Blow Out (1981)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Brian De Palma (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

24 July 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The Blow Out took them to the edge of terror . . . his questions took them way beyond [Video Australia]

Plot:

A soundman accidentally records the evidence that proves a car "accident" was murder, and consequently finds himself in danger.

Plot Keywords:

Sound | Car Accident | Conspiracy | Murder | Witness

Cast

John Travolta	...	Jack Terry
Nancy Allen	...	Sally
John Lithgow	...	Burke
Dennis Franz	...	Manny Karp
Peter Boyden	...	Sam
Curt May	...	Donahue
John Aquino	...	Det. Mackey
John McMartin	...	Lawrence Henry
Deborah Everton	...	Hooker
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Detective at hospital
Missy Cleveland	...	Coed lover (as Amanda Cleveland)
Roger Wilson	...	Coed lover
Lori-Nan Engler	...	Sue
Cindy Manion	...	Dancing coed
Missy O'Shea	...	Dancing coed
Marcy Bigelman	...	Ecstatic coed
Ann Kelly	...	Studious coed
Dean Bennett	...	Campus guard
John Copolino Jr.	...	Maniac
Archie Lang	...	Mixer
Dave Roberts	...	Anchorman
Claire Carter	...	Joan, anchor woman
Maurice Copeland	...	Jack Manners
John Hoffmeister	...	Gov. McRyan
David De Felice	...	Boy lover
Barbara Sigel	...	Girl lover
Thomas J. McCarthy	...	Policeman at hospital
Reginald M. Wallace	...	Policeman at hospital
Robert L. Penrose	...	Hospital administrator
Larry Woody	...	Doctor
Dick McGarvin	...	TV newscaster
Michael Borghese	...	News dealer
Rossana Fichera	...	Receptionist
James Jeter	...	Film lab man
Luddy Tramontana	...	Freddie Corso
Sid Doherty	...	Cop in car
Milt Fields	...	Mobster
Bud Seese	...	Corrupt captain
Maureen Sullivan	...	Murder victim #1
Brian Corrigan	...	Cop at Karp's office
Elaine Filoon	...	Screamer
Robin Sherwood	...	Screamer
Tim Choate	...	Sailor
B.J. Cyrus	...	Sailor's friend
Dave DeAngelis	...	Sailor's friend
Thomas Finn	...	Sailor's friend
Tony Devon	...	Sailor's friend
Henry Cohen	...	Ambulance attendant
Bernie Rachelle	...	Ambulance attendant
William Tarman	...	Security guard
Michael Tearson	...	Hawker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roberto Lombardi	...	Train Passenger (uncredited)
Ernest McClure	...	Jim (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian De Palma

Writing credits
Brian De Palma		(written by)
Bill Mesce Jr.		uncredited

Produced by
Fred C. Caruso	....	executive producer (as Fred Caruso)
George Litto	....	producer

Original Music by
Pino Donaggio

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond

Film Editing by
Paul Hirsch

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster		(as Lynn Stalmaster and Associates)

Production Design by
Paul Sylbert

Set Decoration by
Bruce Weintraub

Costume Design by
Vicki Sánchez		(as Vicki Sanchez)

Makeup Department
Joseph Cranzano	....	makeup artist: Nancy Allen
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (as Leo Lotito)
Vivian McAteer	....	hair stylist
Lyndell Quiyou	....	hair stylist: Nancy Allen (as Lyn Quiyou)

Production Management
Fred C. Caruso	....	production manager (as Fred Caruso)
Robert Rothbard	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Dillon	....	dga trainee
John Fox	....	second unit director
Lewis Gould	....	second assistant director
Joe Napolitano	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joe Acord	....	construction coordinator
Tom Bartholemew	....	scenic chargeman
Irwin 'Eppy' Epstein	....	drapery man (as Irwin Epstein)
Drew H. Fash	....	property assistant
Mark Hollingsworth	....	prop man
Moe Larson	....	set painter
Daniel Loren May	....	lead man (as Dan May)
Jim McGee	....	construction foreman
Erik L. Nelson	....	property master (as Erik Nelson)
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall	....	set designer (as Jeannine Oppewall)
Christopher Sylbert	....	scenic chargeman

Sound Department
Randall Coleman	....	assistant sound editor
Lowell Mate	....	dialogue loop editor
Michael Moyse	....	sound editor (as Michel Moyse)
Dan Sable	....	supervising sound editor
James M. Tanenbaum	....	sound mixer (as James Tanenbaum)
Rimas Tumasonis	....	boom operator
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording supervisor
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Calvin Joe Acord	....	special effects foreman (as Calvin Acord)
David Domeyer	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	process coordinator
Don Hansard	....	process coordinator

Stunts
Rick Avery	....	stunt double: John Travolta
Carey Loftin	....	stunt coordinator
Mike Pridgen	....	stunts
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Leslie Hoffman	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Deats	....	key grip (as Richard Deats)
Jim Dyer	....	best boy grip
Michael Gershman	....	assistant camera
Louis Goldman	....	still photographer
Michael Green	....	second assistant camera
Jan Kiesser	....	camera operator
John Kirk	....	best boy
Rick Martens	....	gaffer
Rexford L. Metz	....	underwater director of photography
Ken Nishino	....	second assistant camera
Chuck Nolen	....	still photographer
Gary Parker	....	dolly grip
Jonathan Smith	....	assistant camera
Larry Whitehead	....	rig electrician
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
László Kovács	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera: additional photography (uncredited)
Scott Rathner	....	additional second assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lisa Freiberger	....	casting associate
Joanna Oberman	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandra Burke	....	key costumer (as Sandra Berke)
Claudia Everett	....	wardrobe assistant
Laurie Riley	....	costumer
Ann Roth	....	costumes: Nancy Allen
Elizabeth Wasielewsky	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Lisa J. Levine	....	apprentice editor
Mark Rathaus	....	apprentice editor
Gina Roose	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Tom Jung	....	music recording engineer
Jacquie Litto	....	music coordinator
Robert Q. Lovett	....	music editor
Natale Massara	....	conductor
Ralph Berliner	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Arthur F. 'Mickey' McAteer	....	transportation coordinator (as Mickey McAteer)

Other crew
Aaron Barsky	....	set production assistant
Susan Bartholomew	....	production secretary
Debbie Brenner	....	assistant: Miss Allen
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
James Donahue	....	production assistant
Joan Edwards	....	assistant: Mr. Travolta
John Fox	....	technical consultant
Carin I. Gronhagen	....	assistant auditor (as Carin Grönhagen)
T.J. Healy II	....	production assistant
Gary Hill	....	assistant: Brian Depalma
George Hill	....	studio manager
Gail Kearns	....	assistant: Mr. Litto
Ted Kurdyla	....	location manager
Linda Lee	....	assistant: Mr. Litto
Shari Leibowitz	....	production office coordinator
Bob Le Mond	....	production consultant
Ramona Lenny	....	dialogue coach
Tom Miller	....	unit publicist
Chuck Nolen	....	location scout
Robert Rothbard	....	location coordinator
Victor T. Salant	....	auditor
Hannah Scheel	....	script supervisor
Clayton Townsend	....	special production assistant
Lois Zetter	....	production consultant

Production Companies

• Cinema 77
• Filmways Pictures
• Viscount Associates

Distributors

• Filmways Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• UGC Distribution (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (198?) (Canada) (theatrical)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2002) (2003) (2005) (2006) (UK) (TV) (BBC 1)
• Globo Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1984) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Phillips (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• V8 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV)

Special Effects

• Van der Veer Photo Effects

Other Companies

• Hastings Sound Editorial  sound effects
• Lynn Stalmaster & Associates  casting
• Optical House, The  opticals
• R/Greenberg Associates  title design: main and end titles
• Trans / Audio  re-recording supervision

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Germany:16 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Brazil:18 | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | France:U (re-release: 2000) | Norway:16 (1982) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #26347) | Argentina:16 | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

30th Street Station - 3001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Cinema 77

Trivia:

Also alludes to the Watergate scandal and the JFK assassination.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When making the film clip from the magazine photos, Jack removes a reel of exposed film from the camera and places it in a can with lights on in the room. Though the lead is wrapped around the outside of the reel, there is still the risk of ruining the film, which is highly frowned upon in any sort of professional setting.

Quotes:

Jack Terry: Jesus, that's terrible.
Mixer: That's a terrible scream. Jack, what cat did you have to strangle to get that?
Jack Terry: The one you hired. That's her scream.
Mixer: You mean you didn't dub that?

Movie Connections:

References Lure of the Triangle (1977)

Wonderfully written and directed story...

1st watched 10/03/2005 - 8 out of 10(Dir-Brian De Palma): Wonderfully written and directed story by Brian De Palma about a sound man who records an accident(we think) at a bridge while doing his job of recording sounds for a recent movie gig. We find out the accident involved a Governor who happened to be running for President of the United States and the title character(Jack played by John Travolta) just happened to rescue another person from the vehicle(who was a lady of the night played by Nancy Allen) and the Governor dies. What ensues is a major attempt to cover up some of the facts while Jack tries to piece together what he heard and saw for evidence of the foul play. He believes he heard a shot that blew out the tire of the vehicle and with an amateur photograph's pictures rigs together a pretty convincing portrait of the truth. Travolta is great in what I consider one of his best acting stints but Nancy Allen is tolerable at best. This is the only real negative to this otherwise well made and pieced together thriller that works to the very end and deserved more recognition than it received. I think everyone(audiences and critics alike) expected something different from someone who was known mainly for horror movies before this but this movie started a string of well-received movies coming from him and is definitely one