The Coens' first feature is a wonderfully misanthropic modern noir starring the ace Dan Hedaya as a Texan bar-owner who hires a venal private-eye (M Emmet Walsh) to murder his cheating wife (Frances McDormand) and her lover (John Getz). A dank, twisted tale of double- (and occasionally triple- ) crossing bad ol' Southern folk with characteristic Coen dialogue snap and slick, stylish camera-trickery.
DVD Extras:
Trailers.The original print's crackly picture quality and muffled sound is in dire need of a digital buff-up. Wasn't that one of the main selling points of DVD in the first place? Apart, of course, from the extras. Speaking of which, all you get here are a couple of trailers (including, confusingly, one for The Big Lebowski). And, despite the vast Texan expanses, there's no widescreen. So, apart from the instant scene selection, it's precisely no different from the video version. Miserable.
