Double Feature

Blood Simple

This razor-sharp modern film noir, the first film by Joel and Ethan Coen, introduced the brothers’ inimitable black humor and eccentric sense of character, a sensibility that has helped shape the course of contemporary American cinema. Deep in the heart of Texas, a sleazy bar owner suspects his wife of having an affair and hires a private detective to confirm his suspicions – only to have the crosshairs turned back on himself. Playfully shot by Barry Sonnenfeld and featuring a haunting score by Carter Burwell and a cunning performance by Frances McDormand, Blood Simple was a career-launching film for this ensemble and the first articulation of the precision of style that has defined the Coens’ work ever since. (Janus)

The Man Who Wasn’t There

Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, and James Gandolfini star in a neo-noir crime thriller from Joel and Ethan Coen.

Set in a small 1949 California town, this is the story of a seemingly simple barber, who turns to blackmail and revenge to escape his achingly dull life. But nothing goes as planned and nothing is as it seems. Delicious surprises, stunning revelations and just plain strange occurrences abound as the barber’s plot unravels. (Universal Pictures)