share the motel room where Larry ends up after Judith tells him the marriage is over. Larry's pot-smoking son Danny (Aaron Wolff) and daughter Sarah's taking money from Larry's wallet do not help either. Adding to Larry's problems is the fact that his job appears to be in jeopardy. Finally, Larry seeks advice from three rabbis. But, will they really give Larry the advice that he needs to cope with his problems?
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| 1. Barton Fink (1991)
2. The Big Lebowski (1998)
3. Blood Simple (1984)
4. Burn After Reading (2008)
5. Fargo (1996)
6. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
7. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
8. The Ladykillers (2004)
9. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
10. Miller's Crossing (1990)
11. No Country for Old Men (2007)
12. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
13. Raising Arizona (1987)
14. A Serious Man (2009)
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