Proof positive that there are no new ideas in Hollywood, now even the Coens are remaking classic films. Their latest project appears to be a remake of the Alec Guiness classic "The Ladykillers." And to add insult to injury, Tom Hanks has the leading role. Well, at least Clooney's not in it this time. Maybe "The Man Who Wasn't There"'s lukewarm reception finally taught them a lesson. I don't know, I never saw it. But that's kind of the point. I never wanted to see it, and I've always wanted to see their films. Hell, I even paid to see most of them, and have bought a few of my favorites on DVD.
Rewatching "Miller's Crossing" the other day, it impressed me once again, like it has the other twenty-odd times I watched it. Although it has its fair share of brief intense cameos (spot Sam Raimi!), it doesn't rely solely on the small roles to carry the picture. That's all I remember from "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" is the cameos. The rest of the film is just a haze of Clooney's bland, Shatneresque overacting, and I don't know what Turturro was doing, but it scared me. Maybe I just hate musicals.
I don't know if the Coens are beyond redemption. They've only been going downhill a while, and there still might be some ideas in their collective minds. They once made a great film while suffering from writer's block. Maybe they will pull out another from the dismal miasma of borrowed ideas they seem to be stuck in.
Superb DVD transfer, excellent additional footage, lots and lots of extra Treebeard. Hour-long documentary on the making of Gollum is excellent, if for nothing more than a few moments alone with the hyper-talented Andy Serkis.
Why is Legolas' nose so freakin' big?