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IMDbPro

Blow Out

  • 19811981
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,668
620
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
2,668
620
  • 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
    • 227User 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)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

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    Storyline

    Edit

    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 reviews227

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    If you liked F/X...
    If you liked F/X, you'll probably like Blow Out and vice versa because both films involve a person who uses their craft to solve a highly corrupt case of murder.

    While F/X's Rollie Tyler was a special effects engineer, our hero in Blow Out is a sound technician who must piece together parts of a sound recording (along with some other vital information from other sources along the way) to solve the murder of the gubernatorial candidate, a death which the police have written off as a homocide. Travolta employs Nancy Allen's help, a rather dumb prostitute who was in the car with the victim when their car ran off the bridge, but who is the only survivor and essential key to unlocking the mystery. They are dealing with a very relentless killer who will stop at nothing to make sure the trail of evidence leading to him is eliminated.

    It is a typical DePalma movie in that it is done with many Hitchcock elements (they didn't call him the master of suspense for nothing) and also that he works with movies-in-a-movie (see 'Body Double' and 'Dressed to Kill'). It is an enjoyable crime and mystery movie in the days when John Travolta movies were still fun to watch.
    helpful•25
    11
    • vertigo_14
    • Apr 4, 2004

    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

    Related news

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