Burn after reading

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So what did you guys think of this? I was extremely dissapointed. Godawful over-acting from many of the key players, and a script that passed through the system ONLY because it said Joel and Ethan Coen on it.

Re: Burn after reading

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Looked like another Coen Bros comedy (i.e. smug and awful) so I skipped it. Not surprised at what you're saying one bit, last good comedy they made was Raising Arizona.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Burn after reading

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Girlfriend and I are waiting for it to hit the local dollar house, or end up on Netflix, whichever is first.

Lebowski crushes Raising Arizona.
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

Re: Burn after reading

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Yeah, I know that's the prevailing 'wisdom' on the subject...but hey, W won twice so prevailing wisdom ain't all it's cracked up to be. Lebowski's actually the exact point in the Coens' career you can pinpoint when they started buying into their own bullshit too much, which has resulted in about a .500 success ratio ever since. Notice how their comedies have gotten increasingly smug and, well, worse since that mess came out, too. But it's certainly got enough drug references to keep the kids happy, I suppose. Was probably the same thing they said when they finished the script.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Burn after reading

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Nu-uh, Lebowski was the height of their careers. I'd agree that after that, they have gone from bad to worse (Intolerable Cruelty, Ladykillers and the horribly overrated O brother), but Lebowski is comedic gold. That's the movie when they actually let loose enough to go for balls out comedy through and through. That's the problem I see with Burn after reading. They wanna do another Lebowski, but at the same time tie everything together and deliver some sort of... message. It doesn't work. Also, while Lebowski was perfectly cast, BAR is miscast pretty much in every department.

Oh, and I fucking hate John Malkovich.

Re: Burn after reading

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whoa whoa whoa.... first, you hate john malkovich?? why? he's awesome.

second, now that you say that, is this the film with brad pitt, etc., something about some CDs? yeah, i really want to see this, as it looks fucking funny. whether or not it will be funny, i don't know, but it sure looks like it has potential.

Re: Burn after reading

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TC wrote:whoa whoa whoa.... first, you hate john malkovich?? why? he's awesome.

second, now that you say that, is this the film with brad pitt, etc., something about some CDs? yeah, i really want to see this, as it looks fucking funny. whether or not it will be funny, i don't know, but it sure looks like it has potential.
John Malkovich is only awesome in Being John Malkovich. Other than that, I find him... too much.

Yeah, its the Brad Pitt-thing. I know, the trailer makes it look funny and all, but it really isn't.

Re: Burn after reading

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Any movie at this juncture featuring Pitt definitely has "miscasting" issues. Dude can't carry a glass of water much less a movie.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Burn after reading

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just watched it, and I think all the negative reviews I read here lowered my expectations to thoroughly enjoy it. Brad Pitt's character is fucking hilarious. It's definitely not the best coen bros. movie, but it ain't the worst either.

Re: Burn after reading

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i'm more with jcdc than marcus on this one. finally watched it last night and we were laughing our asses off at many parts of it. enjoyed clooney's paranoid acting, pitt's extremely amusing character (and GREAT death scene), and malkovich being malkovich (which is a plus for me). after seeing it on the tube, thinking i'd definitely buy it.

not sure what anyone was expecting with it, but i found it hilarious.

Re: Burn after reading

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Slight retraction on my Pitt flame in here as I'm a fan of his work in Inglorious Basterds and a few other movies, he was decent in this I suppose but nobody really shines since, as Marcus points out, it's not really that funny. Still reads like a nasty No Country hangover for the Coens, trying for a palate cleanser but not really getting any consistent comic juice from a similarly damned circle of characters.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Burn after reading

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re-watched this recently and agree with my previous comments, although "hilarious" is a stretch. it's definitely funny, and feels like pure Coen, and as such is vastly underrated. it's a banger for sure.