Whenever MOTM rolls around, you are sure to get something interesting, that doesn’t always mean good but in this month’s show it does mean great. “Blood Simple” is the debut film of Joel and Ethan Coen as well as Frances McDormand, their leading lady. Set in Central Texas, it is a neo noir with a high suspense quotient and several memorable scenes.
Texas resident Sean Homrig was the champion of the film and he leads our guests through a discussion of the characters, settings and music cues found in the movie. Long Time Lamb Daniel Lackey returns to the flock after a lengthy hiatus and other longtime Lambs Nick Rehak, Jess Manzo join the show as well. To insure authenticity of the experience, Richard is joined with James Wilson to recall the early history of the movie.
Like all Noir films, “Blood Simple” is choc full of clever lighting choices that mix the dark with the light very effectively at creating mood. The soundscape of the film is almost an additional character, with the humming of ceiling fans, the gravel on the roads and the sound of dirt being shoveled, as key players in the drama. Sean’s fingers curl up in disgust at some of the Texas tropes, but at least one of us was not put off by this cross between “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Double Indemnity”, Richard moved to Texas in spite of having watched this a number of times. .
It is also a film that gives great roles to two terrific character actors of the era. M. Emmet Walsh as the loathsome private detective may make you want to shower after watching the movie. Dan Hedaya as a duplicitous husband has the tables turned on him, and you may find yourself conflicted about his fate anyway.
Get ready to discover the seeds of the Coen Brother’s film style, as well as the cinematography of future director Barry Sonnenfeld. Wicked people, with a wicked premise make for a fun time on the Lambcast. Unlike the plot of the film, you won’t learn less as it goes along. Plus we have a game and this week’s exit question “What film genre will you always see and what genre will you do your best to miss?”
Introductions
Discussion (Spoiler Filled) 3:02
Austin Film Pyramid Game 1:00:00
Exit Question 1:14:05
Sean Best Picture Podcast
Daniel My Bad, he did not get his plug in, here he is on FB if you want
James Blogging By Cinema Light
Richard KAMAD
The show can be found, of course, via iTunes – just do a search for “LAMBcast.” Also, I always post a link to the show on the LAMBcast’s Facebook page, and there’s a player there if you’d like to listen online. Find the show here:
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lambcast/episodes/2023-01-17T12_23_19-08_00
If you’d ever like to catch up on back episodes, go there. If you’re interested, you too can be a LAMBcaster – we love new blood! For more information on the LAMBcast, check out the topic at the LAMB Forums. Music provided royalty-free by Kevin MacLeod’s Incompetech website. Big thanks to Kevin for providing this service. Closing song by Cake. The LAMBcast loves feedback, too – if you’d like yours read on a future show, leave it in the comments section at the LAMB. Please visit and like our Facebook page, and finally, we’re on iTunes, and would still love a review, even if it’s a bad one. Thanks for listening!