The Amazing Films of The Coen Brothers

The Amazing Films of the Cohen Brothers EDITED VERSION.

Yes, we have no popcorn,*** but fun is us in our SDG as we discuss the Coen Brothers’ films of imaginative stories, twists and unpredictable noir U-turns aplenty provided by these highly acclaimed, multi-talented filmmakers. Collaborating on both scripting and direction, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have produced some of the most distinctive films in contemporary American cinema, including Fargo, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski and True Grit. Join us as we journey with the Coens across a mythical American landscape that is the realm of tales tall and strange, yet full of truths about the human condition. 

Meet or get reacquainted with some unforgettable characters like Fargo’s Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, The Big Lebowski’s Jeff Bridges as The Dude, as well as John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julienne Moore and William H. Macy; Raising Arizona’s Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter; Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin featured in True Grit, and Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin illuminating No Country for Old Men.Many more familiar characters and those as yet unknown.

Beginning with the Coens’ initial 1984 neo-noir, Blood Simple, we will glide through Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, True Grit, Inside Llewyn Davis andHail, Caesar! Say “YES” to our friendly Wednesday 10am-12pm PT Zoom for stimulating movie discussion, where our core text is the excellent The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together by Adam Nayman, and where your contributions- large or small, frequent or rare- will be welcomed, respected and appreciated. B.Y.O.P.*** 

American Jewish story in Cinema

In an industry replete with Jewish executives and creators, a number of important movies reflected on the American Jewish experience.  We will view all of these films and discuss the era in which they were made, what issues were dealt with, and the changes in attitudes they reflect. Some of the films do not even refer to their characters as Jews, yet they are proto-typically Jewish.

Certainly, they reflect a self-consciousness of their creators and of the studios which funded their production. One does not need a Jewish background to analyze and discuss these provocative films.  Just a willingness to view, to research, and to discuss not only the quality of each film, but its intrinsic observations of its time and reflections on our own.our own. ( Please Note: There are no  films about European life or the Holocaust.)

The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses It to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic

The Supreme Court has always had the authority to issue emergency rulings in exceptional circumstances. Since 2017 however, the Court has dramatically expanded its use of the behind-the-scenes “shadow docket,” regularly making decisions that affect millions of Americans without public hearings and without explanation, with cryptic late-night rulings that leave lawyers—and citizens—struggling to understand them.

The Court’s conservative majority has used the shadow docket to approve restrictive voting laws and bans on abortion, and to curtail immigration and COVID vaccine mandates. Stephen Vladek, the author of our core book and a law professor at the University of Texas School of Law, makes the case that we, the public, should be concerned about what the increasing use of the shadow docket portends for the rule of law.

Maps

Before the end of the 19th Century the exploration and development of the world depended in significant part on the ability of countries and civilizations to develop what they believed were accurate and convincing maps. This SDG will review and discuss approximately sixty of the most important maps prepared by and often purloined from the most important cartographers in the world. Each SDG will discuss the map, its maker(s), the era and the reasons maps were created. Some maps had a significant impact upon the world during that era in terms of global trade, colonization and the settlement of geo-political boundaries. Other maps were created to curry favor of their sponsors, rulers or the Church. For some maps, the Church and State provided an influence, often negative, upon the mapmakers and their craft. Our discussion will review how astronomy, mathematics, science and information supplied by that era’s explorers and navigators impacted map development. Mapmakers became the technology leaders of their era, opening new vistas and opportunities for their sponsors and users. Copies of all maps not in the core books will be provided by the Class Coordinator. 

Alessandro Manzoni's THE BETROTHED

Manzoni's THE BETROTHED (I Promessi Sposi, 1824) is a cornerstone of Italian culture, language and literature and, arguably, the best Italian novel ever written. In this historical novel, set in Northern Italy, 1628-30, Manzoni takes us on a journey, following two star-crossed lovers, through the Spanish occupation of Milan, the ravages of war, class conflicts, social injustice, religious faith, and a plague that devastates the country. As Jhumpa Lahiri has said, "Manzoni's novel - both emotionally gripping and coolly objective, both extremely spirited and deadly serious - will enthrall you and sober you in turns." In Michael Moore's dynamic new translation, we will hear powerful echoes of our own age.

David Copperfield / Demon Copperhead

In this 14 week SDG, we will embark on a literary adventure! We'll begin in the first week with the classic film (1935) adaptation of Charles Dickens' beloved autobiographical novel, David Copperfield. Immerse yourself in a world populated by unforgettable characters like the scheming Uriah Heep, the eccentric Miss Betsey Trotwood, the perpetually optimistic Mr. Micawber, and the warmhearted Peggotty family, all alongside the young David himself.

Then for the remaining 13 weeks, prepare to be captivated by Barbara Kingsolver's brilliant reimagining. At only 43 pages per week, in her novel Demon Copperhead, Kingsolver takes the heart of Dickens' story and transplants it to modern-day Appalachia, ravaged by the opioid crisis. We meet Demon, a young foster child facing abuse and hardship. Yet, his wit, compassion, and unwavering spirit for survival echo the strength of David Copperfield. Prepare to be as enthralled by Kingsolver's Demon as you were by Dickens' classic, together we will compare and contrast these works

The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire

Burgundy is a red wine. Burgundy is a dark red color. Burgundy is a former administrative region in France. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a 2004 comedy film. But who were  the historic Burgundians?

Our core book, The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire, is the story of a thousand years, a compulsively readable narrative history of ambitious aristocrats, family dysfunction, treachery, savage battles, luxury, and madness. It is about the decline of knightly ideals and the awakening of individualism and cities, the struggle for dominance in the heart of northern Europe, bloody military campaigns and fatally bad marriages. It's kind of a Game of Thrones but without the dragons because it really happened.

At the end of the 15th century, Burgundy was extinguished as an independent state. It had been a fabulously wealthy, turbulent region situated between France and Germany, with close links to the English kingdom during the Hundred Years' War in the Middle Ages. It was Burgundian troops who captured Joan of Arc and turned her over to the English for trial and execution. This region became the cradle of what we now know as the Low Countries, modern Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Our core book also traces the remarkable cultural history of great art and architecture and music which emerged despite the violence and the chaos of the tension between rival dynasties. 

Rightly compared to great narrative histories written by authors like Barbara Tuchman, this work has been described as a popular and scholarly masterpiece. It has been praised in many reviews such as the following:

"A sumptuous feast of a book" The Times, Books of the Year

"Thrillingly colorful and entertaining" Sunday Times

"A history book that reads like a thriller" Le Soir.

Plate Tectonics & The Supercontinent Cycle

Several hundred million years ago, Earth's continents fit together snugly in the supercontinent Pangea. The jigsaw puzzle-like parts separated and move along Earth’s surface as tectonic plates. On world maps, the bulge of South America fits Africa's concave Gulf of Guinea, because their plates were apposed in Pangea. The Himalayan mountains are the buckling of the crashing Indian and Eurasian plates.  In 200 million years, our continents will again form a single land mass in the ongoing supercontinent cycle.

Geophysicist Mitchell’s engaging core book explains the stories of Pangea; its predecessor supercontinents, Rodinia and Columbia; and the next supercontinent, Amasia. Dr. Mitchell clearly explains paleomagnetism; the structure and dynamics of our planet; seismology; rock cycles and dating; and much more.

You’ve Got to Read This: Contemporary Writers Introduce Stories That Held Them in Awe

Writers Jim Shepard and Ron Hansen had a unique idea for a short story anthology--rather than selecting the stories themselves, they asked contemporary writers to pick one story that "you've got to read." The stories themselves are wonderful, but the passages that introduce each are what sets this anthology apart. Each writer explains why he or she chose a particular story, providing insights you won’t find anywhere else. Fully a third of the authors picked "the story that made me want to become a writer," and their introductory essays are as fascinating as the stories themselves. Many of the stories are classics, while others are lesser known. In this 12-week SDG, we will be encountering a diverse range of voices, time periods, experiences and styles, but all with a common devotion to story.