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Movies => Good Movies => Topic started by: zombie no.one on June 03, 2007, 10:12:25 PM



Title: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: zombie no.one on June 03, 2007, 10:12:25 PM
Fargo has been one of my top 10 films for years now, so I figured Id better finally watch Cohen bros' first movie (up till now Ive seen fargo, raising arizona, hudsucker proxy, barton fink, big lebowski, and maybe one more).

not too sure what to make of Blood Simple really. its hailed as a classic or at least a semi-classic by most film heads, but I was almost left not sure what to think. there's a fair bit of tension, decent if not great acting, tons of originality vis-a-vis the plotline and general icy tone of the movie, but for some reason I was left a bit stumped. expectations set too high maybe? I know its their first film and everything but although I enjoyed it I kind of wanted more.

I just thought Id throw that out there for anyone who might agree or disagree. any opinions on this flm?


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: Ed, Ego and Superego on June 03, 2007, 10:35:27 PM
I never saw it, but the title comes from a Dashiell Hammett story.
-Ed


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: Scott on June 03, 2007, 10:47:21 PM
It's been on my list because I've heard good things about it.


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: SaintMort on June 03, 2007, 10:49:50 PM
I liked it alot... it was a little slow but the last half hour is awesome... the bullet holes appearing in the wall was awesome


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: Mofo Rising on June 03, 2007, 11:21:37 PM
Blood Simple is good.  Not amazing, but definitely worthwhile.  If you have the DVD, check out the commentary by the "film historian".  It's one of the more bizarre things you'll see.

If you haven't seen Miller's Crossing, check it out as soon as you can.  It's one of the best movies ever made.


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: zombie no.one on June 03, 2007, 11:55:08 PM
well I bought this DVD of Blood Simple just 2 days ago and there's no commentary track on there. the only extras are a trailer for B/S itself, and a trailer for Big Lebowski, that's it - apart from subtitles...the date on the back says 2000, there must have been a more recent edition I'd guess.

havent seen Miller's Crossing, I'll put that on my to see list.

@St. Mort, yeah first part was very slow, definitely picks up in the latter stages, I thought that as well.


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: DodgingGrunge on June 04, 2007, 03:07:20 AM
well I bought this DVD of Blood Simple just 2 days ago and there's no commentary track on there.

That's a shame.  The DVD version labeled "Director's Cut" comes with an inventive commentary track by fictitious film historian Kenneth Loring.  The DC also has a shorter runtime, which helps do-away with several of the bits you felt were slow.

If you find yourself appreciating the Coen brothers mostly for their weirdness, there's a film with Michael Rapaport called The Naked Man, which Ethan Coen co-created.  It's a very weird tale about a chiropractor turned wrestler turned all-around maniac.  For some reason this was never released on DVD, but chances are pretty good that most decent-sized video stores will have the tape (what with Fargo's popularity at the time!).


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: zombie no.one on June 11, 2007, 03:17:28 PM
^cheers, Ill look out for the Naked Man (so to speak).

@ Mofo I bought Millers Crossing on your reccomendation and watched it and its excellent, so good looking out for that.


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: lester1/2jr on June 11, 2007, 07:03:53 PM
is this the one where the guy is in the bar and like....   aahh bro I liked this alot. i remeber it had a real good story and I enjoyed it for that reason.  the guy who owns the bar hires someone to kill his wife or something?


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: zombie no.one on June 11, 2007, 07:30:04 PM
^ yeah thats the one.


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: Torgo on June 11, 2007, 07:47:06 PM
Like a couple of other people have mentioned, when they did the theatrical re-release a while back, the Cohens actually used that excuse to actually REMOVE some extraneous stuff from the original cut and tighten it up a bit.

It's kind of unheard of as usually when people hear the word director's cut, they automatically assume that footage has been added. This was a case in which they snipped the movie a bit and made it even better IMO.

Plus, it's really amazing how beautiful Frances McDormand was in this movie.  Always a stupendous actress, a lot of people forget how much sex appeal she radiated in Blood Simple.


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: Mofo Rising on June 11, 2007, 11:43:29 PM
^cheers, Ill look out for the Naked Man (so to speak).

@ Mofo I bought Millers Crossing on your reccomendation and watched it and its excellent, so good looking out for that.

Glad you enjoyed it.


Title: Re: Blood Simple (1983)
Post by: HarlotBug3 on June 20, 2007, 06:25:10 PM
For a first attempt in the 80s it was damn good.

I'm eager for another one from them that isn't easy-sell chuckles for the average moviegoer. (Those have been funny, but I don't expect 'funny' from them, I expect genius.)