The director's cut of BLOOD SIMPLE (1984) opened in Triangle thea- ters the other week. I screened same in Seattle, earlier in Aug- ust, and was surprised at how dark the photography was. Is. Was. Whatever. 'Tis certainly a *muddier*-looking film than I recall. (Barry Sonnenfeld lensed, way back before directing such quirky hits as MEN IN BLACK, GET SHORTY, and the ADDAMS FAMILY movies.) The second less-than-sterling surprise is the acting. Nice seeing Francis McDormand looking so fresh, like it's her very first film. (It was.) Wish, though, that she and the other actors didn't seem so... subdued. (Polite term for near-wooden.) Those prickly points aside, the first film from sibling writer/director/editors Joel and Ethan Coen (FARGO) is a stunning example of show-off craftsmanship that *still* beats your average indy effort ten to one. Plus, it's a darn entertaining film in its own right. The plot? Small Texas town bar owner (Dan Hedaya) hires sleazy PI (M. Emmett Walsh) to "take care of" adulterous wife (Francis M.) and lover (John Getz). Double- and triple-crosses ensue. Couldn't spot any restored footage, if indeed any was. The only *glaring* addition is a droll, old-white-guy-with-pipe-and-easy-chair intro that's an absolute riot. Don't miss it. And now, reprinted for your enjoy- ment, is the opening narration: "The world is full of complain- ers. But the fact is, nothing comes with a guarantee. I don't care if you're the Pope of Rome, President of the United States, or Man of the Year, something can all go wrong. But go ahead, complain, tell your problems to your neighbor, ask for help, and watch him fly. Now in Russia, they got it all mapped out so that everyone pulls for everyone else. That's the theory anyway. But what I know about is Texas, and down here... you're on your own." Courtesy of the Internet Movie Database. (Rated "R"/97 min.) Grade: B Copyright 2000 by Michael J. Legeros Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros