No Country For Old Men

[char1ie]

Cassius Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But NO-ONE likes being stereotyped - it might be

> one way (a lazy one) to catagorise the world but

> that doesn't mean it's right.

> Some stereotypes have been responsible for

> discrimination until the recent past and probably

> still is (thinking of the straight woman sacked

> from a 'gay' nightclub and being called a

> 'breeder' - well she may well wish to have

> children and therefore that may well be a

> stereotyped view of her, but she was awarded

> several thousand pounds for it)

You are confusing stereotyping with abuse.

Stereotyping = "middle class" "blue collar" "Western" "cheerleader" "drama queen" for example. Die Hard is a typical "action movie". If you hear the phrase "action movie" you know what to expect. Same with "middle class". You have a pre-existing and continually reinforced understanding about what these descriptions mean.

Charlie

[mockney piers]

http://uktv.co.uk/images/standarditem/L1/527853_L1.jpg

[SeanMacGabhann]

But that's exactly the problem - people think they know how (for example) a middle class/working class person thinks/behaves/etc and may have inbuilt prejudices accordingly and the react to that person in an inappropriate way - when the reality is usually far away from that

To take a more frivilous example - TV Guide magazines categorize films (as you point out) as "thriller", "action", "romance" etc

That in no way tells you if they are any good. But if you allow categories/stereotypes to influence your thinking you will dismiss a potential classic in favour of a shite preference...

Only by discarding prejudices/stereotypes/categories can we make progress as a species.... *sigh* once again, only in my opinion of course

And Mockney - ANY excuse with you isn't it??

[lozzyloz]

Blue collar drama queen?

[char1ie]

If we didn't have them, we'd invent them so that we could swiftly judge things we have no knowledge of. "I'm not watching that. It's soppy romantic shit" "you haven't seen it" "I don't need to see it."

We all do it. Pre-judge stuff we have no experience of, based on our experience of what we consider to be related. "I don't like hot food" "I don't like cheese" "I don't like westerns" "I don't like the north" "I don't like woopsies" "I looove woopsies" etc etc.

Anyway, the film is cool.

Charlie

[mockney piers]

having had a good old chuckle at this thread, I wil lfinally weigh in on Charlie's side. I think they're just useful categories rather than stereotyping.

That said I really can't think of many chick flicks I've been able to stomach. Love Actually vies with Contact and Forrest Gump in my book as the worst films ever made.

[SeanMacGabhann]

pffft

If they were useful categories then why can't a single video store actually agree on what constitutes each one...

But it IS a film I want to see (based on the Coen's previous work if nothing else) and I'm now going to read the book as well

on the subject of categories - can I have one for "The Wire" please?

[char1ie]

The Wire = crime drama.

I have a soft spot for a rom com. Music and Lyrics, Knocked Up, Notting Hill.

I can't believe I have just admitted that on a public forum!

Charlie

[mockney piers]

Chick Flick for sure

[SeanMacGabhann]

after some of the confessions on this public forum, I don't think you have anything to worry about Char1ie!

Crime Drama? Hmmm - I can imagine that putting some people off, and dissapointing others who are used to CSI et al

Chick Flick? Well Bubbs fits the romantic, swarthy hero steretype I'll grant you...

[*Bob*]

For me, 'Footloose' is right up there. Pure genius.

[Brendan]

I suppose ascribing meaning to concepts is how the human brain works and we can?t escape it. Here are a few examples that we would all be a bit stuck without.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

1234567890

!??$%^&*()_+?`,.;?#/?:@~[]{}

DICLAIMER: It is in no way the author?s intention to force any stereotypes upon the above mentioned symbols or infringe upon said symbols? freedom of choice as pertains to their right to self determination over the meaning of the meaning ascribed to them.

I agree re. the Coen brothers. Their films are always worth watching.

[char1ie]

Apart from Millers Crossing. And that one with John Goodman (or is it Candy? I get confused) sitting in a hotel room with a typewriter.

Good ones outnumber bad:

Big Lebowski

Fargo

Blood Simple (totally excellent!)

The one with George Clooney as a hillbilly (uh oh, there I go again)

Charlie

[*Bob*]

I didn't like Barton Fink (the Goodman one) at all. And Millers Crossing was ok but I expected more. I remember really enjoying The Hudsucker Proxy but that was a long time ago when I was young and foolish.. might need another viewing.

Fargo is their best to date.

[*Bob*]

.. and I wasn't joking about Footloose.

[mockney piers]

Strange, I loved Miller's Crossing, it's honestly almost the perfect package.

I don't go for all their films, but Fargo is absolute class.

Hated the Ladykillers, not so keen on O Brother, Man Who wasn't there was good, but...

Raisin' Arizona though .. weeeeeeeee :D

[SeanMacGabhann]

I'm a big Miller's Crossing fan but was never keen on Barton Fink.

I keep thinking as I get older that I "get" the Coen's more, so I give it another go - and no, it's still no good

Hudsucker is an oddity - was meant to be the big studio push but it was always too oddball for that. Not one of their best but not bad

The A list for me is:

Blood Simple

Rasining Arizone

Millers Crossing

Fargo

Big Lebowski

Oh Brother (juuuust about)

I can watch Big Lebowski any day, any number of times.

[Keef]

Not seen all of them, but really like O Brother where art thou, and Raising Arizona.

[Brendan]

In my opinion The Big Lebowski means that even if the only other films they ever made were made-for-tv dramas staring Ted Danson they should still go down in history as some of the worlds best filmmakers.

[mightyroar]

did anyone see ted danson in that new 'crime drama' (for men or women) series on bbc1 on sunday?

it was odd. he just did a (quite good) impression of christopher walken