To my good friend and colleague Ben, I'm glad to have you as a co-author here on Routinely Average. Ben and I differ on some subjects and agree on some subjects, but we always come at it from different perspectives, so I really think he can bring a lot to this blog. Of course Ben actually works with cameras and knows infinitely more about the technical side of making movies than I do.
One pair of movie makers that Ben and I both enjoy tremendously are the enigmatic Coen brothers. The Coen's dry wit and detached cynicism is combined with some really terrific technical abilities to make some of the most interesting and unusual films of the last 30 years. The Coens never do a remake and never make an unoriginal movie. That is why their upcoming film seems to be completely out of character for them. Joel and Ethan are remaking the 1969 Henry Hathaway classic, "True Grit".
Now, the 1969 version is a wonderful old western starring the all-american cowboy John Wayne (in his only Oscar winning role) as an old worn out marshal named Rooster Cogburn, tracking down a killer with some eclectic companions. While I do enjoy a good western, and Wayne in certain doses, this movie seems out of place for the Coens. That being said, this might be the movie I am most excited for in 2010. I think the Coens will create one of the most unique westerns in years, and potentially revitalize the genre. To help them do this they have assembled an enormous cast including a Coen bros favorite in Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and now, according to the buzz, Berry Pepper. Who else is ready for the Dude to take a crack at one of the Western genre's most iconic roles?
And some links
1. The Barry Pepper, "True Grit" article.
2. Fresh off of winning an Oscar for "The Hurt Locker", Kathryn Bigelow appears to be assembling a monster cast for her next movie.
3. Chris Evans is officially going to be Captain America in the upcoming Marvel movie.
4. Studio Briefing compiles several reviews on "Clash of the Titans".
I do love them Coens. They sure are prolific, eh? Cast looks great, and I'm sure they'll provide an interesting take on the book.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I was planning on reviwing Barton Fink for my next movie. It's almost like we planned it.
Hey Ben, glad you have joined Adam on the blog... It'll be nice to have someone that actually knows stuff about stuff to back up that kid.
ReplyDeletethats just like.... your opinion man.
ReplyDeletebut yeah Ben and the Coens are awesome and I'm looking forward to Barton Fink
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ReplyDeleteI'm diggin the blog, guys. Very eclectic, both in terms of film genre and age, and I like how you find a wide variety of film news links. I can say that thanks to this blog, I am now somewhat interested in Kick-Ass, whereas before I was very meh about it. So it has had an impact on at least this film viewer!
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated note, do any of you guys have a clue what Chris Nolan's Inception is about? I'm rather curious.
Hey MIchael, here is a good article from the LA Times about the movie and Nolan. Seems to be about stealing dreams.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-inception4-2010apr04,0,6869939.story
"the globe-trotting movie may have had its subconscious baggage packed by Sigmund Freud, in other words, but it also carries a passport stamped by Ian Fleming"
ReplyDeleteSounds rad, can't wait.
Yeah, Kick-Ass looks pretty kickass, Micheal. Looking forward to that one, though I'm a little frightened it's going to be a let down.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to Inception, too. I really haven't ready anything about it, but I'd see pretty much anything by Christopher Nolan. That psychological undertone looks pretty schway.