The Life of the Mind

Apr 02 2024 12 ep. 90 mins 16

The Life of the Mind Podcast artwork

Cinephiles Chris Ayers, Barbara VanDenburgh and Jason Keil discuss the filmography of The Coen Brothers in chronological order.

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The Ladykillers

Apr 02 2024 78 mins

In a body of work that spans 18 films and 4 decades, The Ladykillers has the reputation for the being a singular low point in the Coen Brothers' career, but does it really deserve that reputation? It was Joel and Ethan's first straight up remake, but they can't resists putting their own unique spin on this darkly weird tale of a gang of criminals and the unsuspecting la

Intolerable Cruelty

Mar 05 2024 76 mins

Intolerable Cruelty (2003) was the Coen Brothers' first work-for-hire project in Hollywood. Initially just a script polish, they eventually took over the director's helm as well. While they definitely left their stylistic stamp on this divorce lawyer comedy, it also has the hallmarks of an early 2000s mainstream romantic film, featuring George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jon

The Man Who Wasn't There

Dec 05 2023 78 mins

In the Coen canon, it's almost the film that wasn't there. Audiences didn't show up for it, but The Man Who Wasn't There remains a favorite among critics and fans of film noir. The Coen Brothers have paid tribute to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler in the past, but here it's the hard-boiled naturalistic fiction of James M. Cain that inspired the film. It

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Oct 24 2023 118 mins

Continuing their collaboration with music producer T-Bone Burnett, the Coens follow up their biggest cult hit with O Brother, Where Art Thou in 2000, which has a massive impact as it puts Southern traditional music at the forefront of American culture. On this episode we reminisce about the good ol' days, and we don't mean the 1930s. We're nostalgic for the 90s, when mo

The Big Lebowski

Sep 19 2023 113 mins

We're starting off Season 2 with the Coens' biggest cult hit. The Big Lebowski has spawned its own festival, its own religion, and has taken on a life of its own since it was released in 1999. In some ways, it's larger than the whole Coen oeuvre, but where does it fit in? And do you have to be on drugs to fully appreciate it? We test this theory by all being in the same

Fargo

Feb 28 2023 99 mins

Following up a critical and commercial flop, the Coen Brothers deliver one of their most memorable films and cement their position as auteur filmmakers with 1996's Fargo, a film that was purported to be based on a true story, but which turned out to be pure noir invention. We are joined by someone who knows a bit about the crime genre herself - New York Times bestselling and award-

The Hudsucker Proxy

Jan 24 2023 88 mins

Perhaps one of the most underappreciated films in the Coen Brothers canon, 1994's The Hudsucker Proxy is the story of Norville Barnes, a good natured guy who achieves immediate success at Hudsucker Industries and changes the world with the invention of the hula hoop. But like the films of Frank Capra, one of its chief inspirations, it has a darker side. The most expensive Coen film

Barton Fink

Dec 20 2022 89 mins

We will show you the life of the mind, if we can figure out what the hell that means. Barton Fink (1991) might be the Coen Brothers' most personal film, but it's also one of the most difficult. A mixture of disparate genres, and laden with a ton of cinematic, historical, and literary references references, Joel and Ethan's fourth film explores the anxiety of the creativ

Miller's Crossing

Nov 15 2022 95 mins

What's the rumpus? Join us for a nice stroll in the woods with our episode covering 1990's "Miller's Crossing," the Coen Brothers' first period piece. During a period when gangster pictures were experiencing a resurgence, the Coens deliver a darkly funny and understated take on the genre, inspired by the works of Dashiell Hammett. Jen Johans from the podcast Watch With Jen an

Raising Arizona

Oct 18 2022 109 mins

For the Coen Brothers' first comedy, Raising Arizona, we happen to have two native Arizonans and some past and present Arizona residents on the podcast to ask, "Is this really what Arizona is like?" The answer is pretty much "no," but that's okay because it's what Ethan Coen calls "an Arizona of the mind." Joining us as guest to talk about this Arizona cult classic is t