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tbf some people hate Fargo, though they generally dislike the Coens' work too.

But with 8.1 on IMDB & 88 metacritic score, it's one of their most broadly liked films, woodchipper included.

I don't hate it and it is a good film but I'd rank several other Coens higher. I wish I could articulate it better but the characters in Fargo get on my nerves.

Finch wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 1:30 am I wish I could articulate it better but the characters in Fargo get on my nerves.

and I would say that that was what the Coen brothers intended.

Fair point. To which I'd say I can respect the intent and still find the film off-putting as a result.

Miller's Crossing, O Brother, The Man Who Wasn't There, and True Grit are all better than Fargo, by a fair bit I'd say, and I also prefer Blood Simple, The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading to Fargo even as smaller works. I like the Coen brothers, or at least, the films I mentioned, quite a bit, but I'm sort of leery of Fargo, to some partial degree, for reasons I can't quite define, at least not completely.

I'm having trouble with that too, not least because a couple other Coen films have simpletons or outright idiots in them (Burn After Reading etc) but while I'm not the biggest fan of those films either, none quite irritate me to the same extent that Fargo does. Is it because Lindegaard and the hired killers inflict suffering and death on people who don't deserve it and therefore the stupidity feels more jarring? Burn After Reading is easier to accept because it plays as broad satire, Fargo on the other hand does to some of degree play like a police procedural with some verisimilitude, so perhaps the idiocy feels more crass and less palatable (to me, anyway) there than elsewhere. I mean I really love Steve Buscemi but his character is aggravating in this.

Circling back to Arrow announcements: their WB titles haven't been for me so far, with the exception of The Long Kiss Goodnight, so I'm not expecting whatever gets announced Friday to buck the trend. I wonder what the next Golden Princess title is. Possibly the two Prison on Fire films since they were released by Shout after the Woos.

Finch wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 2:53 am Fargo on the other hand does to some of degree play like a police procedural with some verisimilitude, so perhaps the idiocy feels more crass and less palatable (to me, anyway) there than elsewhere.

That sounds right, and also the tone of the film is so nasty and facile, more indulgently so and more over-the-top nasty than any other Coen Bros joint I've seen, at least at times, that it feels like it pushes over sometimes into into a tinge of Tarantino-imitation filmmaking--just about the worst kind of filmmaking. The Coens are occasionally perfectly comfortable openly grasping for "Art" while providing something that is totally incoherent, like Barton Fink. But I don't really have an idea of what the Coens are even trying to say with Fargo, so I don't know whether I think the film is incoherent.

Beloved Aunt wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 2:18 am Miller's Crossing, O Brother, The Man Who Wasn't There, and True Grit are all better than Fargo, by a fair bit I'd say, and I also prefer Blood Simple, The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading to Fargo even as smaller works. I like the Coen brothers, or at least, the films I mentioned, quite a bit, but I'm sort of leery of Fargo, to some partial degree, for reasons I can't quite define, at least not completely.

I enjoy Fargo a lot, but it’s The Hudsucker Proxy that I still think is their masterpiece. I’ve come to watch it every New Year’s, and it’s so beautiful and hilarious in equal measure. Steve Buscemi’s beatnik cafe proprietor is one of their best creations.

Funny how Fargo has such a mixed reception here. I am not a Coens aficionado, but it probably ranks up there for me for exactly the reasons (for and against) stated. I can understand the apathy though, because this was a huge staple of the 90s zeitgeist and has a million releases and I am also burned out on it. But it seems best to get the obligatory UK 4K out of the way and move on.

Finch wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 2:53 am Is it because Lindegaard and the hired killers inflict suffering and death on people who don't deserve it and therefore the stupidity feels more jarring?

Spoiler

Isn't that the point in Marge's conversation with Gaear in the end. All of this death and destruction throughout the film is all because of their own greed.

cdnchris wrote: Wed Aug 26, 2026 8:54 pm I like how you guys think it will be a "good" (ish) movie when it's more than likely a stacked special edition for Dreamcatcher or some other turd.

NGL, I'd watch 65-80 minutes of special features on Duddits.

MifuneFan says The Dirty Dozen is going to be announced tomorrow. He doesn't quote his source but he's been reliable in the past. If true, it'll be my second UHD from their WB deal and it should be a big upgrade because the BD was never great to begin with.

PS.: source is the same Reddit poster whose previous leaks have been genuine. Fargo and Wargames are coming, too.

Finch wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 4:28 pm MifuneFan says The Dirty Dozen is going to be announced tomorrow. He doesn't quote his source but he's been reliable in the past. If true, it'll be my second UHD from their WB deal and it should be a big upgrade because the BD was never great to begin with.

PS.: source is the same Reddit poster whose previous leaks have been genuine. Fargo and Wargames are coming, too.

God, I’ve still got the WarGames DVD I bought in 1999. Finally time for an upgrade. It’s got a great commentary (anything with John Badham is very informative)

Really shocked WB licensed The Dirty Dozen. With that and WB letting Criterion have all those Kubrick films and The Right Stuff, I wonder what isn't available to the boutiques.

It'll be interesting to see how many titles their new arthouse division, Warner Clockwork, is going to claim for itself since it looks like The Devils is going to stay with Warner for the home video release (unless it shows up on Criterion's December lineup).

Though I imagine Warner's other Ken Russell films will likely end up with boutiques at least. Lizstomania anyway as Savage Messiah doesn't feel like an Arrow title.

dwk wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 5:52 pm I wonder what isn't available to the boutiques.

Wizard Of Oz & Casablanca...unless Criterion does a director box.

Calvin wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 7:26 pm Though I imagine Warner's other Ken Russell films will likely end up with boutiques at least. Lizstomania anyway as Savage Messiah doesn't feel like an Arrow title.

I guess I can say it, but Liztomania is apparently on the way via Arrow.

Finch wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 6:30 pm It'll be interesting to see how many titles their new arthouse division, Warner Clockwork, is going to claim for itself since it looks like The Devils is going to stay with Warner for the home video release (unless it shows up on Criterion's December lineup).

THE DEVILS is indeed staying with WB in the US, BFI have it for the UK. Another GET CARTER situation, in other words, except THE DEVILS is likely to be WBHE rather than WAC.

Two more November releases have leaked:
Nora Miao Doule Feature: The Blade Spares None / The Hurricane (Blu-ray)

Shawscope Presents: Street Gangs of Hong Kong (Blu-ray) Boxset:
The Delliquent
The Teahouse
Big Brother Cheng
Big Bad Sis
The Big Holdup
The Convict Killer
The Brothers

dwk wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 8:23 pm Nora Miao Doule Feature: The Blade Spares None / The Hurricane (Blu-ray)

Licensed from Fortune Star or WB?

Edit: Just saw the photo, Fortune Star. It’s known Arrow have The Cannonball Run as well. Wonder when another deal was made.

Also, FARGO is a masterpiece, though my favorite Coens is A SERIOUS MAN, closely followed by BARTON FINK. Those three and NO COUNTRY round up my top four.

dwk wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 5:52 pm Really shocked WB licensed The Dirty Dozen. With that and WB letting Criterion have all those Kubrick films and The Right Stuff, I wonder what isn't available to the boutiques.

It’s a shame that Aldrich’s Ulzanna’s Raid and Too Late the Hero don’t have 4Ks. I thought the latter had a rights issue now

Glad we're finally getting some Coen Bros from a UK boutique. Mad to think the recent Criterion edition of The Man Who Wasn't There is the first boutique release of one of their films over here. I gave up requesting Barton Fink and The Hudsucker Proxy from the likes of Arrow years ago (both are with Universal here, so I figured they'd be possible) and Burn After Reading and A Serious Man could be a good fit for Arrow too. No Country for Old Men deserves a UK 4K release too, but it's Paramount so that might prove difficult - if Criterion can't license it for the UK, who else can?

Anyway, Fargo is great news and I'll definitely be getting it. Quite up for The Dirty Dozen and WarGames too, even if I already have the older catalogue discs. I'm sure Arrow will make them definitive editions, particularly the former which desperately needed remastering (I wonder if they could also get one or two of the TV sequels as well, like they did for The Great Escape).

(Funnily enough, I think I suggested WarGames to Transmission recently.)