Why I Love Blow Out - Video Essay

[@reelramon1014]

What is always missed in discussions of this film is the colour scheme - red, white and blue - the colours of the American flag, pervasive throughout the film, including the overall lighting scheme, the fireworks at the end, even the wallpaper in the motel room. As Jack tries to save the girl he has to push his way through an almost robotic pageant of American history (the parade). All of this, for me at least, underscores the tragedy of this magnificent film.

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

You beat me to it about the movie's color scheme.

[@boofboyriq]

It’s crazy you said that because I was literally just saying I hated the strong red rim lighting after awhile it got played out but you’re making me look at it different light

[@markrobinson9394]

That ending was so haunting, yet absolutely perfect. You see a man get ahead in life but lose his soul as a result. Ending the film any other way would have ruined it.

[@Eric-zv9ut]

How did he lose his soul

[@seppukusushi2848]

Part 2 of this video essay is criminally underrated.

[@rpannier]

I loved this movie when it came it. I still do. It's a great movie. Sad ending. Thanks for covering it.

[@CarlosReyes-yp1xp]

My friend (now 70 years old) was an extra on this film and said nothing but good things about John Travolta's personality; "nice guy, would take time to talk to the extras, etc." As a youth I remember the Apollo X-rated movie theater that was below the film production studio that Travolta"s character, Jack, worked as a sound man. That part of center city Philadelphia was sleazy, not unlike how Times Square in NYC was infested with similar ilk. Perfect background ambience to contribute to this film. My extra friend also told me that the hotel where Jack and Sally stayed overnight after leaving the hospital has long since been demolished, oh well. Jack's apartment at 3rd and Arch in olde city Philadelphia hasn't changed much, in fact the Benjamin Franklin wall mural is still there. What has changed in when Travolta first catches up to Sally at the Reading Terminal train station and one sees the outdoor train platforms in the background. Those platforms no longer exist but were moved indoors and below ground to the now named Jefferson (after Jefferson University) Train station. The hole in the wall hotel where Manny(Dennis Franz) stayed at while getting an unexpected visit from Sally is long gone along with the stripper/peep show bars along market street close to 2nd street. That underbelly of Philadelphia vanished but not before leaving their mark on this film. Brian De Palma's use of Philadelphia where he and I grew up and love is sublime.

[@edfredette5198]

One of Brian Depalma’s best films ever very underrated

[@starchedownon84s]

Not gonna lie, this movie made me fall in love with open reel tape😂. And DePalma's way of filming 80's philly is superb.

[@CerithMaximum]

As a young italian sound mixer workin b-horror myself, gotta love this one.

[@gregsonfilm]

A great complimentary film to this is "The Conversation". Highly recommend if you love Blow Out!

[@evo2542]

Yay I caught both the magnetic tape and the guy under the bridge first watch. I must be special :o

[@Verschlungen]

Thank you!! Other video essays that try to explain this film's greatness have left me cold, wondering what the heck the guy was raving about. But yours is articulate, concise and persuasive. Thanks to your analysis, I'll definitely re-watch Blow Out and finally start enjoying all the things I missed back in 1981. And YES, YES, YES -- your "campaign for awareness" of Pino Donaggio, at 11:45. The score he wrote for DePalma's Body Double (1984) is... absolute magic. He's a world-class composer -- can't say enough good things about Donaggio.

[@knightridernz72]

Blow Out is AWESOME! Thank you for this great analysis and tribute. It's one of Quentin Tarantino's most favourite films. I came across the movie by accident years ago while scrolling through TV channels late at night trying to find something to watch. I caught Blow Out from the beginning and just settled on that. So glad I did. I was gripped all the way through. It's such a great movie.

[@Don-mp6pq]

One of the best endings ever

[@loriorden]

It is a classic. Most of DePalma's films are. If only directors today learned from his style.

[@TranceofHaterd]

One of my favourite films .

[@spfilmviewers5629]

This is a great video essay! I've only seen it the once (and only recently) but this makes me want to rewatch it again. Criterion, here I come!

[@carlitoxe]

I have to say that I didn’t notice the man hiding in the bridge lol, that was masterfully done.

[@JB-bp3nz]

If you haven't checked out Criterion's 4K release of Blow Out then it is a MUST watch! Incredible transfer in Dolby Vision HDR!

[@wiiplaya25]

Just saw the film and will be buying that version for sure

[@heemro4356]

great underappreciated movie, thank you

[@Omega_Mark]

Yes, this movie is pretty special to me and I guess it always will be. Good casting and that ending is very haunting...

[@BibiTheLinkBuilder]

I saw rhis movie 5 times when i was a teenager - i loved how it had a bad ending and how horrifying it was

[@johnwatson3948]

After the extremely positive Pauline Kael review (and others) audiences were expecting a lot. When I saw it on opening night the theater was packed, but the film broke at the end just before Travolta’s final chase - unfortunately when it came back on the mood was broken and the audience started laughing at it.

[@andrewmilesbroughton8222]

I think it's De Palma's best (along with Dressed to Kill) It's all in there. All his genius.

[@tommysmith4117]

I believe blow out is Brian de Palma’s masterpiece

[@80sHorrorCentral]

Where is your "part 2" you speak of?! 😂 Great video. I am a huge fan of Blow Out as well!

[@maxcabbage1293]

Waiting on a part 2

[@jamesmalik3355]

just watched this a few hours ago. Was also angry that there wasn't 10 video essays talking about this movie.

[@flyingfrogofdeath9616]

Fantastic essay! Please keep making these! Instant subscribe

[@rctubs3593]

Brilliant movie

[@spookyq]

Awesome essay. Thank you for making it! Great movie.

[@haydenpritchett8366]

Magnificent video man. I just watched the movie last night, loved it and this video helped me reflect on what I had seen, which is why I love videos like this and I enjoyed your input and seems like you have an observant mind and I would love if you made more videos such as this. I don't normally leave comments like this but I see you're a small channel right now and I hear encouragement goes a long way. So as sincerly as I could possibly say this to you, keep up the good work.

[@haydenpritchett8366]

P.s. Hurry up with part 2!!

[@donniedarko979]

Americans demand happy endings. Blow Out delivers a rip your heart out ending. It's a great movie.

[@gabefranco6572]

When's part 2 gonna be uploaded?

[@123agidee_2]

Its his best film

[@ninfilms]

Great film very underrated film.

[@tigerchung8328]

Great video essay, man. Caught this just lastnight and thought it was absolutely magnificent!

[@NaughtyLink115]

I absolutely love this film. The ending doesn't sit right with me though, but it's still amazing and poetic.

[@andyvanvlierberghe5389]

Thanks man best thriller ever

[@Dannymclovin]

Only reason i even know about this film was when i found like an audio record of this movie at an antique store and it peaked my interest

[@commercialzone4141]

Amazing review. 👏 well done.

[@TallTapper]

i like cars they're cute

[@ryantakach1478]

Poetic cinema

[@vanderhoff66fu]

The blood on Nancy A. Neck is so bad...the drive through the Parade is kind of funny.

[@panoramaaaaaa]

I was really excited to show this movie to my wife tonight, as much as she loves cinema, I was sure she was going to like it. This is to date one of my favourite films. But then she didn’t like the essence of it. She enjoyed the cinematography, but detested how women are depicted in it, especially Sally who was treated as a tool by everyone, including the photographer, the killer and even Jack from beginning to the end, and she could have ran away a million times. My wife is indeed right about it, but this fact didn’t stop me from deeply falling in love with that picture, as from the intro scene to the last one, it is to me a masterpiece. But I realize that some movies are not made for all audiences.

[@billbrock85]

Agreed! I saw it years ago at the theater and just a few days ago, the Criterion Blu-Ray appeared in my mailbox! GREAT FILM! It never gets old!

[@brunomoreno8359]

Great Video, man!

[@cynthianovoselsky3592]

WOW U touched it

[@darioshame]

Great video man!

[@adamethancrow]

great video, Im in. Thanks 🎉

[@ARod-br2ui]

The creepy thing about this movie is that there is evidence that suggests that many of these serial killers and mass killings are nothing more than a way to cover up a targeted assassination. Just like in the movie.

[@SandraMoreno-fe3mt]

I love Blow out Jack Terri John Travolta is SO cute My favorite actor.😅

[@HuheJass]

Part 2?

[@randysmith7045]

l love this film and think it is one of Depalma's best and Travolta's best.

[@steelethescene]

That Lady Di-like anchor, though ....

[@chuffa1130]

Perfect movie for its time, involving conspiracies paranoia surrounding government entities, then again very much Ted Kennedy ask Chappaquiddick

[@edoardosimonato]

Very nice video! Just one note: the composer name is Donaggio, pronounced Don-UH-joe 😉

[@Eric-zv9ut]

Sounds Italian and I doubt they pronounce it that way.

[@langelle1]

I watched this movie on TV when I was young and, looking back, remembered it as some cheesy TV movie. Little did I know, it was directed by Brian DePalma and is highly regarded which surprises me because I've never seen it replayed on TV since then.

[@RoshDroz]

I thought the footage of Garrett Brown was James Cameron at first. Anyone else see the resemblance?

[@jamesmalik3355]

Where's part 2 of the video man?

[@sbewt]

Part 2???

[@gus2421]

Where's part 2??

[@RoshDroz]

"Foreshowding*"? And you even pronounced it correctly, but then added that incorrect correction. What's that about?

[@kdizzle901]

Blow Out is his best film in my opinion and even Carlitos Way is better than Scarface…..Scarface is great but in De Palmas filmography he has so many better films

[@HeyJettRink]

My only question…why’s Jack let her go to the meet solo??

[@panoramaaaaaa]

Great stuff! But, it’s Pino Donaggio, not Degino :D

[@arslanreact]

Let's talk about downfalls 1. Sally's acting was so bizarre 2. Nobody cared actual witnesses are gone from a death scene 3. A photographer goes missing 4. Movie is short but still seems to be dragging

[@PautinoPR]

You are definitely tripping lol

[@surelythiswasnotused]

I would agree with Number 1. I never understood how Nancy Allen got so many roles, especially in movies with such polished directors. I always felt she more recited her lines than acted them out.

[@johngotti4286]

@@surelythiswasnotusedit’s funny cuz in the beginning of the movie the horror movie directors comments on the shower actresses only being hired for good tits💀

[@vova47]

Did you say you love this movie and you know this movie and yet you call the female lead Shelley?.....Her name is SALLY, you better watch it again.

[@louisbertaux5193]

Similar to a "Conspiracy Theorist", only it's real! 🤫

[@thomasmacisaac1503]

Y'know why I'm gonna watch this video? Because it's not titled: "Why Blow Out is the greatest movie ever made" "Blow Out: Explained" "The Hidden Meaning in Brian De Palma's Blow Out" Or something like that. I hate titles like that; people need to realize that their opinions or interpretations aren't facts and that it's perfectly acceptable to write an essay just because you love something Also, I love Blow Out, so that's also why

[@sizzlepointz]

@8:25 I think John Lithgow's spree kills a lot of its momentum in Act 3. Also, the picture has a lot of chauvinist overtones. Travolta's DEFINITELY not as magnetic as you make out. All said it's so far from excellent but still worth screening.

[@billbrock85]

Chauvinist? View the film with 1981 Gritty Philadelphia eyes, not with a pair from 2022 Anywhere USA.

[@sizzlepointz]

@@billbrock85 it gets so farfetched in act 3 the trope with a call girl and a sailor and the main woman’s naivety that she mistakes Lithgow for a TV anchor cause she doesn’t consume media. When she’d also been in that elaborate con with a politician I just think ant woman in the film is portrayed overly naive and hapless. Much older suspense films that are far more progressive female leads. I think Blow Out feels if it’s time but that it’s also timeless or contemporary enough and relevant about media in other ways. Think of Cybil Shepherd in Taxi Driver for instance and she’s a strong character. Just think it’s lacking in some of it’s plot devices around women. And the story’s worse off for it. But that’s my opinion anyway.

[@sizzlepointz]

@@billbrock85 think it's lacking in some of it's plot devices around women. Think of Cybil Shepherd in Taxi Driver. And plenty of older and newer suspense with stronger female characters that arent so easily misled as she's in act three the mechanics of the final station train station set piece lose me invariably for how easily misled she is and the stuff with the phone booth and that set piece is clunky IMO. Suffers for being one note with any depictions of the women. But still has other interesting aspects about it. Just my opinion.

[@Eric-zv9ut]

Where’s part two bozo

[@dis_inferno9173]

This movie so overrated. It's just bad compare to previous De Palma's films.

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

Everything on KZbin is either overrated or underrated, as if that says anything at all. I couldn't possibly care less what a film's "rating" is. Quality isn't a popularity contest.