Joel Coen

Oscar Isaac Lands Lead in Coen Brothers’ 60s Folk Music Film INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: October 13th, 2011 at 7:16 pm

With the pedigree that Joel and Ethan Coen have established in the last 25 years, the lead roles in their pictures are very much coveted. Some of the most iconic characters in recent memory have been from Coen films, from The Dude to Anton Chigurh to the reimagining of Rooster Cogburn. Now, rising star Oscar Isaac (Drive) can count himself among those rare talents, having landed the lead in the next Coen brothers’ picture, Inside Llewyn Davis. The film focuses on the 60s folk music scene in New York’s Greenwich Village, including such icons as Tom Paxton and Dave Van Ronk. Hit the jump for more on the project.

New Coen Brothers Movie Titled INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS; Scott Rudin to Produce

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 31st, 2011 at 8:05 am

After dishing out a new film every year for the past year, 2011 will be Coen-less.  But that doesn’t mean the Oscar-winning brothers aren’t at work on their next project.  As we reported over the summer, Joel and Ethan Coen are working on a “music-intensive” project and that the film would be “loosely based one of the 1960s Greenwich Valley folk scene’s most revered names: Dave Van Ronk.”  Variety now reports that the film will be entitled Inside Llewyn Davis and “centers around Llewyn Davis’ struggles as a folk musician during the genre’s 1960s heyday in New York City.”  That pretty much follows what we had heard thus far and it sounds pretty great.  The Coens have heavily used bluegrass (O Brother, Where Are Thou?) and gospel (The Ladykillers) in the past and I can’t wait to see what they do with folk music.

On a related note, the Coen Brothers will reteam with producer Scott Rudin while Studio Canal will co-finance and handle international sales for the flick.  Rudin previously worked with the Coens on No Country for Old Men and True Grit and that worked out pretty well.  Now that there’s financing, hopefully this film will speed into production and we can get our next Coen film by 2012.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI Limited Edition Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: August 6th, 2011 at 3:20 am

It’s strange to have watched the cult of The Big Lebowski grow since release. The film was Joel and Ethan Coen’s follow-up to Fargo, which was an academy award-winning crime drama with a funny center. After the disastrous The Hudsucker Proxy (which has also gained a cult following) Fargo put the boys back in good graces, but the story of Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), and the kidnapping that turns him into amateur sleuth with sidekick Walter Sobchek (John Goodman) was greeted as a sophomore slump. Now it’s revered as a masterpiece. Our review of the limited edition Blu-ray of The Big Lebowski follows after the jump.

Is the Coen Brothers’ Next Film About Iconic Folk Artist Dave Van Ronk?

by Jason Barr    Posted: June 25th, 2011 at 11:08 am

A few weeks ago we brought you some quotes from the Coen Brothers’ appearance at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in New York which suggested that their next film would be music-centric. At that time, the key quote came from Joel Coen who claimed:

“We’re working on a movie now that has music in it but it’s pretty much all performed live, single instrument…”

Today, 24 Frames is doing its best uncover more info behind the project and is reporting that the pic may center on one of the Greenwich Valley folk scene’s most revered names: Dave Van Ronk. Per the report, the Coen’s script is “loosely based” on van Ronk’s life as an influential musician and left-wing activist, and may even draw from Van Ronk’s posthumous memoir entitled The Mayor of MacDougal Street. If it comes to fruition, the project would be the Coens’ second musically-intensive film with the first being 2000′s O Brother, Where Art Thou? which garnered two Oscar nods. For a little more on the project, including a synopsis of Van Ronk’s memoir, hit the jump.

An Hour-Long Interview between the Coen Brothers and Noah Baumbach

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 13th, 2011 at 2:13 pm

The Film Society of Lincoln Center held an hour-long discussion between Joel and Ethan Coen and fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach.  Normally I’d bitch and moan about how jealous I was not to be there and then cry myself to sleep.  But not today!  Filmlinc.com has kindly posted the discussion online and I know what I’ll be watching when I get off work today.  Some of the topics covered include how the Coens open their movies, their use of voice-over, how they use misdirection, and how their films compare to Baumbach’s.  The interview is also worth watching because the Coens rarely speak about the films and instead prefer to let them stand on their own.  People continue to speculate on the symbolism of the hat in Miller’s Crossing.

Hit the jump to check out the video and quotes pulled from the interview.

The Coen Brothers Might Be Making A Music-Intensive Project Their Next Film

by Bill Graham    Posted: June 11th, 2011 at 4:06 pm

The Coen brothers have no problem picking and choosing what they want to do next, and might be utilizing music as a major part of their next film. While Joel and Ethan Coen were gathered with Noah Baumbach to discuss film intros at the new Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in New York, they briefly touched on what appears to be an unannounced project. The Coen brothers have a long list of potential projects but they seem to suggest this unnamed film is what they are working on now. For more on the project and what the Coens had to say, hit the jump.

CBS Films to Distribute Coen Brothers-Scripted Remake of GAMBIT Starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 9th, 2011 at 5:44 pm

CBS Films has acquired distribution rights to the Joel and Ethan Coen-scripted remake to the 1966 Michael Caine-Shirley MacClaine caper comedy Gambit. The remake, from director Michael Hoffman (The Last Station), is set to star Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz. Firth will play a London art curator who plots an elaborate scheme to con a wealthy collector into buying a fake Monet painting. As part of the ruse, he recruits a Texas steer roper (Diaz) to play the part of a woman whose grandfather liberated the painting at the end of WWII.

Deadline reports that filming is set to begin in London this May. It appears that this will be the first film Firth will shoot following his Oscar win last month for his brilliant turn in The King’s Speech. Relatively new to the movie-making business, CBS Films recently scored a hit with The Mechanic and currently has the fantasy-romance Beastly in theaters. Diaz will next be seen in the R-rated comedy Bad Teacher.

The Coen Brothers Writing a “Full-on Horror Movie”

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 9:29 am

The Coen Brothers have shown that they can do just about anything.  They can bend any genre, they can hit any tone, and they’ve hit a winning streak that shows no sign of slowing down.  But what will be their follow-up to True Grit?  Ethan Coen tells Empire that they might be going into the horror business.  When Coen was asked if they would ever do a film in the horror genre, he replied:

“Funny you should ask, yes, we’re working on a couple of scripts now, one of which it would be fair to call a full-on horror movie. Frances McDormand is the monster.”

The part about McDormand may be a joke (she’s his sister-in-law), but it would be awesome to see them go into the horror genre.  They’ve never shied away from the horrific, but to see them pursue a film firmly in the genre and seeing how they’ll twist it sounds like it could be incredible.  Hit the jump for Coen had to say about their other potential projects.

Cameron Diaz to Star Opposite Colin Firth in Remake of GAMBIT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 1st, 2011 at 1:08 pm

Cameron Diaz will co-star in Coen Brothers-scripted remake of the 1966 caper comedy Gambit.  According to THR, Colin Firth will play a “London art curator who plots an elaborate scheme to con a wealthy collector into buying a fake Monet painting. As part of the ruse, he recruits a Texas steer roper (Diaz) to play the part of a woman whose grandfather liberated the painting at the end of WWII.”  The roles in the original film were played by Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine.

Diaz recently costarred in The Green Hornet and will next be seen in the comedy Bad Teacher with Justin Timberlake.  Shooting on Gambit is expected to begin this May in London with The Last Station director Michael Hoffman at the helm.

The Coen Brothers List Their 5 Favorite Westerns

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 7th, 2011 at 1:06 pm

The Coen Brothers have created a masterful Western with True Grit.  I’m surprised and overjoyed that the film is doing well at the box office since audiences usually don’t turn in large numbers for the genre or for the Coens’ films.  EW recently spoke with the genius filmmakers and wanted to find out what they listed at their five favorite westerns.  Here’s their list:

1. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968, dir. Sergio Leone)

2. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976, dir. Clint Eastwood)

3. Greaser’s Palace (1972, dir. Robert Downey Sr.)

4. “Doc” (1971, dir. Frank Perry)

5. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972, dir. John Huston)

It’s interesting that their favorite Westerns comes from around the 60s and 70s and doesn’t include earlier fare like Stagecoach or High Noon.  Click over to EW.com for the Coens’ explanation of their choices.

Best Performances, Directors, and Other Miscellany of 2010

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 29th, 2010 at 3:33 pm

In my profession, there are two very important things you must do: watch movies and keep notes.  I did an alright job with the first one, but admittedly fell short on the latter.  While last year I was able to confidently provide what I thought were the best kills and quotes, this year I didn’t do a good job with record keeping and so I’ve omitted those categories.  Next year I’ll be more meticulous and make it a point to see movie where people get destroyed while saying witty things.

However, I did see enough movies to confidently make a list of the folks I thought were the best actors, directors, and other miscellaneous greats.  Hit the jump to check out my picks.

TRUE GRIT Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 21st, 2010 at 6:54 pm

After watching, True Grit, I was left wondering how the project came into existence.  Did Joel Coen turn to his brother Ethan and say, “I feel like creating a western that will become an instant classic,” and Ethan responded, “Yeah, that sounds good.  Let’s do that.”  That exchange wouldn’t surprise me since the Coen Brothers are two filmmakers who consistently operate at a higher level than almost anyone else in Hollywood.  While other filmmakers might be cowed into living in the shadow of the 1969 original which won John Wayne his first and only Oscar, the Coen Brothers have crafted a giant of the genre that crackles with electric dialogue, magnificent performances, Roger Deakins’ stunning cinematography, Carter Burwell’s haunting score, and all the other quality trademarks the Coens are known for.

Mondo Posters for TRUE GRIT by Aaron Horkey

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 20th, 2010 at 2:29 pm

On Wednesday, Mondo will be releasing two new posters for the Coen Brothers’ True Grit designed by Aaron Horkey.  While the posters are a bit too busy for my taste, they’re certainly eye-catching and like with all Mondo posters, I’m sure it will sell out in a matter of minutes.

Hit the jump to check out the posters, which measure 39″x15″ and use metallic inks.  The regular gold version costs $60 and is limited to an edition of 400 while the silver variant costs $120 and is limited to an edition of 110.  The posters go on sale at a random time so be sure you’re following @MondoNews for the announcement.  True Grit stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Hailee Steinfeld.  The film opens Wednesday.

Colin Firth in Talks to Star in Coen Brothers Scripted Remake of GAMBIT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 13th, 2010 at 11:55 am

Last month, we reported that director Michael Hoffman (The Last Station) had come on board to helm the Coen Brothers-scripted remake of the 1966 Michael Caine caper comedy Gambit.  Deadline now reports that Oscar nominee Colin Firth is in talks to play the Caine role of a cat burglar who attempts to steal a priceless statue from a billionaire by enlisting the help of a waitress (played in the original by Shirley MacLaine) who looks like the billionaire’s deceased wife.

Firth, who is likely to receive an Oscar nomination for his wonderful performance in The King’s Speech, is currently developing a film based on the Amanda Knox murder case with director Michael Winterbottom (The Killer Inside Me), and is co-starring in Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Michael Hoffman to Direct Coen Brothers-scripted Remake of GAMBIT; Scheduled to Shoot in May

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 18th, 2010 at 1:03 pm

Director Michael Hoffman (The Last Station) has signed on to helm the Coen Brothers-penned remake of the 1966 British caper comedy Gambit.  According to Deadline, the project has finally found funding from upstart company Crime Scene Pictures, and is planning to begin shooting in London in May.  Casting is expected to begin shortly.

The original film starred Michael Caine as cat burglar who tries to rob a billionaire of his priceless statue and enlists the help of a waitress (Shirley MacLaine) who is a dead ringer for the victim’s late wife. While the burglar has carefully planned the job in his head, the execution is complicated by his relationship with his pretty accomplice.

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