Blow Out
I wanted to watch this last week but decided to buy the Criterion for it instead. Well, it has arrived and boy it’s perfect.
Blow Out is not only one of the best noir films that I have seen, but also just one of the best movies in general that I have ever seen. Prime Travolta was really something else and John Lithgow as a sociopath serial killer-type character is one of the best there is. The film had a super cool premise that nailed every aspect of it.
The mystery and conspiracy part was done extremely well to piece together the events of the murder while Lithgow played foil to all of Travolta’s attempts to unearth the truth. Combine that with really strong pacing for a mystery and you get an absolute masterpiece. The third act was full of tons of suspense when Sally believes she is meeting the reporter. The movie also gets a boost for taking place in Philly where we see 30th Street Station, the Reading Terminal Market, and City Hall throughout the movie. De Palma’s excellent use of camera work and sound really helped the film shine. Easily cracks my Top 100.