Tag: Coen Brothers

Remakes, Sequels, Avengers, and the Uncommon Good

I’m alive – real life has hurt my ability to watch the movies, but I am still here for you, trust me!

Recently, I once again suckered Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr of  The Uncommon Good on Iowa Catholic Radio (heard on 1150 AM, 88.5 FM, and 94.5 FM) to have me on. We started with a lengthy discussion on the value and importance of art, why our entertainment culture is preoccupied with remakes and “sequelitis”, and our thoughts on Avengers Endgame and the best movies of the past year.  For the convenience of my legions of fans, they have also graciously allowed me to post the entire hour-long show here on my feed.

Enjoy, and look for a new episode next week!

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Professor Bo Bonner makes his long-awaited return to the podcast to discuss the considerable merits of the fantastic new Netflix-produced Western anthology film from the beloved Coen Brothers, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

Star-studded and varied, the six stories come together in thematically meaningful ways. To say it is one of the very best films of the year is an understatement – but listen to find out why.

 

As always, intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar, Betterwithmusic, CC BY-SA. Photo fair use from Wikipedia.

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Intolerable Cruelty (2003)/The Big Lebowski (1998)

You know how sometimes politicians will release bad news ahead of the weekend, hoping no one notices?  That’s this podcast.

We have a bit of a lull in the production schedule before The Last Jedi (nerd alert) next week, so to fill your earbuds with content, I’m releasing a lost podcast from the vault: two of the Coen Brothers’ comedies, Intolerable Cruelty and The Big Lebowski.

Not a lot of in-depth analysis, but much bourbon-fueled mirth to be found. But do check out the article referenced in the podcast on the Theology of the Bawdy.

It also contains what may be the best, “Did His Wife Like It?”  of all time.

Enjoy the show (with a forgiving ear)!

 

As always, intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar, Betterwithmusic, CC BY-SA. Pic by Gorgalore (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

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True Grit (2010)

This week, I return with a mirthful TimMan to discuss one of our absolute favorites, the Coen Brothers’ 2010 masterpiece True Grit.  Our conversation views the film from a theological perspective:  all is grace (within the movie, anyway).

Those coming for a comparison to the John Wayne original will be left wanting.  But those looking for reasons why the remake is a masterpiece – fully deserving of its 10 Academy Award nominations and its spot as the CMG’s favorite Western of all time – will not be disappointed.

 

As always, intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar Betterwithmusic, CC BY-SA. Photo by Siebbi (ipernity dot com) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Miller’s Crossing

Oh, no – another Coen brothers’ movie!

Well, here on the Coen Brothers Podcast Catholic Movie Guy Podcast, we can’t resist discussing greatness.  This time we canvass their 1990 neo-noir/gangster film Miller’s Crossing, starring Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, and John Turturro.  We focus on this classic film with an amazing score, asking how we can evaluate characters’ virtues within an immoral milieu.  We also ponder why the film did not fare well at the box office, and ask why it never made the cultural impact of Goodfellas, a similarly themed film from the same year.  Find out where it ranks in theTimMan’s all time Coen movies and stay to see if my wife liked it.

For those interested in a deep dive, please also read the amazing evaulation of the movie by Christopher Orr at the Atlantic.

 

As always, intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar Betterwithmusic, CC BY-SA.  Photo by Gailirish (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Best of 2016 Series – Hail, Caesar!

My Best of 2016 Series continues with Hail, Caesar!  Yet another Coen brothers’ film, the Timman and I discuss in-depth this interesting (and Catholic?) movie, starring Josh Brolin as one of the most admirable Catholic characters since the Golden Age of Hollywood.

How can something so ridiculous as the movies mean so much?  Is the movie celebrating religion, mocking it, or both?  Is the studio the Church?  How do we reconcile the use of profanity in this movie and art in general?  Where does the film rank in the Coens’ filmography?  Did my wife like it?

Enjoy!

 

As always, intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar Betterwithmusic, CC BY-SA. Photo by Rclick-wiki (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Episode 7 – What’s on Netflix – Burn After Reading

Episode 7 – a slice of heaven (decidedly not)!

On this one, TheTimMan and I have no idea what to focus on, so we decide to discuss what’s on Netflix.  Fortunately, since we have genetic similarities, we discover that we both recently watched Burn After Reading.  A 2008 Coen Brothers’ film (notice a theme on this podcast?), it is a bawdy (article on bawdiness from a Catholic perspective, referenced on the podcast, at Crisis Magazine) but well-done riff on spy flicks and human vainglory.  Content not for everyone (see Kids In Mind  description and Steven Greydanus review at Decent Films).

But even if you don’t feel comfortable watching it, won’t you download and even listen to our bourbon-fueled meanderings?

Next week we tackle the best Christmas movies, whether the Brewmaster General likes it or not.

 

As always, intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar (betterwithmusic.com) CC BY-SA.

Photo by Andreas Tai (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Catholic Movie Guy Episode 5 – Inside Llewyn Davis

Number 5 is alive!

In this episode, TheTimMan and I take the stage to discuss Inside Llewyn Davis.  The 2013 Coen brothers’ film is superficially about the folk music scene in Greenwich Village in 1961, but really about the struggle between following our own desires or the paths laid before our feet.  Critically acclaimed, with a wonderful performance by Oscar Isaac (pictured above).  Lots of grist for the Catholic mill, too.

Could the Coen brothers have made a genuinely pro-life movie, or are we riffing too much?  Is the cat Llewyn (it is)?  Did my wife like it?  We also touch on the Dante connection,  the genius of Bob Dylan, and various other enlightening themes in the movie.  TheTimMan even gave up his gallbladder to get this thing done, so enjoy!

 

As always, intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar (betterwithmusic.com) CC BY-SA.

Above photo by Christopher William Adach from London, UK (WP – random_-4) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Catholic Movie Guy Podcast Episode 2 – No Country for Old Men

The masters
The masters

America wanted it, and now, it’s here: CMG Podcast Episode 2!  Even better than Attack of the Clones!

A discussion of the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men, their Oscar-winning magnum opus.  Moral content description available here.  One of my absolute favorites of all time, despite (or because of?) the difficult themes it presents.  I argue strongly against the nihilistic reading of the film by the great Steven Greydanus, the beloved St. Corbinian’s Bear, and countless others.

Plus (spoiler alert) where in the world did Chigurh go in that hotel room, or was he even there at all?    And, did my wife like the movie?

I discuss all this and more, bourbon in hand, with TheTimMan.

If you enjoy the show, please give it a five-star review on iTunes – it makes a big difference. Enjoy!

 

As always, the show’s intro and outro music is Wastecnology by Jahzzar (betterwithmusic.com) CC BY-SA.

Image above by Georges Biard [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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