With the fifth season ofFargoon the horizon, you’re able to go back to where it all began with an all-new 4K Blu-ray of the 1996Joel and Ethan Coenfilm. The deluxe edition even comes with a grisly snow globe depicting the film’s most infamous scene. The centerpiece of the new Shout Factory release is an all-new 4K restoration of the film shot from the original film negative and supervised by the film’s original director of photography,Roger Deakins. It will also feature a commentary track from Deakins, interviews with the Coen Brothers and starFrances McDormand, the original trailer and TV ads, and several featurettes.
The deluxe set also includes a snow globe depicting the climactic scene where Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare) attempts to dispose of his unfortunate partner Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) in a woodchipper, and a replica of the “I Heart Golf” notepad Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) uses in the film. The Deluxe Edition will retail for $89.99 USD, while the Collector’s edition can be had for $31.99; both can be ordered now onShoutFactory.com.
Fargocenters around failing car salesman Jerry Lundegaard; desperate for money, he arranges for low-level criminals Showalter and Grimsrud to kidnap his wife, in order to extract a hefty ransom out of his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell). Thanks to the incompetence of everyone involved, things start going wrong immediately, and soon, the relentless and extremely pregnant police officer Marge Gunderson (McDormand) is on the case.
‘Fargo’ Helped Cement the Coen Brothers' Legacy
With its juxtaposition of Minnesotan quirkiness and brutal violence, the film was a hit, making over $60 million USD on a $7 million budget, and scored with critics, winning two Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress (for McDormand). It remains a highlight of the Coens' filmography, and cemented their reputation as two of the greatest contemporary filmmakers in America. However, despite the film’s claims to be based on a true story,it mostly isn’t.
Fargo’s enduring popularity has spawned a FX anthology series of the same name that is about to premiere its fifth season. The first season connects to the film, as the wealth of supermarket tycoon Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt) derives from him having found the ransom money that was hidden, and never recovered, by Showalter in the film. The subsequent seasons are connected to the film solely by their Midwestern setting. However, it is not the only TV spinoff of the film; in 1997, a pilot was shot for a TV series following up directly from the events of the film, starring a pre-SopranosEdie Falcoas Marge Gunderson. It was not picked up for a series, but did air later on the TV channel Trio.
Follow the links to purchase theFargoCollector’s Edition Blu-rayandDeluxe Edition Blu-ray. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
