Blow Out
Blow Out
R | 24 July 1981 (USA)
Blow Out Trailers

While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally from the car, but the other passenger is already dead — a governor intending to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes, and starts a perilous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.

Reviews
Hellen

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

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PiraBit

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

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filippaberry84

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

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Ezmae Chang

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

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rockman182

I love Brian De Palma and have been meaning to watch this film for a long time. Body Double is probably my favorite De Palma of all time but really all of his films are just so special. Here we get a young John Travolta, Nancy Allen, and a murderous John Lithgow. The billing is already great, you just need De Palma to do a De Palma and really make this film special. The film was very good. It's not my favorite from De Palma but is definitely top five from what I've seen.The film is about a sound effects technician (very good at what he does) who is looking to get authentic sounds for sleazy horror movies that he works on. One night while outdoors he witnesses a car accident. In turn he meets a beautiful woman, who he soon falls for. It turns out that the car accident was actually staged and the conspiracy involved runs deep. The pair get mixed up in a political cover-up that becomes murderous. What we get is a wonderfully crafted noir thriller that is really purely entertaining.The film is reminiscent of other things De Palma. We get a voyeuristic tendency (one that can be seen in both Dressed to Kill and Body Double). There's a giant conspiracy where all is not what it seems with twists and turns, much like the aforementioned Body Double and the Fury. The film features De Palma's love for tracking shots and his complexly set up scenes for kills. And to top it all off; a heart wrenching beautiful score to go along with it. The film is smartly acted and is thrilling, despite being influenced by other films. I thought of The Conversation throughout large portions of the film. Also, like many other films there is a strong Hitchcock influence.Wonderful story telling, strongly acted characters, menacing villains, and gorgeous shots and sound design. It's De Palma at his peak. I wouldn't be surprised if this ranks a top of many people's De Palma list. I still like Body Double the best but if you are a De Palma fan then this is really a must see. Now time to check out the once lost Murder a la Mod to continue the madness.8/10

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Alan Smithee Esq.

Brian DePalma is an acclaimed director and rightfully so ("Scarface" anyone?) But this seems to be a forgotten classic. This is such a great film. The direction is immaculate, the performances are amazing and the story will keep you guessing. It's like taking a classic Alfred Hitchock premise but mixing it with a heavy dose of the '80's (in a good way). John Travolta's best dramatic role ever.

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LeonLouisRicci

A Movie Full of Film Flourishes. The Always Fanciful and Never Shy to Show-Off Director, Brian De Palma, Relishes in the Glory of Film-Making and Makes Love to His Movies. Here He makes another Visually Interesting Picture and the Audio Track is No Side-Bar. It is Present right Beside the Images.John Travolta is a "Sound-Man" for Low-Budget Horror Movies and as He is doing some On Location Recordings, the Tapes Immediately become Central to the Plot. Not to be Upstaged, the Visual Images become just as Important. Travolta Literally Pieces Together Clues to a Crime, uncovers a Conspiracy, and the Chase is On.Nancy Allen Co-Stars as a "Honey Trap" who is in Over Her Head. The Two Encounter Cover-Ups, a Psycho-Killer, Cynical Cops, and Political Corruption in the "City of Brotherly Love" during a Week of Bi-Centennial Celebration.John Lithgow makes quite an Impression with Limited Screen Time. Dennis Franz is Typecast as a Sleaze who Drinks, Drools, Urinates, and Oozes Odorous Obscenity.De Palma Pulls every Trick in His Considerable Bag of Cinematic Trademarks to make this a Pulse-Pounding, Neo-Noir and it is one of His Most Bleak and Depressing Movies.Colors Explode from the Screen as De Palma Paints a Picture just a Heartbeat Removed from Reality. An Amped Up, Pulpy Presentation with Crafty Cinematography (Vilmos Zsigmond), Music and Sound that is an Earful, and a Pace that is Swift and Unrelenting.Another De Palma Movie that is a Delight the way it Pays Homage to Film and Filmmakers of the Past with Referential Playfulness and Artistic Hubris. The Director has made Many Movies. All are Interesting at the Very Least, Entertaining, and some are Great Films. This One Falls somewhere in there, Depending on Point of View.Where it Ranks in the Director's Impressive Filmography is an "Eye of the Beholder" Thing and this one is a Sight...and Sound...to Behold.

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Jon Corelis

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.

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