To the White Sea To the White Sea

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-adjacent-enough to put it out as a bonus. Hope you enjoy it too!

Thanks to Aaron & Carlee for giving us the go-ahead to release this premium episode, and please consider supporting their amazing show on Patreon, which is all about the films and politics of the 1990s.

Want to join the study group? Follow TTWS on social media, tell your friends about the show, and leave a rating/review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

***You can also support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/tothewhitesea***

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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 quality in this special gonzo episode.

Want to join the study group? Follow TTWS on social media, tell your friends about the show, and leave a rating/review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

***You can also support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/tothewhitesea***

For all things TTWS visit tothewhitesea.me – and join the Discord too!

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 their most free-wheeling moves find their form. We also discuss a scene from Devyn’s feature Not Waving But Drowning which involved getting a horse on a subway train.

Coens Covered: A Serious Man, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Miller’s Crossing (the bear version), Barton Fink

Plus: Beethoven’s 2nd (1993) - Beethoven destroys patio scene

Want to join the study group? Follow TTWS on social media, tell your friends about the show, and leave a rating/review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

***You can also support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/tothewhitesea***

For all things TTWS visit tothewhitesea.me – and join the Discord too!

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 curation.” Rounding things out we also unveil a new prismatic style: the proverbial “lightning” round. Thanks again to Alex for the awesome, mind-blowing conversation!

Coens Covered: Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, Inside Llewyn Davis, ⚡️The Ballad of Buster Scruggs ⚡️

Plus: Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Sea of Trees, The OA, Maniac, A Murder at the End of the World

Watch: A Murder at the End of the World on Hulu

Want to join the study group? Follow TTWS on social media, tell your friends about the show, and leave a rating/review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

***You can also support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/tothewhitesea***

For all things TTWS visit tothewhitesea.me – and join the Discord too!

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 it's vibey. Thanks again to Robin for joining us!!!

WATCH:
Great Choice
Robin and Loaf Interviewed by The Dogist

Coens Covered: The Man Who Wasn’t There; Hail, Caesar!; Fargo; Barton Fink

Plus: Amsterdam, Zodiac, Dave, Beetlejuice 2, The Dick Cavett Show, Magnolia, Devil’s Advocate, Great Choice

Want to join the study group? Follow TTWS on social media, tell your friends about the show, and leave a rating/review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

***You can also support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/tothewhitesea***

For all things TTWS visit tothewhitesea.me – and join the Discord too!

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 that feels real. It's all about doing two or more things at once, and being as interesting as a cat.

On another important note, last week we told the story of the finding of the lost pages, and this week we actually debut the text of a lost page—PAGE 40—which we hope you enjoy!!

Coens covered: Burn After Reading, The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski

Plus: World War Z, Interview with a Vampire, The Tao of Steve, Jurassic Park 3D

Want to join the study group? Follow TTWS on social media, tell your friends about the show, and leave a rating/review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

***You can also support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/tothewhitesea***

For all things TTWS visit tothewhitesea.me – and join the Discord too!