Burn After Reading Archives - The Playlist

Frances McDormand: The Essential Performances

Nicholas Laskin — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:54:59 +0000

When we talk about the title of Greatest Living Actress, it seems as though many folks can only think of one answer to that question (we’ll give you a hint: her first name rhymes with Ferrell). While we are in no way trying to throw the goddess Meryl Streep under the proverbial bus, we are suggesting that perhaps it’s time to allow for more room in the conversation without showering all our attention on one admittedly iconic performer who, by now, has earned her just desserts.

Continue reading Frances McDormand: The Essential Performances at The Playlist.

The Essentials: The Coen Brothers Films Ranked

The Playlist Staff — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 16:16:10 +0000

If you’re struggling to find something new to watch on the big screen in a sea of underwhelming blockbusters, you’ll be delighted to know that right now, a re-release of “Blood Simple” in newly restored 4K is currently in theaters. The first film of Joel and Ethan Coen, it’s a great chance to catch the start of one of the most remarkable careers in American film.

Initially billed with Joel as the director and Ethan as the producer (sharing writing credits) due to guild complications, the pair have always been a tight team, and were finally able to recognize that from 2003’s “Intolerable Cruelty” onwards, sharing all their credits from then on out.

Continue reading The Essentials: The Coen Brothers Films Ranked at The Playlist.

Random 2008 Best And Worst Of Thoughts

Rodrigo Perez — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Andrew O’Hehir’s of Salon has put up his list of the 10 best indie films of 2008. His number one is “A Christmas Tale” and that’s fine and it’s a solid list, but what’s the point of making the distinction of top indie films? Oh, duh, Beyond the multiplex means, beyond the multiplex. [Beyond the Multiplex]

Film Threat puts together their list of 10 Best Unseen Films of 2008. Honestly when we spotted this list, we were excited, but it looks like a low-rent, straight-to-video indie crop not ready for primetime.

Continue reading Random 2008 Best And Worst Of Thoughts at The Playlist.

Samuel Mutha Fuckin’ Jackson Breaks Into U.S. Box Office

M. P. — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:09:00 +0000

It was a winning weekend at the box office for Neil Labute’s racially tense thriller, “Lakeview Terrace.” The film starring Samuel L. Jackson made $15.6 million. The film and its success might signal the deathknell of LaBute’s creative career, but perhaps the beginning of a commercial one? Either way, it has to be seen as some sort of comeback after the remake of 2006’s “The Wicker Man,” which was universally laughed at from audiences and critics alike (a film so excruciatingly bad, it’s earned itself an ironist cult following).

Continue reading Samuel Mutha Fuckin’ Jackson Breaks Into U.S. Box Office at The Playlist.

The Coen Brothers ‘Burn’ Up The Box-Office With Almost $20 million

M. P. — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:57:00 +0000

The American Box Office has finally recovered from a stretch of unsuccessful weekends with a huge turnaround. The Coen Brothers’ CIA comedy, “Burn After Reading,” caught fire with audiences, earning more than $19.4 million, making it the number one film of the weekend. It was the biggest opening weekend for a Coen Brothers film ever (the picture to beat was “The Ladykillers” which had earned $12.6 million previously).

On its tail, was Tyler Perry’s “Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys.” The film made over $18 million.

Continue reading The Coen Brothers ‘Burn’ Up The Box-Office With Almost $20 million at The Playlist.

Nicolas Cage’s Hair Tops Worst American Box Office In Seven Years

M. P. — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:55:00 +0000

The U.S. Box office was a disgrace yet again this weekend. In fact it was the slowest movie weekend in seven years, according to studio estimates from the AP. “Bangkok Dangerous” won the top spot with a mere $7.8 million. The Pang Brother’s movie beat out no new competition making it number one and beat the three time weekend winner, “Tropic Tunder” by a hair from Nicolas Cage’s head. Were starting to think that Cage himself doesn’t star in these things, but his tacky haircuts.

Continue reading Nicolas Cage’s Hair Tops Worst American Box Office In Seven Years at The Playlist.

“The Wrestler” Wins the Golden Lion, Anne Hathaway Wins Nothing

Nick Plowman — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:40:00 +0000

Talk about a flat festival. This year Venice really amounted to almost nothing, in my humble, outsider’s opinion. I have always thought it to be the most glamorous, perhaps prestigious festival in the world, with the exception of Cannes, which it may very well be, but compared to other years it definitely seems to have made an abnormally small impact. Perhaps Toronto and Telluride clogging up the interwebs didn’t help and that most U.S. bloggers didn’t attend meant that there was less publicity.

Continue reading “The Wrestler” Wins the Golden Lion, Anne Hathaway Wins Nothing at The Playlist.

A League Of Morons Rule The Wickedly Delightful ‘Burn After Reading’

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:59:00 +0000

We’ve been dogging the Coen Brothers’ “Burn After Reading” for some time now assuming it was the worst kind of wild, screwball nonsense because of the trailers which we never really, but we can happily say we were wrong. It was neither the madcap silliness we thought it would be, nor was it too off-the-rails.

Yeah, the film is full of chuckleheaded idiots, but that’s the whole point and this dark comedy with thriller-like intrigue was, for the most part, tremendously enjoyably, wickedly arch and and deliciously funny.

Continue reading A League Of Morons Rule The Wickedly Delightful ‘Burn After Reading’ at The Playlist.

The Too Silly ‘Burn After Reading’ Full Of Doofus Buffoonery?

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:14:00 +0000

The Coen Brothers upcoming CIA comedy “Burn After Reading” has just hit the Venice film festival, and not everyone is loving it. And just as we kind of suspected all along (or seemingly anyhow), it’s a little too buffoonish for it’s own good.

This stand to reason, outside of “No Country For Old Men,” the Coens have been very hit and miss where their comedy is concerned in recent years and people seemt to have forgotten this.

Continue reading The Too Silly ‘Burn After Reading’ Full Of Doofus Buffoonery? at The Playlist.

The Playlist’s Fall Film Preview – Part 1, Sept-October, Let’s Do This!

Spencer Martin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:25:00 +0000

Summer might be the season for the fanboys, but fall is strictly for cineastes and we can’t wait. Here at The Playlist, we’re always psyched for the fall schedule that inevitably boasts fantastic international films from Cannes, drama-filled Oscar-bait, and a season full of auteur work (Baz Luhrmann, David Fincher, Gus Van Sant, etc.). This season doesn’t appear like it will disappoint either. There’s a massive slate of excellent films to look forward to. Here’s a taste of the first two months of the season.

Continue reading The Playlist’s Fall Film Preview – Part 1, Sept-October, Let’s Do This! at The Playlist.

Toronto Int. Film Festival Gets ‘Burn After Reading’ And A Little ‘New York’

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:10:00 +0000

The final additions to the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival have been announced and the supplemental films aren’t major names (as we predicted yesterday), but still significant and substantial.

The biggest major film added to the line-up not surprisingly is the Coen Brothers, “Burn After Reading,”* a CIA comedy that stars George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich and Brad Pitt. The flick comes out right as the festival ends (September 12) so it will only be premiering a scant few days early, but this is a regular TIFF occurrence.

Continue reading Toronto Int. Film Festival Gets ‘Burn After Reading’ And A Little ‘New York’ at The Playlist.

The Coen Brothers Find Their ‘Serious Man’

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:34:00 +0000

You’ve seen him in tons of smaller roles and a lot of TV (“Spin City” in particular), but character actor Richard Kind, and even-lesser known Tony-nominated actor Michael Stuhlbarg will star in the Coen Brothers’ next film, “A Serious Man.”

The story focuses on a Midwestern professor (Stuhlberg) in the mid/late 1960’s whose life begins to unfold when his wife leaves him and his socially inept brother (Kind) won’t move out of the house.

Continue reading The Coen Brothers Find Their ‘Serious Man’ at The Playlist.

New Photos From ‘Burn,’ ‘W,’ ‘Revolutionary Road,’ ‘The Road,’ ‘Benjamin Button’ & More…

Rodrigo Perez — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:43:00 +0000

We’re breaking our rule about posting photos for the sake of posting photos cause well, it’s the end of the day, we’re leaving and we’re admittedly excited about the fall film schedule (as we are every year). EW has a ton of new photos from the fall seasons, the flicks – and photos – that interest us the most are here. Shots from “Revolutionary Road,” with Leonardo and Kate Winslet, the Coen Brothers’ “Burn After Reading,” Clint Eastwood’s “The Changeling,” Viggo Mortensen in “The Road,” Brad Pitt in David Fincher’s “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button” – speaking of that one, no fall film fest inclusion?

Continue reading New Photos From ‘Burn,’ ‘W,’ ‘Revolutionary Road,’ ‘The Road,’ ‘Benjamin Button’ & More… at The Playlist.

Carter Burwell’s ‘Burn After Reading’ Soundtrack Score Due September 2

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:50:00 +0000

“Burn After Reading,” the soundtrack comes out September 2. The music is composed by longtime Coen Brothers collaborator Carter Burwell, who’s also composing some of the score to Spike Jonze’s “Where The Wild Things Are” (whether it’s with Karen O remains to be seen and seems unlikely so far).

The short log-line of the film? An ousted CIA official’s memoir (John Malkovich) accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees (Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand) intent on exploiting their find.

Continue reading Carter Burwell’s ‘Burn After Reading’ Soundtrack Score Due September 2 at The Playlist.

New ‘Burn After Reading’ Trailer Says Cut The Shit, Let’s Do This

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:19:00 +0000

The Coen brothers are quirky n’ stuff, right? Lots of dialogue, zany characters, mad cap stories, etc, etc., yeah? Fuck that. The new trailer for “Burn After Reading,” is completely different in tone than the first one and seems to say, “Alright, cut the shit. Let’s put some asses in theaters seats.”

Was it cut by someone other than the Coen brothers, possibly in a suit, resembling Harvey Weinstein if some such figure existed over at Focus Features?

Continue reading New ‘Burn After Reading’ Trailer Says Cut The Shit, Let’s Do This at The Playlist.

The Coen Brothers Return To Dim-Witted Boobs For CIA Spy Comedy, ‘Burn After Reading’

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:05:00 +0000

“Intelligence is relative.”

The Coen Brothers love their humor with bumbling protagonists (see “O’ Brother Where Art Though’), but in recent years, their films with dim-witted boobs haven’t been their best material (see “The Lady Killers” and “Intolerable Cruelty,” though we will argue to no end that these films are still better than your average film, just slightly sub-par from the Coens). Regardless, the producer-director writing pair have seemingly returned to this genre with “Burn After Reading,” a dark CIA spy comedy starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, and John Malkovich (among many other talented actors they’re fond of using).

Continue reading The Coen Brothers Return To Dim-Witted Boobs For CIA Spy Comedy, ‘Burn After Reading’ at The Playlist.

Your “What The Fuck Is Sean Penn Doing At Coachella?” Questions Answered

Rodrigo Perez — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:05:00 +0000

So what exactly was Sean Penn doing at Coachella this weekend? Shilling the virtues of “Dirty Hands Caravan,” a biodiesel cross-country bus trip he plans to today, arriving in New Orleans on May 4 (like we thought). The government can’t do it,” Penn said about the environment. “They can’t save this thing.” According to the AP his his “pleas were received with some applause but little enthusiasm.” [Associated Press]

While they won’t appear at Cannes 2008, the Coen Brothers’ next film, the CIA comedy “Burn After Reading,” starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand will open the 65th Annual Venice Film Festival on August 27 (the festival runs until September 6).

Continue reading Your “What The Fuck Is Sean Penn Doing At Coachella?” Questions Answered at The Playlist.