It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since this came-out-of-nowhere neo-noir masterpiece introduced the world to the Coen Brothers. It also marked the film debut of Academy Award winner Frances McDormand, Joel Coen’s wife. Its title a Dashiel Hammett reference to people who endure danger for too long, Blood Simple follows the affair between a restless bartender (John Getz) and his boss’ unhappy wife (McDormand). You can kind of guess what happens to this love triangle, but maybe not how it gets there. The Coens’ masterful use of light, dark, color, environmental elements, pacing and a pitch perfect cast (including M. Emmet Walsh as the annoying private detective, and the voice of Holly Hunter) make for a film that endures because of its timelessness and simplicity. We’re showing the 2001 director’s cut, which is three minutes shorter than the original 1984 release. — Doug Pullen

Rated: R