CinemaLit - Fargo (1996)

September 20 - Fargo (1996), 98 minutes, directed by Joel Cohen, starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi.

It’s no surprise that Fargo was near the top of our members choice list. It became an instant classic on its release in 1996, and was added to the prestigious National Film Registry as soon as it was eligible ten years later. This Cohen Brothers feature is a unique blend of dark comedy, homicide procedural, kidnapping going horrifically wrong, and spasmodic shocking violence, all under an anthropological commitment to the language and culture of the Upper Midwest. “Minnesota Nice” pervades, giving Fargo a “gentle touch on a vicious story,” according to co-star William H. Macy. You betcha.   

September 2024 CinemaLit: Members Choice

To launch the 2024/2025 CinemaLit Season, we conducted a members choice survey of select films in the Mechanics’ DVD collection for screening. We’ve tallied the results, and… the members have spoken! (And have exquisite good taste in films.) Below are the top vote getters. They’re a fantastic quartet of classics young and old with a diversity of genres, styles, nationalities, and eras. Join us for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), Black Narcissus (1947), Fargo (1996), and Cinema Paradiso (1988).

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