Blood Simple. (1984)

Director:

Joel Coen
(more)

Writers:

Joel Coen (written by) and
Ethan Coen (written by)

Release Date:

18 January 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Breaking up is hard

Plot:

A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife and her new man. But, when blood is involved, nothing is simple.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Bartender | Private Detective | Double | Shot Through A Wall

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

John Getz	...	Ray
Frances McDormand	...	Abby
Dan Hedaya	...	Julian Marty
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Private Detective Loren Visser
Samm-Art Williams	...	Meurice
Deborah Neumann	...	Debra
Raquel Gavia	...	Landlady
Van Brooks	...	Man from Lubbock
Señor Marco	...	Mr. Garcia
William Creamer	...	Old Cracker
Loren Bivens	...	Strip Bar Exhorter
Bob McAdams	...	Strip Bar Senator
Shannon Sedwick	...	Stripper
Nancy Finger	...	Girl on Overlook
William Preston Robertson	...	Radio Evangelist (voice) (as Rev. William Preston Robertson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Holly Hunter	...	Helene Trend (voice) (uncredited)
Barry Sonnenfeld	...	Marty's Vomiting (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Joel Coen
Ethan Coen		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Joel Coen		(written by) and
Ethan Coen		(written by)

Produced by
Daniel F. Bacaner	....	executive producer
Ethan Coen	....	producer
Mark Silverman	....	associate producer
Joel Coen	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Barry Sonnenfeld		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ethan Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)
Joel Coen		(as Roderick Jaynes)
Don Wiegmann

Casting by
Julie Hughes
Barry Moss

Production Design by
Jane Musky

Costume Design by
Sara Medina-Pape

Makeup Department
Jean Ann Black	....	makeup artist
Paul R. Smith	....	prosthetics
Paul R. Smith	....	special effects makeup

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Love	....	second assistant director
Deborah Reinisch	....	first assistant director
Shannon Wood	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Jeffrey Michael Adams	....	art department assistant (as Jeff Adams)
Kathy Baker	....	art department assistant
Shirley Belwood	....	property master
Marcos E. González	....	property assistant
Nancy Griffith	....	set dresser
Michael Peal	....	art department assistant
Dave Pearce	....	art department assistant
Beth Perry	....	special graphics designer
Steve Roll	....	assistant to production designer
Robert A. Sturtevant	....	art department assistant (as Bob Sturtevant)
David Wander	....	photo retouching
Kirk Hunter	....	art department assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lewis Goldstein	....	sound effects: new (directors cut) (as Lew Goldstein)
Bradford L. Hohle	....	consultant: Dolby (directors cut)
Peter F. Kurland	....	boom
Blake Leyh	....	sound effects: new (directors cut)
Skip Lievsay	....	sound editor
Michael R. Miller	....	sound editor
Jun Mizumachi	....	special sound effects
Lee Orloff	....	sound mixer
Fred Szymanski	....	special sound effects
Mel Zelniker	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Loren Bivens	....	special effects coordinator
Michael O'Sullivan	....	special effects: mechanical (as Michael K. O'Sullivan)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Creasy	....	best boy
Joey Forsyte	....	gaffer
David J. Frederick	....	focus puller (as David Frederick)
Julie Gant	....	second electric
Don Kirk	....	clapper loader
Blaine Pennington	....	special stills
Tom Prophet Jr.	....	key grip
John Shaw	....	electrician
Angelo Louis Suasnovar Jr.	....	third grip (as Angelo Suasnovar)
Don Wiegmann	....	electrician

Casting Department
Edith M. Clark	....	casting: Austin
Phil DiMaggio	....	casting associate
Peter Golden	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chelle Coleman	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Victor Concepcion	....	negative cutter
Peggy Connolly	....	location editor
David Diliberto	....	restoration consultant (directors cut)
Edna Ruth Paul	....	editorial consultant

Music Department
Murri Barber	....	music production
Todd Kasow	....	music editor (director's cut)

Other crew
Ben Barenholtz	....	presenter
Lizanne Brazell	....	dialogue coach
Van Brooks	....	production assistant
Edith M. Clark	....	location manager
Don Hartack	....	location coordinator
Melanie Hecht	....	production assistant
Darrell Kreitz	....	production assistant
Alma Kuttruff	....	production office coordinator
Andreas Laven	....	script supervisor
Webster Lewin	....	production assistant
Marty Mahoney	....	dog trainer
Shawn Malone	....	production assistant
Tom Martin	....	production assistant
David McGill	....	production assistant
Jim Pedas	....	presenter
Ted Pedas	....	presenter (as Ted)
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Adam Smith	....	production assistant
Ingrid Weigand	....	production assistant
H. Harris Willcockson	....	location auditor
John Woodward	....	production assistant
Richard Woolsey	....	production assistant

Thanks
Ivan Bigley	....	special thanks
George Majesski	....	special thanks
Earl Miller	....	special thanks
Hilary Nye	....	special thanks (as Hilary Ney)
Ron Seres	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• River Road Productions (producer) (as River Road)
• Foxton Entertainment

Distributors

• Circle Films (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Parafrance Films (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• I.D Films (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Metropol-Filmverleih (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MFA Filmdistribution (2000) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• VPS Video (1986) (West Germany) (VHS)
• USA Films (2000) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• Mars Distribution (2000) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• United King Films (2000) (Israel) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2000) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• Kinetique (2000) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• Finnkino (1987) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• Odeon Films (2000) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1985) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Bridge Entertainment Group (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (director's cut)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• De Volkskrant (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Complete Coen Brother Collection)
• Europa Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• European Video Corporation (EVC) (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• F.J. Lucas (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East)
• Geneon Entertainment (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD) (director's cut)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut) (Blu-ray)
• Nordic Video (198?) (Finland) (video)
• Palace Video (1985) (UK) (VHS)
• Panorama Distributions (2009) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• PolyGram Video (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (VHS) (director's cut)
• Studio Canal (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Canada) (DVD) (director's cut)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)

Other Companies

• Abel Stationers  special thanks to
• C. Wilson Interiors  special thanks to
• Computerland of Austin  special thanks to
• Optical House, The  opticals by (as The Optical House, NY)
• Renaissance Pictures  special thanks to
• Sound One Corporation  post production services
• Spera Corporation  post production services (as The Spera Corporation)
• Texas Film Commission  special thanks to
• Texas Motion Picture Service  location editing services

Also Known As:

"Blood Simple: The Thriller" - Japan (English title) (director's cut)

Runtime:

99 min | 96 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo (original version) | Dolby Digital (director's cut)

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 (f) | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:14A (Video rating) (director's cut) | Germany:18 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Pflugerville, Texas, USA

Company:

River Road Productions

Trivia:

A teaser trailer for the film was shot long before the movie was in production. It featured Bruce Campbell (filling in for the role later played by Dan Hedaya) bloody and crawling down the road, just like the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When we first see Abby's revolver in her purse, it is a detective-style gun with an enclosed hammer and no cocking lever. For the rest of the movie, it is a standard revolver with a cocking lever - a completely different gun.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Private Detective Visser:[narrating] The world is full o' complainers. An' the fact is, nothin' comes with a guarantee. Now I don't care if you're the pope of Rome, President of the United States or Man of the Year; somethin' can all go wrong. Now go on ahead, y'know, complain, tell your problems to your neighbor, ask for help, 'n watch him fly. Now, in Russia, they got it mapped out so that everyone pulls for everyone else... that's the theory, anyway. But what I know about is Texas, an' down here... you're on your own.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Master Ninja II (#4.24)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

It's the Same Old Song

Try to watch this without talking to the characters...

I think this film, probably more than any other, causes me to talk to the characters on the screen in an exasperated way--something akin to the way you want to yell at the characters in a slasher movie not to run outside to investigate sounds.

The only difference is that this film is fantastic, whereas cheap slasher movies are not. Blood Simple is emotionally involving and the suspense is played to perfection. While the characters are completely clueless as to what has gone on around them, we know everything. What we don't know is what the characters are going to do next.

As in every Coen film, things quickly get out of control. Some people have commented that the characters here acted unbelievably, but I'd have to say that when you think about their situations, the reactions are completely compatible with the way the characters are set up. The problem is that nobody knows what's going on except the viewers.

Coen fans will notice many recurring themes from their other films (especially Fargo and The Big Lebowski) such as the use of headlights, passing motorists witnessing a crime, shower curtains and bathroom windows, detectives driving VW beetles, husbands hiring the wrong people to carry out a crime... I had a longer list in mind earlier while watching it but I've forgotten some. It's almost like these films all go together as a series of films depicting how similar situations would end up in different locations in America.