Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Oct 11, 2014 15:19:04 GMT -5
FARGO vs. FARGO  I re-watched Fargo: The Movie, and I gotta say, the mini-series is ALMOST better. Let me break it down. THE CHARACTERSIn the movie, all the characters are either caricatures or stereotypes. Dracula, who's from Minnesota, could elaborate on this better. In the mini-series, this is toned down A LOT. The characters in the mini-series feel more realistic, even the supernatural villain played by Billy Bob Thornton. And yes, I'm aware that Steve Buscemi is an exception in the movie. But that's not enough to rescue the movie from its silly characters. THE STORYThis is, by far, the biggest debate I've encountered at other message boards. Fargo: The Movie is basically a Black Comedy about "Minnesota Nice" getting involved in crime and violence they know nothing about. William H. Macy has his wife kidnapped so his rich father-in-law can give him $1 million. It "should" be a simple scheme but all the characters are idiots and it turns into a disaster. That's the charm and appeal of the movie. The mini-series, on the other hand, has been called "No Country For Old Men meets Fargo." And that's a fair thing to say. Billy Bob Thornton is Anton Chigurh, with a sense of humor, and he causes mayhem that the media will LOVE. This dude will be a legend in the fictional universe of the story. So, the mini-series is telling a bigger and more important story. And this is where the conflict among fans seems to be. Do you prefer a comedic kidnapping gone wrong or a serious story about a hit-man on a rampage? PACINGFor most people, the story is the deciding factor between Fargo: The Movie and Fargo: The Mini-Series. For me, however, it comes down to pacing and the Coen brothers' masterful work. The movie is only 100 minutes but it doesn't feel fast-paced or slow-paced. The Coen's found a happy middle where they can calmly explore the characters and the setting while telling a fascinating crime story in a quick, to the point, way. The mini-series doesn't pull that off. The mini-series is 10 hours and it FEELS like 10 hours. There was a lot of pacing issues that Noah Hawley didn't know how to solve. I would argue that 30% of the mini-series is boring. So even though the mini-series has a lot of stronger elements, it's ultimately defeated by the Coen Brothers' skilled writing, directing and editing. |
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Oct 11, 2014 15:21:19 GMT -5
FARGO (1996) VS. A SIMPLE PLAN (1998)  Fargo (1996)
Written and Directed by The Coen Bros
Starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare
A Simple Plan (1998)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Screenplay by Scott Smith (based on his novel)
Starring Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe and Bridget FondaPlot for FargoA man from Minnesota hires two goons to kidnap his wife so he can trick his rich father-in-law into giving him $1 million. Plot for A Simple PlanA plane carrying $4 million crashes in the woods of Minnesota and it is later found by three men whose lives are destroyed when they decide to keep the money. Fargo vs A Simple PlanThis is a tough one. A Simple Plan has the better story and characters. It's also easier to relate to and has incredible performances from the actors that helps the audience get emotionally invested. But Fargo, on the other hand, has more personality. It's more memorable. It's more fun. It's more interesting. It's a movie that resonates. A Simple Plan - I hate to say this - is a film that most people forget about. It was critically praised in 1998 and received Academy Award nominations for Billy Bob Thornton and Scott Smith. But since then, however, people stopped talking about it. It has now become a hidden gem from the 1990's that is directed by someone who's better known for other types of movies. So we have to put this into consideration. Why is Fargo beloved and A Simple Plan treated like a red-headed step-child? Is it because Fargo is a Black Comedy and A Simple Plan is a straight-forward drama with moments of suspense and violence? Probably. But you know what, f--k it, I'm gonna say A Simple Plan is the overall better movie. And it's not because I'm rooting for the little guy. It's because A Simple Plan is more focused than Fargo. Fargo is a movie that's too in love with the quirks of its characters and wastes a lot of time on it. Do we need a scene of the kidnappers watching Johnny Carson with hookers? Do we need scenes of the pregnant police officer eating fast food? Do we REALLY need that awkward scene with the Asian guy who's trying to have sex after his wife died? Fargo is just littered with pointless scenes. By contrast, A Simple Plan has a very tightly told story with a clear beginning, middle and end. And then you combine that with the great characters, acting and relatability, and it's obvious that A Simple Plan is the better movie. Then again, it is missing the entertainment factor that Fargo brings to the table - so it's maybe not too obvious - but I'm giving A Simple Plan the win by a nose. |
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iverdawg
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Post by iverdawg on Oct 14, 2014 13:19:40 GMT -5
I hope people who might have wrote this off or simply missed it catch up with it. It's really one of the most fascinating series this year.
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mikeyb
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Post by mikeyb on Oct 14, 2014 13:24:32 GMT -5
Best new series of 2014 imo
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Dec 10, 2014 16:49:07 GMT -5
Kirsten Dunst will star in season 2.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Jan 3, 2015 14:03:16 GMT -5
Watched the first 5 episodes in a row, great show.
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Ramplate
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Hamster
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Post by Ramplate on Jan 3, 2015 14:11:36 GMT -5
I still haven't seen this
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2015 14:34:58 GMT -5
Just added the series to my Netflix queue.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Jan 3, 2015 18:06:22 GMT -5
Watched the first 5 episodes in a row And all it took was Kirsten Dunst appearing in season 2. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2015 17:19:10 GMT -5
Well I was not so hot on Kirsten Dunst but today I see Ted Danson and Patrick Wilson were both cast so things are looking up!
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Jan 8, 2015 17:46:45 GMT -5
And Nick Offerman.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2015 19:00:52 GMT -5
Eh his gimmick is wearing thin, will see how he does in something that isn't Ron Swanson. |
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Jan 11, 2015 6:52:33 GMT -5
his gimmick is wearing thin I thought Ron Swanson was your spirit animal. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2015 19:08:10 GMT -5
his gimmick is wearing thin I thought Ron Swanson was your spirit animal. Don't hold that against me. You can't control what spirit animal you get stuck with. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2015 13:49:46 GMT -5
Good to see Billy Bob take home the globe for his work on Fargo. One of the best bad guy performances on film. At times I questioned if he was just a great bad guy or the devil incarnate. Too bad we won't be getting anymore of that character.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Jan 12, 2015 14:02:15 GMT -5
Yeah... Fargo did very well at the Golden Globes last night. I'm glad. Although, Frances McDormand and the Coen Bros seemed pissed off for some reason.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2015 15:24:16 GMT -5
Although, Frances McDormand and the Coen Bros seemed pissed off for some reason. Probably realized the show was better than their movie. |
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Oct 13, 2015 8:30:58 GMT -5
Why does Kirsten Dunst look 40? I don't know how Jibbs and Doomsday are gonna feel about this. |
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Oct 13, 2015 14:21:34 GMT -5
She's always looked a little long in the tooth since she was in her mid-twenties. Now that my thread is closed I think the battle handily goes to Natalie Portman.
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frankyt
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Post by frankyt on Oct 13, 2015 16:22:16 GMT -5
I thought she looked great.
Fantastic first episode.
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Seakazoo
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Post by Seakazoo on Oct 26, 2015 20:25:36 GMT -5
Does Dunst bust out her accent from Drop Dead Gorgeous or does she sound a little less ridiculous in this?
I still haven't finished season 1 yet, so I'm probably going to hold off on watching the new season.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Oct 26, 2015 20:36:37 GMT -5
Does Dunst bust out her accent from Drop Dead Gorgeous or does she sound a little less ridiculous in this? I still haven't finished season 1 yet, so I'm probably going to hold off on watching the new season. She sounds okay. |
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Jibbs
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Post by Jibbs on Oct 26, 2015 20:48:34 GMT -5
What's going on with this show? Just when the "weird thing" in the first episode seemed to be behind us, science fiction reared its head again in the next one.
I'm definitely intrigued...
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frankyt
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Post by frankyt on Nov 10, 2015 18:49:16 GMT -5
Loved episode 5.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Nov 10, 2015 18:53:15 GMT -5
Bruce Campbell as Ronald Reagan. I'm still not sure how this all ties together. |
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