Fuck This Shit or How I Started Worrying About The Coen Box Set

[The Postmaster General]

I was just thinking about The Coen Brothers' Collection, a new box set going for sale here in North America. I'm talking about a box set from the creators of one of my favorite movies: Barton Fink. And of course my spirits aren't lifted just by seeing that this film isn't included, no, also on here is the one I've avoided: Intolerable Cruelty. Now, The Big Lebowski may be one of my favorite comedies, but what else do we have? Oh, The Man Who Wasn't There - okay, that's... okay. Blood Simple, I suppose that's a given, but no one considers it their favorite, overall.

I hear this lineup was selected because of infringement issues. Well, then it's too early for this box set I say.

Then I come to find a set that overseas they have this boxset: The Big Lebowski, The Hudsucker Proxy, BARTON FINK, Blood Simple. So at least they have my favorite movie, and I like Hudsucker by far more than The Man Who Wasn't There.

Man, fuck this shit.

Now I know the worst part is that some well-meaning relative or friend will get this for me as a gift or something. Oh yeah, right on. Intolerable Cruelty. Yeah, that's Billy Bob Thornton there. Yeah, oh, he's in this movie too.

Fuck BIlly Bob Thornton!

Here is the best lineup for a boxset, and yeah it's just an opinion, but who ever the jackass who had the opinion that they should put two Billy Bob Thorton movies in a 4 movie Coen Brother box set should have to apologize to the Coen Brothers, but no, fuck them too - They made two fucking Billy Bob Thorton movies.

I'm actually a fan of Billy Bob but that has nothing to do with this rant. I don't know why I even brought him up in the first place. Oh yeah, he's involved with this fucking box set. I was trying to get to the part where I say, "Blood Simple, Raising Arizon, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou - Booyah! That's a box set if you pick any 5 of those!"

5 films? The other one was 4 films, why does this one need 5 to be good? Yeah, we gotta make it 5 instead of 4 because we have to include Blood Simple because that is their first film.

Either of this is neither here nor there because I already have all these movies on DVD anyway, and wouldn't get a box set just to get it. But studio involvement our not - This is a disservice to these men's repertoir. They are better than that box set, and everyone has movies that may not agree with my picks, but everyone who knows the Coens have movies they'd rather see one there for the most part. I would bet money on that, but apparently SOMEONE thinks this box set was a good idea. I'm sure they'll charge accordingly for this stinker.

And okay, okay, maybe Intolerable Cruelty is just fantastic. I saw bits of it, and turned it off because I was en route, so sorry for ragging, but this box set just plain SUCKS and should go down in flames with John Goodman screaming like a bat out of hell, grabbing it, throwing it in a wood chipper, then taking it to the woods to be shot just before being blown up with a grenade and Nic Cage's stupid look being the last thing it sees.

Hey, COEN BROTHER COLLECTION creator: You eat the big one!

[bluesbrother965]

The Coens are my favorite overall directors. The box is a travesty, although The Man Who Wasn't There is one of my top three favorites of theirs. In fact, all of the choices except Intolerable Cruelty (which isn't really worth seeing, it has it's moments but is only ok overall) are good ones. The thing is, I want a COMPLETE box set. In my opinion, they've never made a truly bad movie (I've seen all of them except the Ladykillers), and I'd buy a complete box set in a second. However, due to all this bullshit with the studios, I doubt that'll happen.

[MisterChristian]

FYI, Barton Fink is distributed by FOX, not Universal (same goes for Raising Arizona and Miller's Crossing).

The Hudsucker Proxy is distributed by Warner Bros.

O Brother Where Art Thou is distributed by Buena Vista.

Intolerable Cruelty, The Big Lebowski, The Man Who Wasn't There and Blood Simple are all distributed by Universal - hence the BOX SET. There's no conspiracy here, just that's the way those movies are distributed, so you'll never have a box set with say Raising Arizona, O Brother Where Art Thou and Blood Simple.

:)

- Christian

[The Postmaster General]

Originally posted by MisterChristian
FYI, Barton Fink is distributed by FOX, not Universal (same goes for Raising Arizona and Miller's Crossing).

The Hudsucker Proxy is distributed by Warner Bros.

O Brother Where Art Thou is distributed by Buena Vista.



FYI - I already knew that, and it doesn't change the way I feel about this paltry collection disquised as a Coen Brothers Collection

But studio involvement our not - This is a disservice to these men's repertoir.


So, I take it by your response, that you are 100% satisfied with this packaging, you think this is a great representation of the Coen's body of work, and thinkl I have no reason to dislike this collection.

:)

The only conspiracy I'm worried about is the mole men who control the Earth from the inside. No, not that little old guy from Simpsons, smart ass. That's a TV show I know the difference between a cartoon and the facts about loss of mole men means our toilets won't always flush the same direction. I'm not totally whacked, just about this Coen Brothers Collection. What a pile of shit it is, or as Yoda would say "Pile of shit this collection is. Real Coen movies these are not."

[electriclite]

Originally posted by BubbaStrangelove
....and I like Hudsucker by far more than The Man Who Wasn't There.





(In David Putty voice): High five!

[jimmyjdmb]

Because of Intolerable Cruelty I nowmight not buy the box set. They could of put any of there movies besides Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers in a box set and I would have bought it. All of there movies are awsome except for those two.

[someguy]

I find this rant agreeable but incomplete due to a missing character count in the original post

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Oh come on, Intolerable Cruelty wasn't that bad.

[The Postmaster General]

Originally posted by Brando @$$ Fat
Oh come on, Intolerable Cruelty wasn't that bad.


Oh come on, you know it's not the best example of their work.

[thedudeman69]

Originally posted by BubbaStrangelove
Oh come on, you know it's not the best example of their work.

Actually, Have you seen The Ladykilers? That movie was mindnumbly boring.

[The Postmaster General]

Originally posted by thedudeman69
Actually, Have you seen The Ladykilers? That movie was mindnumbly boring.

Yeah, that shouldn't be regarded as an example of their best work either.

Vhat are you talking about?

http://www.wvah.com/programs/kingofthehill/bobbyhill.jpg



More points have been missed in this rant than at a Devil Rays' game.

[MacReady]

I feel for you Bubba.:(

Especially since you're apparently being forced at gunpoint to buy this set that you don't like.

[The Postmaster General]

Originally posted by MacReady
I feel for you Bubba.:(

Especially since you're apparently being forced at gunpoint to buy this set that you don't like.

Do you hear that, MacReady? That's the sound of one hand clapping and the sound of another hand making the international "jerking-off" symbol.

Oh you really zinged me with that comment, Mac. Yes, all intended-to-be-comical rants about movies are a matter of life and death. Joblo voiced similar complaints on the Main Page of his website, and I figured most people would be sophisticated enough to see the inherent flaws with this paltry treatment of otherwise excellent directors.

Did you even read?

Either of this is neither here nor there because I already have all these movies on DVD anyway, and wouldn't get a box set just to get it. But studio involvement our not - This is a disservice to these men's repertoir.

Arf Arf Arf!! Bubba ranted about not being happy with the Coen box set, and I could care less! But instead of just doing something better, I'll try a contextually flawed joke at his expense. Arf! Arf! Arf! Watch me balance this beach ball on my nose! Arf! Arf! Arf!

:D

Now I know the worst part is that some well-meaning relative or friend will get this for me as a gift or something.

Jeez, MacReady - You missed more jokes than a deaf mute at an open mic night.

[MacReady]

Originally posted by BubbaStrangelove
Do you hear that, MacReady? That's the sound of one hand clapping and the sound of another hand making the international "jerking-off" symbol.

Oh you really zinged me with that comment, Mac. Yes, all intended-to-be-comical rants about movies are a matter of life and death. Joblo voiced similar complaints on the Main Page of his website, and I figured most people would be sophisticated enough to see the inherent flaws with this paltry treatment of otherwise excellent directors.

If the directors are so excelent, why do you continually rag on one of their efforts that to my knowledge they haven't even said they weren't proud of or ragged on or had it altered from the studies then retaliate by disowning in public or anything. It is, at heart, a Coen Brothers movie. And is this not a Coen Brothers box set?

And althought I myself have not seen Intolerable Cruelty, I should say that if I gave up on watching a movie when I didn't find it interesting I would probably think Sergio Leone is the worst director ever.

[The Postmaster General]

Originally posted by MacReady
If the directors are so excelent, why do you continually rag on one of their efforts that to my knowledge they haven't even said they weren't proud of or ragged on or had it altered from the studies then retaliate by disowning in public or anything. It is, at heart, a Coen Brothers movie. And is this not a Coen Brothers box set?

And althought I myself have not seen Intolerable Cruelty, I should say that if I gave up on watching a movie when I didn't find it interesting I would probably think Sergio Leone is the worst director ever.


Where have I continually ragged on anything? WAIT! All I said was that these weren't the best examples of their work, and that Coen fans in large all agree that these aren't their best movies. Then I voiced disapproval for this collection. It seemed pretty simple, if not coated in hyperbole for effect, since this is after all a "rant forum" and not he "politely complain about stuff forum"

I even mentioned that I had seen part of Intolerable Cruelity "and turned it off because I was en route, so sorry for ragging" - Perhaps you didn't understand the meaning of 'en route', or maybe you didn't read enough. That doesn't mean I lost interest, that means I happened to see parts of it as I was busy doing something else, and didn't have time to finish it. Then I even APOLOGIZED for ragging on it, noting that it was unfair as I hadn't seen it all. When did I say I lost interest? I never did, much as I didn't say many of the things you are arguing against.

It should have been blatantly clear that my rant was based from a fan's viewpoint and that it is well regarded that many of the movies contained in this box set are considered to be not prime examples of their work.

So, yeah - you pretty much only replied to take a little jab showing disrespect toward my rant, when it's clear that you did more infering of what you wanted me to be saying, instead of actually paying due to what I was actually saying -- even worse, so for the sake at trying to debunk one of the rare rants in this forum that actually pertains to the movie industry.

Then when I gave it back, you tried to form a more coherent show of disregard, but unfortunately at the time you just lapsed into argueing for sake of argueing with no substantiated points to counter,so you made up your own version of what I had said. .

For the record, all of the Coen Brother films I've seen, I consider more masterful that most of the works out there --- Again, though, I am disheartened that this collection doesn't represent their best work -- The writing is solid in all of them, but all of the movies don't have the same Coen nuances found in their more highly regarded works. It could only be so easy for you had, and you so totally wish I had just been going "Boo Hoo! I don't like INtolerable Cruelity, but that just wasn't the case. Get a grip man - no one is holding a gun to your head asking you to mis-paraphrase my rant.

Barton Fink - 10/10, Miller's Crossing -9/10, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, O Brother, Hudsucker - 8/10, Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn't There, Lady Killers, and Raising Arizona - 7/10. I haven't seen all of IC, or many of their writing and production projects. So Sargentos' can go molest children with The Jesus, I've never debunked them as filmmkaers -- I've only complained about the ass hole who decided to make an incomplete box set --- I actually even directly said that in my initial post.

The bad part about this is I've become so focused on the attempted-flammer replies in this rant that I've totally ignored the fact that everyone else who's replied seems to understand what the complaint actually is - bluesbrother, Mr. Xtian, electriclite, jimmyjdmb, someguy ---- Brando and dudeman seemed to just wanted to chime in on their opinions of the movie. But them here comes MacReady, who's sole purpose for being in this rant seems to be to try his hardest to make some anonymous man who calls himself BubbaStrangelove look foolish for having an opinion. Surely you are the master of your domain, but this isn't it - this rant is solid and everyone knows it.



*[This BubbaStrangelove retort was 4129 characters out of the maximum alloted 20,000. Characters contained in MacReady's quote, and in this disclaimer were not included in the count. However, several hundred characters were addded just because Bubba knows that MacReady seems to dislike long posts.]

[MacReady]

Okay. I wasn't trying to insult you, just having a laugh then trying to make conversation.

Well I'd better quit while I'm ahead. But I will say I think you're taking my responses too seriously, even thought I should learn not to be so illiterate as to skip throught some of yours'.

[The Postmaster General]

That's cool, I'm just having fun. We're both okay, and I know nothing is personal. I tend to be a bit dramatic most of the time.

Especially when it's about this fucking box set. Jesus, have I mentioned how much I disapprove of it.

You're lucky to be down with Sergio -- he's one of the most regarded filmmakers in history, and has always been paid righteous tribute. The Kubrick set was amazing as well - very complete and thorough. Personally, I just think of box sets, and collections as being a tribute to directors - with the exception of like those double disk sets with actors. I feel like the Coens were just marketed in that way - let's slap together some DVDs because peopl like the Coen's and they swoop them up.

I really wish they'd just not made one -- HOWEVER, I do agree I wouldn't be displeased to receive the set as a gift, and also that for every Coen fan, there may be scores of people who are perfectly happy with the collection.