TRUE GRIT
Epix, 8:00 p.m. ET
Passion projects, in the hands of talented artists, can be wonderful things. Noah Hawley, for example, so admired the cinematic work of the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, in their 1996 movie Fargo that he set out to make an homage of a TV series, using the same title and tone, but different plots and characters. FX’s Fargo, eventually to begin its fourth season, has been one of television’s tastiest treats in years. And in 2010, the Coen Brothers themselves exercised similar enthusiasm for a film, by remaking the late-career John Wayne Western, 1969’s True Grit. In the Coen remake, Jeff Bridges took on Wayne’s role and eye patch as grizzled Rooster Cogburn, while other co-stars in this new True Grit included Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, and Domhnall Gleeson. And while Wayne’s performance was and remains classic, this new True Grit, as an overall piece of filmmaking, manages to improve on the original. And speaking of the original: By coincidence, the John Wayne True Grit is being shown today on Sundance, at 5 p.m. ET, giving you enough time to watch both by switching channels in midstream. Or, depending upon how you're watching Epix and Sundance, in midstreaming...