
One of the Coen brothers’ very first projects is available online for the first time. Below is the first proof-of-concept trailer that the Coens made while gearing up to make their first feature, 1984’s Blood Simple. Vanity Fair reports that Evil Dead director Sam Raimi urged the Coens to produce this rough demo trailer to show potential investors. Joel Coen had served as assistant editor on Evil Dead, and the collaborators became friends – which also led to Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell’s appearance in this rough trailer.
It’s fascinating to see such an early piece of film from the auteurs who would go on to become dominant voices of American cinema with The Big Lebowski and Fargo. Watch it here: