Reminder for all those wary of importing Region A coded Criterion discs: If you own a Panasonic Region B Blu-Ray player, when the wrong region message appears, press Stop, then Top-Menu und the disc will load into the menu just fine. I have around 50 Region A Criterion releases and every single one of them with a production date of 2012 and later works in this way. I have 2 Criterion releases from 2011 that don't work with this method (I do have a Region free player anyway). This method doesn't seem to work with Shout/Scream or Kino Lorber Blu-Rays. None of the releases i own from these 2 studios work with this trick.
John, thank you so much for the shout out! I am humbled. I sure enjoy your channel and I've been doing my best to get reviews out that are unique to me just like yours are unique to you! I always look forward to your next one. I'd love to go to that film convention you are talking about. Until next time, and thank you so much again.
I hope it brings you a few new viewers. I have a lot of catching up to do but the BFCC has been taking up so much time. I'm getting there though. John.
@@cheekster777 There's some interesting content over there. I have a lot of catching up to do but that's good because it means that right now there's always something for me to watch.
I admire and appreciate how many other TH-cam channels you give a mention to in your videos, John. I have visited and subscribed to all of them (I think?). Would likely not have found them had it not been for you. What a gentleman, you are. Thank you. 🙏🏻
There are some good people out there with different approaches. It's nice to be in a position to be able to give some of them a little help... well, hopefully anyway. John.
Vastly underrated de Palma movie. Unfortunately this came out when JT had gone from the biggest BO draw to poison after two disappointment films, Moment By Moment and Urban Cowboy. I remember seeing the trailer in The Odeon, Plymouth and being excited to see the latest de Palma movie, unfortunately they never showed it. Had to wait for the video rental to come out and it’s always been one of my favourite movies. Glad you’ve finally got to see it!
I only saw Urban Cowboy a couple of years ago Mark and I thought it was pretty terrific. I suppose people quickly tired of John Travolta with two big successes on the trot and a break was required to see him for how good he really is. 'Blow Out' may be his best ever performance/portrayal but he's been good in just about everything I've seen. John.
I still have quite a few of his films to catch up on. 'Murder A La Mod' will be first as it's on the Blu-ray as an extra which is jolly decent of Criterion. I'll also need to re-watch 'Phantom of the Paradise' as I haven't seen it since I was about 13 or 14 years old. John.
What has been quite surprising is the number of people who really don't like it. A number of comments have come in in that regard. Might have been too young when they first saw it I suppose. John.
@@moviecollector5920 My first viewing was at age 16, and I remember liking it quite a bit, but by that time I was already watching movies which most of my friends thought were "too old", "too serious", and "too boring". For me, Blow Out has only improved with age.
@@1165mac The 4K cine to video transfer of Blow Out made it even more enjoyable. The blacks were blacker than black! First class movie. First class cine transfer. Excellent Dolby Stereo sound. John.
I have this 4K release! Excellent review! Of course, the film was inspired by Antonioni's "Blowup" (1966). I vividly recall seeing this in the cinema in 1981 and being "blown" away by it, and thinking it was one of the best movies of the year. I believe it's Travolta's best performance on film, and arguably DePalma's best movie. Why it was not a big hit was unfathomable to me. It received "two thumbs up" from Siskel and Ebert, who back then were the two most influential American critics. My best guess is that at the time the audience was suffering from "Travolta fatigue" and his career was on a downhill decline. Also, it was released in July and there was a glut of very popular movies that summer all vying for an audience. And, of course, if a movie isn't marketed correctly people may not be intrigued enough to go see it. A great movie!
The ending probably generated the multitude of bad reviews it got and word of mouth about the ending wouldn't have helped. Conversely, I thought the ending was perfect and immediately thinking back to what had happened throughout the film I could then see how it had been set up all the way through. Masterful film making. Critics who panned this one should feel ashamed of themselves. John.
I was a late bloomer to this film too… I’ve absolutely loved this film since 2018. I keep returning to it again and again. Loved the review- thank you 🙏
Thank you Dan. There are quite a few of us out there who love this film but surprisingly there are also a few who genuinely still don't like it. Must be the downbeat ending that puts them off I suppose, John.
I'll be interested to find out how many people do think this is a great film Boss. I like a lot of De Palma's film but I think I enjoyed this one more than any of the others I've seen. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks, John. Personally, I think this film is a classic for many reasons, particularly its focus on sound design, which modern cinema audiences may not appreciate much. I hope we continue to see more great content from you in 2023, but please go at your own pace. Best wishes.
@@tyo101 I have Everything Everywhere All At Once waiting to be watched so that might be the next 4K review. I haven't reviewed a modern film for a while now so it will break me out of this 70's and 80's period I've been going through lately. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Excellent to hear that preview, John. I'm very interested in hearing your views about that film, especially your opinion on the Blu-ray versus 4k version of it, as I've heard the latter is unfavourably dark in terms of the contrast and brightness levels. In any case, thank you as always.
@@tyo101 Film usually is darker than video Boss so that's probably the look the makers wanted on the 4K. Blu-ray is excellent but it's simply not up to the job of reproducing a fully filmic look like 4K is. That's due to HDR of course. John.
I still need to see a few more of his films James but if there's a better one than this in there then it's going to have to be a stone cold masterpiece. Blow Out might already fit into that category now that I think about it. John.
I hope you like it as much as I did Roy. Please I'd inadvertently avoided it until now as I wouldn't have seen it quite the same way until recently. John.
I wonder how many others will feel as you and I do. I feel like I've just seen one of my favourite films and have been on a high ever since. It helps that the disc is just about perfect too though. John.
I found out about this movie on a Tarantino's top 10 favorite list. Acording to him, this movie convinced him to cast Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Amazing movie. Gotta grab the 4k release now.
Hi John, how I envy people seeing films like this for the first time. I've seen it many times and have both the Criterion BluRay and 4K unopened! Silly me bought them both last year. Lovely video. Best to you all over there. Rob
You'll have to let me know what you think of the Blu-ray against the 4K because one comment on here thought there was no difference at all and took the 4K back to the store. We're both doing okay and hopefully looking forward to getting the home cinema finally sorted soon. No doubt you've got yours well on the way now!!! John.
@@moviecollector5920 hey John, for some reason all my TH-cam and Amazon replies from the last month just downloaded from Gmail! I definitely will. I have not opened either as of yet. Stay well my friends!
Thank you John for reminding me of this great movie. Have watched it only once a long time ago, but i still remember it. That reminded me of another great thriller with Gene Hackman, the french connection. I need to get those movies.
I think there are many of us waiting for The French Connection to arrive as a 4K UHD disc Morten. It surely can't be long as it will be 50 years next year. John.
It's not cheap on 4K but I'm really pleased I splashed out on it instead of the Blu-ray. If you already have the BD though, wait for a sale sometime just in case it's not quite the upgrade I think it is through your system. John.
Saw Blowout many decades ago, I think I saw it in the theater. After watching John T in "Welcome Back Kotter", "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease"...it was hard to see him in an extremely serious movie/thriller. After seeing him in many more "Thrillers" over the next 25 years, I need to go back and watch the movie again. I am sure I will view JT character in a much better light. -I do remember key "Sound" in the movie. Thanks for the review and reminding me of JT and his performance.
One of Travolta's best Bob. At the time I don't think we appreciated how good he was so time has helped this film. It was also a bit too arty or well made for a general audience and the ending wasn't anticipated even though it was telegraphed from early on. Going back and seeing how we were effectively told what was going to happen makes it a lot easier to appreciate. It's all there if you look for it. John.
By the sound of it, yet another great film that for whatever reason I have never heard about. I trust your judgement. When I get a chance, I will give it a try. Thank you!! Dmitri
One of the best I've seen for years Dmitri. I probably wouldn't have thought so much of it back in 1981 but time has been good for 'Blow Out'. And it also helps when the home video quality is as good as this 4K. I never would have thought it possible we'd see video of such wonderful, film-like quality. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Wow! Coming from you that is a massive compliment to the makers of this restoration! Slowly, but surely we obtain some of your suggested movies. I really want to see "Driver" and "Ten Commandments" first, as well as the Star Trek 4 and those episodes, as you recommended - I have it all written down, thanks to you. Perhaps after that, we will watch the "Blow Out" too. By the way "Forrest Gump" 4K is on sale at the moment. There are some interesting things to tell you, that you will most likely enjoy hearing. But first, let me go through today. Then, I will share. Wishing you and Susie a wonderful week! Dmitri
@@dmitripopov8570 Morning Dmitri. Forrest Gump has apparently had two different 4K releases but the one I have looks very good so if it's on sale I recommend snapping it up. A great movie. Next review will be the Steven Spielberg 2005 'War of the Worlds' which people asked me for after reviewing the 1953 film of the same name. John.
@@moviecollector5920 John, good morning back to you! I need to see your "War of the Worlds" from 1953 review. I want to see this movie for quite some time now. The 2005 remake I saw on its premiere day and liked it. It is a good story about strong family values - which local society is sadly lacking. When I was driving back home after midnight, I was still under impression of the movie and could easily imagine myself in that setting. That would not be the place where I would like to appear. I have to ask you. I often see that special effects do not always play an important role for you. You are there for the story telling and the style and quality of filming. Keeping that in mind, what is your favorite Sci-Fi movie of all time? Dmitri
@@dmitripopov8570 War of the Worlds (2005) is a much better film than I ever gave it credit for. I tend to look at films more when I'm sitting down with the intention of a TH-cam review and so I got to see it all afresh this time around. As with all films, special effects serve a purpose and should not be the main reason to see a film (or video!). My favourite film is Alien but I explained why that is in my TH-cam upload for that one over two years ago. It's a work of art but Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' is an even better work of art so maybe I should cite that as the 'best looking' science fiction with 'Alien' just behind it. But there are loads of them and '2001 A Space Odyssey' is one of them and possibly the original 'Star Wars' too. John.
Thanks for sharing John I think I only seen this Film once but can’t really remember much about it. I have Vertigo on 4K and thought the Quality was first class.
You'll probably like 'Blow Out' Paul. I don't really know how I'd managed to miss it all these years. As for Vertigo, that was a VistaVision shoot so that is why it looks so good. The computer equivalent resolution of VistaVision frames must be about 8K but it all depends on how the calculation is done really. I used to think a doubling of 35mm resolution at around 6K would be 12K therefore VistaVision would be 24K but I suppose that's a quadrupling if you assume 4K is four times the picture area of 2K. John.
@@moviecollector5920 John from what I remember I only seen it once or possibly twice but it’s been quite a while,I haven’t bought a 4K Disc in a while my friend bought me The Shooter for Christmas that would be the last one I have in my collection. I like films with DTS X sound.
@@paulallenMacca Blow Out is Dolby Stereo (aka ProLogic) but it's very nice. Actually, it's nice to have a film that has been issued which retains its original soundtrack. John.
From the moment I saw BLOW OUT on the big screen, sensored in Apartheid South Africa, I knew I was watching cinematic greatness unfold before me. Why it failed at the box office and with critics is a mystery,. Apart from, as you say, it being one of the all time great thrillers, I also think it is one of John Travolta's finest performances. Thanks again, John, for a superb, heartfelt review. Michael - South AFRICA
You and I are in alignment again Michael. It's likely that John Travolta wasn't being taken seriously at the time and for him to appear in a classy thriller did not seem suitable. How wrong we all were. A great performance but he's had so many others since. John.
John, if would also be remiss of me, unforgivable so, not to mention a film by this incredible director not really spoken about "Casualties of War", for me, one of the best Vietnam War films (far superior than the overrated "Platoon" - you are welcome to disagree), a film so shattering and devastating it is one of the few times in my life i actually came close to leaving before the end because I could not comprehend the horror I was witnessing AND based on a true story. I have not had the courage to watch it again, perhaps it's time I did. De Palma was heavily influenced by Alfred Hitchcock but, like all men of REAL talent and TRUE genius took that influence and not only built on it, but made it his own and dare I say.... at times surpassed the maestro. We are showing our age and here, John, but I think you'll agree - they don't make directors like this anymore. Michael - SA
@@thelookuplookdown I have seen 'Casualties of War' Michael, but it was a television broadcast so not ideal. I remember it rather well owing to the shocking nature of it so it will be interesting to see it again. There are a few other De Palma's that I need to catch up on so I have to work on my shopping list! Hitchcock made some great films but they would have been more impressive when new because there hadn't been anything like them before. I think we need to try to watch films within the context of when they were made because sometimes others come along and almost imitate so the original film that influenced doesn't like quite as impressive as it once did. The Exorcist is a good example of a once unique film that has suffered due to all the blatant rip-offs down the years, but I still don't think there's another one quite like it.
@@moviecollector5920 i fully agree, John, it's so frustrating when a younger cinema fan grudgingly says people like Hitchcock were good but dated!! you have to watch a film in context to the time it was made. The technology, those massive cumbersome cameras, and it's extraordinary what these great masters achieved. Yes, 'Exorcist' is a fine example, another one is 'JAWS", people don't realize we had never seen anything like it before. since then it has been imitated, copied, and to younger eyes may seem quaint. but I remember at its release it was the first time I left a screening in shock, truly in shock, I was trembling and could hardly speak. I'm so pleased I could have had that experience. Michael - SA (ps, one of the proudest titles in my collection is 1915's "INTOLERANCE" the epic silent film from master director D.W. Griffith which still packs a punch and the director can surely be seen as one of the 'fathers' of cinema).
@@thelookuplookdown I don't think I've ever seen 'Intolerance' Michael. My favourite films from the silent era tend to star Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton but I should really branch out a little. I did see 'Birth of a Nation' but that was a little too early for me in terms of my age and the age of the film. Spot on with Jaws. A masterpiece but I don't suppose younger audiences tend to see it the same way we did. John.
Very nice release from Criterion, I do have the UK release Blu-ray and yet to see it, but from everything I hear about it. Sounds right up my street, so hopefully I'll get round to it soon. Another amazing video John, speak soon
I like the look of that 'The Professionals' Blu-ray box from Network Pete. I'm going to have to look that up. Now that I think about it, I have one of the episodes on 16mm so I need to dig that out sometime. It must have been a television print that somehow found its way out of the back door years ago. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Hey John I hope you're well, that boxset is a wonderful treat in both of picture quality and the show itself. Oh wow that's amazing that would be cool to show off on the channel, take care mate
@@PlaytendoGuy When you watch the entire series of The Professionals, keep a lookout for a blue sports car in the first couple of episodes with and 'OOM' numberplate if I recall correctly as this is a Triumph TR7, one of the most controversial but iconic British cars ever mass produced. You'll never guess what I drive around in!!! As for the 16mm episode I have, I think it's called something like 'Chinese Takeway'. John.
Great review John. I love Blow out. It's a great Movie. I'm a huge De Palma fan. Now I've got a 4k Blu ray I've been looking around at what is availiable. Spotted this on the Criterion collection and on doing a search your review popped up. Great job and loved the review. Keep up the good work :)
I think it's one of my favourite 4K discs. Having to import it probably had something to do with it as I had to hang on for a while because it seemed like a lot of money for what it appeared to be but I'm delighted with it. Only the Blu-ray version here in the UK and it hasn't got those beautiful velvety blacks the 4K has. John.
Golly, I too have never seen this film. It's available to be watched on HBO so I will view it first there. If I like it as much as you do then I will be certain to snatch a 4K copy. Another great video!
It probably helped that it looks just like a 35mm master print on the 4K disc Henri so try to envisage all the blacks looking like the deepest black velvet if you do watch it on HBO first and colour that's as rich as you'd expect on a film print. John.
I love this movie ever since stumbling across it nearly 30 years ago on BBC 2 one night. A great old school ‘paranoia’ thriller. A really underrated movie.
I don't understand how I'd manged to miss it all these years. One of the best thrillers I've ever seen. A classic Brian De Palma and possibly his best which is saying something when you look at his catalogue. John.
Hey, I told you, you would love it, let’s hope Body Double gets released to 4K! Oh yeah great review and don’t forget Flatliners another fabulous movie and super 4K transfer, guaranteed you’ll love it!
I will get Flatliners sometime Gary because I remember it very well but didn't much care for it. I think Blow Out would have been similar if I'd have seen it in 1981. Glad I didn't see it all those years ago otherwise it would have spoiled it for me today. John.
Another great review John :) I think Blow Out is a really good and exciting thriller and it's one my favorite films with Travolta from the 80s. Great performance by Travolta, Allen and Lithgow. Many people consider this to be the best thriller by De Palma and I agree.
We're on the same hymn sheet yet again then. I think it may be the best thriller I've ever seen but there aren't many with such beautiful photography and wonderful sound. The chemistry between John Travolta and Nancy Allen is another factor but the ending is the topper. I can see why so many didn't like the ending but as soon as it happened I realized that was what the whole film was all about and a quick think back revealed that it was all telegraphed right the way through. John.
Superb film. Think I first saw this on BBC2's American Wave series. Back in the early 90s. Had to get Arrows blu ray steelbook of it when released. Looks like I will be double dipping! Great review as always.
@@jedlomax100 Many people have built bespoke cinemas in their gardens Stu but I expect you're thinking of the ABC replica building with 35mm projection inside. I haven't watched it for years but it's wonderful. I did see a lot of press coverage of it when it was first opened too. What an achievement. John.
@@jedlomax100 I'd like to buy the house Stu! There's a chap in America that paid about two million dollars to have a video home cinema in his basement. Neon lights in the entrance lobby and all manner of things like that. I haven't watched the video on it for years but I remember it being extremely impressive: th-cam.com/video/04YLqj1Sb1Q/w-d-xo.html
This was a blind buy for me on a Criterion sale. My mom was a big fan and when i found out it was a De Palma film i was in. The first scene took me by surprise in the best way possible! John Travolta looks cooler than ever and the movie itself is heavy with mood. Such a fantastic movie!
You get this movie too then Link89. Not all of us do but to be fair, I wouldn't have fully appreciated it until quite recently. It's one of those works of art that is simply beautiful to look at... and to listen to now that I think about it. John.
Wanted to buy this film from Criterion, but I wasn’t sure if it looked any good. Thank god one of my favorite 4K reviewers came out and saved the day. Receiving Dazed and Confused in 4K from Criterion soon, hopefully you could review it as well. Thank you for all you do on TH-cam.
Just about everything is apparently top-notch from Criterion. I never purchased much from them, probably because they were always more expensive, but I think their LaserDisc special editions is probably what started the whole 'extra features' thing we enjoy today. I used to look at those expensive LD boxes and wish I could afford them but there were always Super 8 films higher up my wish list back then. I'll keep a lookout for Dazed & Confused which I haven't come across but I suppose it's a Led Zeppelin documentary film. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Dazed & Confused is a Richard Linklater film about high school in the 1970's and not a documentary, it's the 70's equivalent of American Graffiti.
Only watched this for the first time last year too, and I was very impressed with the movie. I did order the UK Criterion Blu Ray before the 4K in the US came out, but I'm not sure if I want to stump up on the high pricing for a film i've only recently acquired...
I did have a look at the Blu-ray and it's lovely so you'll be fine with that. I just happened to be looking for this film by the time a 4K had been released and I couldn't help myself. Well, if a 4K is available and I very much want to see a particular film then I do tend to go for the 4K. John.
Thanks John for another great review. Blow Out is an absolute classic. I imported the 4k myself a few months ago but haven't got round to viewing it but your review is making me want to watch it. Unfortunately Criterion are not releasing 4ks in the UK. For me the best way to import them is to wait for the Barnes and Noble half price sale and using a shipping company Stackry to deliver the discs. Its beneficial to order to get the best value. If just buying one I agree WowHD are a fantastic website for importing.
I've only put orders into WowHD two or three times Peter so usually I'm able to resist. But 'Blow Out' looked so good and I hadn't seen it. I'm glad I decided to stump up the 40 (ish) quid to get a copy in now as it really is a top class film with a brilliant cine to video transfer and master. John.
See if you can hold out for a sale of some sort because being a Criterion 4K, it's a pricey disc. I couldn't wait any longer though and with other sellers over here asking around £50, the WowHD option became too irresistible, damn it! I'll be passing round the hat later!!! John.
I have the Arrow Blu-ray of this:; I just looked it up and found that I bought it way back in 2013, then watched it once shortly thereafter. So it's been on the shelf nearly a decade and watched just once. It's moments like this that I despair regards buying films and having a collection, so thanks John for getting me depressed and worried about years (and formats) passing by. So anyway as nice as I'm sure it is, I won't be importing the 4K disc, my Blu-ray will gather dust for me just fine, lol. It is a good film though. Isn't it a buzz discovering great old movies you somehow missed. I find it all the time watching 1940s/1950s film noir (admittedly I wasn't even born back then, but all the same, they've been waiting for me to catch up with them).
The other evening we watched the 1962 film 'The Longest Day' which I hadn't seen in about 50 years. Cinema Retro magazine has a feature on it in the present issue and it made me realize that I needed to see it again. A great film in many respects but how we used to sanitize what war was really like. What I'm saying here is effectively confirming exactly what you just said Ian. There are so many wonderful films out there and I just haven't seen enough of them... yet. John.
Hi Movie Collector, This fantastic thriller which is an ode to sound and filmmaking is actually a spin-off/unofficial remake of a British film Blow-up from 1966 directed by Italian director Michaelangelo Antonioni in his first English language film which was an ode to images and photography. I have been a fan of Blowout for over 12 years but only found this information out a year ago.
I only found it out yesterday Kashlie so you're way ahead of me. It's on my shopping list but I won't be expecting it to be quite as good as the De Palma film. Let's face it, there aren't too many films that are better! John.
Nice review, John. I saw Blow Out probably about 12 to 15 years ago and I remember liking it, but not loving it. It sounds like I might owe it another look though. DePalma is such a cool filmmaker, with a vision that is uniquely his own. Even his big budget movies have an offbeat vibe to them. He definitely stands apart from his contemporaries. Love me some DePalma!
Morning Bill. I thought I'd already responded to your post but apparently not so sorry about that. If I'd have seen 'Blow Out' before I don't think I'd have appreciated it anywhere near as much. It would have been too intelligent and mature a movie for me. So it turned out to be best that I'd inadvertently avoided it until now and it probably also helped that the 4K disc is as good as watching a 35mm master print. That's how it felt to me anyway. John.
@@moviecollector5920 good morning right back at ya, John! I think you're making a very strong case for me to revisit Blow Out. I'll have to give it a rewatch some time soon. Something I meant to ask in my initial comment was whether you've seen the documentary "DePalma". If you haven't, please watch it. It's excellent!
@@billg3356 I only saw that the De Palma documentary had been made in the past couple of days Bill so I need to find a copy. I hope it's been released on disc. John.
It's possible that you'll see Travolta in this one and your opinion will change Art. I wasn't particularly keen on him when he first made an explosion with Saturday Night Fever but that was largely because I didn't like the seedy atmosphere of that one when I first saw it. I love that film today so it's funny how we change as we age... and get increasingly better looking! John.
I picked this up also. I remember watching this on HBO back in the 80s and loved it glad I waited for it to come on 4K . What a great movie and transfer from criterion looking forward to going back to viewing this often 👍📽🎥🎬🍿
It's hard to believe it's not among the world's most favourite films in polls and surveys. I think most people haven't seen it and when they do, few fully understand it because it's not a conventional film. John.
I watched Blow Out for the first time ever, back in 2017, on Blu-ray. I felt it was above average but not amazing. After listening to your assessment of this movie I shall try to revisit it on 4K and see if I appreciate it more on a second viewing…
It's probably easy to miss much of the detail of this one and without it, it's likely it's not the same film. It's so well set up and looks so fabulous with such great characters that I can't believe I'd managed not to see it until now. Brilliant to be able to see if for the first time in such wonderful quality though so it worked out in the end. John.
Morning John. Blow Out is a beauty I alternate between Blow Out and Dressed To Kill as my favourite De Palma films. How did you manage to only just get round to seeing it?? I've got the Criterion and Arrow Blu-rays and the old MGM DVD, after seeing your video I might have to upgrade again. I still haven't got any Criterion 4K discs.
The 4K is expensive Steve so probably best to see if you can get it in a sale as you already have it several times over. I hadn't deliberately avoided this one but it somehow slipped through the net until it was brought to my attention following my review of 'Carlito's Way'. Just as well it took me so long to see it though because it's a more mature film than I'd have appreciated back in 1981. I'll need to take a fresh look at 'Dressed To Kill' because I found that one all a bit obvious in 1980 but enjoyed it much more when the Super 8 3x400ft cut down came out. I thought that had a better pace to it than the complete film so I grew to really like it but have not revisited the original, full length movie ever since. Another 4K purchase for the future but again, it's not available over here as far as I know. There are quite a few other De Palma's i've missed so I should probably get to those first. John.
Mine is the standard Blu-ray but it's rather nice. I don't think The Conversation is quite the great film that Blow Out is but I may change my mind when I do finally see it again. John.
Have the Arrow Video edition, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Don’t know whether to import but since Arrow seems to have lost the rights and Criterion released it that is now OOP, I think I might just upgrade.
It is rather expensive though so might be worth waiting to see if it can be snagged in a sale. I don't suppose that will happen on WowHD but maybe Barnes & Noble when they have a Criterion sale and get it shipped to a friend in America to then send it on. I paid about £40 which would be ridiculous were the end product not as impressive as it is. John.
I watched this film approx 10 years ago or so as a recommendation by some actor on tv. I loved it and am surprised to hear it made a loss of millions, JT was always a favourite of mine and this film showed he could do a lot more than just gyrate his hips on a dancefloor😅
John Travolta was under appreciated for much of his early career. To many of us he looked a little odd at the time which he doesn't so I suppose Saturday Night Fever and Grease had him almost typecast and he wasn't accepted in other types of roles. Fortunately, he kept going and got through it so now it's possible to see 'Blow Out' without those daft preconceptions. A great film for sure. Possibly De Palma's best... but I still have some others I need to see. John.
@@darkvader7231 I'm pretty sure I saw The Fury but I remember hardly anything about it which is unusual. Oh well, it's time for a re-watch anyway so that'll be fun. John.
@@moviecollector5920 The title score was by John Williams and is excellent! The film had Kirk Douglas who's son had telekinesis powers in it, a great film but certainly looks dated now with the 70's vibe.
@@darkvader7231 I like films that capture their period in time, particularly the 70's. I could remember it was a telekinetic film but nothing much more than that other than Kirk Douglas being the star. John.
All the best for the BFCC. Suggestion for seating would be staggered. As in a 12 seats 1st row & a 13 seats 2nd row. Allowing people to view in-between the people seated in front of them. Enjoy.
Thank you SAINT. We'll have 200 seats to put out but usually people find a secluded spot except for it there's a really popular show on. Hopefully the dealers will keep everyone looking for goodies and spread things out for us. John.
Just caught up with both your new videos- great as always! Just wanted to mention that I think critics are just wrong about films as often as they're right - many movies become rightfully appreciated later, or turned into so called cult-classics. Also the UK Arrow release of Blow Out has a few different interviews not on the Criterion disc.
Critics shouldn't be so critical Lenny. That's what I think anyway. They're critics and if they were really knowledgeable about films then they'd be making them but they're not. A lesson or two into what goes into making a serious film production would probably help more than a few of them. With 'Blow Out' I think a few too many of them got a little jealous over De Palma's success with 'Dressed To Kill' the previous year. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Oh, wow, that's an excellent point, they should analyze and advise, not deter, not many think like you John, and follow blindly critics' judgement.
@@LennyNero2019 There is always something to talk about when reviewing a film even if we don't care for it ourselves. I can see that a lot of people would very much enjoy 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' but I'm not sure that I did. It wouldn't be my job to rip it to pieces just because I didn't enjoy it though. As for 'Blow Out', how anyone could view this film and claim it was poor is a mystery, but even if someone didn't like it for whatever reason, it's easy for everyone to see it is a well made, good film. For me, it's a great film and deserves all the plaudits it belatedly received. Would I have liked it so much back in 1981? Probably not. I wasn't as thoughtful then and I wouldn't have thought it was right that the star of Saturday Night Fever and Grease was given a serious role. How wrong I would have been. John.
Brilliant to see it for the first time all these years later in such wonderful quality. As a result Steven, I'm glad I'd managed to miss it all these years. John.
That depends on how much you want to spend. Richer Sounds have an Optoma for about £900 and that looks like it should be very good given the specifications. The zoom lens may be a little restrictive but many of them are irrespective of the asking price. John.
@@Jb991-q9x I think many video projectors are too bright and that's a problem for some movies as it exacerbates film grain further and makes the highlights blow out on occasion. My current Optoma is okay but sometimes it's a little too bright and there's not much that can be done about it. Probably why I have to turn the HDR down sometimes. John.
@@Jb991-q9x The opening of Apocalypse Now is an optical composite so two film elements being combined together and filmed onto a new, third reel of 35mm. Three times the grain. I don't have 'Brilliiant Colour' on. 'Sharpness' is probably best at messing up image quality out of all the digital 'enhancements' so that's probably the one to ensure is minimized or off. John.
@@garyharper2943 That one's worth taking a look at too then. Richer Sounds will have it and they have demo rooms so you might be able to get a comparative look at it with some others of similar price. Thanks for the pointer Gary. John.
Speaking of fancy collectors editions, Zavvi have some fancier ones that come with postcards, booklets and posters. Silent Running is one of them that is still in stock
I have to admit that I don't tend to use Zavvi as they don't have physical shops. I did get the steelbook of 'Super 8' from them though because that looked too irresistible. John.
I bet that Blu-ray is brilliant too Gary. I stuck out for the 4K even though it cost a small fortune compared to what I could have got the Blu-ray for over here. Glad I did in the end but I didn't think it would disappoint being a Criterion. John.
Hey John, great review. I had the 4k on order from Zavvi 4 months ago but never received it and they cancelled my order, it’s not easy to get this Discs in Germany. Standard Blu always sold out too. But I wanted to see this film for years now. I know the plot though and it’s clearly a late product of the 1970s post Kennedy-assassination wave of paranoid political thrillers like The Parallax view and All the Presidents men. The Influence of Antonionis Blow Out and Coppolas the Conversation is very evident, all these film are trying to recover pieces of information from footage or sound recordings to put together a greater puzzle wich of course requires further research by the protagonists. I like the style of photography being used in films from this particular era, a visual concept heavily influenced by Gordon Willis. Do you plan to review theGodfather as well? If you do so you should consider watching a movie called the Conformist first (if you haven’t already). It’s a political Drama set in the 1930s and by far the best film Bernardo Bertolucci ever made. The Style of editing and the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro were extremely influential and Coppola took the famous falling leaves scene in Godfather Part 2 directly from this film as well as the actor Gadtone Moschin who plays Don Fanucci who is famously murdered by Young Vito in one of the flashback sequences. Have you already seen Solaris and how do you like it? It’s one of my favorite films. Greeting.
First of all, yes, I watched that Criterion Blu-ray of Solaris and it's terrific. I need to watch it again though as I was a little tired and it's not the sort of film to feel a little dozy to while watching it. I don't tend to use Zavvi but if I'd have known they were getting copies of Blow Out then I may have tried them again but fortunately I just thought of WowHD. I did look around for it when it turned out WowHD were out of stock for quite a while but then it suddenly reappeared and so I snapped up a copy. Took almost two weeks to get here this time so they may have still been waiting for new supplied as they didn't ship for three or four days. I need to re-watch my LaserDiscs of the first two Godfather films as I didn't really get on with those films too well when I was younger. If I like them now then I'll know that I can snap up a 4K or two if I see them singing like a bird (cheap, cheap). A few people have told me Blow Up was an influence for Blow Out so I need to keep a lookout for that one too. But I think Blow Out is a class act that will stand alone irrespective of any previous film it may have borrowed from. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Unfortunately Zavvi is the only way to preorder Discs from Arrow Video, Eureka etc. from Germany and they are better than amazon. I loved Solaris since I first saw it about a decade ago, from the great cinematography to the atmosphere and intelligent Dialog . I also bought the Criterions of Stalker, Andrej Rublev and Mirror, and they were all great as well. Have you seen one of these? The Godfather film are among my favorites since I first saw them at age 16 , only the third one is lacking. They will come out in standard cases in the next couple of months (at least in Germany), maybe this will be my chance to upgrade them to 4k. I also managed to track down one of the last available copies of the Mad Max 4k Steelbook boxset, can’t wait to watch them when I get a new 4k tv in the near future (the old one has severe burn in). Do you plan on getting the last emperor in 4k? I have that on preorder and it has the potential to look quite spectacular (like most Storaro shot film especially in the Univisum aspect ratio). I bought this great get Carter set too last year, had the old Warner blu ray for years. Daniel
PS Just escaped me to reinquire about your thoughts again on the sound quality here with the Criterion 4k I'll rewatch the review again. I know there are some great shots of just JT out collecting sound with the tape recorder and the sounds of the night/wind and trees blowing etc Hoping they sound good on the system. Apologies if u mentioned it i'll review the review hahah Cheers D!
The only thing I said about the sound as far as I recall, is that it's as good as anything I've heard lately with the possible exceptions of Jurassic World: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick. It may not have sound flying all around you throughout the room but it is entirely suitable to the film and I'm glad no one attempted to mess about with it and turn it into the latest multi-channel Dolby or Digital Theatre System. John.
I probably wouldn't have appreciated it so much until quite recently. There's probably a better film in there that most of us would have picked up years ago but that's usually the case with Brian De Palma's films. He does seem to get the best out of everyone responsible for making one of his movies. John.
Vilmos Zsigmond rarely lets the side down. This is probably my second favourite De Palma film after "The Untouchables" (although I'm aware that's probably an unpopular choice!) Do you have any particular favourite cinematographer? So happy you liked this movie!
Freddy Francis, Vilmos Zsigmond (because of this film and other De Palma's), Derek Vanlint, Roger Deakins and probably a whole load of others I can't think of right now. I too think The Untouchables is absolutely fabulous. I think I prefer Blow Out now though but it's close. John.
@@moviecollector5920 It was basically a rip-off of "Rear Window" with more sex. It featured that Chemosphere house in LA. I haven't seen it in years, so it may have aged badly, but I think it'll still be worth the watch.
It's kinda funny that you say that The Conversation was this movies inspiration since Coppola has said that the Conversation took inspiration from Michelangelo Antonionis Blowup, which is the original movie Blow Out is based on.
A great film, it should have done much better when it hit theaters, but it got mixed reviews and why too many who saw DRESSED TO KILL skipped it is odd. Promotion in the U.S. was not bad, but it deserved much better than it got and Travolta would not be in another great film until PULP FICTION, despite his best efforts. Too many critics at the time just had their knives out for any director they could take down. BLOW UP definitely influenced it, but it does more. Robin Wood's book HOLLYWOOD FROM VIETNAM TO REAGAN ...AND BEYOND has a great section on it. I loved this 4K and raved about it on my website.
The first thing Nicholas, we need a link to your web site! I think this is a better film than Dressed To Kill which was a little too obvious to me so lacked the mystery aspect of it all. A near duplicate of the ending to Carrie didn't help either but I do very much like it and need to take another look as I preferred the Super 8 3x400ft cut down and have stuck with that ever since. As for John Travolta, I think people had him typecast in their minds after Saturday Night Fever and Grease and so today 'Blow Out' is looked at differently. What a great actor he always was and is, but many of us couldn't see it. John.
Sorry Alex. But if you can't resist, try to hold out until there's a sale or something just in case you find the Blu-ray is almost as good on your system. I did seriously consider just buying the Blu-ray over here as it was only about £11 but when there's a 4K available too, it just eats away at me. I succumbed in the end. John.
I think I did to get Halloween II in 2021. It was the only one of the five I wanted because I have the original on film and don't much care for the others. But I really should watch 'Season of the Witch' again. John.
I think it's my favourite Brian De Palma film Alex so our opinions aren't too far removed. I expect the pair of us haven't actually seen the best film ever made yet. Let's hope not anyway and let's hope there is even better to come. John.
I really struggle to understand the region locking of bonus content. The 4k's are region free anyway, but not the Blu-rays in the same package. It makes no sense whatsoever, but seems to be the rule most of the time.
I expect it's just how the formats have evolved through the years Dellers and the rules are less restrictive on the latest format. However, with this one it is easy to get round it on any player. I think I detailed that in the description because I hadn't heard about the ease of getting around a Blu-ray Zone code on a Criterion disc until I did this review so I hope I put the information in the description for this video as a result. John.
The movie was clearly inspired by Ted Kennedy and the infamous Chappaquidick incident. I remember enjoying the first 3/4 of the movie 🎥 and then it runs out of steam towards the end . Still overall it’s an excellent John Travolta performance whose character dominates the movie .
I didn't find it ran out of steam so that's interesting. At first I thought he was going to save the girl otherwise it would be history repeating itself and he would be a gibbering wreck for the rest of his life. When the ending came, I realized that was the entire point of the whole film. No wonder people were disappointed but I was the complete opposite and thought it was the perfect way to end it all. "It's a good scream. It's a good scream." John.
Possibly Brian. But some of them are just nasty and give nasty people a bit of power and they'll abuse it. The same thing happened with Carlito's Way. I couldn't understand that then and I don't understand it now. John.
DePalma’s best, IMHO. Followed closely by Carlito’s Way and then the rest follow a little further down the quality line. DePalma is undeniably one of the greats.
Great classic film but concerning your list of similar or influential films you neglected to mention BLOW UP from ‘66. A film that, without which, Blow Out might not even exist.
@@moviecollector5920 It’s a swinging 60s British classic. It’s well worth your time if you can track it down. Covers a lot of the same themes as Blow Out but with a more ambiguous tone. Highly recommended.
Taken together “Blow Up”, “The Conversation”, and “Blow Out” make a nice little treatise on film. Looking at images or sound by themselves don’t give any real answers. It’s only by combining the two into film that the truth is revealed.
Damned annoying Jacob. However, I've just pinned a comment to the top which means that if you have any Panasonic 4K or Blu-ray player then you'll be able to play the Blu-ray without any problems irrespective of the region/zone applied. I can confirm it works. This particular release is expensive though. John.
"One of the greatest thrillers ever made". Very high praise indeed. I can't agree with you on this film. After recently watching it for the second time in as many decades, I haven't changed my mind. I found the plot of the film ridiculous. I also feel that John Travolta and Nancy Allen put out terrible performances. DePalma has "borrowed" far too many ideas from Hitchcock and other great directors and I'm being kind by using the term borrowed. I can see why Tarantino loves the guy so much. He himself is one of the greatest "borrowers" in the business. If I had to pick a film that gets the most undeserved praise, it would be this one.
Well if we all thought the same about everything it would be a boring world Charles. I think the Travolta/Allen chemistry is wonderful in this and their on screen relationship is a major reason for its success. But I also think this 4K looking like I would expect a premiere house 35mm master print to look is another thing in its favour. Blacks like this were never possible with video prior to the advent of HDR. Pauline Kael used the term 'velvety blacks' in her review re-printed in the booklet and I stole that because I think it describes the look of this film perfectly. Give it another twenty years and you may find you see this one almost like I do... but not quite! John.
No Best Buy is a big box electronics store here in the states. They have shrunk their movies isles in recent years. But the fact that they are selling a few criterion blu rays is weird since for the longest time the only brick and mortar way of buying criterion blu rays was at Barnes and Noble. Also Best Buy still dose some great exclusive steelbooks. One I wish I had gotten was what you call La Mans 66 we call Ford Vs Ferrari in the states.
I find that ending to be a major strength of the film. Executives probably don't study movies though so they didn't see that the whole thing was specifically leading up to it and largely the whole point of it. John.
Greetings John! That book on the history of Belfast Cinemas looks like a fascinating read. I’m about 30 mins from Belfast myself. My Granda worked as a projectionist for 40 years. He was unfortunately made redundant once digital came in! I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, but the closest I can get is switching on the digital projector at home. I’ve attached a link below to a video that would be a great companion peace to your new book. ‘The A-Z of Belfast cinemas’ Thanks again for all the great and informative content John. You and your videos are truly one of a kind. th-cam.com/video/YXyjgTzuYpI/w-d-xo.html
You need to get into a bit of Super 8 then David and then you'll be able to play at being a cinema projectionist in miniature. I'm running that video right now so thank you for pointing me to it. John.
@@moviecollector5920 hope you enjoy the video! I would love to get into super 8 at some point. Unfortunately, I would need a lot of teaching on it! I was born in 1996, so it’s a good bit before my time. At some point I’m sure I’ll experiment with it! Plenty of research to do first of course!
@@davidw7834 That video was terrific. What a terrible fate some of those beautiful picture palaces befell which was absolutely pointless. Right now in London we're going through a period of losing the great picture palaces. Given what is being provided for viewing in the home though it's inevitable. Fortunately the BFI IMAX has been a bit of light in a dark period and has risen like a phoenix during a time when everywhere else seems to be getting demolished. It's been there since the 90's (when some were just being born!) but it's survived and will hopefully thrive long into the future. They've got the new Christopher Nolan genuine IMAX film 'Oppenheimer' arriving at the end of July and that should be a real treat for true film lovers who can get there and see it on the 90ft wide screen. As for Super 8, it's so easy compared to 35mm and a great springboard for learning all there is to learn about film. Take a look at www.bfcc.biz and go to the Independent 8 pages via the menu down the right of the screen and take a look at their equipment and film sales list to get an idea of what you can get and for how much. Classic Home Cinema is the biggest dealer and distributor here today so look them up too. I was actually running Super 8 this afternoon as I've put a new HTI lamp in the convention's projector so that it's full brightness ready for April 29th. John.
Hi John. I rented this recently and sorry to say It was a massive disappointment. I was expecting something special but I found it all a bit uninteresting. I’m not De Palmas biggest fan to be honest anyway so that doesn’t help.
I think quite a few people felt the same way but it was inevitable as we were almost told it was going to happen from very early on. She should have got on the train before being talked into going for a drink and effectively being told history was going to repeat and she'd get the same ending as the undercover policeman. John.
Criterion do brilliant but pricey ,I have two in my collection,two crackers I got in HMV two for £25 ,Klute and It's a mad, mad ,mad,mad world, you should do your favourite 70s film's . Klute and The Conversation ,Three days of the condor and The Parallex view along with a good few others would be in mine.
I have that disc of Klute Laura which is a brilliant film, not least because of Jane Fonda. I did get to see that one on the big screen and then young Janey came in afterwards for an on stage interview. I haven't seen Three Days of the Condor for years but it's one I keep meaning to find and purchase so if Criterion have that one I'll put it on the shopping list. John.
Hi John, another great review. I too have a new Cinema book I’d like to send you. How can I find your contact details so I can get your address. Graham
Very kind of you Graham. I don't want anyone spending money on me though so I hope you haven't bought it especially and that it's not an astronomical postal cost. On bfcc.biz you'll see there's only one 'John' on the contact page. If you don't get a reply then give me a prod on here. John.
Reminder for all those wary of importing Region A coded Criterion discs: If you own a Panasonic Region B Blu-Ray player, when the wrong region message appears, press Stop, then Top-Menu und the disc will load into the menu just fine. I have around 50 Region A Criterion releases and every single one of them with a production date of 2012 and later works in this way. I have 2 Criterion releases from 2011 that don't work with this method (I do have a Region free player anyway). This method doesn't seem to work with Shout/Scream or Kino Lorber Blu-Rays. None of the releases i own from these 2 studios work with this trick.
I've tried this immediately Moo and spot on! That'll save some messing around with different drives in future. Ta velly muchly. John.
Doesn't work with KL. I'll try with Criterion when I get one
John, thank you so much for the shout out! I am humbled. I sure enjoy your channel and I've been doing my best to get reviews out that are unique to me just like yours are unique to you! I always look forward to your next one. I'd love to go to that film convention you are talking about. Until next time, and thank you so much again.
I hope it brings you a few new viewers. I have a lot of catching up to do but the BFCC has been taking up so much time. I'm getting there though. John.
Subscribed to your channel after watching this video.
@@cheekster777 Thank you and welcome!
@@cheekster777 There's some interesting content over there. I have a lot of catching up to do but that's good because it means that right now there's always something for me to watch.
@@moviecollector5920 thank you John, it seems like a handful have already come over and are taking a look!
I admire and appreciate how many other TH-cam channels you give a mention to in your videos, John. I have visited and subscribed to all of them (I think?). Would likely not have found them had it not been for you.
What a gentleman, you are.
Thank you. 🙏🏻
There are some good people out there with different approaches. It's nice to be in a position to be able to give some of them a little help... well, hopefully anyway. John.
I agree!
De Palma is a cinematic God to me, the only visual maestro who can create unique dream-like world with his camera
I hadn't really thought about it like that but you're right Mustafa. He does seem to have a unique look to his films. John.
Vastly underrated de Palma movie. Unfortunately this came out when JT had gone from the biggest BO draw to poison after two disappointment films, Moment By Moment and Urban Cowboy. I remember seeing the trailer in The Odeon, Plymouth and being excited to see the latest de Palma movie, unfortunately they never showed it. Had to wait for the video rental to come out and it’s always been one of my favourite movies. Glad you’ve finally got to see it!
I only saw Urban Cowboy a couple of years ago Mark and I thought it was pretty terrific. I suppose people quickly tired of John Travolta with two big successes on the trot and a break was required to see him for how good he really is. 'Blow Out' may be his best ever performance/portrayal but he's been good in just about everything I've seen. John.
@@moviecollector5920, yeah a great actor when given the right part, and boy was Blow Out ever the right part!
Thanks so much for this great video! Brian De Palma is an absolute favourite. Let us hope all of this classics make it to 4k UHD.
I still have quite a few of his films to catch up on. 'Murder A La Mod' will be first as it's on the Blu-ray as an extra which is jolly decent of Criterion. I'll also need to re-watch 'Phantom of the Paradise' as I haven't seen it since I was about 13 or 14 years old. John.
Happy to hear you took mine and others recommendation to see Blow Out. There was really never a doubt you would heartily enjoy it!
What has been quite surprising is the number of people who really don't like it. A number of comments have come in in that regard. Might have been too young when they first saw it I suppose. John.
@@moviecollector5920 My first viewing was at age 16, and I remember liking it quite a bit, but by that time I was already watching movies which most of my friends thought were "too old", "too serious", and "too boring". For me, Blow Out has only improved with age.
@@1165mac The 4K cine to video transfer of Blow Out made it even more enjoyable. The blacks were blacker than black! First class movie. First class cine transfer. Excellent Dolby Stereo sound. John.
@@moviecollector5920 As much as I enjoy it, I don't own it...yet. Thanks for the review of this disc, because it's good to know they treated it right.
I have this 4K release! Excellent review! Of course, the film was inspired by Antonioni's "Blowup" (1966). I vividly recall seeing this in the cinema in 1981 and being "blown" away by it, and thinking it was one of the best movies of the year. I believe it's Travolta's best performance on film, and arguably DePalma's best movie. Why it was not a big hit was unfathomable to me. It received "two thumbs up" from Siskel and Ebert, who back then were the two most influential American critics. My best guess is that at the time the audience was suffering from "Travolta fatigue" and his career was on a downhill decline. Also, it was released in July and there was a glut of very popular movies that summer all vying for an audience. And, of course, if a movie isn't marketed correctly people may not be intrigued enough to go see it. A great movie!
The ending probably generated the multitude of bad reviews it got and word of mouth about the ending wouldn't have helped. Conversely, I thought the ending was perfect and immediately thinking back to what had happened throughout the film I could then see how it had been set up all the way through. Masterful film making. Critics who panned this one should feel ashamed of themselves. John.
I was a late bloomer to this film too… I’ve absolutely loved this film since 2018. I keep returning to it again and again. Loved the review- thank you 🙏
Thank you Dan. There are quite a few of us out there who love this film but surprisingly there are also a few who genuinely still don't like it. Must be the downbeat ending that puts them off I suppose, John.
Always good to see another video by you, John. A classic film.
Regards.
I'll be interested to find out how many people do think this is a great film Boss. I like a lot of De Palma's film but I think I enjoyed this one more than any of the others I've seen. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks, John. Personally, I think this film is a classic for many reasons, particularly its focus on sound design, which modern cinema audiences may not appreciate much.
I hope we continue to see more great content from you in 2023, but please go at your own pace.
Best wishes.
@@tyo101 I have Everything Everywhere All At Once waiting to be watched so that might be the next 4K review. I haven't reviewed a modern film for a while now so it will break me out of this 70's and 80's period I've been going through lately. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Excellent to hear that preview, John. I'm very interested in hearing your views about that film, especially your opinion on the Blu-ray versus 4k version of it, as I've heard the latter is unfavourably dark in terms of the contrast and brightness levels.
In any case, thank you as always.
@@tyo101 Film usually is darker than video Boss so that's probably the look the makers wanted on the 4K. Blu-ray is excellent but it's simply not up to the job of reproducing a fully filmic look like 4K is. That's due to HDR of course. John.
Terrific as always, John. I knew it’d be up your alley! Easily my favorite DePalma.
I still need to see a few more of his films James but if there's a better one than this in there then it's going to have to be a stone cold masterpiece. Blow Out might already fit into that category now that I think about it. John.
Great job John 👍👍...never heard of this film.... going on my watchlist 😁
I hope you like it as much as I did Roy. Please I'd inadvertently avoided it until now as I wouldn't have seen it quite the same way until recently. John.
One of my absolute favorites! Great video John.
I wonder how many others will feel as you and I do. I feel like I've just seen one of my favourite films and have been on a high ever since. It helps that the disc is just about perfect too though. John.
I found out about this movie on a Tarantino's top 10 favorite list. Acording to him, this movie convinced him to cast Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Amazing movie. Gotta grab the 4k release now.
That explains that Pulp Fiction appearance then Micael. I didn't know that. John.
That’s correct!!
Hi John, how I envy people seeing films like this for the first time. I've seen it many times and have both the Criterion BluRay and 4K unopened! Silly me bought them both last year. Lovely video. Best to you all over there. Rob
You'll have to let me know what you think of the Blu-ray against the 4K because one comment on here thought there was no difference at all and took the 4K back to the store. We're both doing okay and hopefully looking forward to getting the home cinema finally sorted soon. No doubt you've got yours well on the way now!!! John.
@@moviecollector5920 hey John, for some reason all my TH-cam and Amazon replies from the last month just downloaded from Gmail! I definitely will. I have not opened either as of yet. Stay well my friends!
Thank you John for reminding me of this great movie. Have watched it only once a long time ago, but i still remember it. That reminded me of another great thriller with Gene Hackman, the french connection. I need to get those movies.
I think there are many of us waiting for The French Connection to arrive as a 4K UHD disc Morten. It surely can't be long as it will be 50 years next year. John.
I just saw it for the first time last year myself. It's an excellent film. I need to pick up the 4K for sure.
It's not cheap on 4K but I'm really pleased I splashed out on it instead of the Blu-ray. If you already have the BD though, wait for a sale sometime just in case it's not quite the upgrade I think it is through your system. John.
Thank you John.
I really don't know how you do it Cheekster. First again.
Thank you John. Always a professional First class reviews…😎👏👏👏👏👏👏👍
Thank you Patrick. John.
Saw Blowout many decades ago, I think I saw it in the theater. After watching John T in "Welcome Back Kotter", "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease"...it was hard to see him in an extremely serious movie/thriller. After seeing him in many more "Thrillers" over the next 25 years, I need to go back and watch the movie again. I am sure I will view JT character in a much better light.
-I do remember key "Sound" in the movie.
Thanks for the review and reminding me of JT and his performance.
One of Travolta's best Bob. At the time I don't think we appreciated how good he was so time has helped this film. It was also a bit too arty or well made for a general audience and the ending wasn't anticipated even though it was telegraphed from early on. Going back and seeing how we were effectively told what was going to happen makes it a lot easier to appreciate. It's all there if you look for it. John.
By the sound of it, yet another great film that for whatever reason I have never heard about. I trust your judgement. When I get a chance, I will give it a try. Thank you!!
Dmitri
One of the best I've seen for years Dmitri. I probably wouldn't have thought so much of it back in 1981 but time has been good for 'Blow Out'. And it also helps when the home video quality is as good as this 4K. I never would have thought it possible we'd see video of such wonderful, film-like quality. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Wow! Coming from you that is a massive compliment to the makers of this restoration! Slowly, but surely we obtain some of your suggested movies. I really want to see "Driver" and "Ten Commandments" first, as well as the Star Trek 4 and those episodes, as you recommended - I have it all written down, thanks to you. Perhaps after that, we will watch the "Blow Out" too.
By the way "Forrest Gump" 4K is on sale at the moment.
There are some interesting things to tell you, that you will most likely enjoy hearing. But first, let me go through today. Then, I will share.
Wishing you and Susie a wonderful week!
Dmitri
@@dmitripopov8570 Morning Dmitri. Forrest Gump has apparently had two different 4K releases but the one I have looks very good so if it's on sale I recommend snapping it up. A great movie. Next review will be the Steven Spielberg 2005 'War of the Worlds' which people asked me for after reviewing the 1953 film of the same name. John.
@@moviecollector5920 John, good morning back to you! I need to see your "War of the Worlds" from 1953 review. I want to see this movie for quite some time now. The 2005 remake I saw on its premiere day and liked it. It is a good story about strong family values - which local society is sadly lacking. When I was driving back home after midnight, I was still under impression of the movie and could easily imagine myself in that setting. That would not be the place where I would like to appear.
I have to ask you. I often see that special effects do not always play an important role for you. You are there for the story telling and the style and quality of filming. Keeping that in mind, what is your favorite Sci-Fi movie of all time?
Dmitri
@@dmitripopov8570 War of the Worlds (2005) is a much better film than I ever gave it credit for. I tend to look at films more when I'm sitting down with the intention of a TH-cam review and so I got to see it all afresh this time around. As with all films, special effects serve a purpose and should not be the main reason to see a film (or video!). My favourite film is Alien but I explained why that is in my TH-cam upload for that one over two years ago. It's a work of art but Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' is an even better work of art so maybe I should cite that as the 'best looking' science fiction with 'Alien' just behind it. But there are loads of them and '2001 A Space Odyssey' is one of them and possibly the original 'Star Wars' too. John.
Thanks for sharing John I think I only seen this Film once but can’t really remember much about it.
I have Vertigo on 4K and thought the Quality was first class.
You'll probably like 'Blow Out' Paul. I don't really know how I'd managed to miss it all these years. As for Vertigo, that was a VistaVision shoot so that is why it looks so good. The computer equivalent resolution of VistaVision frames must be about 8K but it all depends on how the calculation is done really. I used to think a doubling of 35mm resolution at around 6K would be 12K therefore VistaVision would be 24K but I suppose that's a quadrupling if you assume 4K is four times the picture area of 2K. John.
@@moviecollector5920 John from what I remember I only seen it once or possibly twice but it’s been quite a while,I haven’t bought a 4K Disc in a while my friend bought me The Shooter for Christmas that would be the last one I have in my collection.
I like films with DTS X sound.
@@paulallenMacca Blow Out is Dolby Stereo (aka ProLogic) but it's very nice. Actually, it's nice to have a film that has been issued which retains its original soundtrack. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I remember the Dolby Pro Logic from years ago.
From the moment I saw BLOW OUT on the big screen, sensored in Apartheid South Africa, I knew I was watching cinematic greatness unfold before me. Why it failed at the box office and with critics is a mystery,. Apart from, as you say, it being one of the all time great thrillers, I also think it is one of John Travolta's finest performances. Thanks again, John, for a superb, heartfelt review. Michael - South AFRICA
You and I are in alignment again Michael. It's likely that John Travolta wasn't being taken seriously at the time and for him to appear in a classy thriller did not seem suitable. How wrong we all were. A great performance but he's had so many others since.
John.
John, if would also be remiss of me, unforgivable so, not to mention a film by this incredible director not really spoken about "Casualties of War", for me, one of the best Vietnam War films (far superior than the overrated "Platoon" - you are welcome to disagree), a film so shattering and devastating it is one of the few times in my life i actually came close to leaving before the end because I could not comprehend the horror I was witnessing AND based on a true story. I have not had the courage to watch it again, perhaps it's time I did. De Palma was heavily influenced by Alfred Hitchcock but, like all men of REAL talent and TRUE genius took that influence and not only built on it, but made it his own and dare I say.... at times surpassed the maestro. We are showing our age and here, John, but I think you'll agree - they don't make directors like this anymore. Michael - SA
@@thelookuplookdown I have seen 'Casualties of War' Michael, but it was a television broadcast so not ideal. I remember it rather well owing to the shocking nature of it so it will be interesting to see it again. There are a few other De Palma's that I need to catch up on so I have to work on my shopping list! Hitchcock made some great films but they would have been more impressive when new because there hadn't been anything like them before. I think we need to try to watch films within the context of when they were made because sometimes others come along and almost imitate so the original film that influenced doesn't like quite as impressive as it once did. The Exorcist is a good example of a once unique film that has suffered due to all the blatant rip-offs down the years, but I still don't think there's another one quite like it.
@@moviecollector5920 i fully agree, John, it's so frustrating when a younger cinema fan grudgingly says people like Hitchcock were good but dated!! you have to watch a film in context to the time it was made. The technology, those massive cumbersome cameras, and it's extraordinary what these great masters achieved. Yes, 'Exorcist' is a fine example, another one is 'JAWS", people don't realize we had never seen anything like it before. since then it has been imitated, copied, and to younger eyes may seem quaint. but I remember at its release it was the first time I left a screening in shock, truly in shock, I was trembling and could hardly speak. I'm so pleased I could have had that experience. Michael - SA (ps, one of the proudest titles in my collection is 1915's "INTOLERANCE" the epic silent film from master director D.W. Griffith which still packs a punch and the director can surely be seen as one of the 'fathers' of cinema).
@@thelookuplookdown I don't think I've ever seen 'Intolerance' Michael. My favourite films from the silent era tend to star Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton but I should really branch out a little. I did see 'Birth of a Nation' but that was a little too early for me in terms of my age and the age of the film. Spot on with Jaws. A masterpiece but I don't suppose younger audiences tend to see it the same way we did. John.
Very nice release from Criterion, I do have the UK release Blu-ray and yet to see it, but from everything I hear about it. Sounds right up my street, so hopefully I'll get round to it soon. Another amazing video John, speak soon
I like the look of that 'The Professionals' Blu-ray box from Network Pete. I'm going to have to look that up. Now that I think about it, I have one of the episodes on 16mm so I need to dig that out sometime. It must have been a television print that somehow found its way out of the back door years ago. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Hey John I hope you're well, that boxset is a wonderful treat in both of picture quality and the show itself. Oh wow that's amazing that would be cool to show off on the channel, take care mate
@@PlaytendoGuy When you watch the entire series of The Professionals, keep a lookout for a blue sports car in the first couple of episodes with and 'OOM' numberplate if I recall correctly as this is a Triumph TR7, one of the most controversial but iconic British cars ever mass produced. You'll never guess what I drive around in!!! As for the 16mm episode I have, I think it's called something like 'Chinese Takeway'. John.
Great review John. I love Blow out. It's a great Movie. I'm a huge De Palma fan. Now I've got a 4k Blu ray I've been looking around at what is availiable. Spotted this on the Criterion collection and on doing a search your review popped up. Great job and loved the review. Keep up the good work :)
I think it's one of my favourite 4K discs. Having to import it probably had something to do with it as I had to hang on for a while because it seemed like a lot of money for what it appeared to be but I'm delighted with it. Only the Blu-ray version here in the UK and it hasn't got those beautiful velvety blacks the 4K has. John.
Another stellar review! Might have to pick this one up
I hope you like it as much as I did if you do Scott. John.
Golly, I too have never seen this film. It's available to be watched on HBO so I will view it first there. If I like it as much as you do then I will be certain to snatch a 4K copy. Another great video!
It probably helped that it looks just like a 35mm master print on the 4K disc Henri so try to envisage all the blacks looking like the deepest black velvet if you do watch it on HBO first and colour that's as rich as you'd expect on a film print. John.
I love this movie ever since stumbling across it nearly 30 years ago on BBC 2 one night. A great old school ‘paranoia’ thriller. A really underrated movie.
I don't understand how I'd manged to miss it all these years. One of the best thrillers I've ever seen. A classic Brian De Palma and possibly his best which is saying something when you look at his catalogue. John.
Hey, I told you, you would love it, let’s hope Body Double gets released to 4K! Oh yeah great review and don’t forget Flatliners another fabulous movie and super 4K transfer, guaranteed you’ll love it!
I will get Flatliners sometime Gary because I remember it very well but didn't much care for it. I think Blow Out would have been similar if I'd have seen it in 1981. Glad I didn't see it all those years ago otherwise it would have spoiled it for me today. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I’m surprised you didn’t care for it, you’ll like the 4K very filmic, if that’s a word.
@@garyharper2943 'Filmic' is certainly a word as far as I'm concerned Gary. It's the best way to describe a video that looks like a film.
Another great review John :)
I think Blow Out is a really good and exciting thriller and it's one my favorite films with Travolta from the 80s. Great performance by Travolta, Allen and Lithgow. Many people consider this to be the best thriller by De Palma and I agree.
We're on the same hymn sheet yet again then. I think it may be the best thriller I've ever seen but there aren't many with such beautiful photography and wonderful sound. The chemistry between John Travolta and Nancy Allen is another factor but the ending is the topper. I can see why so many didn't like the ending but as soon as it happened I realized that was what the whole film was all about and a quick think back revealed that it was all telegraphed right the way through. John.
Magnificent movie and transfer - 10's across the board! Thanks John:)
I agree with you. A ten out of ten all around. John.
Superb film. Think I first saw this on BBC2's American Wave series. Back in the early 90s. Had to get Arrows blu ray steelbook of it when released. Looks like I will be double dipping! Great review as always.
Oh, a steelbook of this one would be a wonderful souvenir. A great film. John.
Nice one John. One question, are the extras on the 4K disc or do you have an all region player?
They're on the Blu-ray Stu. Fortunately I have a Blu-ray drive on a PC as well a trio of other players. John.
@@moviecollector5920 ah ok, Kino Lorber have the same issue. By the way, did you see that video about the man who built a full cinema in his garden?
@@jedlomax100 Many people have built bespoke cinemas in their gardens Stu but I expect you're thinking of the ABC replica building with 35mm projection inside. I haven't watched it for years but it's wonderful. I did see a lot of press coverage of it when it was first opened too. What an achievement. John.
@@moviecollector5920 That's the one I mean yes. I bet you'd like to go and see it one day? With real 35mm projectors too.
@@jedlomax100 I'd like to buy the house Stu! There's a chap in America that paid about two million dollars to have a video home cinema in his basement. Neon lights in the entrance lobby and all manner of things like that. I haven't watched the video on it for years but I remember it being extremely impressive: th-cam.com/video/04YLqj1Sb1Q/w-d-xo.html
This was a blind buy for me on a Criterion sale. My mom was a big fan and when i found out it was a De Palma film i was in. The first scene took me by surprise in the best way possible! John Travolta looks cooler than ever and the movie itself is heavy with mood. Such a fantastic movie!
You get this movie too then Link89. Not all of us do but to be fair, I wouldn't have fully appreciated it until quite recently. It's one of those works of art that is simply beautiful to look at... and to listen to now that I think about it. John.
Wanted to buy this film from Criterion, but I wasn’t sure if it looked any good. Thank god one of my favorite 4K reviewers came out and saved the day. Receiving Dazed and Confused in 4K from Criterion soon, hopefully you could review it as well. Thank you for all you do on TH-cam.
Just about everything is apparently top-notch from Criterion. I never purchased much from them, probably because they were always more expensive, but I think their LaserDisc special editions is probably what started the whole 'extra features' thing we enjoy today. I used to look at those expensive LD boxes and wish I could afford them but there were always Super 8 films higher up my wish list back then. I'll keep a lookout for Dazed & Confused which I haven't come across but I suppose it's a Led Zeppelin documentary film. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Dazed & Confused is a Richard Linklater film about high school in the 1970's and not a documentary, it's the 70's equivalent of American Graffiti.
@@Mr.Goodkat Aha, I understand now. No doubt there's a Led Zeppelin influence though with that title.
Only watched this for the first time last year too, and I was very impressed with the movie. I did order the UK Criterion Blu Ray before the 4K in the US came out, but I'm not sure if I want to stump up on the high pricing for a film i've only recently acquired...
I did have a look at the Blu-ray and it's lovely so you'll be fine with that. I just happened to be looking for this film by the time a 4K had been released and I couldn't help myself. Well, if a 4K is available and I very much want to see a particular film then I do tend to go for the 4K. John.
Thanks John for another great review. Blow Out is an absolute classic. I imported the 4k myself a few months ago but haven't got round to viewing it but your review is making me want to watch it.
Unfortunately Criterion are not releasing 4ks in the UK. For me the best way to import them is to wait for the Barnes and Noble half price sale and using a shipping company Stackry to deliver the discs. Its beneficial to order to get the best value. If just buying one I agree WowHD are a fantastic website for importing.
I've only put orders into WowHD two or three times Peter so usually I'm able to resist. But 'Blow Out' looked so good and I hadn't seen it. I'm glad I decided to stump up the 40 (ish) quid to get a copy in now as it really is a top class film with a brilliant cine to video transfer and master. John.
This is a great film! I recently watched the blu ray. I’ll be purchasing the 4k soon.
See if you can hold out for a sale of some sort because being a Criterion 4K, it's a pricey disc. I couldn't wait any longer though and with other sellers over here asking around £50, the WowHD option became too irresistible, damn it! I'll be passing round the hat later!!!
John.
I have the Arrow Blu-ray of this:; I just looked it up and found that I bought it way back in 2013, then watched it once shortly thereafter. So it's been on the shelf nearly a decade and watched just once. It's moments like this that I despair regards buying films and having a collection, so thanks John for getting me depressed and worried about years (and formats) passing by. So anyway as nice as I'm sure it is, I won't be importing the 4K disc, my Blu-ray will gather dust for me just fine, lol.
It is a good film though. Isn't it a buzz discovering great old movies you somehow missed. I find it all the time watching 1940s/1950s film noir (admittedly I wasn't even born back then, but all the same, they've been waiting for me to catch up with them).
The other evening we watched the 1962 film 'The Longest Day' which I hadn't seen in about 50 years. Cinema Retro magazine has a feature on it in the present issue and it made me realize that I needed to see it again. A great film in many respects but how we used to sanitize what war was really like. What I'm saying here is effectively confirming exactly what you just said Ian. There are so many wonderful films out there and I just haven't seen enough of them... yet.
John.
Hi Movie Collector,
This fantastic thriller which is an ode to sound and filmmaking is actually a spin-off/unofficial remake of a British film Blow-up from 1966 directed by Italian director Michaelangelo Antonioni in his first English language film which was an ode to images and photography.
I have been a fan of Blowout for over 12 years but only found this information out a year ago.
I only found it out yesterday Kashlie so you're way ahead of me. It's on my shopping list but I won't be expecting it to be quite as good as the De Palma film. Let's face it, there aren't too many films that are better! John.
Nice review, John.
I saw Blow Out probably about 12 to 15 years ago and I remember liking it, but not loving it. It sounds like I might owe it another look though.
DePalma is such a cool filmmaker, with a vision that is uniquely his own. Even his big budget movies have an offbeat vibe to them. He definitely stands apart from his contemporaries.
Love me some DePalma!
Morning Bill. I thought I'd already responded to your post but apparently not so sorry about that. If I'd have seen 'Blow Out' before I don't think I'd have appreciated it anywhere near as much. It would have been too intelligent and mature a movie for me. So it turned out to be best that I'd inadvertently avoided it until now and it probably also helped that the 4K disc is as good as watching a 35mm master print. That's how it felt to me anyway. John.
@@moviecollector5920 good morning right back at ya, John!
I think you're making a very strong case for me to revisit Blow Out. I'll have to give it a rewatch some time soon.
Something I meant to ask in my initial comment was whether you've seen the documentary "DePalma". If you haven't, please watch it. It's excellent!
@@billg3356 I only saw that the De Palma documentary had been made in the past couple of days Bill so I need to find a copy. I hope it's been released on disc. John.
Another great feature John thanks
This is a tough one personally because I can't stand Travolta but love De Palmas work 😄
It's possible that you'll see Travolta in this one and your opinion will change Art. I wasn't particularly keen on him when he first made an explosion with Saturday Night Fever but that was largely because I didn't like the seedy atmosphere of that one when I first saw it. I love that film today so it's funny how we change as we age... and get increasingly better looking! John.
You’ve just convinced me to buy this film john I look forward to seeing it…cheers
I hope you enjoy it as much as I just have Barrie. John.
I picked this up also. I remember watching this on HBO back in the 80s and loved it glad I waited for it to come on 4K . What a great movie and transfer from criterion looking forward to going back to viewing this often 👍📽🎥🎬🍿
It's hard to believe it's not among the world's most favourite films in polls and surveys. I think most people haven't seen it and when they do, few fully understand it because it's not a conventional film. John.
Blow-up and The Parallax View come to mind when comparing Blow Out to anything. Would like to see Body Double get a 4k as well.
I'd just like to see Body Double Robert. Something I plan to do very soon. John.
I watched Blow Out for the first time ever, back in 2017, on Blu-ray. I felt it was above average but not amazing. After listening to your assessment of this movie I shall try to revisit it on 4K and see if I appreciate it more on a second viewing…
It's probably easy to miss much of the detail of this one and without it, it's likely it's not the same film. It's so well set up and looks so fabulous with such great characters that I can't believe I'd managed not to see it until now. Brilliant to be able to see if for the first time in such wonderful quality though so it worked out in the end. John.
I saw this when i was a Teenager, loved it, Will have to get this 4k release some how
Maybe the standard Blu-ray will be good enough Aidey. It's certainly a lot cheaper than importing the 4K from WowHD at about £40. John.
@@moviecollector5920 hmmmm problem is if I know the 4k is out there I just have to have it over the blu ray 🤦♂️
@@NiceGuyAidey I'm the same Aidey. We both need help!
@@moviecollector5920 I bided my time and now own the Uk 4k release John !!!
Morning John. Blow Out is a beauty I alternate between Blow Out and Dressed To Kill as my favourite De Palma films. How did you manage to only just get round to seeing it?? I've got the Criterion and Arrow Blu-rays and the old MGM DVD, after seeing your video I might have to upgrade again. I still haven't got any Criterion 4K discs.
The 4K is expensive Steve so probably best to see if you can get it in a sale as you already have it several times over. I hadn't deliberately avoided this one but it somehow slipped through the net until it was brought to my attention following my review of 'Carlito's Way'. Just as well it took me so long to see it though because it's a more mature film than I'd have appreciated back in 1981. I'll need to take a fresh look at 'Dressed To Kill' because I found that one all a bit obvious in 1980 but enjoyed it much more when the Super 8 3x400ft cut down came out. I thought that had a better pace to it than the complete film so I grew to really like it but have not revisited the original, full length movie ever since. Another 4K purchase for the future but again, it's not available over here as far as I know. There are quite a few other De Palma's i've missed so I should probably get to those first. John.
I’m looking for that Digibook region B The conversation, how is it?
Mine is the standard Blu-ray but it's rather nice. I don't think The Conversation is quite the great film that Blow Out is but I may change my mind when I do finally see it again. John.
Have the Arrow Video edition, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Don’t know whether to import but since Arrow seems to have lost the rights and Criterion released it that is now OOP, I think I might just upgrade.
It is rather expensive though so might be worth waiting to see if it can be snagged in a sale. I don't suppose that will happen on WowHD but maybe Barnes & Noble when they have a Criterion sale and get it shipped to a friend in America to then send it on. I paid about £40 which would be ridiculous were the end product not as impressive as it is. John.
I watched this film approx 10 years ago or so as a recommendation by some actor on tv. I loved it and am surprised to hear it made a loss of millions, JT was always a favourite of mine and this film showed he could do a lot more than just gyrate his hips on a dancefloor😅
John Travolta was under appreciated for much of his early career. To many of us he looked a little odd at the time which he doesn't so I suppose Saturday Night Fever and Grease had him almost typecast and he wasn't accepted in other types of roles. Fortunately, he kept going and got through it so now it's possible to see 'Blow Out' without those daft preconceptions. A great film for sure. Possibly De Palma's best... but I still have some others I need to see. John.
@@moviecollector5920 The Fury was another DePalma classic.
@@darkvader7231 I'm pretty sure I saw The Fury but I remember hardly anything about it which is unusual. Oh well, it's time for a re-watch anyway so that'll be fun. John.
@@moviecollector5920 The title score was by John Williams and is excellent! The film had Kirk Douglas who's son had telekinesis powers in it, a great film but certainly looks dated now with the 70's vibe.
@@darkvader7231 I like films that capture their period in time, particularly the 70's. I could remember it was a telekinetic film but nothing much more than that other than Kirk Douglas being the star. John.
All the best for the BFCC.
Suggestion for seating would be staggered. As in a 12 seats 1st row & a 13 seats 2nd row. Allowing people to view in-between the people seated in front of them.
Enjoy.
Thank you SAINT. We'll have 200 seats to put out but usually people find a secluded spot except for it there's a really popular show on. Hopefully the dealers will keep everyone looking for goodies and spread things out for us. John.
Just caught up with both your new videos- great as always!
Just wanted to mention that I think critics are just wrong about films as often as they're right - many movies become rightfully appreciated later, or turned into so called cult-classics.
Also the UK Arrow release of Blow Out has a few different interviews not on the Criterion disc.
Critics shouldn't be so critical Lenny. That's what I think anyway. They're critics and if they were really knowledgeable about films then they'd be making them but they're not. A lesson or two into what goes into making a serious film production would probably help more than a few of them. With 'Blow Out' I think a few too many of them got a little jealous over De Palma's success with 'Dressed To Kill' the previous year. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Oh, wow, that's an excellent point, they should analyze and advise, not deter, not many think like you John, and follow blindly critics' judgement.
@@LennyNero2019 There is always something to talk about when reviewing a film even if we don't care for it ourselves. I can see that a lot of people would very much enjoy 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' but I'm not sure that I did. It wouldn't be my job to rip it to pieces just because I didn't enjoy it though. As for 'Blow Out', how anyone could view this film and claim it was poor is a mystery, but even if someone didn't like it for whatever reason, it's easy for everyone to see it is a well made, good film. For me, it's a great film and deserves all the plaudits it belatedly received. Would I have liked it so much back in 1981? Probably not. I wasn't as thoughtful then and I wouldn't have thought it was right that the star of Saturday Night Fever and Grease was given a serious role. How wrong I would have been. John.
Great review seen it many times
It was my first time Steffy. The film that is! John.
You never saw this before?! Wow. I’m shocked. Great movie.
Brilliant to see it for the first time all these years later in such wonderful quality. As a result Steven, I'm glad I'd managed to miss it all these years. John.
What would you recommend as a 4K projector?
That depends on how much you want to spend. Richer Sounds have an Optoma for about £900 and that looks like it should be very good given the specifications. The zoom lens may be a little restrictive but many of them are irrespective of the asking price. John.
@@Jb991-q9x I think many video projectors are too bright and that's a problem for some movies as it exacerbates film grain further and makes the highlights blow out on occasion. My current Optoma is okay but sometimes it's a little too bright and there's not much that can be done about it. Probably why I have to turn the HDR down sometimes. John.
Don’t want to butt in, but I just got a Benq ht3550, I think it’s a 2700 on your side and I’m really happy. It was $1200 US$.
@@Jb991-q9x The opening of Apocalypse Now is an optical composite so two film elements being combined together and filmed onto a new, third reel of 35mm. Three times the grain. I don't have 'Brilliiant Colour' on. 'Sharpness' is probably best at messing up image quality out of all the digital 'enhancements' so that's probably the one to ensure is minimized or off. John.
@@garyharper2943 That one's worth taking a look at too then. Richer Sounds will have it and they have demo rooms so you might be able to get a comparative look at it with some others of similar price. Thanks for the pointer Gary. John.
Speaking of fancy collectors editions, Zavvi have some fancier ones that come with postcards, booklets and posters. Silent Running is one of them that is still in stock
I have to admit that I don't tend to use Zavvi as they don't have physical shops. I did get the steelbook of 'Super 8' from them though because that looked too irresistible. John.
An Excellent film,I have the Arrow Blu-ray release, hopefully Criterion will release it Here, cheers John 👍🏻
I bet that Blu-ray is brilliant too Gary. I stuck out for the 4K even though it cost a small fortune compared to what I could have got the Blu-ray for over here. Glad I did in the end but I didn't think it would disappoint being a Criterion.
John.
salut bonne vidèo sur le 4k belle vidèo comme toujour
Bonjour Alain. Je pense que ce film est absolument génial et même si la 4K était très chère à environ £40, il valait chaque centime. John.
Hey John, great review. I had the 4k on order from Zavvi 4 months ago but never received it and they cancelled my order, it’s not easy to get this Discs in Germany. Standard Blu always sold out too. But I wanted to see this film for years now. I know the plot though and it’s clearly a late product of the 1970s post Kennedy-assassination wave of paranoid political thrillers like The Parallax view and All the Presidents men. The Influence of Antonionis Blow Out and Coppolas the Conversation is very evident, all these film are trying to recover pieces of information from footage or sound recordings to put together a greater puzzle wich of course requires further research by the protagonists. I like the style of photography being used in films from this particular era, a visual concept heavily influenced by Gordon Willis. Do you plan to review theGodfather as well? If you do so you should consider watching a movie called the Conformist first (if you haven’t already). It’s a political Drama set in the 1930s and by far the best film Bernardo Bertolucci ever made. The Style of editing and the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro were extremely influential and Coppola took the famous falling leaves scene in Godfather Part 2 directly from this film as well as the actor Gadtone Moschin who plays Don Fanucci who is famously murdered by Young Vito in one of the flashback sequences. Have you already seen Solaris and how do you like it? It’s one of my favorite films. Greeting.
First of all, yes, I watched that Criterion Blu-ray of Solaris and it's terrific. I need to watch it again though as I was a little tired and it's not the sort of film to feel a little dozy to while watching it. I don't tend to use Zavvi but if I'd have known they were getting copies of Blow Out then I may have tried them again but fortunately I just thought of WowHD. I did look around for it when it turned out WowHD were out of stock for quite a while but then it suddenly reappeared and so I snapped up a copy. Took almost two weeks to get here this time so they may have still been waiting for new supplied as they didn't ship for three or four days.
I need to re-watch my LaserDiscs of the first two Godfather films as I didn't really get on with those films too well when I was younger. If I like them now then I'll know that I can snap up a 4K or two if I see them singing like a bird (cheap, cheap).
A few people have told me Blow Up was an influence for Blow Out so I need to keep a lookout for that one too. But I think Blow Out is a class act that will stand alone irrespective of any previous film it may have borrowed from.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Unfortunately Zavvi is the only way to preorder Discs from Arrow Video, Eureka etc. from Germany and they are better than amazon. I loved Solaris since I first saw it about a decade ago, from the great cinematography to the atmosphere and intelligent Dialog . I also bought the Criterions of Stalker, Andrej Rublev and Mirror, and they were all great as well. Have you seen one of these? The Godfather film are among my favorites since I first saw them at age 16 , only the third one is lacking. They will come out in standard cases in the next couple of months (at least in Germany), maybe this will be my chance to upgrade them to 4k. I also managed to track down one of the last available copies of the Mad Max 4k Steelbook boxset, can’t wait to watch them when I get a new 4k tv in the near future (the old one has severe burn in). Do you plan on getting the last emperor in 4k? I have that on preorder and it has the potential to look quite spectacular (like most Storaro shot film especially in the Univisum aspect ratio). I bought this great get Carter set too last year, had the old Warner blu ray for years. Daniel
PS Just escaped me to reinquire about your thoughts again on the sound quality here with the Criterion 4k I'll rewatch the review again. I know there are some great shots of just JT out collecting sound with the tape recorder and the sounds of the night/wind and trees blowing etc Hoping they sound good on the system. Apologies if u mentioned it i'll review the review hahah Cheers D!
The only thing I said about the sound as far as I recall, is that it's as good as anything I've heard lately with the possible exceptions of Jurassic World: Dominion and Top Gun: Maverick. It may not have sound flying all around you throughout the room but it is entirely suitable to the film and I'm glad no one attempted to mess about with it and turn it into the latest multi-channel Dolby or Digital Theatre System. John.
"Sisters" is also a nice and early de Palma movie...pretty Hitchcock-esque
I haven't seen that one yet either. Soon to be rectified. John.
Saw this film in theater. I thought it was good John.
I probably wouldn't have appreciated it so much until quite recently. There's probably a better film in there that most of us would have picked up years ago but that's usually the case with Brian De Palma's films. He does seem to get the best out of everyone responsible for making one of his movies. John.
Vilmos Zsigmond rarely lets the side down. This is probably my second favourite De Palma film after "The Untouchables" (although I'm aware that's probably an unpopular choice!) Do you have any particular favourite cinematographer? So happy you liked this movie!
Freddy Francis, Vilmos Zsigmond (because of this film and other De Palma's), Derek Vanlint, Roger Deakins and probably a whole load of others I can't think of right now. I too think The Untouchables is absolutely fabulous. I think I prefer Blow Out now though but it's close. John.
"Body Double" was a favourite of mine, though a lot of that was probably due to my teenage love of Melanie Griffith.
@@andysmith1996 Let's try to forget about "Bonfire of the Vanities" - although I maintain there is some good stuff in that film.
@@andysmith1996 That's another one of De Palma's I haven't seen yet Andy but I'll rectify that soon. John.
@@moviecollector5920 It was basically a rip-off of "Rear Window" with more sex. It featured that Chemosphere house in LA. I haven't seen it in years, so it may have aged badly, but I think it'll still be worth the watch.
It's kinda funny that you say that The Conversation was this movies inspiration since Coppola has said that the Conversation took inspiration from Michelangelo Antonionis Blowup, which is the original movie Blow Out is based on.
That makes a lot of sense. I've never seen Blow Up. John.
A great film, it should have done much better when it hit theaters, but it got mixed reviews and why too many who saw DRESSED TO KILL skipped it is odd. Promotion in the U.S. was not bad, but it deserved much better than it got and Travolta would not be in another great film until PULP FICTION, despite his best efforts. Too many critics at the time just had their knives out for any director they could take down. BLOW UP definitely influenced it, but it does more. Robin Wood's book HOLLYWOOD FROM VIETNAM TO REAGAN ...AND BEYOND has a great section on it. I loved this 4K and raved about it on my website.
The first thing Nicholas, we need a link to your web site!
I think this is a better film than Dressed To Kill which was a little too obvious to me so lacked the mystery aspect of it all. A near duplicate of the ending to Carrie didn't help either but I do very much like it and need to take another look as I preferred the Super 8 3x400ft cut down and have stuck with that ever since. As for John Travolta, I think people had him typecast in their minds after Saturday Night Fever and Grease and so today 'Blow Out' is looked at differently. What a great actor he always was and is, but many of us couldn't see it. John.
I should not have watched this. You are going to make me upgrade my Criterion blu ray . Yes It has always been a great film.
Sorry Alex. But if you can't resist, try to hold out until there's a sale or something just in case you find the Blu-ray is almost as good on your system. I did seriously consider just buying the Blu-ray over here as it was only about £11 but when there's a 4K available too, it just eats away at me. I succumbed in the end. John.
I used wowHD to buy all the Halloween movies. Came quite quickly as well.
I think I did to get Halloween II in 2021. It was the only one of the five I wanted because I have the original on film and don't much care for the others. But I really should watch 'Season of the Witch' again. John.
Blow Out is the best film ever made IMO
I think it's my favourite Brian De Palma film Alex so our opinions aren't too far removed. I expect the pair of us haven't actually seen the best film ever made yet. Let's hope not anyway and let's hope there is even better to come. John.
@@moviecollector5920 that’s true, hopefully a better film comes out. Loved the review aswell by the way, have just ordered the criterion.
I really struggle to understand the region locking of bonus content. The 4k's are region free anyway, but not the Blu-rays in the same package. It makes no sense whatsoever, but seems to be the rule most of the time.
I expect it's just how the formats have evolved through the years Dellers and the rules are less restrictive on the latest format. However, with this one it is easy to get round it on any player. I think I detailed that in the description because I hadn't heard about the ease of getting around a Blu-ray Zone code on a Criterion disc until I did this review so I hope I put the information in the description for this video as a result. John.
The movie was clearly inspired by Ted Kennedy and the infamous Chappaquidick incident. I remember enjoying the first 3/4 of the movie 🎥 and then it runs out of steam towards the end . Still overall it’s an excellent John Travolta performance whose character dominates the movie .
I didn't find it ran out of steam so that's interesting. At first I thought he was going to save the girl otherwise it would be history repeating itself and he would be a gibbering wreck for the rest of his life. When the ending came, I realized that was the entire point of the whole film. No wonder people were disappointed but I was the complete opposite and thought it was the perfect way to end it all. "It's a good scream. It's a good scream." John.
Maybe the critics out it down due to seeing similarities with the Teddy Kennedy Chappaquiddick incident, thought that was 11 years earlier.
Possibly Brian. But some of them are just nasty and give nasty people a bit of power and they'll abuse it. The same thing happened with Carlito's Way. I couldn't understand that then and I don't understand it now. John.
DePalma’s best, IMHO. Followed closely by Carlito’s Way and then the rest follow a little further down the quality line. DePalma is undeniably one of the greats.
No disagreement from me there. I do think The Untouchables is a wonderful film too and possibly up there with his best. John.
Great classic film but concerning your list of similar or influential films you neglected to mention BLOW UP from ‘66. A film that, without which, Blow Out might not even exist.
Never seen it Darryll. John.
@@moviecollector5920 It’s a swinging 60s British classic. It’s well worth your time if you can track it down. Covers a lot of the same themes as Blow Out but with a more ambiguous tone. Highly recommended.
@@darrylldoucette6895 Yes, it's another one I need to see. So many movies, so little time. John.
Taken together “Blow Up”, “The Conversation”, and “Blow Out” make a nice little treatise on film.
Looking at images or sound by themselves don’t give any real answers. It’s only by combining the two into film that the truth is revealed.
@@nielspetersen3324 Blow Up is on my shopping list Niels. I should have put it on Santa's list a few weeks back but hadn't heard of it then.
For some reason Criterion UK are just not doing 4K which is so annoying
Damned annoying Jacob. However, I've just pinned a comment to the top which means that if you have any Panasonic 4K or Blu-ray player then you'll be able to play the Blu-ray without any problems irrespective of the region/zone applied. I can confirm it works. This particular release is expensive though. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Yes, I have a regionnfree player so can import anything just makes it more expensive!
Please change that LNIS poster please.
No chance Shane. But I do swap it out occasionally for a few days or weeks at a time. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Apologies. I thought it was an image on a TV.
@@shaneday2255 It's our current home cinema and every home should come with one!
@@moviecollector5920 Totally agree. I'd like to see more videos about your cinema and how it came to be.
"One of the greatest thrillers ever made". Very high praise indeed. I can't agree with you on this film. After recently watching it for the second time in as many decades, I haven't changed my mind. I found the plot of the film ridiculous. I also feel that John Travolta and Nancy Allen put out terrible performances. DePalma has "borrowed" far too many ideas from Hitchcock and other great directors and I'm being kind by using the term borrowed. I can see why Tarantino loves the guy so much. He himself is one of the greatest "borrowers" in the business. If I had to pick a film that gets the most undeserved praise, it would be this one.
Well if we all thought the same about everything it would be a boring world Charles. I think the Travolta/Allen chemistry is wonderful in this and their on screen relationship is a major reason for its success. But I also think this 4K looking like I would expect a premiere house 35mm master print to look is another thing in its favour. Blacks like this were never possible with video prior to the advent of HDR. Pauline Kael used the term 'velvety blacks' in her review re-printed in the booklet and I stole that because I think it describes the look of this film perfectly. Give it another twenty years and you may find you see this one almost like I do... but not quite!
John.
I’m still laughing that this was in stores at bust but.
Is that a play on 'Best Buy' Jesse? If so, now why didn't you send me over a copy?!? John.
No Best Buy is a big box electronics store here in the states. They have shrunk their movies isles in recent years. But the fact that they are selling a few criterion blu rays is weird since for the longest time the only brick and mortar way of buying criterion blu rays was at Barnes and Noble. Also Best Buy still dose some great exclusive steelbooks. One I wish I had gotten was what you call La Mans 66 we call Ford Vs Ferrari in the states.
@@jessechristensen6028 Le Mans '66 is a very good 4K Jesse. Worth seeking out, particularly if you're like me and love cars. John.
The downbeat ending didn’t help the film. De Palma knew it after executives saw the film and reacted badly to the ending.
I find that ending to be a major strength of the film. Executives probably don't study movies though so they didn't see that the whole thing was specifically leading up to it and largely the whole point of it. John.
@@moviecollector5920 The ending is correct for the film but I’m sure it hurt the box office. It’s much more of a 70s downbeat end…”Good scream.”
Greetings John! That book on the history of Belfast Cinemas looks like a fascinating read. I’m about 30 mins from Belfast myself. My Granda worked as a projectionist for 40 years. He was unfortunately made redundant once digital came in! I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, but the closest I can get is switching on the digital projector at home.
I’ve attached a link below to a video that would be a great companion peace to your new book. ‘The A-Z of Belfast cinemas’
Thanks again for all the great and informative content John. You and your videos are truly one of a kind.
th-cam.com/video/YXyjgTzuYpI/w-d-xo.html
You need to get into a bit of Super 8 then David and then you'll be able to play at being a cinema projectionist in miniature.
I'm running that video right now so thank you for pointing me to it.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 hope you enjoy the video!
I would love to get into super 8 at some point. Unfortunately, I would need a lot of teaching on it! I was born in 1996, so it’s a good bit before my time. At some point I’m sure I’ll experiment with it! Plenty of research to do first of course!
@@davidw7834 That video was terrific. What a terrible fate some of those beautiful picture palaces befell which was absolutely pointless. Right now in London we're going through a period of losing the great picture palaces. Given what is being provided for viewing in the home though it's inevitable. Fortunately the BFI IMAX has been a bit of light in a dark period and has risen like a phoenix during a time when everywhere else seems to be getting demolished. It's been there since the 90's (when some were just being born!) but it's survived and will hopefully thrive long into the future. They've got the new Christopher Nolan genuine IMAX film 'Oppenheimer' arriving at the end of July and that should be a real treat for true film lovers who can get there and see it on the 90ft wide screen.
As for Super 8, it's so easy compared to 35mm and a great springboard for learning all there is to learn about film. Take a look at www.bfcc.biz and go to the Independent 8 pages via the menu down the right of the screen and take a look at their equipment and film sales list to get an idea of what you can get and for how much. Classic Home Cinema is the biggest dealer and distributor here today so look them up too. I was actually running Super 8 this afternoon as I've put a new HTI lamp in the convention's projector so that it's full brightness ready for April 29th.
John.
Hi John. I rented this recently and sorry to say It was a massive disappointment. I was expecting something special but I found it all a bit uninteresting. I’m not De Palmas biggest fan to be honest anyway so that doesn’t help.
I think you have to be fully alert to get this one Danny. It's all in there but easily missed. John.
movie was good until the mid way point ,the ending was disappointing.
I think quite a few people felt the same way but it was inevitable as we were almost told it was going to happen from very early on. She should have got on the train before being talked into going for a drink and effectively being told history was going to repeat and she'd get the same ending as the undercover policeman. John.
Criterion do brilliant but pricey ,I have two in my collection,two crackers I got in HMV two for £25 ,Klute and It's a mad, mad ,mad,mad world, you should do your favourite 70s film's . Klute and The Conversation ,Three days of the condor and The Parallex view along with a good few others would be in mine.
I have that disc of Klute Laura which is a brilliant film, not least because of Jane Fonda. I did get to see that one on the big screen and then young Janey came in afterwards for an on stage interview. I haven't seen Three Days of the Condor for years but it's one I keep meaning to find and purchase so if Criterion have that one I'll put it on the shopping list. John.
Hi John, another great review.
I too have a new Cinema book I’d like to send you. How can I find your contact details so I can get your address.
Graham
Very kind of you Graham. I don't want anyone spending money on me though so I hope you haven't bought it especially and that it's not an astronomical postal cost. On bfcc.biz you'll see there's only one 'John' on the contact page. If you don't get a reply then give me a prod on here. John.