Hi there friends. Brian Gallagher here with your look at all the news that wasn't fit for print over the past seven days. There's a lot to get through this week, so let's get started with a cool new infographic about two of my favorite directors, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen:

Coen Brothers Actor Infographic - via Hello Muller

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen are among the few filmmakers who I love so much that I own every single one of their movies. Yes, even The Hudsucker Proxy and The Ladykillers. Even if you haven't watched every one, you've probably noticed that they have a penchant for casting many of the same actors in numerous projects. Graphic designer Tom Muller created this nifty infographic which connects all of the main actors in the Coen Brothers movies without the hassle of scrolling through IMDB. Check out this awesome graphic below:

It seems that Frances McDormand has been cast in the most Coen Brothers movies, appearing in six of their 15 movies, although that's not terribly surprising since she is married to Joel Coen. Jon Polito, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi are next with five movies each. The Coen's certainly do have intriguing tastes when it comes to actors. Hell, they even cast Tara Reid in The Big Lebowski. Oh well, nobody's perfect... Anyway, any fan of the Coen's will surely get a kick out of this awesome chart.

"Honest" Posters For 2011 Best Picture Nominees - via The Shiznit

Wouldn't it be great if movie marketers REALLY told you what a movie is truly about? Well, it's not going to happen, but the brilliant folks over at The Shiznit has done it anyway. They have created alternative posters for all 10 of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture this year and they are just hilarious. Take a look at these inventive one-sheets below, but be warned, some of them have naughty language so avert your eyes properly if you're of an impressionable age:

It would be great if some prankster actually swapped these out with the actual photos at their local multiplexes. I'm not advocating such trickery... but I'd love pictures to prove such trickery if someone takes the initiative... not that I'm advocating it...

Brief Yet Hilarious Kanye West Interview - via Vulture

I know this isn't movie or TV-related whatsoever, but I couldn't stop laughing when I first read it so I thought I'd share. Once-talkative rapper/stage crasher Kanye West has apparently done away with his talkative, ego-inflating ways, and Vulture has proof. The site caught up with the singer at the opening for George Condo's art exhibit, and they conducted a brief "interview" with Kanye West, which you can read below:

Are you happy with the paintings George did of you?

[Kanye nods head yes.]

You are happy?

[Nods head.]

Would you make any changes if you were to do a self-portrait?

[Shakes head no.]

Are you mute tonight?

[Nods head.]

Do you want to do sign language?

[Nods head. Pretends to sign, then shakes our hand and walks away.]

Perhaps Kanye West is turning over a new leaf... but since most of his tweets are in all caps, I doubt it.

Racy Ads For The Vampire Diaries - via Entertainment Weekly

The Vampire Diaries returned from its holiday hiatus last week, with new episodes airing on Thursday nights at 8 PM ET on the CW Network. To promote the show's return, the CW Network has taken a different, more racy tact in promoting the show. Take a look at a recent TV spot, which asks if viewers "Got Wood?" and some new billboard ads below:

It seems this new, sexier tactic may have paid off for the show, with the first episode back on January 27, Episode 2.12: The Descent, posting a ratings increase of 23% over its last original episode in December. I wonder what the Parents Television Council has to say about all this Got Wood and VD business... Also, the fact that they have those New York ads next to Disney fare is a bit tacky as well. Lets just pray that those Twilight folks don't try the same approach with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1...

Quotes From Negative Reviews of Classic Movies - via Tru TV and Shawn Ryan

One of the many people I follow on my Twitter account is Shawn Ryan, who created my favorite show of all time, The Shield, and has a new show called The Chicago Code starting on Fox the day after the Super Bowl, February 7. Last week he sent this tweet out about movie reviews, which had this Tru TV story that features excerpts from negative reviews of movies that turned out to be cinematic classics. For instance, check out what The New Yorker's Pauline Kael had to say about Raiders Of The Lost Ark:

"Spielberg's technique may be too much for the genre: the opening sequence, set in South America, with Indy Jones entering a forbidden temple and fending off traps, snares, poisoned darts, tarantulas, stone doors with metal teeth, and the biggest damn boulder you've ever seen, is so thrill-packed you don't have time to breatheâ€"or to enjoy yourself much, either." - Pauline Kael, The New Yorker June 15, 1981

Now, Pauline Kael was a notoriously tough critic, so this might not be too shocking. However, have you ever heard anyone say a bad word about The Shawshank Redemption? I don't think I have either, until reading this:

"...the movie seems to last about half a life sentence...becomes incarcerated in its own labyrinthine sentimentality...And leave it to pandering, first-time director Frank Darabont to ensure no audience member leaves this film unsure of the ending. Heaven forbid a movie should end with a smidgen of mystery!"- Desson Howe, Washington Post, September 23, 1994

Harsh! But how about this one from Time Out London Film Guide for the 1980 classic The Shining:

"If you go to this adaptation of Stephen King's novel expecting to see a horror movie, you'll be disappointed. "...the setting is promising enough - an empty, isolated hotel in dead-of-winter Colorado - but Kubrick makes it warm, well-lit and devoid of threat." - Time Out London Film Guide, 1980

The Shining devoid of threat? Wow. Anyway, there are 10 more examples of such reviews on the site, which you can check out when you CLICK HERE. Thanks again to Shawn Ryan for pointing out the link!

Justified's Hilarious Star Wars-Themed TV Spot - via FX and Ernie Estrella

I saw this amazing TV spot during the series premiere of Lights Out on January 11, and I couldn't stop laughing when I saw it. One of my critic buddies, Ernie Estrella, finally tracked down the video online and sent it along, so I thought I'd share with you guys. Check out this brief TV spot for the second season of Justified, which debuts February 9 at 10 PM ET on FX, that gives a wonderful nod to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope:

This is honestly one of the coolest commercials I've seen in recent years. Kudos to the FX marketing team for such a wonderful spot and another big thanks to Ernie Estrella for finding this spot online!

Well, that's about all I have for this week's edition of The Sunday Funnies. If you have any suggestions of articles/crazy stuff you'd like to see made fun of on future installments of Sunday Funnies, you can post on my wall here at MovieWeb: movieweb.com/u/gallagher OR follow me on Twitter @GallagherMW to send me funny links or chat about movies or whatever strikes your fancy. Peace in. Gallagher out!