Made in Austin: Blood Simple

From major box office hits to cult classics, Austin has provided a spectacular landscape for filmmakers to bring their vision to life. Visitors have flocked to destinations featured in iconic locally made films like "Dazed and Confused" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." With over 50 years of production, there are many film tourism locations in the Austin area to experience including those seen in "Blood Simple."

About "Blood Simple"

The glorious low budget neo-noir "Blood Simple" marked the feature film debut of writer-director brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. Julian Marty is the owner (Dan Hedaya) of a seedy small-town Texas bar who discovers that one of his employees, Ray (John Getz), is having an affair with his wife Abby (Frances McDormand). A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered by Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh), a mysterious hitman/private investigator. Utilizing many iconic Austin locations, "Blood Simple" highlights a bygone era of Austin, as many of the eerie, empty farm fields are now home to subdivisions. The Neon Boots bar, which was actually the famous Starliner on Braker Lane at North Lamar Boulevard, is no longer there, but visitors can still check out existing locations from the film.

Details: Circle Films / Rated R / 96 minutes / Noir, Drama
Director: Joe & Ethan Coen
Cast: Frances McDormand, John Getz, Dan Hedaya, and M. Emmet Walsh
Streaming On: @YouTube, @PrimeVideo, @GooglePlay, @VuduFans, @iTunes

Locations

Scene: Mount BonnellBlood Simple screengrab showing a group of young people leaning up against a car on top of Mount Bonnell

The scene where Julian (Hedaya) meets with private investigator Loren Vissen (Walsh) was filmed at Mount Bonnell. This cliff-top overlook above Lake Austin is the perfect place to catch a sunset or sunrise. "Slacker" also filmed a scene at the popular tourist destination.

Location: Mount Bonnell (3800 Mt Bonnell Rd, Austin, TX 78731)
 

Scene: Abby’s Apartment

Blood Simple screengrab showing the exterior windows of Abby's Apartment at night

Abby's (McDormand) apartment building, which proves to be the scene of the bloody climax, is above the Old Pecan Street Cafe in the heart of East Sixth Street entertainment district. It is now home to the Buck Wild bar.

Location: Buck Wild (310 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701)

Iconic Filming Location Map

 

Explore more iconic filming locations during your next visit to Austin. The Austin Film Tourism Guide has details on the where scenes from your favorite movie and television series were filmed in and around Austin.