Gangster movie, Western, film noir, rom com, screwball, musical, even the Biblical epic... There are few genres left untouched and untwisted by sibling visionaries Joel and Ethan Coen. Since 1984's Blood Simple, the inscrutable brothers have effortlessly forged their own cinematic path, avoiding prevailing trends while crafting bold, stylish and witty movies that feel fresh and distinctive despite being deeply rooted in their creators' filmic passion and knowledge.


This is a definitive guide to that path, bringing the reader through Joel and Ethan's 20 features (not counting the mezzanine) and exploring the themes, the tropes, the gags, the familiar faces - while also taking in all the Coen curios that litter this quirkily winding byway.


From Texas to Minnesota, from Homer to Shakespeare, from Bluegrass to Busby Berkeley, from wrestling to bowling, from lost hats to severed toes, this book covers everything that one might reasonably consider (to use a word that would likely make Joel and Ethan wince) 'Coenesque'... And then some.