'Blow Out'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Wesley Morris head to Philadelphia in search of the perfect scream as they revisit Brian De Palma's 1981 thriller 'Blow Out,' starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, and John Lithgow.
Notes
- $18 million budget, made only $13 million – considered a bomb.
- Reimagining of the 1966 Antonioni film Blow Up, shifting the concept 'from the eye to the ear.'
- The entire Liberty Day parade sequence was stolen when the van driver stopped at a Dunkin' Donuts. Had to reshoot for $750,000 with a different cinematographer (Laszlo Kovacs replaced Vilmos Zsigmond).
- 11 cameras, 1,000 extras, 25 stunt drivers for the parade – and they had to do it twice.
- Travolta had insomnia throughout the shoot, which inadvertently helped his performance.
- Travolta turned down 'American Gigolo', Officer and a Gentleman, and Splash after 'Blow Out' bombed. His career was essentially over by 1985 until Tarantino cast him in 'Pulp Fiction' specifically because Tarantino loved 'Blow Out'.
- Al Pacino was De Palma's first choice for the role of Jack.
- The car-into-water scene required building a 60-foot-long, 15-foot-tall dam.
- Dave Roberts (real 'Philadelphia' weatherman, father of David Boreanaz) appears as the anchorman.
- Received zero Oscar nominations. The hosts argue Travolta deserved Best Actor and De Palma deserved Best Director.
- Wesley Morris calls it 'the best directed movie of 1981.'
- The film is simultaneously a 'JFK' and Chappaquiddick mashup.
- Pauline Kael wrote one of her great raves: 'De Palma has sprung to the place that Robert Altman achieved.'
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“Blow Out is inhabited by a real cinematic intelligence. The audience isn't condescended to. We share the excitement of figuring out how things develop and unfold.”
Ebert gave it four stars and championed De Palma's filmmaking intelligence throughout the review.
- Jack cutting magazine photos and syncing them with his audio recording to create a homemade film of the assassination.
- The 30th Street Station sequence through Sally's death during the Liberty Day parade with fireworks.
- The opening 'Coed Frenzy' fake slasher movie sequence.
- The spinning camera shot when the tapes are erased – 'levitating when I watch it.'
- The ending: 'It's a good scream.'
- Travolta's performance – right before his career collapsed in the 80s.
- The scene where Jack takes Sally to the bar – cool, natural movie star behavior.
- 'Movie characters who are world class at unique jobs' – Travolta completely sells being a sound technician.
- Early 80s 'Philadelphia' as a setting.
- Dennis Franz as Manny Karp.
- De Palma's split diopter lens technique.
- De Palma's love of putting fake movies inside real movies (Coed Frenzy and all the fake posters).
- Parts of the Pino Donaggio score – too 'early 80s,' tonally confused, except during the climactic ending.
- Smoking in the ER.
- Lithgow going from political operative to full Ted Bundy serial killer strains credulity.
John Lithgow being dialed up too far into sociopathic serial killer territory.
John McMartin – the political operative at the hospital who tells Jack to keep quiet.
Nancy Allen's drowsy post-accident hospital scene.
- Al Pacino was De Palma's first choice – would have been a darker, more haunted film.
- Other alternatives discussed: Harrison Ford, Roy Scheider, Robert Redford ('too beautiful').
- For Sally: Susan Sarandon, Debra Winger, Glenn Close, Jessica Lange, Margot Kidder, Carrie Fisher. The panel largely defends Nancy Allen.
- Bill: This is Travolta's best movie performance (better than 'Saturday Night Fever').
- Wesley: This is one of the top 10 great movie star performances of all time.
De Palma – Bill says Dressed to Kill (1980) was his Apex Mountain in terms of industry power; that success enabled 'Blow Out' to get made.
Brian De Palma as the filmmaker. But all agree this is their favorite Travolta performance.
Nobody in this movie knows how to tail somebody effectively.
- The entire Liberty Day parade footage was stolen from a van at a Dunkin' Donuts. Had to reshoot for $750,000.
- Missy Cleveland (Playmate of the Month, April 1979) is the actress who screams in the shower.
- Manny Karp watches De Palma's first movie (Murder a la Mod) on TV.
For Sally: Jessica Lange is the only suggested alternative who could play a convincing ditz.
Bill suggests a triple feature: Dressed to Kill, 'Blow Out', 'Body Double' – '7 hours of De Palma.'
- Should Philly have a Liberty Day?
- Is this the best Philly movie ever? Chris ranks it #2 behind 'Trading Places'.
- Sean: The flip book Jack makes from the magazine photos.
- Chris: The fake movie posters (especially Coed Frenzy).
- Wesley: The hotel wallpaper (the red-and-white stripe motif).
If you record an assassination, make sure you make multiple copies – at least three, put one in a locker at the YMCA.
- JT Walsh as Manny Karp.
- Kathryn Hahn as Sally.
- Philip Baker Hall could fit somewhere.
- The panel would watch an expanded version exploring the government conspiracy, updated for 2022 with phone cameras and social media.
- Sean suggests David Fincher should direct.