Blood Simple (DVD)

...veiwing the sibling's debut feature, BLOOD SIMPLE, and discovering it is just as assured should come as no surprise, because even if it was only their very first venture into the art form, it has them written all over it. Amongst a few influences of course… As well as the work they produce almost assuredly being of a high quality, it is also obvious that Joel and Ethan know a lot about film, they know precisely what makes a good movie and that probably ...
...never a good thing, and BLOOD SIMPLE definitely dosent have one. Yet because of the immaculate way in which it is presented, it hides this so well and the film actualy ends up seeming much faster than it actualy is. As much time is given to chracters reaction shots as to dialogue in many cases, with scenes based around what chracters do and think, rather than what they say. Dialogue is minimalist, and never direct, it also often contains an air of ...

moxon123 03.02.2006 (04.02.2006) · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Blood Simple (DVD)

...high expectations of this film; Blood Simple was the only film by the Coen brothers I hadn't until recently seen. Being a great fan of these fine and prolific film makers - having relished the likes of Fargo and Barton Fink - I was quite familiar with their quirky style. Recent productions of theirs have set high standards for themselves, and fortunately Blood Simple lived up to them. This debut film from the Coens (1984) did not once appear amateur, ...
...Coen film most comparable to Blood Simple, but Blood Simple is more basic in concept than the other projects; it falls marginally short of the shrewd dialogue that makes their later work so classy. However, Blood Simple is characterized by its simplicity, so you can expect the focus to be on style more than human interaction. But regardless of other Coen accomplishments, Blood Simple is a fine first film, marking the start of a legacy of inventive ...

zak-2 13.07.2004 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Blood Simple (DVD)

Blood Simple is a dark and bloody black comic thriller. It's sick, it's twisted, its gory and it's a near masterpiece of low budget independent filmmaking. This slightly re-edited version of the film improves it slightly. A few minutes have been excised from the middle of the movie improving the pacing over the original. But most probably won't notice the differences. When Blood Simple was first released in 1984, very few people knew who Joel and ...
...West and Last Seduction. Blood Simple however wasn't treading in the same territory of Body Heat… it was treading in the world of the real pulps, updated with some camp values, and style to burn. Land of the Ceiling Fans is what I affectionately called the film when I first left the theatre after seeing the film for the first time in 1984. It even has a ceiling fan cam shot There are several memorable visual highpoints in the film. And I won't spoil ...

ChrisJarmick 31.10.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Blood Simple (DVD)

...out of an indie studio, Blood Simple has it all in spades. A spooky barowner (Dan Hedaya) hires a slimy private detective (M.Emmett Walsh) to murder his wandering wife (Frances McDormand) & dumb boyfriend (John Getz), but things get slightly out of hands when the dick has an ulterior motive all of his own. Yeah, ok, this kind of story has been done to death a million times so what makes this movie so special. Easy..the Coens (Joel & Ethan) don't ...
...unchartered waters. Rather than letting us think what should happen next, they spike that theory with something a little different, making for a more entertaining film. The acting is good, although I have to say I wasn't particularly impressed with the dreary boyfriend, Ray (Getz). Throughout the film he had that "out to lunch" sign permanently etched over his face - no emotion, no wit, no charm in his voice just the same dreary monotone throughout, ...

dreamstar70 31.01.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Blood Simple (DVD)

why oh why does everyone go on about the coen brothers like they are the best thing since sliced bread. Fargo was okay, the big lebow was rubbish, and sorry to say so is this. the plot could have been written on a postage stamp it is that simple, a bar owner hires a private eye to kill his wife and her lover, instead he tries to kill the bar owner, the wifes lover finds the body and thinks his girlfriend has done it, he goes to get rid of the body, ...
...hired to egt rid of in the first place. To say this is utter pap is being far too generous, i would rather injure myself than watch this rubbish again, but i can see that there are others who enjoyed this film, although for the life of me i can't see why. The actors do okay with the script they have, some scenes are played for shock value, and those are sadly the only interesting points in the film, particularly the knife in the hand bit. the film ...

mcpoeman 10.06.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Blood Simple (DVD)

This is one of the nastiest, slimiest, most amoral, thrillers I had seen until Seven came along and upped the ante. It is thoroughly enjoyable. The whole cast are perfection but M. Emmet Walsh and Dan Hedaya stand out as two truly despicable villains. The whole thing is filmed in such a dark atmosphere with everyone sweating that at times it seems set in Hell. Abby is so manipulative that even at the end of the film you cannot tell whether she has ...

Hindwellm 27.03.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Blood Simple (DVD)