Already commenced and running through until the end of December, the BFI Southbank will be showing a season of classic Coen brothers movies, but with an interesting twist, they will be showing beside the Coen movie a Hollywood classics that share some parallels or allegiance within the Coens work.


Blood Simple is paired with The Postman Always Rings Twice, movies which resonate strongly with each other in many respects, whilst the brothers recent oscars rich movie No Country for Old Men is paired with Charley Varrick. You can also compare the Coen's version of The Ladykillers with the original Ealing Studios version starring Alec Guiness, no doubt offering the viewer the chance to see where the Coens got it so wrong (for a change).


Other Coens film showing during the season include their latest superb offering Burn After Reading (2008); their oscar laden return to form No Country For Old Men (2007); our own favourites The Big Lebowski (1998), Fargo (1996) and Miller's Crossing (1990) along with every other film they have made to this point.



Visit the BFI's Oh brothers - The Coens in Context season website for more information / screening times for this fabulous season of classic Coen brothers films.

Labels: BFI season, Coen brothers

You wait all summer for a decent movie then two come along at once.

First up is the Coen brothers first movie since the success of the Oscar-laden No Country For Old Men. The new movie is called Burn After Reading, and it has been announced that the film will released in the cinemas on 12th September (in the USA) and 17th October (in the UK). The Burn After Reading trailer has been released over the net and can be seen here on the ToxicShock website.
From the trailer it looks reminiscent of the Coen brothers Fargo, which is one of our favourite Coen brothers films. All the signs are that the film will carry on the good work of No Country For Old Men, which was released after a run of three movies which seemed below the Coen's usual very high standard.

For more info on the Coen brothers (ot to buy their DVDs), go to our alt-flix Coen brothers guide.


A UK cinematic release for Shane Meadows' first film since This Is England, which is called Somers Town has just been announced as the 26th August. The film has already been a hit with the critics, and only a couple of weeks ago Somers Town picked up the prestigious Michael Powell award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The film stars young actor Thomas Turgoose, the brilliant young actor who was such a revelation in Meadows' This Is England, and it looks set to further establish Meadows as one of cinemas brightest and freshest directing talents (he's already our favourite).

To find out more about Shane Meadows (or buy some of his DVDs) go to our Shane Meadows guide, or to Shane Meadows offical homepage, which is a very nice place indeed.

Labels: Burn After Reading, Coen brothers, Shane Meadows, Somers Town