O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Starring:Clooney, Turturro, Blake
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer team behind art-house hits such as The Big Lebowski and Fargo and masters of quirky and ultra-stylish genre subversion, would dare nick the plot line of Homer's Odyssey for a comic picaresque saga about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi. Our wandering hero in this case is one Ulysses Everett McGill, a slick-tongued wise guy with a thing about hair pomade (George Clooney, blithely sending up his own dapper image) who talks his chain-gang buddies (Coen-movie regular John Turturro and newcomer Tim Blake Nelson) into lighting out after some buried loot he claims to know of. En route they come up against a prophetic blind man on a railroad truck, a burly, one-eyed baddie (the ever-magnificent John Goodman), a trio of sexy singing ladies, a blues guitarist who's sold his soul to the devil, a brace of crooked politicos on the stump, a manic-depressive bank robber, and--well, you get the idea. Into this, their most relaxed film yet, the Coens have tossed a beguiling ragbag of inconsequential situations, a wealth of looping, left-field dialogue, and a whole stash of gags both verbal and visual. O Brother (the title's lifted from Preston Sturges's classic 1941 comedy Sullivan's Travels) is furthermore graced with glowing, burnished photography from Roger Deakins and a masterly soundtrack from T-Bone Burnett that pays loving homage to American '30s folk styles--blues, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, and more. And just to prove that the brothers haven't lost their knack for bad-taste humor, we get a Ku Klux Klan rally choreographed like a cross between a Nuremberg rally and a Busby Berkeley musical. --Philip Kemp

Description

Disenchanted with the daily drudge of crushing rocks on a prison farm in Mississippi, the dapper, silver-tongued Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney, THE PERFECT STORM) busts loose. Except he's still shackled to his own chain-mates from the chain gang -- bad-tempered Pete (John Turturro, SUMMER OF SAM), and sweet, dimwitted Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson, HAMLET). With nothing to lose and buried loot to regain -- before it's lost forever in a flood -- the three embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this hilarious offbeat road picture. Populated with strange characters, including a blind prophet, sexy sirens, and a one-eyed Bible salesman (John Goodman, COYOTE UGLY), it's an odyssey filled with chases, close calls, near misses, and betrayal that will leave you laughing at every outrageous and surprising twist and turn.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing movie!.......2007-07-03

This is a classy release of an all-time-favorite classic. George Clooney played Batman, and here he's doing a hillbilly chicken dance in a fake beard. Great writing, great acting, great music. What's not to love? We wore out our VHS copy!

something old, something new.......2007-06-30

Comedies don't get much better than this.

Clooney, Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson are relentlessly hilarious in this loosely Homeric epic of escape from a chain gang in America's early twentieth-century South. You can love this movie without knowing Homer, of course, though it's based on that bard's Oddysey.

That's the common touch of both Homer and his erstwhile partners-in-crime, producers Ethan and Joel Coen.

Filming this flick must have been more fun than a body should have. From the blind oracle on the railroad pump-car warning about the 'Ob-stackles of life' to the 'Sigh-REENS' that appear to have 'loved (Pete) up ... and then turned him into a horny toad' to the delicious stares and triumphant penultimate scene where the Soggy Bottom Boys regale a political rally with their irresistable hit 'Man of Constant Sorrows', O BROTHER never falters.

It's a film for watching over and over again, preferably introducing somebody who hasn't seen it each time you do.

Ne'er doubt! Buy O BROTHER WHERE ARE THOU and hold onto it for dear life.

O Brother Where Art Thou.......2007-05-17

O Brother Where Art Thou

Title: O Brother Where Art Thou
Director: Joel Coen
Release Date: 2000

Based on the epic by Homer, this movie takes place at the end of the Great Depression area of 1935. Three men named Everet (George Clooney), Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson), and Pete (John Turino), escape on a chain gang in southern Mississippi. When they escape, they meet a man that is blind from polyps that is similar to Homer. The man tells the three men that they must travel to seek the desire that they want. Everet thinks that the old man was making nonsense, but Delmar and Pete think that the old man was telling the truth in their future. The men do a lot of things in this movie such as getting saved, making a record, helping a thief in a bank robbery, and confronting the KKK. (Klu Klux Klan) This movie is rated PG- 13 so the adults might not want to let their kids want to watch the movie. They also have a great soundtrack that won a Grammy for soundtrack of the year. The movie has funny jokes that make you crack up laughing. George Clooney gives one of his best roles of his career. John Goodman guest stars in the movie as a con man that steals the men's money. The people who like funny country movies, this might be the movie for you. It won't be long until this movie will become apart of your DVD collection.

One of my favorites.......2007-04-10

I've given this movie more repeat views than maybe any other movie ever, for two reasons. Firstly, there is the incredible soundtrack--I was not a bluegrass fan until I fell in love with this movie, and the songs were good enough to win me over. Secondly, the dialogue is hilarious. Every time I watch it, I catch a little bit I may have missed before. Coens at their best. Made me rethink my opinion of George Clooney, as well.

Worthwhile music, movie falls flat........2007-04-07

I think it's odd that the movie announces at the beginning that it's based on Homer's Odyssey, as the storyline barely follows in the theme of The Odyssey at all. The music is awesome and I reccomend the soundtrack, but honestly the movie didn't do it for me. Weak plot, annoying characters, lame ending. I just wasn't impressed at all.

Down from the Mountain (The "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Concert)

Average customer rating:

Well worth the 60 year wait!
Down from the mountain DVD
Diamond in the rough
Down from the Mountain
Down from the mountain concert

Down from the Mountain (The "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Concert)
Starring: Evelyn Cox , Sidney Cox , Suzanne Cox (II) , Willard Cox , and Nathan Best
Director: Chris Hegedus , D.A. Pennebaker , and Nick Doob
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Alison Krauss & Union Station Live
High Lonesome - The Story of Bluegrass Music
Down from the Mountain: Live Concert Performances by the Artists & Musicians of O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Three Pickers
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Farther Along

ASIN: B00005NVHA
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com

If you love the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, and Nick Doob's exhilarating concert film Down from the Mountain will be sheer heaven. And if you're new to bluegrass and "old-time mountain-style" music, the performances (also on CD) will be a revelation. John Hartford, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, the Cox family, the venerable Ralph Stanley, and other traditional and alt-country artists who contributed the music to the Coen brothers' spaced odyssey gathered onstage in May 2000 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame. Interviews and rehearsal footage set the stage for this stupendous concert, highlights of which include "(Didn't Leave) Nobody but the Baby" by the sirens Harris, Welch, and Krauss; the Coxes' "(Will There Be) Any Stars in My Crown"; and Stanley's haunting "O Death." As one performer recommends, "Just ease in, sit down, and listen." It could be your salvation. --Donald Liebenson

Description

On May 24, 2000, the historic Ryman Auditorium was booked to offer Nashvillians an evening of sublime beauty. Label executives and soundtrack producers so loved the music of O Brother, Where Art Thou? that they brought it to life as a benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen loved it so much that they hired famed documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker to record the show for posterity. The concert that unfolded that night was one of the greatest musical moments in the annals of Music City. Performers: John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Thomas King, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, Union Station, Colin Linden, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Peasall Sisters, Ralph Stanley, David Rawlings, The Whites. 98 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth the 60 year wait!.......2007-06-03

I kind of tracked this DVD down, following the trail from Preston Sturges, "Sullivan's Travels" (1941) where the Joel McCrea character insists on making a sociological movie called "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and then through the Coen Brothers' film to the foot of the mountain.

I don't know much about Blugrass music but even I could see these people were the best in their busness. The music is easy on the ear acoustic and powerful a cappella ~ and when it came to Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch, sometimes quite moving. John Hartford's folksy introductions give the show a pleasant informality and how cute it was to see that little girls (the Peasall sisters) still wear hair ribbons. The film is important because it bring together, said Gillian Welch all of he people in Bluegrass you ever wanted to work with" ~ also you get the Pennebaker technique of backstage chat and interviews with he artists.

The additional material on the DVD says Down from the mountain was "Fly on the Wall" Cinema Verite documentary - so "do not seek the treasure" of melodramatic Hollywood production values. Of course when Emmylou Harris holds up her baseball game she's acknowledging the camera and you don't do that with Fly-on-the-wall, but if you want to clear that one up, you can get always Keith Beattie's, "Documentary Screens" from Amazon. But whatever documentary form it was I'm sure the filmmakers wanted to give you the feel of being in the room with the artists...and as for complaints about graininess in the film ~ my guess is they that wanted to convey the ambiance of the Ryman auditorium so the the low lighting would have been a problem.

The film is good corollary to the "O Brother" and a good way to let future generations be touched by these people the way Hank Williams and Co. can touch us. It's also a nice piece of folk-art away from Hollywood or Broadway and a link to the less frenetic time in America (and Australia) of my childhood, at least.

Down from the mountain DVD.......2007-02-13

This is an excellent DVD,anyone who liked the movie "O brother where art thou" will certainly love this. The songs from the soundtrack are done on the DVD. Alison Kraus,Emmylou Harris,and Gillian Welch really take center stage and stand out. All of the other performers are excellent as well, Ralph Stanley (what can you say). I recomend this DVD very highly. We have watched it several times and everytime we enjoy it more.

Diamond in the rough.......2007-01-29

This was the concert of the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" sound track. It has some great performances, less the famous "Man of Constant Sorrow", which is a real disappointment. But you get some excellent glimpses into the origins of Bluegrass music as well as some great performances from current and upcoming stars of this genre. A definite must for collectors.

Down from the Mountain.......2007-01-20

This is an excellent film showcasing the history and stars of todays bluegrass music. My entire family enjoys watching this concert/documentary over and over again.

Down from the mountain concert.......2007-01-09

I heard a song from this show on the radio about 6 months before The Oh brother where art thou film was released on DVD. On hearing it I was hooked! I have the film soundtrack and the DVD then this film was shown on satelite TV in the UK. It was so good I just had to have it. I was not disappointed on first viewing and I am sure I will watch it many times more. If you enjoy 'Bluegrass music' then this show is a must

Average customer rating:

THE COEN BROTHERS DO IT AGAIN...

O Brother, Where Art Thou? [Region 2]
Starring: George Clooney , John Turturro , Tim Blake Nelson , John Goodman , and Holly Hunter
Director: Joel Coen , and Ethan Coen
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Intolerable Cruelty (Widescreen Edition)
Badder Santa (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Casablanca

ASIN: B00005QX8O

Customer Reviews:

THE COEN BROTHERS DO IT AGAIN..........2006-12-10

The Coen Brothers have turned out yet another stylish film with a title that is a clunker. ... The Hudsucker Proxy, anyone? Still, as is The Hudsucker Proxy, this film is whimsically amusing and highly stylized, though it probably will not be everyone's cup of tea. Fans of the Coen Brothers, however, will think that they have died and gone to heaven, when they see this film.

The film takes place in Mississippi, the heart of the deep south, during the depression. Ulysses Everett McGill, charmingly played by George Clooney, who displays some real comedic talent, is a dapper dan of a fellow. Working on a chain gang, he escapes along with two other felons, disarmingly played by John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson. They are on their way to hunt up some buried treasure, the proceeds of a robbery, which McGill claims to know about. It later turns out that this was a mere ruse on the part of McGill, as he really had a different agenda.

During their episodic odyssey, they encounter a motley crew of characters who brighten the cinematic landscape. The film also resonates with the sounds of blue grass and down home country music. The cinematography is wonderful, as it conveys the dustbowl feeling of the depression era, rural countryside. All in all, it makes for a pretty terrific, though highly unusual, film. Funny and, at times, enigmatic, it is a film only the Coen Brothers could or would make.

Average customer rating:

THE COEN BROTHERS DO IT AGAIN...

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Intolerable Cruelty (Widescreen Edition)
Badder Santa (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Casablanca

ASIN: B00005ATFN

Customer Reviews:

THE COEN BROTHERS DO IT AGAIN..........2006-12-10

Charlie Rose with Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson & John Turturro; Mark Cuban; Stephen Gaghan (December 27, 2000)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson & John Turturro; Mark Cuban; Stephen Gaghan (December 27, 2000)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Art & Artists | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000HBL7L8
Release Date: 2006-08-15

Description

Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen and actors George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson and John Turturro discuss their new movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which follows three convicts on the run from the law in the 1930s. Then, an interview with Mark Cuban, president and co-founder of broadcast.com and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, about his business career in the dot-com era. Finally, screenwriter Stephen Gaghan talks about his new film, Traffic, directed by Steven Soderbergh.