The Blackout (1997)

A debauched Hollywood movie actor tries to piece together one wild night in Miami years earlier which remains a drug-induced blur, and soon finds out that some questions about his past are best left unanswered.

Director:

Abel Ferrara

Writers:

Abel Ferrara, Marla Hanson,

Stars:

Matthew Modine, Claudia Schiffer, Béatrice Dalle

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Modine	...	Matty
Claudia Schiffer	...	Susan
Béatrice Dalle	...	Annie 1
Sarah Lassez	...	Annie 2
Dennis Hopper	...	Mickey Wayne
Steven Bauer	...	Mickey's Studio Actor
Laura Bailey	...	Mickey's Studio Actress
Nancy Ferrara	...	Mickey's Studio Actress
Andrew Fiscella	...	Mickey's Studio Actor (as Andy Fiscella)
Vincent Lamberti	...	Mickey's Studio Actor
Victoria Duffy	...	Script Girl
Nicholas De Cegli	...	Miami Drug Dealer
Daphne Duplaix	...	Fly Girl (Daphne)
Mercy Lopez	...	Fly Girl (Jasmine)
Lori Eastside	...	That Girl

Storyline

Matty is a film star who is tired of Hollywood life and moves to Miami, where he makes a proposal to his girlfriend Annie. She is not ready to marry him, and it is revealed that she had an abortion. Depressed because he lost his baby (though it was him who initially asked for abortion), Matty, together with his friend Micky, go on a wild night, they meet a waitress also called Annie and in the end of the night Matty passes out. A year and a half later Matty lives in New York, leads a clean life visiting AA meetings and has a relationship with attractive blonde Susan. He is still obsessed with Annie and returns to Miami, where unexpected news about Annie 2 (the waitress) waits for him.

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Plot Keywords:

abortion | actor | water | sex | strangulation | 

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Taglines:

What mysteries are trapped in the forgotten moments of our lives and what would we do to unlock them?

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong pervasive drug use, language, sexual content and violence

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English French

Release Date:

11 June 1997 (France)

Also Known As:

Blackout

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

DEM 25,539 (Germany) (6 February 1998)

Gross:

DEM 25,539 (Germany) (6 February 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cipa, Les Films Number One, MDP Worldwide

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Matthew Modine first read the script, he told Abel Ferrara that he thought it was horrifying.

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Quotes

Mickey Wayne: It's not a question of "Did I"? It's "Do I remember"?

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Connections

Referenced in A Short Film About the Long Career of Abel Ferrara (2004)

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Soundtracks

"BREATHLESS"
Written by Abel Ferrara, Schoolly D, Joe Delia
Performed by Jill Wolfe

User Reviews

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Lots of people seem to hate this film, but I think it is one of his strongest. Modine and Hopper are a great team. Ferrara does a fine job of summoning up the brooding menace of suppressed memories and bad love. Dennis Hopper takes time off from being a pantomime villain, and becomes genuinely scary for sheer decadence instead. The sunshine and sleaze of Miami are perfect counterpoints to one another.

Claudia Schiffer lets the side down a tad, being only nice but dim. Oh, and the Schooly D title song is not really all that. But mostly it hits the spot.