A close look at the work of the Coen brothers through the lens of their unproduced screenplay To the White Sea, based on the novel by James Dickey. Hosted by filmmakers Jordan Fish and Ray Tintori, and featuring awesome guests. Every week we read two pages. Ray has read the screenplay and Jordan hasn't.
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UNLOCKED: TTWS Goes on Hit Factory - A Simple Plan
1:41:11
1:41:11
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Hello study group! We will be back soon with more mainline episodes of To the White Sea. To tide you over we bring you a delightful side-quest / amuse-bouche. A couple months ago we went on Hit Factory to discuss A Simple Plan, directed by frequent Coens collaborator Sam Raimi. We enjoyed our discussion with Aaron so much, and thought it Coens-adja…
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ROAD EPISODE: Drive-Away Dolls Rapid Response
59:15
59:15
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We're on the road! Ray and Jordan step out of the AMC Lincoln Square 13 and give their immediate impressions of Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's new film DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS while walking the streets of Manhattan. Spoilers are everywhere so you'll want to see the film before diving into this. Thanks in advance for rocking with the "punk rock" audio quali…
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Emerging from a cloud of goose feathers, TTWS returns! Filmmaker Devyn Waitt joins the study group today to discuss INSTINCT, moments in the Coens films that defy logic but somehow make sense on an intuitive, almost physical level. We touch on whether they could be a connection between survival skills and artistic expression, and speculate on the C…
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22: Left Field Production Design with Alex DiGerlando
2:16:08
2:16:08
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Today on the program we start things off with a reality-shattering two pages, then shoot into outer space with our guest, the brilliant production designer Alex DiGerlando. We explore film sets and designed environments that come out of left field and reshape our understanding of what it is we’re watching. We also dive into Alex’s approach to his o…
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21: Surprisingly Good Vibes with Robin Comisar
2:01:30
2:01:30
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We’re back with a delightful conversation about surprisingly chill hangs. Joining us is brilliant writer, director, and dog lover, Robin Comisar. We discuss moments in the Coens’ films where the story sneaks up on you with unexpectedly tender, guileless, and open-hearted scenes. In these moments of connection, characters often go beyond their “type…
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20: Behavioral Acting with Griffin Newman
3:09:51
3:09:51
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We're back with our first post-hiatus numbered episode and what a show we've got for you. Today we welcome actor, comedian, podcaster and our good friend Griffin Newman to the study group. Griffin walks us through his process as an actor, and what he calls behavioral acting—the use of secondary actions, latent desires, and bottled-up nervous energy…
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EMERGENCY EPISODE: Lost Pages Found! with Kate Sanford
1:42:06
1:42:06
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We're back everybody! After our extended hiatus we couldn't be more excited to be back with this emergency episode. We have the lost pages folks, and to tell the story of how this all happened, we bring you an interview with legendary picture editor Kate Sanford! Hope you enjoy, and are as excited as we are for TTWS Season 2! Stick around after the…
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19: Intertexts/The Same Old Song with Melissa Tuckman
2:45:19
2:45:19
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Hi everyone! Today we welcome professor, writer, and poet Melissa Tuckman to the study group. First we read pages 37-38 which are, as with last week’s excerpt, truly horrifying. Take heed. Then we jump into the prism and explore the idea of an intertext, which is simply a work which relates in some way to another work. We look at scenes in Coens’ m…
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18: River of Flame with Becca Brooks Morrin
2:29:41
2:29:41
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Hello! We’re back with a deep dive and wild ride through mind-melting, unforgettable images you’ve never seen before, and we’re joined by our friend, the brilliant and infinitely creative production designer Becca Brooks Morrin! We also read pages 35 and 36 and follow Muldrow as his story gets even more intense and horrifically violent—if we haven’…
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In today’s episode we’re joined by multi-disciplinary artist and writer Liz Ryerson. Liz brings her background in music and game design to discuss scenes from the Coens’ movies in which characters drift through the wide world of their story, and in their wanderings—be they pastoral, tacky, gnarly, or urbane—make discoveries without and within. Outr…
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16: Act 1 -> Act 2 with Benh Zeitlin
2:32:46
2:32:46
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Today we’re joined by our friend, the mega-talented and ever-thoughtful Benh Zeitlin, director of Glory at Sea, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Wendy. We’re thrilled to welcome Benh to the study group as we cross the threshold on pages 31-32, and see Muldrow’s journey plummet into action. From here, we break down act breaks, specifically the cruci…
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This is an emergency podcast. We discuss the deluge of Coen brothers headlines including the premiere of the Drive-Away Dolls trailer, and the Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke feature in Empire Magazine which reveals, amongst many fascinating tidbits, that Ethan and Joel Coen are at work on a new project. We also discuss Ray’s new music video for Bonnie…
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15: Visual Storytelling with J. Todd Anderson
2:13:35
2:13:35
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We’re back with an episode we are beyond excited to share with you. Today we’re joined by legendary storyboard artist and key Coens collaborator J. Todd Anderson. Anderson has drawn storyboards for every Coen brothers film since Raising Arizona, as well as The Tragedy of Macbeth and the upcoming Drive-Away Dolls. He also directed The Naked Man whic…
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Today we read pages 27-28 and refract the screenplay's beams through a prism called Guiding Lights. Coens characters who are struggling to find their bearings look to maps, mathematics, icons, and guidebooks. Do they get the guidance they seek or are they led down a primrose path? Coens Covered: Barton Fink, Tuileries (short), World Cinema (short),…
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In today's episode we read pages 25-26 before beaming through the prism with a new and exciting catchphrase. It's all about sneaky, sneaky sneaks. Sneaking around. Sneaking here and sneaking there. Sneaking everywhere. Coens covered: Burn After Reading; Raising Arizona; Hail, Caesar!; Bridge of Spies Plus (of course): SNEAKERS (1992) If you're enjo…
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Today we read pages 23-24 and discuss father figures in the films of the brothers Coen. The conversation is oceanic and infused with psychodrama, so we hope you enjoy it :) Coens covered: Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Big Lebowski If you're enjoying the show please follow us on social media, tell your friends about the sho…
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Today we’re back in the studio with a classic Ray and Jordan episode. We read pages 21-22 and discuss unforgivable protagonists, lead characters who defy traditional story conventions, as well as the laws of man and the almighty. They function as a sort of off-ramp for audiences, which isn’t often what you want from a main character. What makes the…
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In today’s episode, recorded live at Dunkunsthalle in a roundtable study group format, we discuss teamwork in the Coens’ films. Sequences where three or more characters form a coalition and try to accomplish something together. Coens covered: Hail, Caesar!; O Brother Where Art Thou; Inside Llewyn Davis; True Grit; The Big Lebowski Thank you to Aust…
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TTWS EXTRA: Ben Brewer - A Folded Ocean Q&A at Dunkunsthalle
28:23
28:23
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In this live episode we bring you the Q&A from our screening of Ben Brewer’s astonishing short film A Folded Ocean at Dunkunsthalle. If you’d like to watch A Folded Ocean online it is streaming for one week on the Dunkunsthalle site! Stream A Folded Ocean now through 5/16! Special Thanks Rachel Rossin, Jeff Delauter, Sam Geller, Ben Hosley…
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9: Budget Destroying Effects (Feat. Ben Brewer)
3:16:28
3:16:28
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Today’s episode is mega! We’re joined by amazing filmmaker and VFX artist Ben Brewer. We read pages 17-18 and break down sequences in the Coens’ films that feature eye-popping—and potentially budget-breaking—special effects. We analyze what makes an effects shot “work”, and the crucial story context that that entails. We also dive into Ben’s mind-b…
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8: Sudden Loss of Cabin Pressure (Feat. Dan Romer)
2:05:56
2:05:56
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Today we're so excited to be joined by our dear friend, composer and musician, Dan Romer. We read pages 15-16 and discuss Dan's unique, POV-driven approach to composing scores for films and TV shows. Then we freefall through this week's prism: it's all about moments in Coens films when the tone shifts radically. Along the way we read from Carter Bu…
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7: Fever Dream Action Sequences (Feat. Emily Kai Bock)
2:20:29
2:20:29
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On this episode we’re joined by one of our favorite filmmakers, Emily Kai Bock. We read pages 13-14 and analyze five action sequences that careen between do-or-die realism and out-and-out phantasmagoria. Coens covered: No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Raising Arizona, The Ladykillers, A Serious Man For more of Emily’s work visit emilykaibock.com.…
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TTWS EXTRA: Xander Robin Q&A at Dunkunsthalle
25:55
25:55
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In this bonus live episode we bring you the Q&A from Xander Robin - Mutations in Nature: Hidden Florida Movies, an evening of short films, sizzle reels, and discussion at Dunkunsthalle. Watch Lance Lizardi on Vimeo. Watch Are We Not Cats on Tubi. Event Producer + Audio Engineer: Sam Geller Special Thanks Rachel Rossin, Jeff Delauter, Danny Garfield…
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6: When You See Something You Can Barely See (Feat. Xander Robin)
1:35:20
1:35:20
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We’re thrilled to bring you today’s episode and today’s guest, filmmaker Xander Robin. We read pages 11-12 and stare into the unknown through a fractured prism of glints, glimpses and glimmers. Please join us at Dunkunsthalle for Xander Robin - Mutations in Nature: Hidden Florida Movies. It’s going to be amazing; don’t miss it! Thursday, April 13. …
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TTWS EXTRA: Geppetto 2.0 Q&A at Dunkunsthalle (Feat. Z Behl and Julia Simpson)
25:10
25:10
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In our first bonus episode we bring you the Q&A from our live screening of Z Behl's film Geppetto 2.0 at Dunkunsthalle. Featuring writer/director Z Behl and producer Julia Simpson. Watch Geppetto 2.0 at the following link: https://vimeo.com/432671444 Event Producer + Audio Engineer: Sam Geller Special Thanks Rachel Rossin, Joey Frank, Jeff Delauter…
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Today we welcome our first ever guest to the TTWS study group, artist and filmmaker Z Behl. We read pages 9-10, and then take a deep dive into this week’s theme—Help Me—scenes where Coens characters ask for help. Do they get it? You’ll have to listen and find out. We have another live event coming up we’re super excited about. Next week filmmaker X…
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We read pages 7-8 and discuss a fundamental aspect of storytelling: setup. We look at how the Coens put pieces on the board and advance them, and how these opening moves set—and set off course—expectations for what's to come. We also discuss Theater 2 at the Lincoln Square 13. >>> IMPORTANT LIVE EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: If you're in NYC, join us at the …
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We're back with pages 5-6. This week we bring you a wide-ranging discussion about a recurring Coens motif: when there's a little guy and there's a big guy, and they go versus on each other.By To the White Sea
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In our first episode, we read pages 1-2 and discuss cold open monologues in the Coens’ films.By To the White Sea
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We read pages 3-4 and discuss how the Coens build story and character through a particular type of montage sequence.By To the White Sea
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