Blow Out

1981, 108 minutes
USA

Director: Brian De Palma

Cast: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz, John Aquino, Peter Boyden and Curt May

In the enthralling Blow Out, brilliantly crafted by Brian De Palma, John Travolta gives one of his greatest performances, as a movie sound-effects man who believes he has accidentally recorded a political assassination. He enlists the help of a possible eyewitness to the crime (Nancy Allen), who may be in danger herself, to uncover the truth. With its jolting stylistic flourishes, intricate plot, profoundly felt characterizations, and gritty evocation of early-1980s Philadelphia, Blow Out is an American paranoia thriller unlike any other, as well as a devilish reflection on moviemaking.
 
(Criterion Collection)

 
“the best of all American conspiracy movies”.
– Pauline Kael, The New Yorker