Coen brothers
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Joel David Coen(born29 November1954) andEthan Jesse Coen(born21 September1957) professionally known as theCoen brothers,are American filmmakers who write, direct and produce their films jointly, although until recently Joel received sole credit for directing and Ethan for producing. They often alternate top billing for their screenplays while sharing film credits for editor under thealiasRoderick Jaynes.Their films includeBlood Simple,Fargo,The Big Lebowski,O Brother, Where Art Thou?,No Country for Old Men,andTrue Grit.
Quotes
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- My most important professional accomplishment? I think that it's that I'm so scintillating and engaging in an interview.
- Joel Coen, giving terse responses to an interview in"10 Questions: Joel Coen" by Smriti Mundhra, atIGN(31 October 2001)
- That movie has more of an enduring fascination for other people than it does for us.
- Joel Coen, onThe Big Lebowskiand rumors of a spinoff, in"EXCLUSIVE: 'Big Lebowski' Jesus Spin-off 'Could Happen' But Not Yet, Say Ethan And Joel Coen" (21 September 2009) atMTV
- Our mother tried to get us to come here for many, many years… But, you know,lifeintervenes —we've been busy.
- Joel Coen, in Israel, accepting theDan David Prize,awarded to people who have made "an outstanding contribution tohumanity"at Tel Aviv University, as quoted in"Coen brothers win $1m Dan David Prize"BBC News(16 May 2011)
Blood Simple(1984)
[edit]- Theworldis full of complainers. But thefactis, nothing comes with a guarantee.I don't care if you're the Pope of Rome, President of the United States, or even Man of the Year — something can always gowrong.And go ahead, complain, tell your problems to your neighbor, ask for help — watch him fly. Now in Russia, they got it mapped out so that everyone pulls for everyone else — that's the theory, anyway. But what I know about is Texas… And down here... you're on your own.
- Loren Visser
- Something pretty fucking weird is going on.Put your coat on and I'll drop you at home. But don't talk to either of 'em until I do. And don't worry. Believe me. These things always have a logical explanation. Usually.
- Meurice
Raising Arizona(1987)
[edit]Barton Fink(1991)
[edit]- We're only interested in one thing, Bart. Can you tell astory?Can you make uslaugh?Can you make us cry? Can you make us want to break out injoyoussong? Is that more than one thing? Okay!
- Jack Lipnik
- Mind if I sit down? I'm carrying quite a load here.
- Marge Gunderson
- I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit ofmoney.There's more tolifethan a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don'tunderstandit.
- Marge Gunderson
The Big Lebowski(1998)
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- Look, let me explain something to you. I'm not Mr. Lebowski.You'reMr. Lebowski. I'm the Dude.So that's what you call me. That, or His Dudeness… Duder… or El Duderino, if, you know, you're not into the whole brevity thing.
- The Dude
- Nihilists!Fuck me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets ofNational Socialism,Dude, at least it's anethos.
- Walter Sobchak
- The Dude abides.
- The Dude
O Brother, Where Art Thou?(2000)
[edit]- Damn! We're in a tight spot!
- Ulysses Everett McGill
The Man Who Wasn't There(2001)
[edit]- They got this guy, in Germany. Fritz Something-or-other. Or is it? Maybe it'sWerner.Anyway, he's got this theory, you wanna test something, you know, scientifically — how the planets go round the sun, what sunspots are made of, why the water comes out of the tap — well, you gotta look at it. But sometimes you look at it, your looking changes it. Ya can't know the reality of what happened, or what would've happened if you hadn't-a stuck in your own goddamn schnozz. So there is no "what happened"? Not in any sense that we can grasp, with our punyminds.Because our minds... our minds get in the way. Looking at something changes it. They call it the "Uncertainty Principle".Sure, it sounds screwy, but evenEinsteinsays the guy's on to something.
- Freddy Riedenschneider
- The more you look, the less you really know.
- Freddy Riedenschneider
No Country for Old Men(2007)
[edit]- Thecrimeyou see now, it's hard to even take its measure.It's not that I'mafraidof it. I alwaysknewyou had to be willin' todieto even do thisjob.But, I don't want to push my chips forward and go out and meet somethin' I don'tunderstand.A man would have to put hissoulat hazard. He'd have to say: "O.K., I'll be part of thisworld."
- Sheriff Ed Tom Bell
- What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?
- Anton Chigurh
- If theruleyou followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?
- Anton Chigurh
- The coin don't have no say! It's just you!
- Carla Jean
- You go for a man hard enough and fast enough, he don't have time tothinkabout how many's with him; he thinks about himself, and how he might get clear of thatwraththat's about to set down on him.
- Rooster Cogburn
Quotes about the Coen brothers
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- The Coens seem to have less affinity for thecult ofLebowskithanBridges,so it's hard to imagine them being very proud of what they've spawned. But I can't think of two people I'd rather shoot the shit with. Besides Bridges, of course.
- I'm a bit puzzled why most critics thinkMiller's Crossingis their best. I find it too cold and postmodern. But pretty much everything else is amazing. I think some of their lesser-loved films, likeThe Hudsucker ProxyandThe Man Who Wasn't Thereare my favourites. But then,Barton Fink,Raising Arizona,No Country For Old Men…They're really the best films of our time. The Coens are better candidates forheroesof modern literature thanPhilip Roth,Don DeLillo,Will Self,Ian McEwanor any other award-winning novelist.
- Oliver Benjamin,as quoted in "Big Lebowski Spawns Religion" by Yusuf Laher inDon't Panic Online(11 April 2011)
- I like theCoen brothers.Their films are smart and disturbing.
External links
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- Joel CoenonIMDb
- Ethan CoenonIMDb
- Coenesque: The Films of the Coen Brothers
- The Films of the Coen Brothers,movie clip compilation, 3 min.