Coen Brothers: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Strat]

I could watch Tom Waits pan for gold for hours.

Though after that movie we started losing interest and were pretty tired. We'll revisit and finish soon here.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

I could watch Tom Waits pan for gold for hours.

Though after that movie we started losing interest and were pretty tired. We'll revisit and finish soon here.

i didn’t recognize him at first

[Simple Torture]

Trying to rank these seems tough to me, but I really liked the entire thing overall. I think the only criticism I have is that there were narrative beats and writing choices that echoed across the stories--I could understand an argument that these are supposed to be thematic resonances, but I felt like they just left me comparing the different films and trying to decide which used it better. I am talking about:

Spoiler: show

Not Seeing The Most Dramatic Moment - We don't see Liam Neeson throw Stubby off the bridge, and we don't get to see Mr. Arthur explain what happened to Alice. I feel like the second one works better, i.e., I couldn't even imagine seeing that conversation, and I like how they left it hanging.

I'm Not Dead Yet! - Both Mr. Arthur and Tom Waits played possum so they could get the jump on their foes. The scenes felt so different--one full of stillness and one pounding with frenetic energy--but I definitely liked the rolling of the cigarette and the slow spread of the blood as a moment more.

Joey mentioned how The Mortal Remains feels like a play, and I was all set to come on here and call it Beckettian so I would sound all smart; he stole my thunder! I am on the fence about whether to take the story literally or whether we're supposed to read it as something supernatural. I am leaning towards the former being a more interesting reading.

I loved the use of song throughout.

I agree with others that James Franco had one of the most uninteresting roles, but when he

Spoiler: show

turned to the crying man and asked, "First time?"

it was a very good laugh. Literal gallows humor.

Definitely want to revisit this at some point, like all Coen movies.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

yeah i’ve had a strong urge to watch it again already

[Mecca]

Tom Waits was born to play a prospector

[lennytheweedwhacker]

i should watch this again soon

[epilogue]

Tom Waits was born to play a prospector

[Mecca]

I could watch the first segment over and over again. The songs and the shot of Buster goin on up to heaven are so damn beautiful

[Dev]

I liked the first 3 and the last 2 were meh

[Mecca]

yippie ki iy ay...

[Mecca]

I could watch the first segment over and over again. The songs and the shot of Buster goin on up to heaven are so damn beautiful

For some reason I don’t remember the CGI angel Buster sticking out so much. I still love that entire first vignette

[Matters]

Like this movie a lot. Stories 4 and 5 are really incredible. The best Coen bros. movies rank amongst my favorites ever.

Other than The Lady Killers, have they made another movie with a minority in a starring or even a supporting role?

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Matters]

Oh yeah. Damn he was good too. Love that Hard Time Killing Floor Blues.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

George Clooney is .25 black.

[Monkey_Driven]

Oscar Isaac is half Cuban/Guatamalan.

[Anders]

I should watch this again soon. One of the top movies of 2018.

[Anders]

Finally rewatching this (first time). Easily the best netflix exclusive if 2018, and a top ten movie of the year all in all.

[Anders]

If I had to rank the parts after just one viewing:

1. All Gold Canyon (5/5)
2. The Gal Who Got Rattled (4/5)
3. Meal Ticket (4/5)
4. The Mortal Remains (3/5)
5. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (3/5)
6. Near Algodones (2/5)

Not too different, but I would do:
1. All Gold Canyon (5/5)
2. The Gal Who Got Rattled (5/5)
3. Meal Ticket (4/5)
4. Near Algodones (4/5)
5. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (3/5)
6. The Mortal Remains (3/5)

Thinking about these now. About halfway so far.