Blood Simple

Blood Simple is a neo noir film, the debut of Joel and Ethan Coen, writers and directors of Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There, and Raising Arizona, among others. Barry Sonnenfeld, the film's cinematographer, is himself now a noted director. The film was originally released in 1984, and later re-released in 2001 in a "director's cut".

Director's cut

Blood Simple was re-released in 2001 in a "director's cut". Faux film historian "Mortimer Young" claims in an introduction to the re-release that the Coens have removed some of "the boring bits" and added other parts. What the Coens actually did was to tighten the editing using the footage in the original film: shortening some shots and removing others altogether, as well as changing some of the music in the film. One example of changed music from the original VHS release is the removal of Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer" (made famous by The Monkees' cover) in favor of The Four Tops' "It's the Same Old Song."

Related Topics:
Film historian - Neil Diamond - The Monkees - The Four Tops - It's the Same Old Song

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The "Mortimer Young" introduction to the 2001 re-release is included on the DVD, which also includes an audio commentary by "Kenneth Loring," the fictional artistic director of the equally fictional "Forever Young Films"; the director often has his facts scrambled. For instance, Loring claims that the scene with Ray and Abby driving in the rain talking about Marty was acted out in reverse as well as upside down, in order to synch the headlights passing the car just as certain lines were said. Loring claims that filming the scene backwards and upside down was the logical choice to get the timing right, and that the actors are wearing hair spray to keep their hair pointing "down." He does not explain why the rain on the windshield continues to run down on the final image, in defiance of gravity. Later in the commentary he claims that in scenes with both dialogue and music, the actors simply mouth the words and record them in post-production, so as not to interfere with the music; that Marty's dog is animatronic; that the sweat on various actors is "movie sweat," gathered from the flanks of Palomino horses; that Fred Astaire and Rosemary Clooney were at one time intended for the film; and that a fly buzzing about is not real, but the product of computer generated imagery. Towards the end of his commentary, Loring launches into a tirade against Merchant and Ivory Productions. Kenneth Loring is voiced by actor Jim Piddock, using a script written by the Coen brothers.

Related Topics:
Gravity - Post-production - Palomino horse - Fred Astaire - Rosemary Clooney - Computer generated imagery - Merchant and Ivory Productions - Jim Piddock

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