Blood Simple

[Ribs]

The Coens generally don’t like to discuss in any detail anything but their most recent film at any given time. I don’t think they’re alone in this approach.

[swo17]

4K Jan 9

[denti alligator]

UHD listed as disappointing in the UHD upgrade thread. What‘s the story here?

[swo17]

See discussion starting here

[denti alligator]

Thanks. Still better than the BD it seems.

[Drucker]

Almost posted this in the Miller's Crossing thread, but figured it's more appropriate here.

I saw Blood Simple in 35 in February 2017 at Film Forum. It opened with an introduction by the Coens sort of making fun of how this was a "director's cut." I don't remember specifics, but it was very tongue in cheek. This intro does not appear on the Criterion edition. Are there two director's cuts? Were these cuts introduced in the 4k, or possibly previously?

[Lowry_Sam]

Almost posted this in the Miller's Crossing thread, but figured it's more appropriate here.

I saw Blood Simple in 35 in February 2017 at Film Forum. It opened with an introduction by the Coens sort of making fun of how this was a "director's cut." I don't remember specifics, but it was very tongue in cheek. This intro does not appear on the Criterion edition. Are there two director's cuts? Were these cuts introduced in the 4k, or possibly previously?

I believe I remember that in the original director's cut that got a theatrical distribution in the 90s. Maybe the Criterion edition (which I have been holding out on in hopes of a release that includes the original) is a subsequent director's cut like we got with the WKW restorations?

[Lemmy Caution]

I had a Universal DVD with the sarcastic prologue, where a stuffy pseudo-scholar explains how the film was improved by butchering and making ridiculous alterations. The gag continued in a mock commentary track, with ludicrous explanations of filming techniques and such. But I recall thinking it got tedious and was too distracting and didn't listen to much of it.

A quick check of AI states that the prologue was part of the 2000 theatrical re-release, supposedly from the fictitious Forever Young Film Preservation Society. I assume Blood Simple was released in theaters again since the Coens had become big names by then and not many had seen their first film in a theater. Apparently a Big Lebowski dvd release got a similar prologue treatment, though I never ran across that, even though i had something like 3 dvd editions. I had dvd releases of Blood Simple both with and without the mock prologue. As I recall, the prologue wasn't separate (as in, play with prologue or a separate prologue select) but instead was at the start of the film. Of course you could skip it as you can with any scene, but I remember it being mildly annoying when you just intended to rewatch the film. Plus for me, the gag got tired pretty quickly.

Looks like Coens just made just one directors cut in circa 1999, releasing it in theaters and on dvd with the prologue mocking directors cuts. They reportedly cut 3 minutes of mostly framing scenes, minor dialogue and scenes they thought looked amateurish, resulting in the original longer release being now hard to find. Apparently the Criterion release is the same as 2000 directors cut release just with newly improved audio.

Both the 2000 directors cut and the Criterion release restore the Four Tops Its Same Old Song. Which is important as it relates to the themes of romantic and other betrayals recurring, plus the meta-level of the Coens taking the same old noir genre and adding new twists. A sort of nothing new under the sun ethos on multiple levels. It also makes sense of bartender Maurice saying that he's from Detroit and his minor dance step on the bartop, while underscoring his independent detached nature by playing a northern soul song in a white Texas country bar. I know I've seen the film with I'm a Believer substituted in, which I guess was either on rented VHS or a Tv broadcast. I had seen Blood Simple in its original theatrical release, so the switch due to royalty payments, was somewhat glaring (the song also plays over the end credits where its meaning/commentary on the film is more apparent. I'm sure by 1999, the Coens and their backers could easily afford their original, clever musical choice.

[beamish14]

The Coen Bros. have used the George Lucas/Wong-Kar Wai “the negatives are damaged” excuse as part of the reason why they reedited this. Frances McDormand’s cameo in Hail Caesar! alludes to the negative cutter on Blood Simple, who supposedly chain smoked while conforming the negative to their workprint