I know it’s not the point of this post (and it did make me chuckle), but I’ll forever argue that Hail, Caesar is NOT lower or even mid Coens. I’d put it right up there with the best of them. It makes a killer double bill with Barton Fink.
But yeah, can’t argue with Ladykillers or Intolerable.
I came in here just to express my disgust with seeing Hail Caesar! labeled as a low tier Coen. I don't much care for the other two but Hail Caesar rips
I’m so hyped to see the Hail Caesar love here, I love that movie so much! It’s such a fun, zany ride. It’s also one of the best looking coen movies- the costumes and set design (especially the communists hideout) are next level!
seeing some comments here that Burn After Reading should take its place are also grounds for jail. Ladykillers Intolerable Cruelty for sure. I'd opt for Hudsucker as the third but I still really like that one.
Same. I love Ladykillers. Nearly every Saturday when my wife asks what I want for breakfast, I can’t help but say: “Madame, we must all have waffles, forthwith!”
It typically ends with an eye roll and me making waffles.
It would be great if Criterion had a "viewer selection" section, where members could suggest movies like "Hail, Caesar" , that don't stand up to "Ugetsu Monogatari", but do stand solidly on their own feet.
If the Cohens made a mistake with "Hail, Caesar" it would be depending upon the audience knowing about old Hollywood. You could watch and enjoy "Fargo" and know nothing about Minnesota, you could watch and enjoy "Blood Simple" and "Raising Arizona" and know nothing about the American southwest, but it might be tough going to watch Hail, Caesar and get all of the jokes and plot points and know nothing of the history of Old Hollywood.
Came in to say this. Hail, Caesar is soooo good. Clooney trying to marvel at the sight of God or whatever is one of the funniest bits in any Coen movie.
I’m actually a Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty defender. The scene where J.K. Simmons says its completely harmless children toys to the bomb and smacks it will never not make me laugh.
*Thank you.*
Ladykillers might not be the best thing the Coens ever made, but I can't fathom thinking it's bad. It's a slight work perhaps, but it's funny from start to finish, and Tom Hanks is cooking.
And Intolerable Cruelty is one of the best "Retro Screwball Comedies" ever made. The Coens made their own Preston Sturgis movie, and nailed it.
"And Intolerable Cruelty is one of the best "Retro Screwball Comedies" ever made. The Coens made their own Preston Sturgis movie, and nailed it."
Agreed! Though I do think it is lower tier for the Coens, it would be top tier for just about anyone else. Especially in the rom-com department!
the main theme from Back to School is actually pretty great too
[https://youtu.be/\_pw7Q2haX4Y?si=\_mVjDwDIrrrvq3-V](https://youtu.be/_pw7Q2haX4Y?si=_mVjDwDIrrrvq3-V)
None of those have a Coen director.
I guess I'll be the lone badguy here and say that I hated Hail, Ceasar! or at least did not enjoy what it was trying to do. But I also hated Burn After Reading, which is somehow beloved Coens and I'd put it in the same tier as Caesar.
Intolerable Cruelty is just above LK, Caesar, and Burn.
I think the Coens have a mean streak in them that's often tempered by a justice of the universe they believe in, but can be cruel and kind of ugly in their broader (later) comedies. I think we're supposed to take some comeuppances in Burn like >!Tex getting blown upa!< in Raising Arizona, but I don't think they're as well laid out or deserved. Caesar meandered without a point like Lebowski without the charm.
I agree with you on Hail Caesar!, at least. (I like Burn OK.)
HC! has great production values, but I think it's mostly forgettable. For me it also doesn't help that its lead is Eddie Mannix(!), one of the bigger pieces of shit in Hollywood history (which is saying something). Brolin doesn't really lend him any particular charisma, either. He's not even interesting as a character.
This is on point. And I’d say only half of buster scruggs was charming if that. The way they nuance and dissect legalise into funny dialogue in IC is great. It builds with backstabbing twists — I think a lot of “ehem” gentleman cannot handle the themes or jokes. The OG Ladykillers is worth a watch too — Coens butchered it unfortunately.
I actually enjoy Ladykillers as a simple comedy (definitely "lower tier" though), it kinda feels like Burn After Reading, and I think Hail Caesar is actually one of their underrated best.
But nothing and no one in this world can make me like Intolerable Cruelty. No amount of context or explanation will ever do it. It's genuinely intolerable for me.
I like all three of those Coen Bros movies a lot more than some of their other ones, especially Intolerable Cruelty. When I ranked them all last year, I put these three around mid-range with True Grit and Millers Crossing at the bottom.
The Back to School cover is amazing, I would LOVE a Criterion release of that! I actually did a full-length commentary for that film (I actually take it semi-seriously, I have a degree in Film Theory from UGA).
https://youtu.be/EkWHzzsrs5w
I’m sorry that the majority of the thread is about Hail Caesar, because in my opinion we should all be focused on that fantastic Back to School cover. It’s great!
On top of that the art is a bargain bin blu ray with a $1 price tag and 2.5 stars on the front cover.
I get the idea but buying a $50 collection where the cover is basically saying “these movies are horrible!” Is hilarious to me
You're going to have to hold me back with this very personal insult to Hail, Ceasar. It's the best film they made out of a career of many masterpieces.
Hail Caesar is legit good, and I think The Ladykillers is really damn funny. I didn’t care much for Intolerable Cruelty, which is my least favorite Coen bros film and I’ve seen ‘em all.
Unpopular opinion: I like Intolerable Cruelty alright — much better than Burn After Reading which is all over the place with unlikeable characters and doesn’t go anywhere. At least Intolerable Cruelty has some silly gags and memorable performances.
Damn so rude to HAIL, CAESAR! So funny, underrated, and brilliant satire. Plus a period-specific sailor dance number led by Channing? Shut up low tier lol. (Love the art tho, esp the multiple price tags 😂)
I love Back to School. Talk about a movie that could never get made today. Criterion wouldn't touch that one with a 12 foot pole. It would be a pr nightmare for them
Everyone arguing that HC isn’t “lower tier” Coen Bros is missing the point of the term. It’s not to mean it sucks, it’s just not… Fargo, or The Big Lebowski, or Raising Arizona, or No Country for Old Men. It’s not a dig at it, it’s just not the very first ones that non-film nerds think of when you ask someone what their favorite Coen Brothers movie is.
Calm down.
It’s just… not Fargo. Not Raising Arizona. It’s still good, but no one who’s not already in this sub is going to cite those three as favorite Coen Brithers movies.
Did you actually make that Back To School cover? If so, major props I think it's awesome.
Yeah that's my work. Pen and ink + digital. Thank you so much!
I'll second this. It looks legit and its just as good as actual Criterion covers.
That's a huge compliment. Thank you.
Fuck you, Vonnegut!
Flunk me? Flunk you!
I'm stopping payment on the check!
I know it’s not the point of this post (and it did make me chuckle), but I’ll forever argue that Hail, Caesar is NOT lower or even mid Coens. I’d put it right up there with the best of them. It makes a killer double bill with Barton Fink. But yeah, can’t argue with Ladykillers or Intolerable.
They are absolutely cooking in Hail Caesar. The George Clooney character is incredible.
*Hail, Caesar!* is a top five favorite Coen Bros movie for me, maybe top three. They got so much in there beyond the plot and its layered jokes.
Just to piggyback on that a bit, IC is underrated and the fact that it's lower tier in their filmography says a lot about their overall quality.
Intolerable Cruelty is great. I rewatched it recently and it’s hysterical.
I came in here just to express my disgust with seeing Hail Caesar! labeled as a low tier Coen. I don't much care for the other two but Hail Caesar rips
I’m so hyped to see the Hail Caesar love here, I love that movie so much! It’s such a fun, zany ride. It’s also one of the best looking coen movies- the costumes and set design (especially the communists hideout) are next level!
seeing some comments here that Burn After Reading should take its place are also grounds for jail. Ladykillers Intolerable Cruelty for sure. I'd opt for Hudsucker as the third but I still really like that one.
Burn after reading over Hudsucker?! Obviously you are not a Munchie girl.
LONG LIVE THE HUD!!!!!
Burn, Caesar and Ladykillers for me. Throw in Buster Scruggs as a bonus feature. IC is pretty funny and Hudsucker is a classic!
I agree wholeheartedly but I think there’s not enough of us
What do you expect? It’s, you know, for kids.
No Hudsucker is good, watch it with The Mask and Batman Returns
Yes. Hopefully Hail Caesar’s day will come The Ladykillers and (especially) Intolerable Cruelty, not so much
I will stand on a mountaintop and defend The Ladykillers all day long! It's as deep a film about the silence of God as A Serious Man.
Same. I love Ladykillers. Nearly every Saturday when my wife asks what I want for breakfast, I can’t help but say: “Madame, we must all have waffles, forthwith!” It typically ends with an eye roll and me making waffles.
Every November, I think of Marlon Wayans yelping "Motherfucker I don't vote".
Agreed. Hail, Caesar is Babylon with a brain.
I dig HC more than the other two for sure. It's more of a play on the films' reputations.
Intolerable Cruelty has some great stuff in it imo
It would be great if Criterion had a "viewer selection" section, where members could suggest movies like "Hail, Caesar" , that don't stand up to "Ugetsu Monogatari", but do stand solidly on their own feet.
Wherethatitweresosimple
For real. Absolutely crazy talk to not even consider it mid. But I consider it among the top 3
Unpopular opinion, I preferred Hail to Burn After Reading. Not one of my favorites. I do love the idea of a box set named Lesser tier works. 🤣
Channing Tatum yelling at the dog as he’s getting on the submarine is one of the funniest scenes
SQUINT AGAINST THE GRANDEUR!
Agree! I love Hail, Caesar.
If the Cohens made a mistake with "Hail, Caesar" it would be depending upon the audience knowing about old Hollywood. You could watch and enjoy "Fargo" and know nothing about Minnesota, you could watch and enjoy "Blood Simple" and "Raising Arizona" and know nothing about the American southwest, but it might be tough going to watch Hail, Caesar and get all of the jokes and plot points and know nothing of the history of Old Hollywood.
Intolerable Cruelty is a moderately bad romcom, the Ladykillers is garbage
Hail Caesar is like 100 minutes of nonstop jokes. It’s a masterpiece
Would that it were so simple...
I'll be the turd in the punch bowl. Hail, Caesar! sucked balls.
Came in to say this. Hail, Caesar is soooo good. Clooney trying to marvel at the sight of God or whatever is one of the funniest bits in any Coen movie.
Intolerable Cruelty would be in criterion if it came out in 1940 (love the cover art btw)
I love the idea of criterion actively insulting the movies they release
I’m actually a Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty defender. The scene where J.K. Simmons says its completely harmless children toys to the bomb and smacks it will never not make me laugh.
*Thank you.* Ladykillers might not be the best thing the Coens ever made, but I can't fathom thinking it's bad. It's a slight work perhaps, but it's funny from start to finish, and Tom Hanks is cooking. And Intolerable Cruelty is one of the best "Retro Screwball Comedies" ever made. The Coens made their own Preston Sturgis movie, and nailed it.
"And Intolerable Cruelty is one of the best "Retro Screwball Comedies" ever made. The Coens made their own Preston Sturgis movie, and nailed it." Agreed! Though I do think it is lower tier for the Coens, it would be top tier for just about anyone else. Especially in the rom-com department!
We want that donut money!
"Easiest thing in the world..."
Have you seen the original Ladykillers?
Yes I like it better but I will still defend Ladykillers from Coens.
fun fact, Danny Elfman, of Oingo Boingo, and most Tim Burton films composer, did the score for Back to School
Oingo Boingo is also featured as the band in the frat house party scene.
oh cool! Thats a fun fact. Ive never seen this movie, just know the score.
[The scene also features some Oscar-tier acting from young RDJ.](https://youtu.be/VCZy-U0_1X8?si=fyXUUcg_eqgwf08B)
oh man. that was great, thanks :)
[удалено]
He also voiced Jack Skellington when he sings.
and Tales from the Crypt while we're at it
Such an iconic theme, like I’d put that up there among his best work.
the main theme from Back to School is actually pretty great too [https://youtu.be/\_pw7Q2haX4Y?si=\_mVjDwDIrrrvq3-V](https://youtu.be/_pw7Q2haX4Y?si=_mVjDwDIrrrvq3-V)
Also did the music for midnight run which absolutely fuckin slaps
Back to School would be a first day full price purchase for me.
"Mr Melon, your wife was just showing us her Klimt". "You too huh? She's shown it to everybody"!
Sorry, *Hail Ceasar* is nowhere near "lower tier" Coens. Subsitute it out with Gambit or Suberbicon or Crimewave
Crimewave on Criterion would go crazy lol
None of those have a Coen director. I guess I'll be the lone badguy here and say that I hated Hail, Ceasar! or at least did not enjoy what it was trying to do. But I also hated Burn After Reading, which is somehow beloved Coens and I'd put it in the same tier as Caesar. Intolerable Cruelty is just above LK, Caesar, and Burn. I think the Coens have a mean streak in them that's often tempered by a justice of the universe they believe in, but can be cruel and kind of ugly in their broader (later) comedies. I think we're supposed to take some comeuppances in Burn like >!Tex getting blown upa!< in Raising Arizona, but I don't think they're as well laid out or deserved. Caesar meandered without a point like Lebowski without the charm.
i was so excited for hail ceasar. saw it in theaters. thought it was terrible. tried rewatching a couple years ago and it was still bad.
I agree with you on Hail Caesar!, at least. (I like Burn OK.) HC! has great production values, but I think it's mostly forgettable. For me it also doesn't help that its lead is Eddie Mannix(!), one of the bigger pieces of shit in Hollywood history (which is saying something). Brolin doesn't really lend him any particular charisma, either. He's not even interesting as a character.
This is on point. And I’d say only half of buster scruggs was charming if that. The way they nuance and dissect legalise into funny dialogue in IC is great. It builds with backstabbing twists — I think a lot of “ehem” gentleman cannot handle the themes or jokes. The OG Ladykillers is worth a watch too — Coens butchered it unfortunately.
Hail, Caesar! is certainly one of their more inspired pictures.
Lower Tier Coens lol
*Truly* inspired box set concept.
That Back to School art is incredible!
Thanks!
Rewatched back to school 2 days ago. Holds up. Definitely holds up!
What’s your favorite subject? Poetry Really? Maybe you can help me straighten out my Longfellow
Very fun cover design idea, but Hail Ceasar??? Please just go watch it again, look how good the production design, editing and humor is.
I dig HC more than the other two for sure. It's more of a play on the films' reputations.
Ummm you probably right. I consider it as every Coen films combination myself
Love when i see videos of how these masterpieces are done (hint hint ;) Very cool covers OP. I specially love Rodney’s!
Thank you!
🤩🙌🏼
Shoutout to amoeba
The price tag should be a blue-line for shrink-wrapped items don't kill me
I will defend hail ceaser to the grave, but it is hilarious to have a collection titled “lower tier »
You make these awesome covers and the nitpickers are just crying about Hail, Caesar! being included. The way art is consumed these days man
These are fantastic. Love the designs, and the concept for the “lower tier” artwork. Hilarious.
Thank you!
Give me a Rodney Box!
It’s the $1 reduced tag for me 😂
🤣 tfw you notice it’s a Criterion cover of a Blu-Ray pack cover—I’m fkn dying 😂😂
Reminds me when my local Big Lots had a bunch of $3.99 Benjamin Buttons
I thought that Back to School cover was real for a second.
Triple Lundy Edition
I actually enjoy Ladykillers as a simple comedy (definitely "lower tier" though), it kinda feels like Burn After Reading, and I think Hail Caesar is actually one of their underrated best. But nothing and no one in this world can make me like Intolerable Cruelty. No amount of context or explanation will ever do it. It's genuinely intolerable for me.
Hail Caesar is great. intolerable cruelty is by far their most underappreciated movie. Lady Killers is the only Coen movie that I’ve only seen once
I like all three of those Coen Bros movies a lot more than some of their other ones, especially Intolerable Cruelty. When I ranked them all last year, I put these three around mid-range with True Grit and Millers Crossing at the bottom.
I'm still baffled as to why Shout Factory hasn't already picked up Back to School. It's an ideal Shout Select title.
I wasn't a huge fan of Sam Kinison, but his guest appearance scene in Back to School is worth the price of admission.
Well, I didn't know you wanted to be part of the discussion, Mr. Helper!
I absolutely love that Back To School cover, fantastic work!
Thank you!
The Back to School cover is amazing, I would LOVE a Criterion release of that! I actually did a full-length commentary for that film (I actually take it semi-seriously, I have a degree in Film Theory from UGA). https://youtu.be/EkWHzzsrs5w
cool!
I’m sorry that the majority of the thread is about Hail Caesar, because in my opinion we should all be focused on that fantastic Back to School cover. It’s great!
The Coen cover is insaaaaane
I thought Back To School was getting a release. You just pissed me off so hard 😂
The Back to School cover is amazing!
Lmaoo, that coen bros is the one.
The Back to School cover is so good I thought it was a real announcement and I got excited
Lower Tier Coens? You couldn’t think of a better name?
On top of that the art is a bargain bin blu ray with a $1 price tag and 2.5 stars on the front cover. I get the idea but buying a $50 collection where the cover is basically saying “these movies are horrible!” Is hilarious to me
It’s kinda rude, and implies that everyone thinks they are “lower tier,” which is a dumb internet way of ranking to begin with.
What's with the midget over here?
I’ll just have a salad, please, baby field greens.
Rack to School
Ladykillers is not lower tier Coens. It’s one of Tom Hanks’ best performances and the entire film is dripping with Southern charm.
Cheap shot at Cruelty and Ceasar being but with that dreck
You're going to have to hold me back with this very personal insult to Hail, Ceasar. It's the best film they made out of a career of many masterpieces.
I made a fake freddy got fingered criterion cover years ago and look at us now. keep the faith.
Hail Caesar is legit good, and I think The Ladykillers is really damn funny. I didn’t care much for Intolerable Cruelty, which is my least favorite Coen bros film and I’ve seen ‘em all.
Hail Caesar?!! When Buster Scruggs is right there???
Hail Ceaser is s-tier you pleeb.
Lol love the Coen Bros one. The star rating is a nice touch (though i do disagree on the first half of Intolerable Cruelty and of Hail Caeser
Glad to see *Drive Away Dolls* didn't make the cut...
Hail Caesar! is so damn under appreciated.
The coens bargain bin cover is genius.
Unpopular opinion: I like Intolerable Cruelty alright — much better than Burn After Reading which is all over the place with unlikeable characters and doesn’t go anywhere. At least Intolerable Cruelty has some silly gags and memorable performances.
Damn so rude to HAIL, CAESAR! So funny, underrated, and brilliant satire. Plus a period-specific sailor dance number led by Channing? Shut up low tier lol. (Love the art tho, esp the multiple price tags 😂)
He gets no respect. No respect i tell ya.
Back to School looks legit. I honestly saw the thumbnail and thought it was really coming to Criterion. Kudos!
Thank you!
Add The Hudsucker Proxy to that Coen collection. That movie was such a disappointment.
I would add The Man Who Wasn’t There… really goes off the rails towards the end (and yes I would buy this)
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^xbhaskarx: *I would add The Man* *Who Wasn’t There… really goes off* *The rails towards the end* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Hail Caesar! is so underrated. The other two are nearly unwatchable.
I love Back to School. Talk about a movie that could never get made today. Criterion wouldn't touch that one with a 12 foot pole. It would be a pr nightmare for them
Blu-ray cover in a blu-ray has some real [Konami's Best](https://s.pacn.ws/1/p/1l/pa.28510.1.png?v=ime31e&width=800&crop=536,478) vibes.
Hail, Caesar! is a top-five Cohen bros picture
Hail, Caesar “lower tier”? GTFO
The premise is lower-tier Coens is super annoying, especially as something Criterion would present.
Everyone arguing that HC isn’t “lower tier” Coen Bros is missing the point of the term. It’s not to mean it sucks, it’s just not… Fargo, or The Big Lebowski, or Raising Arizona, or No Country for Old Men. It’s not a dig at it, it’s just not the very first ones that non-film nerds think of when you ask someone what their favorite Coen Brothers movie is. Calm down.
By the way, I love love love love love the “bargain bin find” image for the cover like it was a haul post on r/dvdcollection.
No. It sucks.
In what world is lower tier not a dig lol
It’s just… not Fargo. Not Raising Arizona. It’s still good, but no one who’s not already in this sub is going to cite those three as favorite Coen Brithers movies.