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Daily Nebraskan
Thursday, October 3, 1985
'Blood Simple' a perfect murder story
By Tom Mockler
Staff Reporter
Blood-simple (Amer. slang, first used
by Dashiell Hammett). 1. State of fear
and confusion that follows the com
mission of murder: "He's gone blood
simple." Makes the perfect murder
almost impossible.
Yep. That pretty much says it all.
"Blood Simple," showing Thursday
through Sunday at the Sheldon Film
Theatre, is a Texas-style murder story.
No, it's not like the "Texas Chainsaw
Massacre." The film has been promoted
as a "funny murder story." This is
somewhat of a misnomer. It is not a
black comedy.
Movie Review
The humorous element in the film is
provided by the Private Detective (with
no name), played by M. Emmet Walsh.
Walsh is the unlikely star of this film,
playing a two-bit hick slimeball private
eye who is hired to commit murder.
Walsh is traditionally a character actor,
and his performance here is really no
different.
The film is sufficiently "small,"
though, that he seems much bigger
than usual. Even though he is doing
some very brutal things, his manner of
speech and observations of life are very
amusing. He almost singlehandedly.
makes the film.
The story revolves initially around a
love triangle in a small Texas town.
Abby (Frances McDormand) has grown
sick of her greaseball husband Julian
Marty (Dan Hedaya). She and Ray
(John Getz) have an affair.
Marty is suspicious, and hires a
private detective to do surveillance
work. Marty's worst fears are confirmed,
and he offers the private detective
$10,000 to have his wife and her lover
killed. The detective accepts.
OK, so what do I do now? It gets
really interesting at this point, and if I
don't tell you what happens next you
might not be interested in seeing the
film. But if you do see it and I tell you
what happens next, you might hate me
because I've ruined a lot of the suspense.
n
i
"
John Getz end Frances McDormand In "Blood Simple."
Courtesy of Circle Films
Trust me. It's got some really good
plot twists.
So what does the movie achieve?
For one, it succeeds in telling a good
murder story, much in the Hitchcock
tradition. It is suspenseful, exciting
and explores the crazy things that
murder will drive people to do.
Secondly, it provides some innovative
humor in Walsh's performance by
reminding us that this isn't ancient
Greece, this is Texas. They do things
differently there.
Third, the film features some dramatic
shots, particularly near the end, which
cost nothing to set up, but requires
only a little imagination.
Generally the backdrop of Texas was
a wise choice. By constantly reminding
us that this is Texas, that these are
Texans and they do things differently
there, we are not too surprised when
the characters act in an all too human
manner.
Everyone in this production is to be
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An Invitation To
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN
CENTER
plus weekly Cible Studies
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111 ' I ' I
3 UNIVERSITY
LUTHERAN CHAPEL
1510 QUE STREET 477-3997
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presents. . .
THE
SCORNHUSKER
COLLECTIONS
v
A series of four placemats with team photos q
from '69' to '84' on the front & NU football
trivia on the back. AH mats are heavily
laminated for years of sturdy use.
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Collect them all!
12th & "Q"48th & Vine48th & Hwy 2
commended, from the actors, (par
ticularly Walsh) to director Joel Coen
and producer Ethan Coen, who wrote
the script together. This is yet another
example of what can be done on a
relatively small budget.
Even though this is a fine film worth
seeing, I cannot help but react to the
myriad of critics who jump up and
down exclaiming what a great film it is.
It is a good film. It is only great
considering its budget. Please, take my
advice see the film, but don't go in
with any expectations. Maybe then you
will be truly impressed.
"Blood Simple" is screening Thursday
and Friday at 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday at
3, 7 and 9 p.m., and Sunday at 3, 5, 7 and
9 p.m.
General admission is $3.75, $2.50 for
Friends of the Sheldon, senior citizens
and children 12 and under.
Family's fate sealed
in play's abrupt ending
DIARY from Page 11
Although the play is masterfully
written, what most strikes the audience
is the knowledge that what they are
seeing is a true story, describing a real
group of refugees.
Near the end of Anne's diary, there is
hope in the air because the Allies are
advancing rapidly, and Anne writes of
returning to school in the fall. However,
her entries end abruptly on August 1,
1944. The refugees had been discovered.
The play ends with the off-stage
sounds of a door being battered down.
The fate of those captured at the end
of the play was tragic. Only Anne's
father survived the cruelty of the Nazis.
He returned to the place of their hiding
after liberation, and found his daugh
ter's diary on the floor of the attic. The
world thus came to know a story of true
hope and courage.
Brendan Kelly will star as Otto
Frank, the head of the family who sus
tains the refugees. Jill Anderson plays
his daughter Anne. Anne Meek plays
Mrs. Frank, and Melanie Gatzmeyer
portrays Anne's older sister Margot.
Jenny Barron appears as Mrs. van
Daan, the frivolous mother of the other
family sharing the hide-out. David Duffy
plays her grouchy, greedy husband.
Tom Viessman appears as their shy son
Peter, with whom Anne falls in love.
Sam Schimek will play Mr. Dussel, a
crotchety dentist sharing the attic.
Alice George and Howard Danner
appear as the sympathetic friends who
offer food and shelter.
MFA student Judith Kroeger directs
"The Diary of Anne Frank," the scenic
designer is Maryann J. Fleming, light
ing is by Scott Pannier, and Janice
Stauffer designed the costumes.
Performances are scheduled tonight
through Saturday night, and October
7-1 2. All performances are at 8 p.m. The
Saturday performance will be signed
for the hearing-impaired.
Tickets are on sale at the University
Theatre box office, located on the first
floor of the Temple Building at 12th
and R streets. The box office is open
weekdays from noon to 5 p.m. and from
5-8 p.m. on performance nights. The
telephone number is 472-2073.
Entertainment
short
An exhibit featuring art by seven
Minnesota artists who received either
undergraduate or graduate degrees from
UNL is now on display at the Richards
Hall Gallery.
Also, from Oct. 14-31, an exhibition
of photographs titled "Fractures and
Severances" will be on display. The
exhibit is by Diane Schoenfeld, visiting
professor of art.
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