The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

This was a movie-movie so I'm not sure it belongs in this thread ... but it was on basic cable tv the other night.

Did anyone see Fargo all the way through? I watched the first half-hour or so and changed the channel soon after the cop got shot in the head and a mini-fountain of blood ensued. My teenaged daughter was in the room and while she could handle it I didn't want the entertainment to continue so graphically.

Heard good things about it, however.

Guess you didn't get toward the end where they put the guy's body in the woodchipper?

I personally don't get the Coen brothers...but that's just me.

Wow. No, glad we didn't get that far. I guess it's not unheard of in the real world of murder, but I'd rather not get the up-close-and-personal view of that.

In a very weird way it was actually kind of funny...but maybe it's just me....

It's one of my favorite movies.

The guy is just full of inappropriate responses. I see this happen in my own job. Unfortunately (or, perhaps fortunately for the interviewee) I haven't yet had the opportunity to call out "He's fleeing the interview!" - on of my favorite lines.

I like most of the Coen Brothers movies. But not all.

So was the really bad guy the same guy as in the VW (V-dub) commercials? Daughter and I thought maybe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51vdQq...

I hadn't seen that commercial. He certainly looks similar, if slimmer.

The guy in Fargo was Peter Stormare, per imdb.

Ya, deeese guys say so ...

(I tried to get the Swedish/German accent in text anyway)

http://popwatch.ew.com/2006/02/24/new...

John wrote: "This was a movie-movie so I'm not sure it belongs in this thread ... but it was on basic cable tv the other night.

Did anyone see Fargo all the way through? I watched the first half-hour or so a..."

I loved Fargo - Thought is was a great movie. Don't know about teenage daughters watching it - but my guess is that I would rather have her father with her while she watched - than not.

This is a great one, with one of the best casts I've ever seen. (That's the Coen Bros. secret, if you ask me.) It did get an "R" rating for a reason though.

Agreed, one of my favorites. It's such a surprising mix of brutal crime, police procedural, and completely entertaining and quirky characterizations and acting on all sides of the law, that if you can bear the occasional graphic violence it is well worth it. Agree about teenage viewing, though -- it depends on the kid, and having an adult with to relieve some of the tension is probably a good idea.

Vince wrote: "This is a great one, with one of the best casts I've ever seen. (That's the Coen Bros. secret, if you ask me.) It did get an "R" rating for a reason though."

Liked it, not loved it. Frances McDormand was really good I think - Marge got on my nerves from start to finish.

I do appreciate the way of movie making by the Coen Brothers. Although I'm not a great fan of Billy Bob Thornton, I greatly enjoyed The Man Who Wasn't There (2001).

I really liked "Fargo," but then I like almost all of the Coen brothers' movies. "Blood Simple" is probably my favorite.

I wouldn't even call myself a Coen brothers fan, but Fargo is a great movie. The funniest scene is the one with Marge and Mike Yanagita at the restaurant - when he starts sobbing and telling her how lonely he is and suddenly comes around to her side of the table. She makes him go back to the other side and he says, "Sorry" and she says "Oh, no, no. Just so I can see you. I don't have to turn my neck."

OHH Goodness, I thought that was the WORST movie I have EVER seen. I took a Crime in Film class in college and it was one of the movies we watched..::YAWN:: One of the few times I wanted to curl up and sleep during a class lecture period and I had to take two intro to research classes. I am not really a big Coen brothers fan. Their Burn After Reading was slightly better but I think their best film is No Country For Old Men.

But didn't you just love Frances McDormand? (Yeah, you-betcha!) And they really do talk like that up there in North Country... I was at the Minnesota State Fair at a booth that sold Correlleware (a supposedly non-breakable dinnerware) and the salesman was demonstrating by throwing it on the ground and saying that if it did break at any time all the buyer would have to do is request a replacement. Someone in the crowd yelled out "Do they really replace broken ones?" and right in back of me I heard a voice cry out "Yah, you betcha!" I was just dumbstruck. Or maybe I should say "Gobsmacked!"

I read about the violence at the beginning of this thread...that was one reason for my hesitation in viewing Fargo. The trailers they had out at the time really focused on the heinous scenes, and altho the presenters did allude to some comedy, it seemed too dark for me, but maybe I can rent it and speed through the so-called bad parts.

I absolutely love Fargo and Frances McDormand stole the show!! There were many great performances in the movie, but hers was outstanding. I hated the violence, but it certainly fit that character. I enjoy the Coen Bros. & have for years. They are twisted, aren't they?

I always get the Coen Brothers and the Wachowski Brothers mixed up...Wachowskis did The Matrix, plus a few more, the Coens did a whole bunch more movies. I guess I'm going to have to pay more attention to my directors from now on...

I got hooked on the Coens with 'O Brother..." and I love "Fargo".

I like many of the Coen Brother's movies (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, No Country) but Fargo just didn't do it for me. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a black comedy or serious thriller and the mix of the two kept me from really getting into the film.

Gatorman wrote: "I like many of the Coen Brother's movies (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, No Country) but Fargo just didn't do it for me. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a black comedy or ..."

I am glad I am not the only one who doesn't think highly of the movie

Gatorman wrote: "I like many of the Coen Brother's movies (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, No Country) but Fargo just didn't do it for me. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a black comedy or ..."

Thats exactly what I like about Fargo, and most of the other Coen brothers movies - they mix in comedy and all serious stuff and violence in a way that no one else seems to be able to pull off. I think it gives each element more impact.

Fargo is one of my favorite movies.

Pat wrote: "Gatorman wrote: "I like many of the Coen Brother's movies (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, No Country) but Fargo just didn't do it for me. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a..."

For some reason, with this movie, I didn't feel they pulled it off. I think because this film has much darker elements than most of their other work that the addition of the humor seemed to stifle any momentum and suspense the film built up with the darker stuff. Here it felt out of place.

Pat, you said, "Thats exactly what I like about Fargo, and most of the other Coen brothers movies - they mix in comedy and all serious stuff and violence in a way that no one else seems to be able to pull off. I think it gives each element more impact."

I was wondering if anyone saw Tarantino's Inglouriuous Basterds. If so, did you see any parallels with the Coen brothers' movies?

Scout wrote: "Pat, you said, "Thats exactly what I like about Fargo, and most of the other Coen brothers movies - they mix in comedy and all serious stuff and violence in a way that no one else seems to be able ..."

Inglorious Basterds was a great movie. Tarantino is a different filmmaker than the Coen Brothers in that his movies may be over the top in some aspects, and will employ comedic aspects, but they do not become farce the way many of the Coen Brothers films tend to (not a knock against the Coens). I prefer Tarantino's style of filmmaking and the way he seamlessly blends the elements to tell his stories.

EGatorman wrote: "Scout wrote: "Pat, you said, "Thats exactly what I like about Fargo, and most of the other Coen brothers movies - they mix in comedy and all serious stuff and violence in a way that no one else see..."

I prefer the Coens. Tarantino lost me with" Kill Bill. "

Jan C wrote: "EGatorman wrote: "Scout wrote: "Pat, you said, "Thats exactly what I like about Fargo, and most of the other Coen brothers movies - they mix in comedy and all serious stuff and violence in a way th..."

I love Kill Bill parts 1 and 2! Non-stop entertainment from start to finish.

Well, I can see some similarities between No Country for Old Men and Fargo / Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds. Do you disagree, Gator?

Scout wrote: "Well, I can see some similarities between No Country for Old Men and Fargo / Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds. Do you disagree, Gator?"

Not sure I understand the comment, Scout. Do you mean similarities between No Country and Fargo, and then Pulp and Inglorious, or do you mean among all of the listed films mixed together?

Sorry, Gatorman, for not making a clear point. I was still thinking more along the lines of what some movies of both Tarantino and the Coens have in common: They're fantastic; the violence is not meant to be taken seriously; the humor is morbid; and (most common of all) many characters are over-the-top and have aberrant takes on morality and reality. I agree that the Coens tend more toward farce, but Pulp Fiction did have its moments.

Scout wrote: "Sorry, Gatorman, for not making a clear point. I was still thinking more along the lines of what some movies of both Tarantino and the Coens have in common: They're fantastic; the violence is not..."

In all honesty, I don't see all that many real similarities between Tarantino and the Coens. They have different influences for their works and they have different styles of filmmaking. With Tarantino, some of his longer scenes could be short films by themselves. I don't find that with the Coens. I do see your point, though. There are some common threads there. I love Pulp Fiction! It's an absolute classic.

I like some Coen Bros. flicks (Big Lebowski, Hudsucker Proxy, Serious Man, Raising Arizona, True Grit) and others I don't. One of the latter is Fargo. Makes us Minnesotans look like a bunch of rubes. Of course, the Coens are Minnesotans, too.

My not liking Fargo is ironic. Because both my wife and myself were extras in the movie. Her scene survived the cutting room (night club scene with Jose Feliciano). Mine didn't (police cafeteria). It was weird, miming our conversations in this office building cafeteria. Some of us got too demonstrative, and were told to tone it down.

Funny story: After the nightclub scene was done, my wife found a pay phone and attempted to call me. Just as she plugged in the dime, Joel Coen walked by her and murmured, "It's a prop." Other interesting story. My wife was up for stand-in for Frances McDormand, but lost out.

I used to like absolutely everything the Coens did, but they have had a few misfires in recent years (Intolerable Cruelty, Burn After Reading and I shudder to even mention The Ladykillers). All comedies, while No Country For Old Men was excellent.

Sorry, but I have to put a comment in these unused topics as far as I can figure out to remove them from my unread topics listing on my app. Have managed to delete them on the website but they are still unread from the app point of view. Sorry for being such a pain but no other help forthcoming in terms of getting rid of them. Katherine