h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm a BIG fan of the Coens, and I am glad someone other than my lazy self got around to entering them into the Guide.

Particular favorite? Fargo

More feasts for the eyes for me to look forward to, I see, having seen and loved Fargo, Big Lebowsky and O Brother...

I think they get better as they go on!

Well, sometimes they take two steps back for every one forward in terms of creativity and excellence in writing. I thought Lebowski wasn't as strong as Fargo and O Brother. It was in between the two and definitely showed they were trying something new by using different writing (more profanity) and casting (big name stars like Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore). Still, it was better than anything else released at the time.

Well the profanity gave it a shock value which complimented the gags, I thought, plus I couldn't help wondering about there being underlying levels of profanity in some of the other films...

I'm not a prude in any sense, but I do think that an overabundance of profanity usually indicates a lack of creativity on the part of the performers or writers. I think they were using it to underscore that the Dude and his friends were desperate characters.

Point well made.

Some writers depend on it as if it was the only thing that would make the film, but as you say, it was used purposefully here to say something about the characters.

Why do I get the feeling you're crying "uncle, uncle!"

In any event, we can agree that the Coens are divine and I certainly hope they are making films for a long time to come.

Okay, sorry to stretch this, but what does that phrase mean?
It sounds like a useful one.

(I'm asking about the uncle one)

It's from a kid's game. Let's say I grab your arm and twist it up behind your back. I'll hold it in this painful position until you cry out and give up. The only way I'll let you go is when you "cry uncle"--literally yelling out "uncle!". It's one of those cruel rites of passage most American kids go through.

It could have been worse. I could have given you an Indian rope burn.

No, I'm just malleable.

Is the Indian Rope Burn the thing we called a Chinese Burn- where you try to twist someone's wrist in two directions at once?

Exactly. Do you think in India or China they refer to it as the "Western Imperialist Rope Burn"?