AMAZING MOVIE. This was just unbelievable. Ten years ago when I was deep into my snobby, French New Wave phase in film school I watched Blow-Up and loved it. Further digging revealed that John Travolta was in an American remake of it. NEVER, I said. I WILL NEVER WATCH THAT FILTH. What an idiot I am. Or should I say, what an idiot I WAS because I just corrected this mistake and man oh man am I glad I did. This is hands down my favorite De Palma flick and if I wasn't a guy who has seen Grease at least 25 times in my life I would probably call this Travolta's best film to date. I mean at least until Old Dogs 2 comes out this is tops. Jokes. But seriously, this is criminally underrated. I should have read more or heard more of "Blow Out is great" over the past 10 years. That makes it sound like I'm trying to pass the buck, that its not MY fault I didn't watch this until now. And you know what maybe I am. This was so friggin' cool and tense and well made that I am ashamed it took me this long. Side note...it wouldn't be a De Palma film without a choice that I debate in my head whether it was right or wrong or if I get it or if I should be feeling kinda gross about something or not but I won't be specific for fear of spoilers. Watch this movieeeeee

While out late at the park, capturing ambient sounds for a low-budget slasher movie, a young audio engineer (John Travolta) accidentally records a fatal automobile accident. He’s able to rescue the passenger, a delirious young woman, but the driver is left DOA at the bottom of a lake. We’ll soon learn that the victim was an important political figure and Travolta’s recording contains proof that this was no mere accident. What follows is a hearty dose of suspense mixed with intrigue, as the villains slowly tie off loose ends and various innocent parties stumble into the crosshairs.

Travolta provides a surprisingly adept leading performance, effortlessly cool and on-the-ball alongside a creepy supporting turn from John Lithgow (young but already balding) as the callous hatchet man who successfully spins a serial killing spree into cover for the real story. Nancy Allen (then married to director Brian De Palma) is sufficient as the bimbo survivor / love interest, a walking, talking time capsule who manages some strange natural chemistry with the star. De Palma’s direction takes unusual risks which almost always pay off. The most memorable example is a mesmerizing split-screen act that conveys important plot details via TV news broadcast while also establishing the engineer’s meticulous studio work in parallel. The story feels a little dated, but the daring production concepts are way ahead of their time.

Superior entry on De Palma's CV.

Brian De Palma has always gotten a bad rap for his penchant for essaying his heroes and favourite thrillers, what often gets forgotten is just how great he could be in crafting said thrillers.

Blow Out has John Travolta as a sound engineer for low budget horror movies, who while out recording sounds one night witnesses a car crash and dives into the river to rescue the call girl trapped in the back seat (Nancy Allen). Upon listening back to the footage of the crash, he hears two noises which point to a gun shot being fired at the car. So with the dead man in the car turning out to be a big political mover, he quickly finds himself spun into a web of intrigue, peril, paranoia and conspiracies. Can he and the girl stay alive long enough to solve the case?

Blow Out finds De Palma at the top of his game, blending the twisty plot dynamics with virtuoso technical smarts. A number of scenes are striking, both visually and in execution and the garnering of acting performances. Pino Donaggio provides an unforgettable music score to marry up to the layers of sub-plots folding together, and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond sharpens the primary colours to give the story a Giallo like sheen that runs concurrent with the emotional states of the major players.

A sprawling and bustling Philadelphia plays host to a conspiracy sandwich, with a corking side order of the film making process. Sometimes bleak and complex, but never over stuffed, Blow Out is both thrilling and smart, while Travolta has never been better and John Lithgow is tailor made as the unstoppable crack-pot unleashed into our two protagonists' world. 8.5/10

_**Colorful De Palma crime mystery with Travolta and Lithgow**_

A sound effects man in Philadelphia (John Travolta) obtains evidence that a fatal accident involving the governor wasn’t really an accident, which thrusts him into danger with shady characters. John Lithgow, Dennis Franz and Nancy Allen are all somehow involved in the nefarious conspiracy.

Written & directed by Brian De Palma, "Blow Out” (1981) is a crime drama/thriller whose colors, artistic style, cast and Philadelphia locations make it worthwhile. It’s similar to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation” (1974) but more dynamic. Allen plays a ditzy character, yet is alluring and enjoyable, while Travolta is in his prime. Meanwhile Lithgow makes for a great shady character.

I loved the colorful, well-staged sequence under the Henry Avenue Bridge, but started to lose interest in the second half for some reason. The storytelling became increasingly contrived. Nevertheless, respectable critics rave about this flick.

The film runs around 1 hour, 48 minutes, and was shot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; with additional stuff done in New York City and Burbank, California.

GRADE: B-

This is one I've watched a few times over the years and it's still great with each viewing. John Travolta and Nancy Allen give great performances and although it's not one of these thrill-a-minute films, it still maintains the suspense throughout. It's one of the gems for Brian De Palma. **4.5/5**