To the White Sea

Today we’re joined by writer, researcher, and podcaster Edward Ongweso Jr. to discuss “the essence of The Dialectic,” as a highly-fictionalized Herbert Marcuse proclaims in Hail, Caesar! Dialectics: what are they, what is their function, and how might their theory and praxis manifest multifariously across the Coens’ body of work? We discuss the history of the term, how the concept of keeping tw...

To the White Sea is back to discuss HONEY DON’T!—the slapjacking new film from Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke—and we’re bringing a new episode format to attempt to wrap our minds around this monumental moment. We’ve gathered some of our favorite minds of filmmaking and film analysis—Melissa Tuckman, Ben Brewer, and Emilio Diaz—for an unrehearsed panel discussion affectionately dubbed The McDunnou...

Today we’re excited to be joined by Will Menaker and Hesse Deni—cohosts of Movie Mindset (https://www.patreon.com/collection/1461252?view=expanded) , as well as Chapo Trap House (https://www.chapotraphouse.com/) and Seeking Derangements (https://www.instagram.com/seekingderangementsssss/?hl=en) respectively—to split the everlasting light of cinema via a prism of great importance: tensions betwe...

Like a seashell to your ear, we are here. In this extra special episode of To the White Sea we are thrilled and honored to welcome Academy Award-winning sound editor Skip Lievsay, who has worked on more Coen brothers movies than the Coen brothers themselves! This paradox wrapped in an enigma will be unraveled along with so much more. Together we listen closely to scenes of “perfect quiet” when...

Surprise! We're back with a new episode. We jump off from the idea introduced to us by J. Todd Anderson, by way of Alfred Hitchcock, that filmmaking is about two things (and according to J. Todd only these two things): suspense and surprise. We analyze ways in which films create a “burden of knowledge” in the mind of the audience, and how this can dramatically affect the way scenes play out on ...

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 (https://twitter.com/HitFactoryPod) to discuss A Simple Plan, directed by frequent Coens collaborator Sam Raimi. We enjoyed our discussion with Aaron so much, and thought it Coens-adjacent-enough...

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 quality in this special gonzo episode. Want to joi...

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 Coens’ writing process, which seems to be where ...

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 own work, which he describes as “part muse, part...

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” or “role”. It's weird, it's satisfying, and i...

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 to shape a performance and create a character ...

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 interview for DISCORD MAILBAG where we answer ...

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’ movies where a character or the film itself quot...

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’t said it yet, we’ll say it here: this screenpl...

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. Outro Music: Liz Ryerson - Village Theme (https://...

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 crucial transition from Act 1 to Act 2. We discuss t...

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 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5jn2Jwhjos) for Bonnie ...

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 which he co-wrote with Ethan Coen. We get into a wi...

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), A Serious Man Plus: Climates, Crumb, Dick Tr...

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 enjoying To the White Sea please follow us on so...

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 show, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. ...

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 them so unforgivable and why can’t they just save ...

In today’s episode, recorded live at Dunkunsthalle (https://www.instagram.com/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 Austin...

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 (https://www.dunkunsthalle.com/ben-brewer/) . 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! (https://www.dunkunsthalle.com/ben-brewer/) Special Thanks Rachel Rossin, J...

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-blowing short film A FOLDED OCEAN and hear about...

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 Burwell's notes on how the films and their scores...

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 http://emilykaibock.com. Afterlife (http://emilykaibock.com/a...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/dunkunsthalle/?hl=en) . Watch Lance Lizardi (https://vimeo.com/248816836) on Vimeo. Watch Are We Not Cats (https://tubitv.com/movies/514922/are-we-not-cats) on Tubi. Event Producer + ...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/dunkunsthalle/?hl=en) for Xander Robin - Mutations in Nature: Hidden Florida Movies. It’s going to be amazing; don’t miss it! Thursday, April ...

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 (https://www.instagram.com/dunkunsthalle/?hl=en) . 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 De...

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 Xander Robin will be our guest on the show, and...

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 Dunkunsthalle gallery at 64 Fulton Street, New ...

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.

We read pages 3-4 and discuss how the Coens build story and character through a particular type of montage sequence.

In our first episode, we read pages 1-2 and discuss cold open monologues in the Coens’ films.