Blow Out • The Next Reel

Anyone who listens to the show knows that we have a love/hate relationship with Brian De Palma. With his 1981 film Blow Out, he makes one of his strongest films and lands squarely on the side of ‘love’ for us (thank the heavens since neither of us had seen it recently and we couldn’t remember it well enough). Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our 1981 series with De Palma’s Blow Out. We talk about the tone of the film and why it worked so well for De Palma. We chat about the opening sequence and if it starts the film on the wrong tone or if, perhaps, it gives a sense of the irony at work within the film. We discuss the actors — notably John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow and Dennis Franz — and how well they work for us (except Nancy Allen who plays her character in a way that might not work as well for some). We chat about the brilliant production work by the DP, the sound team and the production design team, building a film that films haunting and tragic. And we talk about the nature of De Palma, what he’s doing with this film, what techniques he employs and why it works so well. We loved this film and we have a great time talking about it. Tune in! Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! The Next Reel on iTunes The Next Reel on Facebook The Next Reel on Twitter The Next Reel on Flickchart The Next Reel on Letterboxd Guess the Movie with The Next Reel on Instagram Check out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: Follow Andy Nelson on Twitter Follow Pete Wright on Twitter Follow Steve Sarmento on Twitter Check out Tom Metz on IMDB Follow Mike Evans on Twitter Follow Chadd Stoops on Twitter Follow Steven Smart on Letterboxd The Next Reel Family of Film Shows:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements | The Film Board | Movies We Like | The Next Reel | Sitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Web | Letterboxd | Flickchart | Instagram | Bluesky | YouTube | DiscordYour Hosts: Andy | PeteMerch Store | Audible