228. Blow Out (1981)
That's a terrible scream. Jack, what cat did you have to strangle to get that?
Title: Blow Out
Date Watched: 7/4/2013
Original Ranking Out of 10: 8
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 8
Synopsis: A movie sound guy records the a car accident only to uncover a deadly conspiracy.
The Good: Some really wonderful Brian DePalma suspense sequences -- say what you will about the guy, he knows how to use a camera. Other good moments that take us into the filmic processes.
The Bad: Female representation kind of sucks. Frequently pretty silly and I'm not convinced that the story holds together, though I can't exactly put my finger on why.
Why Do I Own This Movie?: Amazon Criterion sale.
Should I Still Own This Movie?: Yes.
What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: The evidence of conspiracy is really, really flimsy. But it's a MacGuffin and it keeps the movie moving forward, so who cares?
Other Impressions: As I watched this movie, I was reminded of why I love Brian DePalma and why I'm excited about his new movie Passion, coming out in a month or so. He's not an especially amazing writer, but as a filmmaker, he has few equals. Yes, his work is often very derivative of Hitchcock, sometimes stealing exact storylines (with the addition of prostitutes and/or strippers), but if you're going to steal, steal from the best. And he doesn't just steal -- he one-ups the master of suspense. That isn't to say that Dressed to Kill is better than Psycho, but if you've seen Psycho, Dressed to Kill doesn't come across as a pale imitation.
Blow Out is, I guess, sort of derivative of Rear Window, in that it's about a man who witnesses an event and nobody believes him, but it's also influenced by Blow-Up (and, for my money, is much more entertaining than that movie) and probably several other movies that I'm either not familiar with or didn't catch. The joy of a filmmaker like DePalma is that he's very literate in cinematic history and isn't afraid to offer homages to other works and either you catch them and they make you smile, or you don't and you sit back amazed at his inventiveness. It's no surprise that Quentin Tarantino lists him as one of his major influences.
As far as the DePalma movies go -- at least in the genre he's known for -- I think Blow Out is probably his best. Or at least, that's what I remember thinking and it's been a while since I've seen any of the others. DePalma has a distinct style and a strong ability to milk as much suspense out of a sequence as is humanly possible, all while frequently using little to no dialogue. Blow Out has at least three or four of these sequences, all of which are hypnotic and hard to stop watching, and also features a whopper of an ending. Is it a great movie? Maybe not. But it sure as hell is an entertaining one.
The List
Title: Blow Out
Date Watched: 7/4/2013
Original Ranking Out of 10: 8
Revised Ranking Out of 10: 8
Synopsis: A movie sound guy records the a car accident only to uncover a deadly conspiracy.
The Good: Some really wonderful Brian DePalma suspense sequences -- say what you will about the guy, he knows how to use a camera. Other good moments that take us into the filmic processes.
The Bad: Female representation kind of sucks. Frequently pretty silly and I'm not convinced that the story holds together, though I can't exactly put my finger on why.
Why Do I Own This Movie?: Amazon Criterion sale.
Should I Still Own This Movie?: Yes.
What Did I Notice That I Didn't Notice Before?: The evidence of conspiracy is really, really flimsy. But it's a MacGuffin and it keeps the movie moving forward, so who cares?
Other Impressions: As I watched this movie, I was reminded of why I love Brian DePalma and why I'm excited about his new movie Passion, coming out in a month or so. He's not an especially amazing writer, but as a filmmaker, he has few equals. Yes, his work is often very derivative of Hitchcock, sometimes stealing exact storylines (with the addition of prostitutes and/or strippers), but if you're going to steal, steal from the best. And he doesn't just steal -- he one-ups the master of suspense. That isn't to say that Dressed to Kill is better than Psycho, but if you've seen Psycho, Dressed to Kill doesn't come across as a pale imitation.
Blow Out is, I guess, sort of derivative of Rear Window, in that it's about a man who witnesses an event and nobody believes him, but it's also influenced by Blow-Up (and, for my money, is much more entertaining than that movie) and probably several other movies that I'm either not familiar with or didn't catch. The joy of a filmmaker like DePalma is that he's very literate in cinematic history and isn't afraid to offer homages to other works and either you catch them and they make you smile, or you don't and you sit back amazed at his inventiveness. It's no surprise that Quentin Tarantino lists him as one of his major influences.
As far as the DePalma movies go -- at least in the genre he's known for -- I think Blow Out is probably his best. Or at least, that's what I remember thinking and it's been a while since I've seen any of the others. DePalma has a distinct style and a strong ability to milk as much suspense out of a sequence as is humanly possible, all while frequently using little to no dialogue. Blow Out has at least three or four of these sequences, all of which are hypnotic and hard to stop watching, and also features a whopper of an ending. Is it a great movie? Maybe not. But it sure as hell is an entertaining one.
The List