Blow Out (1981)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Thanks for the memories!

Simply A Masterpiece

One of my all time favorites.

One of the best political thrillers and one of Brian de Palma's best films, Blow Out features John Travolta in top notch performance as a sound engineer for an independent film making company in Philadelphia which specializes in cheesy soft-porn/slasher films: while out recording night sounds on a creekside for his audio library he sees a car plunge into the water and dives in to save the female passenger but too late to save the male driver, who turns out to be a leading candidate for the US presidency. Later, he realizes from the sounds he recorded that the blow out which caused the accident was caused by a gunshot, something which understandably the powers that be don't want known.Nancy Allen's deliberately flighty performance as the rescued woman provides a perfect foil to Travolta's solidness, and the convoluted plot unfolds through both obvious and subtle allusions to historical events (Chappaquiddick, Dallas) and classic cinema (the title's resemblance to Blow Up is not accidental, and the scenes of mayhem in public venues like a large train station or a patriotic fireworks display where the crowds have no idea what's happening are very Hitchcockian.) Rated R for elements which don't seem all that shocking today. An extremely interesting film. The Criterion special edition DVD is as good as you would expect.

**** May contain strong spoilers ****This is a review made by StoneDraim... and that means that if you want to read a probably different kind of review, keep reading....This is my personal experience, my personal point of view/perspective and my personal opinion... and my opinion is just one of like 7 billions in this world.Wow. This movie is from 1981, and kicks off in a really scary and psychological way. You are in the seat of a murder going from window to window. The breathing from the killer is on edge and a dark thump is going through the screen in a rhythmic way... at the same time the sounds and music from the night life is breaking through. A couple is having sex, two girls are dancing, one girl is masturbating and there is movement in the hall way... and the breathing keeps on coming closer, just to end in a scene ripped off from the classic of "Psycho". Cut; to Jack Terry (John Travolta) sitting in a movie theater commenting what he just saw. Follows does the discussion between Jack and the movie director, talking about sound effects. And when the conclusion is made, cut to black background, wind is whining out with a wind shield wiper showing that this production is made by Brian De Palma. Solid performed and solid production to kick things forward. Being a movie from 1981, this is made with pure horror and fine production, starting this motion picture off like a silent rocket just waiting to explode. The bar is set high.... really high.It keeps on; about 7 minutes into this one there is class act camera production and class act camera angels squaring off into a divided screen showing news on one side, the movements of the sound editor Jack Terry working on new sound effects. I loooove this kind of movie magic. The first movie I knowingly and consciously saw by Brian De Palma was "Snake Eyes" with amongst others Nicholas Cage and Gary Sinise. Brian De Palmas way grabbed me and I have always looked forward seeing more movies from and by him. His cinematography and flicks of details is just jaw dropping. So, I dived into "Blow out" with high expectations.... no...as TOTO puts it on their album XIV from 2016; Great expectations.Even in this one Brian De Palma stays within a time frame and shows the events from different angles. It is very interesting how he and the production team has put together the accident and the events during night time several times here. "Snake Eyes" really comes to mind.Nice little touch of a recording and production detail; at one moment the sound is being recorded from outside (or so it should give the impression of). The visual is recorded through a window. The scene and lines is carried out indoor and the sound is from outside; just to cut and the sound is being up close with Sally (Nancy Allen) indoor. Brian De Palmas interest of movie productions is shining through in "Blow Out". Jack (Mr. Travolta) is making sound effects and also cuts out pictures in a magazine just to photograph them and make a little picture-to-picture type of clarification of the "car accident". Mr. De Palmas show off of in and out focus and in and out zoomings in the same cut and scene (see time 18:20) is top notch. He even delivers two twists in the end that both gives the movie a sad depth and also a clever twist for Jack to wrap his work up to. Well... do you like how different types of styles blend together speaking of sound- and movie production, and at the same time getting a full "blow(n) out" (pun intended...?) thriller, turn this 1981 classic on.Over to the movie as a product: - The production : Magnificent! Astonishing! Visuals that is excellent, camera angles and recording at its peak, sound editing within the sound editing... I could go on and on. Considered this production is made 1981, its shining! - The actors : John Travolta and John Lithgow is almost spot on. Nancy Allen... either is she plain and simple bad or is Mr. De Palma playing around with her, 'cause her acting in this one is way off; her delivery of the lines, her accent of words and her awful facial expressions during... well, during all the time. - The story : A man recording a killing, and then dwells into a detectives work to put out the true story. In the alley, a dark killer is on a hunt. The political twist is that they hire an already known serial killer... really good story! - Entertainment : All the way through.... as written earlier; I love this kind of recording, screen writing, cinematography and production. - Age : 157,8 out of 10. (The final rate is based most on my own entertainment of the movie. Short elucidation of the rating: 8 Excellent movie and a solid production 7 Well made movie. Proper entertainment.)

Although "Blow Out" is more highly regarded critically than Brian De Palma's subsequent "Body Double", a recent re-viewing of both films leads me to the opinion that the latter is the more entertaining film of the two. Or, to be more specific, "Body Double" has the better first two acts, and "Blow Out" the better third act. The problem with "Blow Out"'s first two acts is that the script keeps pounding you over the head with the fact that "the tire was shot, it was not a blow out" long after even the last audience member has understood that. And as if that's not enough, there is even a scene in the middle that spells out everything about the assassination, including who the killer was! The final third and the climax are suspenseful and excitingly staged by De Palma, but you cannot overlook that Travolta makes an unforgivable error of judgment when he lets Nancy Allen go and meet the "reporter" alone. On the positive side, there is genuine emotion in the relationship between Travolta and Allen, John Lithgow is terrifying as the psychopathic killer, and the ending is undeniably powerful. **1/2 out of 4.

Another solid and stylish thriller from director Brian De Palma, who once again weaves his magic technically with lots of split screen effects, cool use of slow motion and excellent photography. This is a typically well-crafted movie, taut with plenty of suspense, twists and turns and one which keeps you guessing up until the finale as to the final outcome. All of the elements that made early Brian De Palma films successful are present, from the presence of regular performers Nancy Allen and Dennis Franz filling out roles to the flashy, overblown visuals and excellent command of action (check out Travolta's impromptu jeep chase across town, which wreaks havoc, for an example of the master at work). Although not as darkly horrific as De Palma's previous DRESSED TO KILL, BLOW OUT still contains a number of non-explicit but grisly murders that'll have you shifting in your chair, and the top-notch finale involves more woman-in-peril thrills to great effect.The leading role is taken by a young and handsome John Travolta, still riding high after the success of Saturday NIGHT FEVER. Travolta - although never one of my favourite actors, I have to admit - plays his part well and comes across as a dependable heroic character, with none of the overacting that plague more recent parts for the actor. Nancy Allen plays a rather grating ditzy female character who gets caught up in the action yet somehow manages to make herself likable rather than irritating whilst Dennis Franz has a small but fine part as a real slimeball. Kudos to John Lithgow for creating such a memorable character, one of the best in De Palma's filmography. BLOW OUT is a fine example of the thriller genre at its most successful and the unusual plot - in which sound effects are the key - works to its advantage, making it a movie to seek out and watch.