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Blood Simple

  • 19841984
  • RR
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
96K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,355
144
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Blood Simple (1984)
Trailer for Blood Simple
Play trailer1:51
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Thriller

The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devis... Read allThe owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.

IMDb RATING
7.6/10
96K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,355
144
  • Directors
    • Joel Coen
    • Ethan Coen(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Joel Coen
    • Ethan Coen
  • Stars
    • John Getz
    • Frances McDormand
    • Dan Hedaya
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Joel Coen
    • Ethan Coen(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Joel Coen
    • Ethan Coen
  • Stars
    • John Getz
    • Frances McDormand
    • Dan Hedaya
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 355User reviews
    • 160Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 8 nominations

    Videos3

    Blood Simple
    Trailer 1:51
    Blood Simple
    Blood Simple
    Trailer 1:55
    Blood Simple
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers
    Clip 1:56
    A Guide to the Films of the Coen Brothers

    Photos278

    Frances McDormand in Blood Simple (1984)
    Dan Hedaya and Frances McDormand in Blood Simple (1984)
    M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple (1984)
    Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple (1984)
    Blood Simple (1984)
    Blood Simple (1984)
    Blood Simple (1984)
    A1movie poster
    Affichette movie poster - 40 x 50 cm or app 16" x 21"
    M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple (1984)
    M. Emmet Walsh in Blood Simple (1984)
    Blood Simple (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Getz
    John Getz
    • Rayas Ray
    Frances McDormand
    Frances McDormand
    • Abbyas Abby
    Dan Hedaya
    Dan Hedaya
    • Julian Martyas Julian Marty
    M. Emmet Walsh
    M. Emmet Walsh
    • Private Detective Loren Visseras Private Detective Loren Visser
    Samm-Art Williams
    • Meuriceas Meurice
    Deborah Neumann
    • Debraas Debra
    Raquel Gavia
    • Landladyas Landlady
    Van Brooks
    • Man from Lubbockas Man from Lubbock
    Señor Marco
    • Mr. Garciaas Mr. Garcia
    William Creamer
    • Old Crackeras Old Cracker
    Loren Bivens
    • Strip Bar Exhorteras Strip Bar Exhorter
    Bob McAdams
    • Strip Bar Senatoras Strip Bar Senator
    Shannon Sedwick
    • Stripperas Stripper
    Nancy Finger
    • Girl on Overlookas Girl on Overlook
    William Preston Robertson
    • Radio Evangelistas Radio Evangelist
    • (voice)
    • (as Rev. William Preston Robertson)
    Holly Hunter
    Holly Hunter
    • Helene Trendas Helene Trend
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Barry Sonnenfeld
    Barry Sonnenfeld
    • Marty's Vomitingas Marty's Vomiting
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Joel Coen
      • Ethan Coen(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Joel Coen
      • Ethan Coen
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Texas bar owner Julian Marty, who is generally regarded as not a nice person, hires shady private detective Loren Visser, who is able to obtain what Marty requests evidence - in this instance, photographic - that his wife, Abby, and one of his bartenders, Ray, are having an affair. As Ray and Abby realize that Marty has found out about them, it allows them to plan for their future away from Marty, while being up front with Marty about the situation. Marty, in turn, decides to hire Visser once again, this time to kill Abby and Ray, and dispose of their bodies so that they won't be found. The out-in-the-open affair and the contract hit lead to some actions based on self-interest and a standoff of sorts between the four players, which is compounded in complexity by some wrong assumptions of what has happened, with an innocent bystander, another of the Marty's bartenders, Meurice, potentially, and unwittingly, adding to the scenario. —Huggo
    • double cross
    • neo noir
    • private detective
    • crime gone awry
    • hired killer
    • 119 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The first film by Joel and Ethan Coen (2016 Re-Release)
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      On the advice of Sam Raimi, the Coens went door-to-door showing potential investors a two minute 'trailer' of the film they planned to make. They ultimately raised $750,000 in a little over a year, enough to begin production of the movie.
    • Goofs
      Loren discovers his lighter is missing when he goes to light a cigarette after burning the doctored photos. Logically, he would have used his lighter to light the pictures in the first place, so he would have discovered his lighter was missing when he tried to burn them. Also, as a heavy smoker, he likely would have tried to light a cigarette well before he would have gotten to burning the photos.
    • 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.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits list the main cast, but none of the crew. All of the crew credits are at the end of the film, starting with Joel Coen as director.
    • Alternate versions
      When Blood Simple was first released, two quotes appeared over black, before the opening credits. One was from Dashiell Hammet explaining what "blood simple" meant and the second was from Alfred Hitchcock about how difficult it really would be to kill a man.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Vision Quest/Turk 182/Blood Simple/Mischief (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      It's the Same Old Song
      By Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland

      Performed by The Four Tops

      Used by Permission of Motown Record Corporation and Jobete Music Co., Inc.

    User reviews355

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    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.
    helpful•191
    31
    • bross3
    • Apr 21, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 18, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Blood simple.
    • Filming locations
      • Pflugerville, Texas, USA
    • Production companies
      • River Road Productions
      • Foxton Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,851,855
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $42,971
      • Jul 9, 2000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,228,292
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Ultra Stereo(original version)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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