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Blow Out

  • 19811981
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,987
871
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Dennis Franz, John Lithgow, and Barbara Sigel in Blow Out (1981)
Three Reasons Criterion Trailer for Blow Out
Play trailer1:17
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Mystery

A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.

IMDb RATING
7.4/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,987
871
  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Brian De Palma
    • Bill Mesce Jr.(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • John Travolta
    • Nancy Allen
    • John Lithgow
Top credits
  • Director
    • Brian De Palma
  • Writers
    • Brian De Palma
    • Bill Mesce Jr.(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • John Travolta
    • Nancy Allen
    • John Lithgow
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 225User reviews
    • 126Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos3

    Blow Out: The Criterion Collection
    Trailer 1:17
    Blow Out: The Criterion Collection
    Blow Out
    Trailer 2:06
    Blow Out
    Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 38
    Video 28:56
    Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 38

    Photos131

    John Travolta in Blow Out (1981)
    Blow Out (1981)
    Blow Out (1981)
    John Travolta in Blow Out (1981)
    John Travolta in Blow Out (1981)
    John Travolta, Nancy Allen, and John Lithgow in Blow Out (1981)
    John Travolta in Blow Out (1981)
    John Travolta and Nancy Allen in Blow Out (1981)
    Blow Out (1981)
    John Travolta in Blow Out (1981)
    Barbara Sigel in Blow Out (1981)
    John Travolta and Nancy Allen in Blow Out (1981)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Travolta
    John Travolta
    • Jackas Jack
    Nancy Allen
    Nancy Allen
    • Sallyas Sally
    John Lithgow
    John Lithgow
    • Burkeas Burke
    Dennis Franz
    Dennis Franz
    • Manny Karpas Manny Karp
    Peter Boyden
    • Samas Sam
    Curt May
    • Donahueas Donahue
    John Aquino
    • Detective Mackeyas Detective Mackey
    John McMartin
    John McMartin
    • Lawrence Henryas Lawrence Henry
    Deborah Everton
    Deborah Everton
    • Hookeras Hooker
    J. Patrick McNamara
    J. Patrick McNamara
    • Detective at Hospitalas Detective at Hospital
    Missy Cleveland
    • Coed Loveras Coed Lover
    • (as Amanda Cleveland)
    Roger Wilson
    Roger Wilson
    • Coed Loveras Coed Lover
    Lori-Nan Engler
    • Sueas Sue
    Cindy Manion
    • Dancing Coedas Dancing Coed
    Missy Crutchfield
    • Dancing Coedas Dancing Coed
    • (as Missy O'Shea)
    Marcy Bigelman
    • Ecstatic Coedas Ecstatic Coed
    Ann Kelly
    • Studious Coedas Studious Coed
    Dean Bennett
    • Campus Guardas Campus Guard
    • Director
      • Brian De Palma
    • Writers
      • Brian De Palma
      • Bill Mesce Jr.(uncredited)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    This stylish Brian De Palma thriller plays off the theme of the unsuspecting witness who discovers a crime and is thereby put in grave danger, but with a novel twist. Jack Terry is a master audio technician who makes his living by recording unique sounds for grade-B horror movies. Late one evening, he is recording sounds for use in his movies when he hears something unexpected through his sound equipment and records it. Curiosity gets the better of him when the media become involved, and he begins to unravel the pieces of a nefarious conspiracy. As he struggles to survive against his shadowy enemies and expose the truth, he does not know whom he can trust. —Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>
    • political conspiracy
    • psychotronic film
    • hitchcockian
    • roman a clef
    • techno thriller
    • 241 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The Blow Out took them to the edge of terror . . . his questions took them way beyond [Video Australia]
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Travolta suffered from insomnia during the shoot. His lack of sleep helped him create a very moody performance and is why his character seems so downtrodden throughout the movie.
    • Goofs
      The sound mixer for the slasher movie mutes all of the sounds except the scream of the girl in the shower, in order to prove that it's really her voice. In fact, what he proves is that she's been dubbed: if it were really sound from the location he would not have been able to eliminate the shower or its curtain being pulled aside, as the microphone would have picked them up too.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Jack Terry: It's a good scream. It's a good scream.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: John Travolta/Erma Bombeck (1981)

    User reviews225

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The scream!
    Brian DePalma was at the height of his film career when he undertook the direction of "Blow Out". Some comments to this forum have compared it to other distinguished films like Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" and Michaelangelo Antonioni's "Blow Up", a comparison that seems to make sense, in a way, but Mr. DePalma, who wrote his own screen play, is an intelligent man who didn't need to copy anything from those masters of the cinema.

    In fact, "Blow Out" has kept its impact as a thriller mystery with its political overtones as it mixes crime with the lives of influential people that might give viewers a point of reference between the movie and actual historical facts.

    We are given an introduction to Jack's line of work as we watch scenes of the porno film that he is working on as a sound technician. The only thing that is needed is a real scream which the many actresses, either on the film itself, or being auditioned, can't produce. Whatever comes out of those women's throats are wimpy sounds, not a horror yell for help.

    Jack, who is out one night recording sounds for future ventures, captures the shot that causes the "blow out" and makes a car plunge into a creek. Jack abandons everything and jumps to rescue whoever he can save. He is only successful in bringing Sally out of the water. This is the beginning of Jack's involvement into the mystery behind the actual fact.

    Mr. DePalma's thriller is visually stylish. He photographed the movie in Philadelphia. The film has the excellent Vilmos Zsigmond behind the camera. The atmospheric music by Pino Donoggio serves the movie well.

    John Travolta's career was in decline when he made this movie. He gives a terrific performance as the sound effect man who stumbles in a conspiracy to eliminate the witnesses to the accident. Nancy Allen is not as effective as Sally, the young prostitute at the center of the story. Being married to the director might have helped her land the part, which with some other actress might have paid off better. John Lighgow is perfectly creepy as Burke, the evil man. Dennis Franz has the pivotal part of Karp, the man who was able to photograph the whole incident.

    "Blow Out" is a must see for all Brian DePalma's admirers.
    helpful•91
    23
    • jotix100
    • Aug 2, 2005

    Everything New on Prime Video in May

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    [object Object]
    Photos

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 24, 1981 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • MGM
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Personal Effects
    • Filming locations
      • Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • Filmways Pictures
      • Geria Productions
      • Geria Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $18,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $12,000,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $12,000,754
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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