Blow Out

De Palma movies come from some cinematic blender with all the right ingredients put in and he knows when to shut the thing off and get that perfect, silky consistency until 2000's De Palma emerged and forgot how the hell to work the damn thing.

Amazing trademark De Palma visuals and one of the few good Travolta acting jobs combine for an allusion to the similar (but superior) "Blow-Up". Regardless, it is effectively told in an unorthodox way and one the best films Brian De Palma has made. It also uses authentic Philadelphia locations effectively to create a menacing environment.

De Palma steals from pretty much everyone, and it mostly works. The beginning is great and Travolta gives a pretty strong performance. Sadly, the middle meanders into a bloated climax that only exists because every character is stupid. I'm not sure if Nancy Allen just gave a terrible performance or De Palma thinks all women are stupid whores. Both? Not sure. Still, ultimately worth watching for the striking use of color.

De Palma is a great visual director, but an awful storyteller. There are so many amazing moments in this film, which makes the awful acting from everyone outside of Travolta and Lithgow, the convoluted, clumsy storytelling, and the cheesy music all that much more frustrating.

The script is great, De Palma might just be in top form here, and my man Vilmos crushes it with his cinematography. Nancy Allen seems to be playing her character as at least slightly mentally challenged. If that was the intention, then it makes the way every man in the entire film uses her all the more disturbing.