Intelligent, experimental, frightening, funny and always delightfully surprising, Coen brothers' films mark a constant high-point in the cinema of the Eighties and Nineties.

Their eccentric vision is born of a unique relationship: Joel Coen directs, Ethan produces, they both write. Although their films share many themes and, indeed, many actors, their subjects range from the hard noir of Blood Simple via the sophisticated fantasy of The Hudsucker Proxy to the frostbitten comedy-of-errors of Fargo.

As well as winning critical acclaim all over the world, their films have led the way for the renaissance in American independent movie-making and inspired directors like Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), Danny Boyle (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting) and the Wachowski Brothers (Bound, The Matrix)

What's in this Pocket Essential guide? As well as an introductory essay, each of the Coen brothers' films is discussed in detail, including the enigmatic Miller's Crossing, the perplexing Barton Fink and the madcap The Big Lebowski - and there's a handy multi-media reference at the back...