Where in the world are the middle-aged dummies? Worldwide top 31 song countdown. (1 Viewer)

[Pip's Invitation]

Congrats @Pip's Invitation - what a game!

Where did Pip go?

I'm right here! I had a busy day at work and then had to run a bunch of errands.

 

[simey]

Congrats @Pip's Invitation - what a game!

Where did Pip go?

I'm right here! I had a busy day at work and then had to run a bunch of errands.

I thought he meant where did you go to school. I'm guessing Princeton.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I know that most of you are appreciative, if not quite cognizant, of the amount of work that goes into all this. But just to give an example of the type of follow-up I have to do with so many lists. The following is in response to a wonderful person who has been in all three of these! I've gotten a lot more help from you all in formatting (such putting song first, although I've had to remind several of you). And this one has allegedly involved a lot less vetting. But sheesh.

Believe it or not, the following was not in reply to Binky's list!

1. You have no #3-#5 listed.
2. Your #21 does not have an artist listed.
3. #29 is ineligible and was chosen in the UK countdown. They have a bunch of other songs/albums available, though. We actually PM'd about this one in the prior countdown.
4. I'm not sure what to do with a 31a and 31b?

Oh Tim, you rapscallion.

Where did he rank Sixpence None the Richer on this one?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Congrats @Pip's Invitation - what a game!

Where did Pip go?

I'm right here! I had a busy day at work and then had to run a bunch of errands.

I thought he meant where did you go to school. I'm guessing Princeton.

Ah yes. Princeton. It came up in the GP4 thread but not everyone in this thread was in that one.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Is this where I also admit that I don’t hate, but really don’t get, The Big Lebowski?

You're in good company*. Fargo and Miller's Crossing are two of my very favorite movies, so I'm a Cohen brothers fan. Their comedies, excepting Raising Arizona, miss the mark for me. I should give BL another try though.

I only saw The Big Lebowski once years ago, and I don't remember it being a barrel of laughs. I do remember laughing once at a scene where Julianne Moore's character flies over naked on a harness while splatting paint on a painting. It was so weird it made me laugh. Anyway, I did enjoy Raising Arizona a lot.

It's not. It's the characters that are funny, but without jokes. I love it, but after watching it my wife was like "That's it? That's the super cult movie I hear so much about?"

I feel like you either love Coen Bros movies or you're like wtf was that? It's all about the dialogue, absurd characters, and randomness.....Lebowski has some of the best characters of all time, imo. Walter Sobchak for instance..."That rug really tied the room together, did it not?"......and then Goodman is Big Dan Teague in O Brother Where art though......how can you not love those characters?

Yeah, you either embrace their universe, or don't. I do.

 

[krista4]

Where did he rank Sixpence None the Richer on this one?

tim had the first eligible list in this time!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Where did he rank Sixpence None the Richer on this one?

tim had the first eligible list in this time!

Good to hear.

As for the other entrant, move 31b up to #3 and ask if he has a 31c and 31d, then make those #4 and #5.

 

[krista4]

Where did he rank Sixpence None the Richer on this one?

tim had the first eligible list in this time!

Good to hear.

As for the other entrant, move 31b up to #3 and ask if he has a 31c and 31d, then make those #4 and #5.

I received a corrected list from that person, and they copped to being a bit tipsy last night. As was I.

 

[zamboni]

Congrats @Pip's Invitation - what a game!

Where did Pip go?

I'm right here! I had a busy day at work and then had to run a bunch of errands.

I thought he meant where did you go to school. I'm guessing Princeton.

Ah yes. Princeton. It came up in the GP4 thread but not everyone in this thread was in that one.

Ah - knew you were smart but even more impressed.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Where did he rank Sixpence None the Richer on this one?

tim had the first eligible list in this time!

Good to hear.

As for the other entrant, move 31b up to #3 and ask if he has a 31c and 31d, then make those #4 and #5.

I received a corrected list from that person, and they copped to being a bit tipsy last night. As was I.

It's kind of like drunk dialing.

 

[Eephus]

We should have done a bet on whether OH or ditkaburgers would be later to submit their list. OH just asked me (again) when these are due.

@ditkaburgers' list is in so take that OH.

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

1. It’s Deja VoteVu All Over Again.

Which of the following top scorers in prior countdowns will NOT have a song covered in this countdown: (a) The Beatles, (b) David Bowie, (c) Bob Dylan, (d) The Kinks, or (e) none of the above (all will be covered)?*

*Hat tip to @Just Win Baby for a suggestion that inspired this question.


2. "It is a common misconception that Zanzibar is just one island" gives us much more credit than we deserve.

If Freddie Mercury had had the good sense to be born in the British Isles, Queen’s cumulative point total in this countdown would have placed them where in the list of favorite artists in the British Isles countdown: (a) 1st-4th place (>=686 points), (b) 5th-8th place (581-685 points), (c) 9th-11th (414-580 points), (d) 12th-15th place (316-413 points), or (e) 16th place or below (<316 points)?*

*Hat tip to @Pip's Invitation for a suggestion that inspired this question.


3. Hat tip to no one, though undoubtedly some dude will take credit for it.

Of the following female or female-led acts, which will score the most points: (a) ABBA, (b) The Fugees, (c) Joni Mitchell, (d) Nico (with VU and solo), or (e) The Pretenders?


4. Suck it Joe Rogan!*

Put the following artists in descending (Binky: ascending) order of total points. You will get one (1) point for each correct placement: (a) Buffalo Springfield, (b) Crosby, Stills and Nash (no Young – Binky, no Old), (c) Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, (d) Joni Mitchell, and (e) Neil Young (solo and with Crazy Horse)?

*Please don’t ban me, Spotify.


5. It’s 1776 all over again. Or wait, the opposite (Binky: the same).

Of the following UK/US-blended bands, which will score the most cumulative points: (a) Fleetwood Mac, (b) Guns N’ Roses, (c) Jimi Hendrix Experience, (d) The Police, or (e) Talking Heads?


6. America’s Hat.

Of the following Canadian or Canadian-ish artists, which will score the second-most points: (a) Arcade Fire, (b) The Band, (c) Leonard Cohen, (d) The Mamas and the Papas, or (e) Rush?


7. The Sound of Rand and McNally Quietly Weeping.

Which representative of these oft-confused-by-US-dumbasses countries will score more cumulative points: (a) Metallica (Denmark, the Danish!) or (b) Van Halen (The Netherlands, Holland, the Dutch!)?


8. Where In the World ARE the Middle-Aged Dummies?

Which of the following much-maligned US locales will NOT receive a song-title shout-out: (a) Bakersfield, (b) Buffalo, (c) Detroit, (d) Memphis, or (e) none of the above (all will be represented)?


9. Colo(u)r My World.

Which of the following colo(u)rs will get the most votes cumulatively from artist names and song titles: (a) Blue (NOT including artists/titles with “blues” in them), (b) Green, (c) Red, (d) White, or (e) Yello(w)? NOTE that I am counting only English-language artist names/song titles, as I ain’t no Babbel.


10. It’s Deja VoteVu All Over Again…Again.

Which of the following also-rans in prior countdowns will NOT have a song with a cover version in this countdown: (a) Cream, (b) George Michael, (c) Townes Van Zandt, (d) Warren Zevon, or (e) none of the above (all will be covered)?


TIE-BREAKER: How many total artists will be selected in this countdown? Price Is Right rules are in effect (i.e., closest without going over).

Is this where I also admit that I don’t hate, but really don’t get, The Big Lebowski?

There are no safe spaces for that admission, I'm afraid.

The Big Lebowski can be confusing about what it's trying to do. My parents didn't get it. Lots of people don't. That's why it's a cult film.

I see it as a period piece about what the early nineties' dominant intellectual climate was as manifested through its characters, mixed with tons of absurd humor and piss taking of those modes of thought. I think Ethan Coen has a degree in political philosophy from, um, a certain school in New Jersey, and it shows up often in his work.

Yep. There is even a nod to said school in Burn After Reading (which I think is almost as good as Lebowski but I know I'm in the minority on that.)

Lebowski has grown on me, mostly because of just how brilliant Jeff Bridges and John Goodman are, as they hold that movie up. Of course the Turturro stuff is great, and there are a lot of good actors in it. Bridges really is fantastic, and if you think of it as a rewrite of The Big Sleep, it works better. But I also do feel like it in a way is less than the sum of its parts.

Pip probably knows this, but I did a Coen Bros ranking of movies on FB a # of months ago as I've seen all of their films save The Ladykillers (generally regarded as the worst one anyway), and Lebowski slots pretty firmly in the middle. Upper middle, but to me it falls short of their pinnacle (Fargo, No Country, Serious Man, Miller's Crossing).

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

I have a list of five movies in a category of "If you don't like these, you won't like 'old' movies".

Notorious is on that list.

What movies would they be?

I thought you'd never ask!

Casablanca
All About Eve
Notorious
Sunset Blvd
Double Indemnity

Five stone-classics. All of them. They're all just brilliant. If I were to sub one out for something else, I'd probably dump Double Indemnity (which I love!) for The Third Man.

 

[simey]

No Country

I liked No Country For Old Men until the ending. The way it ended disappointed me a lot.

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

No Country

I liked No Country For Old Men until the ending. The way it ended disappointed me a lot.

Wow. I love that ending. That ******* ending haunts me - Tommy Lee Jones's speech. I must think about it once a week.

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

Coens, ranked, by one middle-aged dummy:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. A Serious Man
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Blood Simple
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
9. The Big Lebowski
10. Burn After Reading
11. Inside Llewyn Davis
12. True Grit
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
14. The Man Who Wasn't There
15. Intolerable Cruelty
16. Hail Caesar
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

 

[simey]

No Country

I liked No Country For Old Men until the ending. The way it ended disappointed me a lot.

Wow. I love that ending. That ******* ending haunts me - Tommy Lee Jones's speech. I must think about it once a week.

There was more to the ending than just TLJ's monologue. I don't want to spoil the ending for those that haven't seen it, but yes it disappointed me.

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

No Country

I liked No Country For Old Men until the ending. The way it ended disappointed me a lot.

Wow. I love that ending. That ******* ending haunts me - Tommy Lee Jones's speech. I must think about it once a week.

There was more to the ending than just TLJ's monologue. I don't want to spoil the ending for those that haven't seen it, but yes it disappointed me.

It was like 2009, tho...

 

[simey]

@Uruk-Hai How 'bout those Turtles! I hope the Wolfpack wins this afternoon.

 

[simey]

It was like 2009, tho...

I know, but I've been scolded before for talking about an episode of a show that was over years before. So my lips are sealed! or my fingers are tied, or something like that. I did enjoy the majority of the movie. I don't have a high standard for movies, either. My favorite movie of all-time is Urban Cowboy. Speaking of UC, I saw a documentary several years ago called Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's, and it was very interesting and a great watch.

 

[Raging weasel]

Coens, ranked, by one middle-aged dummy:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. A Serious Man
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Blood Simple
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
9. The Big Lebowski
10. Burn After Reading
11. Inside Llewyn Davis
12. True Grit
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
14. The Man Who Wasn't There
15. Intolerable Cruelty
16. Hail Caesar
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

I'd have Hudsucker in the 8-11 range but mostly due to my love of Paul Newman

 

[Uruk-Hai]

@Uruk-Hai How 'bout those Turtles! I hope the Wolfpack wins this afternoon.

They scraped by and damned near gave me a heart attack while they were doing it.

State has a tough matchup today. Luckily for you, I took Creighton in my bracket (which has already been blown to smithereens) because I am a jinx. I'm rooting for NCSU, though.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Coens, ranked, by one middle-aged dummy:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. A Serious Man
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Blood Simple
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
9. The Big Lebowski
10. Burn After Reading
11. Inside Llewyn Davis
12. True Grit
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
14. The Man Who Wasn't There
15. Intolerable Cruelty
16. Hail Caesar
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

I haven’t seen Ladykillers, Hail Caesar or Scruggs. Of the others, Hudsucker was the only one I found less than compelling.

 

[Manster]

Coens, ranked, by one middle-aged dummy:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. A Serious Man
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Blood Simple
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
9. The Big Lebowski
10. Burn After Reading
11. Inside Llewyn Davis
12. True Grit
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
14. The Man Who Wasn't There
15. Intolerable Cruelty
16. Hail Caesar
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

While I don't completely agree with your rankings, I love that you have Blood Simple pretty high up. Kinda dated 80's, but their first, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fargo and No Country would be in my top 5 also......I would put Lebowski, True Grit, Arizona, and O Brother all near the top.....those are all movies I will watch over and over.

 

[Manster]

btw, the Coen Bros version of True Grit blows the original outta the water. John Wayne fans may think it's blasphemy, but the cast in the Coen Bros version is far superior. Steinfeld steals the show. It was an instant classic the first time I watched.

 

[zamboni]

Sorry - I’ve been delinquent and will send mine in the morning

List is in

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Coens, ranked, by one middle-aged dummy:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. A Serious Man
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Blood Simple
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
9. The Big Lebowski
10. Burn After Reading
11. Inside Llewyn Davis
12. True Grit
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
14. The Man Who Wasn't There
15. Intolerable Cruelty
16. Hail Caesar
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

Huh. It just occurred to me that I haven't seen A Simple Man. Will have to rectify that.

Sans that, other than MCFOM being a bit too high (I think I'd have it after Barton Fink), I think this list is pretty accurate. I didn't really care for Buster Scruggs.

As mentioned before, the Miller's Crossing theme is based on the folk song Lament for Limerick. I just LOVE the end credits music for MC. I think I may request it for my funeral - even though I'm not at all Irish.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

If it's not spotlighting, I'll cite the reference to the Fargo theme...

 

[Raging weasel]

btw, the Coen Bros version of True Grit blows the original outta the water. John Wayne fans may think it's blasphemy, but the cast in the Coen Bros version is far superior. Steinfeld steals the show. It was an instant classic the first time I watched.

I agree! Never heard of her until I watched that movie and it's better in every way!

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Congrats @Pip's Invitation - what a game!

Where did Pip go?

I'm right here! I had a busy day at work and then had to run a bunch of errands.

I thought he meant where did you go to school. I'm guessing Princeton.

Ah yes. Princeton. It came up in the GP4 thread but not everyone in this thread was in that one.

Ah - knew you were smart but even more impressed.

I went to the Princeton of the Oranges.

 

[Doug B]

All right -- it's the last day, and I'm ready to submit my list. Here are the country representations and decades for my 36 picks (list of 31 + last 5 out).


Countries
------------------------------------
US-UK: 9
Canada: 7
Germany: 3
Australia: 2
Italy: 2
Jamaica: 2
Austria: 1
Barbados: 1
Brazil: 1
Cameroon: 1
Japan: 1
St. Kitts & Nevis: 1
UK-Canada: 1
UK-South Africa: 1
UK-Zanzibar: 1
US-Australia: 1
US-Netherlands: 1



Decade
------------------------------------
‘70s: 9
‘80s: 25 (!)
'90s: 1
'00s: 1

 

[Dr. Octopus]

No Country

I liked No Country For Old Men until the ending. The way it ended disappointed me a lot.

Wow. I love that ending. That ******* ending haunts me - Tommy Lee Jones's speech. I must think about it once a week.

There was more to the ending than just TLJ's monologue. I don't want to spoil the ending for those that haven't seen it, but yes it disappointed me.

They clearly don’t tie things up in a nice bow, but I like the ambiguity and the “life goes on” aspect.
I think TLJ monologue is the actual ending though and it really does sim up the “point” of the film. I do get why some don’t like it. I watched it with my brother-in-law the first time and his reaction after it ended was “that’s it?”.

 

[krista4]

Coens, ranked, by one middle-aged dummy:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. A Serious Man
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Blood Simple
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
9. The Big Lebowski
10. Burn After Reading
11. Inside Llewyn Davis
12. True Grit
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
14. The Man Who Wasn't There
15. Intolerable Cruelty
16. Hail Caesar
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

Wow, I didn’t realize I’d seen all but one of their movies (Hail Caesar). I like The Man Who Wasn’t There significantly more than you do.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

A Simple Man.

It’s not for everyone. It’s slow moving and very “cerebral”. Some of the characters are grating, but that’s kind of the point.
It’s basically a warped “modern day” retelling of the story of Job. I love the ending.

 

[Westerberg]

Two requests so far to turn in lists late. Checking the thread, I see that everyone had four weeks to put lists together.

I didn’t reject the requests, but come on.

Is the deadline tonight or did I just miss it?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Two requests so far to turn in lists late. Checking the thread, I see that everyone had four weeks to put lists together.

I didn’t reject the requests, but come on.

Is the deadline tonight or did I just miss it?

It’s tonight by midnight

 

[krista4]

Two requests so far to turn in lists late. Checking the thread, I see that everyone had four weeks to put lists together.

I didn’t reject the requests, but come on.

Is the deadline tonight or did I just miss it?

Yes, it’s tonight. You’re still good!

 

[Doug B]

Test

XX points: 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window', The Beatles

EDIT: I had forgotten how to hard-code links in this forum and had to refresh my memory. Since I can do it via text, I can use Excel to format my list for me.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Did I stumble into the Coen Brothers are overrated thread?

 

[simey]

No Country

I liked No Country For Old Men until the ending. The way it ended disappointed me a lot.

Wow. I love that ending. That ******* ending haunts me - Tommy Lee Jones's speech. I must think about it once a week.

There was more to the ending than just TLJ's monologue. I don't want to spoil the ending for those that haven't seen it, but yes it disappointed me.

They clearly don’t tie things up in a nice bow, but I like the ambiguity and the “life goes on” aspect.
I think TLJ monologue is the actual ending though and it really does sim up the “point” of the film. I do get why some don’t like it. I watched it with my brother-in-law the first time and his reaction after it ended was “that’s it?”.

It isn't TLJ's monologue that I don't like. I understand the point of the film. It is before that, but I consider it part of the ending of the movie, because it happens near the end of the movie.

 

[Hov34]

Country Count:

Australia - 7
Canada - 3
France - 2
Sweden - 2
Nigeria - 2
Iceland - 1
South Korea - 1
New Zealand - 1
Norway - 1
UK/US - 6
UK/Zanzibar - 1
Australia/New Zealand - 1
US/Germany - 1
US/Australia - 1
UK/West Indies - 1

Decade Count

1970s - 3
1980s - 5
1990s - 1
2000s - 2
2010+ - 20

 

[simey]

Did I stumble into the Coen Brothers are overrated thread?

Are you eating green popcorn today?

 

[Raging weasel]

Test

XX points: 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window', The Beatles

EDIT: I had forgotten how to hard-code links in this forum and had to refresh my memory. Since I can do it via text, I can use Excel to format my list for me.

I couldn't remember either and sent my tests to KP, lol

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

Coens, ranked, by one middle-aged dummy:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Fargo
3. A Serious Man
4. Miller's Crossing
5. Blood Simple
6. Barton Fink
7. Raising Arizona
8. Oh Brother Where Art Thou
9. The Big Lebowski
10. Burn After Reading
11. Inside Llewyn Davis
12. True Grit
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
14. The Man Who Wasn't There
15. Intolerable Cruelty
16. Hail Caesar
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

I haven’t seen Ladykillers, Hail Caesar or Scruggs. Of the others, Hudsucker was the only one I found less than compelling.

I think you would like Ladykillers - it's a remake of a 50s comedy with Alec Guinness, Sellers and Jack Warner - I really like them both.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

Two requests so far to turn in lists late. Checking the thread, I see that everyone had four weeks to put lists together.

I didn’t reject the requests, but come on.

Is the deadline tonight or did I just miss it?

Yes, it’s tonight. You’re still good!

do we have another day or so on the contest answers?

 

[krista4]

Two requests so far to turn in lists late. Checking the thread, I see that everyone had four weeks to put lists together.

I didn’t reject the requests, but come on.

Is the deadline tonight or did I just miss it?

Yes, it’s tonight. You’re still good!

do we have another day or so on the contest answers?

Yes, those don't close until 11:59 pm on Saturday. I'm planning to post the "last five out" lists on Sunday, so figured I should have contest answers in by then, though it probably doesn't matter and I could take those on Sunday, too.

 

[Doug B]

I'm planning to post the "last five out" lists on Sunday

Oh ... I thought we were posting those on our own. I must've forgotten. I'll send Last Five Out to you.

You're aiming to post Last Five Out selections with links, too? Just like the Top 31 lists?

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

I'd have Hudsucker in the 8-11 range but mostly due to my love of Paul Newman

Oh, I love Paul Newman. Always have. Hard not to.

 

[DrIanMalcolm]

It just occurred to me that I haven't seen A Simple Man. Will have to rectify that.

Sans that, other than MCFOM being a bit too high (I think I'd have it after Barton Fink), I think this list is pretty accurate. I didn't really care for Buster Scruggs.

As mentioned before, the Miller's Crossing theme is based on the folk song Lament for Limerick. I just LOVE the end credits music for MC. I think I may request it for my funeral - even though I'm not at all Irish.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

If it's not spotlighting, I'll cite the reference to the Fargo theme...

You mean Serious Man, I presume. It is as said very cerebral. It's also the most overtly Jewish of their films, so it speaks to me that way as well. The characters and themes are very familiar in that way, as is the dialogue.

They clearly don’t tie things up in a nice bow, but I like the ambiguity and the “life goes on” aspect.
I think TLJ monologue is the actual ending though and it really does sim up the “point” of the film. I do get why some don’t like it. I watched it with my brother-in-law the first time and his reaction after it ended was “that’s it?”.

I hear that monologue in my head every week. I mean it. It just kills me. Sometimes I go on YouTube just to watch that scene.

Did not include MacBeth (only made by one of them) or Ladykillers (did not see).

Of the above, the top 10 are all very good to great; the next 4 are varying degrees of good. The bottom 3 leave me a bit meh.

Wow, I didn’t realize I’d seen all but one of their movies (Hail Caesar). I like The Man Who Wasn’t There significantly more than you do.

I'm kinda meh on that one. Coens, so, the acting is very good, but awfully bleak. I do love the contrast between Billy Bob Thornton's taciturn, almost mute Ed Crane, and his motormouth lawyer Freddie Reidenschneider, played by Tony Shalhoub.

Did I stumble into the Coen Brothers are overrated thread?

Not really...I think they're mostly brilliant, though I find some of their comedies to be a bit too shaggy and unfocused. The top 10 on my list of theirs up there would all rank at least an 8 on the 1-10 scale.

 

[krista4]

I'm planning to post the "last five out" lists on Sunday

Oh ... I thought we were posting those on our own. I must've forgotten. I'll send Last Five Out to you.

You're aiming to post Last Five Out selections with links, too? Just like the Top 31 lists?

I'm going to post those in whatever format they are sent to me - not going to take the time to clean up or add links if they're not there. So whatever format you'd like is fine for those.

I've been providing these to Hawks to get ahead of the playlist work, so we should have a playlist ready to go when I post them, too.

 

[Doug B]

... I start with an early "brain dump" list of songs. I resist the urge to turn in an early list -- krista gives us plenty of time. Instead, I let things percolate a while. Go down dozens (maybe hundreds over a few weeks) online-search rabbit holes. On short drives, I'll listen to some SiriusXM stations that I usually pass over. Just keep my eyes and ears open to soundtracks on TV shows, music in commercials, etc. I basically end up roughly doubling my immediate "brain dump" list.

When I posted the above two weeks ago, I wasn't really sweating how to fashion the final list of 31. It was percolating. The 'right' songs to eliminate were just going to come to me and it was just going to make perfect sense.

Well ... the "it's going to make perfect sense" part never happened.

I gotta say -- I've made many more hard cuts in the Worldwide exercise than in the first two combined. My Last Five Out list is going to be ridiculous -- huge acts and great songs that really 'deserved' a spot in my favorite 31. Problem was: I had over 90 songs that ' really deserved' a spot -- without doubling up on artists. I could easily make three lists of 31 -- just from the Worldwide qualifying artists -- with no filler at all.