Blow Out
Review by Paul Preston
Welcome to Today I Watched…, a series of posts documenting my new challenge – watch a movie a day for the rest of my life. Keep coming back to TheMovieGuys.net to find out what I watch each day…and get my take on it.
When I see a movie that’s a new release in theaters or for home viewing, I’ll give it a proper review in the “Reviews”, otherwise, I’ll write about it here.
March 7, 2017 – Blow Out
My friend Mike’s been trying to get me to see Brian DePalma’s Blow Out for some time now. He references it all the time, which is interesting, because DePalma references Hitchcock all the time. DePalma’s been more heavy-handed about it than he is here (Body Double, for example). With Blow Out, the referencing is more homage, and successfully so.
John Travolta, in one of his best performances, plays a sound effects builder and editor for hack boob-n-slasher films who, while out recording atmospheric noises for his catalog, also records a car accident. But thankfully, given the genre, all is not as it seems and soon Travolta is caught in between the truth of what happened with that fateful accident, and what story powerful people would like spun. Right out of the gate, you should all hate this, ‘cause I recall the intense backlash against movies about the movies that accompanied La La Land…or are we all past that now? (sigh…)
Put plainly, Blow Out has one of the best endings of all time. ALL. TIME. I had to get up and pace around the living room, walking it off, when it was over. No spoilers here, but I will tell you that DePalma is doling out some of his best suspense here. The use of audio, so crucial to the film’s plot, is equally finessed by the film’s production team, and DePalma also brings a creative shot selection to the table, too. Plus, early John Lithgow being creepy!
There are two things you’ll have to get past – Dennis Franz is not good in this movie. Turns out I don’t like him in movies (he’s also awful in one of the worst-written parts in action movie history, in Die Hard 2), he’s amazing on NYPD Blue, but in Blow Out? Yikes. Also, Blow Out has some ‘70s movie music to wade through. It’s half time period curse (the music is often dated), half odd choices, but it’s only great occasionally (and best when it’s non-existent ‘cause there are obviously other sounds more important).
Directed by: Brian DePalma
Release Date: July 24, 1981
Run Time: 107 Minutes
Country: USA
Rated: R
Distributor: Filmaways Pictures
