Blow Out2026-02-20
Toronto, ON
So you got your choice: you can be crazy or dead. Either will do.
This one's an all-timer. De Palma at his most crafty. His filmmaking instincts really do bleed through here. Every time you turn around, he’s blowing it open with a split diopter shot, effortlessly sliding in a split screen, or breaking it down with a meticulously crafted sequence of analog workmanship. It came out in '81, but really does feel like the final word on the conspiracy thrillers of the '70s. It's not overtly Hitchcockian, but this really is De Palma's Vertigo — a confession of undiluted obsession that is destined to cave in on itself.
Watched on 35mm at the Revue. Neon Dreams series. Pretty tight to watch an all-time favourite on film.