I'm a HUGE Coen fan...there's not one of their films that I haven't found to be at the very least interesting. It is hard to describe their overall body of work to a newbie, however, as their filmography runs the gamut from white-knuckle suspense thrillers (No Country For Old Men, Blood Simple) to broad-as-a-barn-door slapstick and rat-a-tat-tat wordplay (Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy) to deadpan dramas (A Serious Man, The Man Who Wasn't There)...and yet each of the films isn't a "straight" example of any of the various genres they've dabbled in. No Country has some of the most hypnotically tense passages in any of their films, yet spurts of oddball humor. Raising Arizona is like a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon, and yet concludes with one of the warmest, most touching sequences in any of their films. All of their film are visually superb (with great work from cinematographers Barry Sonnenfeld and Roger Deakins, among others), and boast numerous clever scores by Carter Burwell. My recommendation is simply to start at the beginning, and go through their films chronologically. They are (with my own, personal grades):

-Blood Simple (1984): A

-Raising Arizona (1987): A+ ["Ah'm a-takin' these here Huggies, and, ah, whatever cash ya got."]

-Miller's Crossing (1990): A

-Barton Fink (1991): B [this is their oddest film by far, although it's slowly growing on me over time]

-The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): B+

-Fargo (1996): A+ ["Think that's a defensive wound, yah?"]

-The Big Lebowski (1998): A-

-O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000): B

-The Man Who Wasn't There (2001): A-

-Intolerable Cruelty (2003): B+

-The Ladykillers (2004): B+

-No Country For Old Men (2007): A

-Burn After Reading (2008): A- [this one gets funnier and funnier with each viewing. A riotous Brad Pitt deserved his '08 Oscar nomination for this more than for Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)

-A Serious Man (2009): A-

-True Grit (2010): A- [their most "accessible" film, for lack of a better word]

-Inside Llewyn Davis (2013): A-

Happy viewing!

Make It Happen (2008): 7/10 for movie, and 11/10 for...

RUNAWAY TRAIN
4/10



Called a 4-star action classic along the lines of The Seven Samurai and Stagecoach by Roger Ebert, this laughably overwrought Andrei Konchalovsky film finds two escaped convicts (Jon Voight and Eric Roberts) trying to escape their Alaskan prison via train -- only to find the car they're on is on a course to nowhere after the engineer suffers a fatal heart attack. With only themselves and one female worker (Rebecca DeMornay) on the train left to stop it, the duo quarrel, bicker, fight, argue and swear at one another on their way to a seemingly dead end.

Words cannot describe how ridiculous this film is. Konchalovsky apparently left the actors to do whatever they wanted, which is perfectly understandable given how wretched both Voight and Roberts are here -- with heavy accents and hideously over-the-top mannerisms, this movie plays like a duel between two "method" actors trying to give the worst performance. The film cuts between scenes of the train with a "control center" where Kenneth McMillan, Kyle T. Heffner and others bicker, swear, and likewise give hysterical performances -- the sequence in which warden John P. Ryan appears, trying to convince Heffner that one of his escaped men is on the train, and then follows him into the bathroom where he tries to drown him in a toilet (!) is nearly unmatched for its comedy value. Or the scene where Ryan attempts to send one of his men, from a helicopter ladder, onto the train, only to see him crash through the front window, off onto the track where (presumably) his head is crushed in, is similarly, unintentionally hilarious.

For a movie said to be "inspired" by an Akira Kurosawa screenplay, it's also inconceivable how poor the dialogue is -- I loved the exchange between Voight and DeMornay near the end, where he describes Roberts as an idiot, to which DeMornay replies, "you're mean!"

There are some well-executed stunt scenes, I suppose, but the detour into pretentiousness at the end is just the icing on the cake -- while Trevor Jones' horrific score uses an '80s playbook of electric guitars and Faltemeyerian synths. It's just as bad as the movie itself.

A candidate for one of the most overrated films of the '80s, if not all-time (and yes, Paul, you were right about this one!).

Arrow Video UK's Blu-Ray/DVD combo is notable for having a series of new interviews with the cast and director. Roberts calls the film "long winded" and derides Konchalovsky for being "pompous". Konchalovsky, on the other hand, calls Roberts a "problem" to work with and "insecure." It's the kind of thing you wish we'd see more of in these usually bland, boring video interviews!

I saw Runaway Train the the theater. By the time it was halfway through, the audience was either laughing at the unintentional hilarity, or simply walking out. (I have never seen this many "walk-outs" in all the years I've been going to the cinema).

I could never fathom how Ebert and other critics bestowed praise on this surpassingly ludicrous, soapy, preposterous film. How long was that warden hanging on that rope ladder from a helicopter -- in frigid Alaskan weather? Fifteen, twenty minutes? And I loved the (not at all stilted) "moment of truth" when the guy is watching the space shuttle launch on TV, and muses "How could this happen with all our technology?"

I remember Stewart Klein panned the film, and noted that Voight and Roberts cover themselves in grease and Saran wrap, and escape through sewage tunnels -- yet their clothes oddly remain clean throughout the picture. Klein summed-up Runaway Train as "one of the cleanest films I've seen."

AndyDursin wrote:For a movie said to be "inspired" by an Akira Kurosawa screenplay, it's also inconceivable how poor the dialogue is -- I loved the exchange between Voight and DeMornay near the end, where he describes Roberts as an idiot, to which DeMornay replies, "you're mean!"

How about DeMornay's solemn line "I know I'll survive...because I believe in miracles."

Kurosawa's original screenplay was to have been his first film shot in America (with, presumably, an American cast). I don't know what became of his project. I do know that his script was not set in Alaska, but New York actually, on the line that connects Buffalo to Albany.

AndyDursin wrote:Trevor Jones' horrific score uses an '80s playbook of electric guitars and Faltemeyerian synths. It's just as bad as the movie itself.

The trailers for this film were actually tracked with the main title of Mancini's Lifeforce -- which I hadn'd seen at that point, so I assumed it was Trevor Jones score. Needless to say I rather disappointed by what I heard when I saw the film.

And the sad part is this film needed a big, powerful orchestral score. It wouldn't have helped much, but we would have gotten a decent soundtrack album out of it at least!

Two things I remember most clearly about this film: Rebecca DeMornay looking PLAIN-holy crap! How-and more important-WHY did they do that? And we seemed to be leading up to a big train crash at the end and.....we fade out with Voight standing on top of the train waiting for the collision...I guess there was no money in the budget for the train, Voight and Ryan to go splat.

"Pay attention to what I'm sayin', motherf***er! And then he's gonna look around the room - see how you done. And he's gonna say 'Oh, you missed a little spot over there. Jeez, you didn't get this one here. What about this little bitty spot?' And you're gonna suck all that pain inside you, and you're gonna clean that spot. And you're gonna clean that spot. Until you get that shiny clean. And on Friday, you pick up your paycheck. And if you could do that, if you could do that, you could be president of Chase Manhattan... corporations! If you could do that."

"Shews, Manny-I need some shews!"

You guys have me in stitches. Paul why did we not sit through this film? It's comedy GOLD I tell you!

Kurosawa's original screenplay was to have been his first film shot in America (with, presumably, an American cast). I don't know what became of his project.

It was reportedly shelved because he couldn't get financing, then the script ended up years after the fact with Cannon. Kurosawa is still credited on the film though.

In fact, the booklet notes state that his script bears many similarities to the completed film (the two convicts on the train, a third person still on-board, etc.). Rewrites changed certain elements (the DeMornay role was originally a guy, the train came to a stop at the end, and there wasn't much if anything in the prison), but the basic premise and plot structure was the same.

Apparently it was based on a real story that happened up in your neck of the woods (no convicts though, just a runaway train). There's even a reprint of the newspaper article in the Arrow Blu-Ray booklet notes (and as you said Paul, Kurosawa's story was likewise set in upstate NY).

I could never fathom how Ebert and other critics bestowed praise on this surpassingly ludicrous, soapy, preposterous film. How long was that sheriff hanging on that rope ladder from a helicopter -- in frigid Alaskan weather? Fifteen, twenty minutes? And I loved the (not all all stilted) "moment of truth" when the guy is watching the space shuttle launch on TV, and muses "How could this happen with all our technology?"

I couldn't believe that scene either! Or her "I believe in miracles" line...seriously? My god!

BTW I found Michael Medved and Jeffrey Lyons reviewing the film on Sneak Previews on one of the discs I made years ago. They both HATED it! And assailed Jon Voight's performance in particular. Apparently they didn't go to the same junket as Ebert lol.

And don't forget Roberts' greeting to DeMornay: "How would you like a nice f***?"

If both Lyons and Medved disliked it I probably would have been more well disposed to like it.

In this case, though, they were right -- and Siskel & Ebert were totally wrong! (BTW I actually like Medved as a film critic -- not so much Jeffrey Lyons. )

Amazing that both Roberts AND Voight got Oscar nominations though...utterly amazing. lol

The Lego Movie 8/10

I was the type of kid who loved Legos growing up. I had them all sorted by color and size, in labeled drawers so I could easily find them when I wanted to build something new. Somewhere in her basement, I think my Mom still has a 3 foot long Queen Mary ocean liner that I made up myself...so it was safe to say that I was looking forward to this movie.

I found it hilarious, with lots of unexpected laughs, as well as some nice in-jokes for Lego fans (like nods to extinct toy lines such as Fabuland, and the fact that the only food they eat is turkey legs, croissants, and sausages). Batman stole the movie, with Will Arnett, doing a great job of making him into a total dick.

The visuals were nice, I appreciated that they made it look stop-motion, even though that would have been impossible. I like that there was little motion-blur, just like in the Lego movies you see on youtube.
The score by Mark Mothersbaugh worked great, but it's a chore to get through on cd (a little too much techno).

NEBRASKA
9/10

In a role originally intended for Gene Hackman, Bruce Dern gives a superb performance as an 80-something who believes he has won a million dollars and – come hell or high water – intends on traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect it...even if it means walking from his home in Billings, Montana. His stubborn refusal to listen to his frustrated wife (June Squibb) and long suffering son David (Will Forte) is a constant irritation to the family, though an eventual road trip between David and his father – with a stop in his rural, rundown Nebraska hometown – does open the son’s eyes to who his father was and is, where he came from and the people who colored his world.

With a wistful script by Bob Nelson that never succumbs to melodrama, “Nebraska” is one of the best movies of last year -- funny but not cynical, moody but not maudlin, realistic and well-acted, it’s yet another terrific film from director Alexander Payne. The "Descendants" director once again is able to show "real people" in a non-judgmental way and tackle adult issues (in this case, aging, family dysfunction, relationships and the past) without becoming preachy or obvious. His gift of understatement serves him well in a memorable film that's quietly poignant and filled with wry observations – both comic and bittersweet. Accentuating the picture is Phedon Papamichael’s terrific black-and-white scope cinematography, which brilliantly captures harsh yet oddly comforting small towns of the rural midwest that have seen better days.

Paramount’s Blu-Ray of “Nebraska” streets on February 25th and offers a gorgeous 1080p AVC encoded transfer with 5.1 DTS MA audio, the latter highlighted by a fine, moody Mark Orton score. Extras include an insightful half-hour featurette with a DVD and digital copy rounding out the release.

OSCAR NOMINATED ANIMATED SHORT FILMS 2014 8/10

I've made in a tradition to try and watch this annual program that presents the five nominees for Best Animated Short as well as a selection of other "highly commended" shorts. With few exceptions, I've usually not heard of any of the nominees and it is often a treat to see the different styles of animation and stories.

"Get A Horse!" is the short most people have heard of, thanks to its appearance in front of FROZEN. In case you don't know, it starts out as a pastiche of a typical 1930's era Mickey Mouse cartoon in black and white with recordings of Walt Disney himself as Mickey's voice. The short quickly turns modern as the characters literally break the "fourth wall" by falling out of the screen, now in color. It's quite an accomplishment.

"Mr. Hublot" is a French film set in a marvelously detailed steampunk world full of mechanical objects. The title character lives by himself and seems content with his solitary life until he rescues a stray dog, who is also mechanical. Things get complicated when the dog grows at an alarming rate and the man must decide what to do with his new pet.

"Feral" is a starkly drawn, mostly black and white, tale about a boy raised by wolves who is brought to civilization by a man hoping to tame him. There's not much going on here. Clearly the weakest of the nominees.

"Possessions" is from Japan and is set in what looks to be a feudal period. (I was reminded of a Kurosawa film.) It begins in a forest as a lone traveler, a repairman by trade, seeks shelter from a storm. Unfortunately, the cabin he rests in is haunted by (I think) the spirits of disused tools and other objects which come to life in a series of bizarre encounters. The animation is beautiful, extremely well lit with great use of color. I'm not familiar enough with Japanese folklore to understand the premise but it was fun to watch.

Finally, "Room on the Broom," the longest short (26 minutes) is a British adaptation of a children's book. The story is simple enough. A witch flies around on her broom with her pet cat. She keeps losing things and while searchiing for them comes across a series of animals (a dog, a bird and a frog) all of whom want to know if there is "room on the broom" for them. Meanwhile, the whole group is pursued by a hungry dragon. There are plenty of well-known actors providing the voices (GIllian Anderson, Simon Pegg, Sally Hawkins and Timothy Spall) and some humorous animation. The pace is a bit slow though.

Except for Feral, I'd be happy if any of these won the Oscar. In the last few years there is almost always a short from either Disney or Pixar in the running but they don't always win. Last year was an exception when the excellent Paperman won, bot often other lesser known films win. "Get A Horse" seems the likely winner this year although I wouldn't say it's a lock

Robocop (2014): 6.5/10

Better than expected, and yet a hollow shell compared to the Verhoeven film. Good action and special effects, but where's the satire, the pathos?

Lili (1952) 7.5 of 10

-One of a number of films that's been on my backlog of discs for some time. I'd seen the musical "Carnival" which is taken from this film, so I was already familiar with the storyline. It's an outstanding Kaper score and I must now at last get the FSM CD of it. Leslie Caron is perfectly cast. Its surrealistic fantasy quality could only have been made by MGM in this era, and even with that, I'll admit that the story's chief point of the puppeteer expressing his feelings only in his creations works better on stage as it did in "Carnival" then it does in the film medium. That said, a solid effort from a studio in its prime.

NEBRASKA: 9/10

Alexander Payne's latest film is about a very curmudgeonly type (brilliantly portrayed by Bruce Dern) who is convinced he has won a million dollar sweepstakes prize and is bound and determined to claim it in person (because the claim form might get lost in the mail, you know). After several attempts to walk all the way from his home in Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to stake his claim, his youngest son (Will Forte) decides to drive him there and get it over with, despite the crone-like misgivings of his mother (the wonderfully earthy June Squibb, who has a scene at a cemetery that you will never forget). There is a family reunion-the scene where all the men are watching a football game is a hoot, meetings with old friends (nice to see Stacy Keach working) that have ulterior motives and some of the most stunning widescreen B/W cinematography I have seen in a while. I really enjoyed Payne's last two films before this-SIDEWAYS and THE DESCENDENTS, because he gets the most wonderful performances out of people and I think of his films as what many Coen brothers films would be without the occasional snark and more occasional condescension. I might have to dig out ELECTION and ABOUT SCHMIDT and watch them now.

Dern could be the one to pull an upset on Oscar night with this career topping performance if McConaughey does not win.