Direction alone doesn't make a movie for me. The plot might be decent for this movie but the story built around it is unbelievable and poorly written. The police work is abysmal in the story since they are supposed to be investigating the death of a governor, and future presidential candidate. The car he wrecks isn't even impounded or investigated the night of the crash, but is left unguarded in a garage. The governor is able to "slip out the back door" of a major event where he's supposed to speak without anyone noticing. The police don't know how to get material evidence from the film maker? They aren't suspicious of a man "happening" to be there when the car wrecks? They don't ask for proof he filmed anything else that night? They can't find him several days later? My brother once shot photos of a burning building, the police confiscated the film for an investigation and he never saw it again. Give me a break. The continuity errors are many and ridiculously obvious, but nobody here is bothered? How about the broad daylight dash through town in the Jeep by Travolta, ending well after dark only a few minutes after the crash? How about the sequence of colors flashing on Travolta's face as he is struck by another of his "wired" helpers dying? Have you ever been to fireworks that cast shadows and flashed in constant consistent sequence like that? It was hard to watch the film and stay with it due to the shabby acting of the fem-fatal as well. She was poorly cast and couldn't hold a candle to Travolta. How about the critical judgment errors of Travolta's character... he never gave the girl's name, never mind her number, to the TV guy, how would the TV guy have called her not knowing who she was? Ugh... with any real examination of the story, it crumbles like a fragile house of cards. This was a real waste of a Saturday night for me.

source: Blow Out

Trailer—Blow Out

Blow Out

The opening of this movie must rival Bullit as cool openings go. Wonderfully shot throughout, and even though you can see how dated the film is just by Travoltas' and Allens' hair and dress sense, it doesn't affect the quality. The story is competent, but what makes the film is DePalma's treatment. The quiet scenes and the complete focus on noise, other than that of the characters talking. Visuals and backgrounds start this movie and run all the way through the major scenes, finally closing it. This is an excellent thriller, and many modern films of this genre should take notes. A great movie.

A film that showed some early promise, but really fizzled with a ridiculous last half hour. It's a pretty simple plot that mashes up Antonioni's Blowup, the Zapruder film, and Chappaquiddick, but didn't create something interesting out of it - and De Palma's references are too transparent for my taste. Perhaps because of the weakness of the story and an overall lack of real tension (Hitchcock he is not), the additional plot element of the "Liberty Bell Strangler" is introduced, which just seemed silly to me. The acting is also below average at best, except maybe John Lithgow, who is suitably menacing. Nancy Allen's character and her performance, on the other hand, are putrid. The film has some amount of entertainment value, but just seemed kind of weak and bland as it played out.

Brian De Palma does it again with his versions of classic moments from other movies. In this one we have the 'homages' to "Blow-Up" and "Rear Window". Throw in a psychopath with an extended scene of him killing someone that does nothing to further the plot. Add a ridiculous car chase through a parade. Then top it off with a twist ending that comes off mean-spirited and sleazy. Let's not forget the uninspired performances by Nancy Allen and John Travolta. At least Allen's character is supposed to be not very bright but Travolta, for someone as smart as he is supposed to be, makes some pretty stupid decisions (the main one being letting Allen meet with the reporter alone). What do we get? The usual De Palma mishmash that leaves the viewer unfulfilled. At least when De Palma made "Body Double" it looks like he learned his lesson from this movie and made the "Body Double" ending more satisfying.

Brian De Palma has fun at first, setting up a reel of what looks to be a T&A thriller, but there's a twist and it's very clever and catches the audience off-guard. John Travolta (in a solid, unflashy performance) plays a movie sound-effects man who captures on tape what appears to be a car crash from a tire blow out, but which is actually steeped in the kind of hyperbolic movie-thriller conspiracy which soon brings in Dennis Franz as a photographer, John Lithgow as a psychopath, and (worst of all) Nancy Allen as a hooker--they're all stock figures. Travolta works hard to create a character here, and the production is stylish, chilly and atmospheric, but the screenplay is rather sleazy and over-written. Once again, director De Palma plots a final twist for his viewers, shamelessly attempting to tie this heavy-handed plot together, but one can only scoff at his crass final 'gag.' Worse than a bad joke, it simply has no class. ** from ****