Tags
1980's, Blow Out, Brian De Palma, Dennis Franz, John Lithgow, John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Thriller
Film Title
Blow Out
Director
Brian De Palma
Starring
- John Travolta as Jack Terry
- Nancy Allen as Sally
- John Lithgow as Burke
- Dennis Franz as Manny Karp
A well crafted thriller that focuses on someone discovering something they weren’t supposed to and how important sound is in the big scheme of things, Blow Out invites you into a suspenseful and intricate web of conspiracy and one man fighting the system. All of this is under the eagle eye vision of Brian De Palma, whose serious approach adds another layer of emotion to a potent and enigmatic cocktail.
Jack Terry is a sound man who while good at his job, has largely spent most of his time working on sleazy horror movies. He has something haunting him from his past, but passes everything off with something of a cynical shrug and smile. Working on yet another low-budget movie, he is struggling to find the perfect scream for the main murder scene. Late one night, he is out recording nature sounds near a bridge. Nothing much is happening until a car veers off the road and into the lake, following a strange sound. Jack jumps in and rescues a young woman by the name of Sally from the car, though he is unable to save the other man who dies. Once at the hospital, Jack swears he heard a gun shot that preceded the blow out and has the sound that could back this up. He grows even more curious when he learns that the man in the car was a presidential candidate who was launching his campaign, but those closest to the man and others tell him to forget what he heard and keep his mouth shut. Getting to know Sally, who is a ditzy and skittish girl who remains coy about what she was doing in the car, Jack attempts to piece together what he heard and just how big the cover up that is forming is willing to go to hide the true events of the ‘accident’. Long story short, it gets very complex. Meanwhile, a mysterious and sinister man known simply as Burke( who has something to do with the tangled events) begins murdering young women in the area, with his plan being to eliminate Sally in the end by making it look like another serial killer crime. Pictures are published of some of the incident by a sleazy blackmailing man Manny Karp, which helps Jack splice a film with his sound that helps suggest that it was murder. Due to the fact that the images aren’t crystal clear poses another stumbling block, yet he also gets to understand the naive Sally a bit better, as she clearly has some involvement albeit as a pawn. Even with proof, no one seems to believe Jack and tell him to let it be. But Jack is not going to remain quiet and soon sets about desperately trying to prove what’s going on. With nearly everyone either turning Jack away or wanting the conspiracy to remain silent, Jack must fight and hopefully uncover the full extent of this cover up before it is erased for good, along with himself and Sally.
Although De Palma has been criticized for overusing visuals to tell a story by some quarters( I personally don’t agree, but that’s a matter of opinion), no one can deny the grim and serious centre of Blow Out, that enables an emotional undercurrent pertaining to Jack and Sally to effectively slot in among the conspiracy. With this neat homage to the equally compelling Blow-Up, De Palma fashions a compelling mystery about political agendas and consequences found when all the stones have been upturned. Paranoia is at its apex here, with the unfurling mystery and various vignettes of what Jack discovers and we as the audience see. De Palma is on deep and sober form with this film, which is reflected in the intricacy of how big the political events and schemes that Jack stumbles on are told, leaving some room for us to fill in with deliberate hints that are never quite as simple as they appear. That isn’t to say that De Palma abandons his trademark style though, as his many brush strokes and composition are well placed and compliment the overall impact of Blow Out. From a riveting scene in which Jack listens to the tape back and it cuts back and forth in time with the sounds it has picked up, the obsessively detailed sequence of Jack to a swirling camera used when Jack finds that someone has erased his tapes, it’s both a stylish film and one that has a startling downbeat tone that slowly feeds into it. Plus, the cinematography of largely red, white and blue bathes Blow Out in a strangely surreal shade that also references the political aspects found in the thriller. Voyeurism plays heavily into Blow Out, with the focus being on ears and all things pertaining to them instead of eyes. And worthy of note is the refusal to adhere to a bravery and heroic ending. Without spoiling it, I’ll say that Blow Out features a gut punch of an end that you won’t see coming and brings with it a haunting tone that colours everything. De Palma’s film is not without the irony that a lot of his work as ( check the opening scene that satirizes cheap horror movies) but the pervading feeling of darkness and tension is what truly makes the film. Sound is frequently manipulated, distorted or raised throughout Blow Out, stressing the importance of what we hear and perhaps the things we aren’t meant to in the first place. As a film that largely concentrates on the impact and overall usage of sound, Blow Out provides a fascinating insight into the mechanics behind it all. Sure some of the technology is different today from what’s depicted here, but the perspective it takes on how crucial it is to cinema allows for compelling nuggets of information. And the score of Blow Out beautifully layers on the mystery and menace in stunning strokes that often match the action perfectly, along with a sorrowful element that comes into fruition later on.
John Travolta is excellently cast as the slowly more determined Jack, who before was slightly cynical about his lack of prospects that his skill as a sound man were wasted on. The crash and what he hears spark him into life, as he discovers a real purpose( in both the mystery and Sally) and Travolta brings an effective amount of idealism and decency that benefits the role. He has that worn, every man quality going on as he unearths just how big the situation is that he has come across and with haunted eyes, you feel for the man as he tries to do the right thing in a climate of danger. Nancy Allen is just as successful, portraying a girl whose niceness and green nature are repeatedly taken advantage of. Kudos to Allen for not playing Sally as a complete bimbo and turning her into someone sympathetic and in over her head. The immense John Lithgow, armed with hardly any dialogue and a stare that could melt ice caps, is the terrifying adversary, whose skills in killing are brutal, efficient and cold-blooded. Seriously, Lithgow is deeply chilling here you feel like you’re in the Arctic whenever he appears. Dennis Franz rocks it as the greasy and oily blackmailer, who would do just about anything for a buck and does so on many occasions.
A grim, tense and even emotional in parts thriller burning with paranoia and unexpected shock, Blow Out showcases Brian De Palma with maturity on the mind and armed with a dark story that flows well with his customary visual style.
And I must thank Pete and Paul for suggesting this movie to watch.
fragglerocking said:
Think I need to see this again, will have a look for a bluray for a decent soundtrack.
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vinnieh said:
The soundtrack for this movie is gorgeous in a melancholy sort of way. Really knows how to haunt the mind.
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fragglerocking said:
Ok I’m sold 😂
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vinnieh said:
Another satisfied customer is fine by me.
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renudepride said:
Cool review, buddy! Was there an earlier film with the same name? Naked hugs!
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vinnieh said:
You’re thinking of Blow Up, which this movie references and alludes to.
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renudepride said:
Thanks! 🙂
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beetleypete said:
Glad you enjoyed it, V. Always nice when a recommendation is a success!
Cheers, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
This was one hell of a success Pete. I can’t get the film out of my mind, that’s how effective it is!
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beetleypete said:
I loved it at the time, and still do. It’s a mystery that it is rarely shown on TV.
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vinnieh said:
Yes that is most puzzling. I’m thankful it was on Netflix.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Great review Vinnie! This definitely is another solid thriller by De Palma. You’re recalling tearing through his movies. Are you planning on watching his Dressed To Kill (1980)? I’d love to hear your thoughts on that!💁🏻
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vinnieh said:
De Palma is pretty impressive and a complete visionary in my book, judging by what I’ve seen of his filmography. Yes, Dressed to Kill is very much on the list Kim.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Awesome!
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vinnieh said:
I take it you really like Dressed to Kill?
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I saw it when I 16, and I remember it creeping the heck out of me.
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vinnieh said:
Well that sounds like a good film then. Do you like any other De Palma movies?
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Body Double and The Untouchables.👍🏻
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vinnieh said:
I love The Untouchables, haven’t seen it in forever though. Body Double is near the top of my list.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Body Double is another one that I can’t wait to hear what you think!
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vinnieh said:
I hope I can do it justice for you Kim.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I’m sure you will Vinnie!
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vinnieh said:
I admire your confidence in me Kim.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
🤗
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vinnieh said:
I look forward to checking it out, as well as many more of his movies.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Awesome!
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vinnieh said:
I love that word.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
😁
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vinnieh said:
It describes you perfectly.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Aww! Thanks a Vinnie!🤗
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vinnieh said:
Anytime, I got my rep as a gentleman to uphold.
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Paul. Writer, Blogger and Filmmaker said:
Thanks for the shout out. Glad you enjoyed the movie. I think it’s one DePalma’s best insofar as it married his political leanings, love of film technique and horror and thriller elements too.
Another DePalma film I watched a lot of in the 80s as a teenager was The Fury (1978)which was about telekinetic college kids being pursued by a nefarious government agency. Cronenberg’s Scanners (1981)gets a lot of praise so The Fury so doesn’t get a lot of mentions but I thought it was really good too.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for putting me onto it Paul. I enjoyed seeing a more serious side to De Palma, that didn’t forget the style and panache he usually has. Thanks for that other recommendation. Hope my review did this movie justice.
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Paul. Writer, Blogger and Filmmaker said:
Absolutely- your review was spot on!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks Paul. It really made an impression on me, some of the images are still going through my mind.
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That Other Critic said:
I love Blow Out so much. I think it’s the first De Palma film I saw, and I think it transcends anything he did before or has done since (not to disparage Carrie or Dressed to Kill). It’s one of my all-time favorite films.
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vinnieh said:
Well it is certainly a well crafted and unexpected film. So far, going through the work of De Palma, the results have been amazing.
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J. said:
I saw this a fair few years ago, but honestly think it was one I ended up getting dragged away from as I can’t remember much about it. Which is unusual.
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vinnieh said:
I say go back to it. You won’t regret it.
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Lloyd Marken said:
It is a very good film and the ending is particularly haunting.
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vinnieh said:
Yes that ending was something else. It lingers long in the memory.
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JJAzar said:
What a well written review! I was engaged in your writing from start to finish. I want to watch this movie now. I’m highly intrigued! Great stuff, Vinnieh.
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vinnieh said:
It’s a splendid film that ends in an unexpected way. Definitely check it out. De Palma is a fantastic director.
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Dan O. said:
What an ending. Nice review.
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vinnieh said:
Indeed. That ending really shocked me.
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The Vern said:
I knew vaguely about the ending and it still shocked me. I do wonder have you seen Phantom of the Paradise
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vinnieh said:
It was very haunting. I can’t say I’ve seen Phantom of the Paradise, is it a De Palma movie?
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