Criterion Blu-ray Film Review

Blow Out (1981) • Blu-ray [Criterion Collection]

A movie sound recordist accidentally records evidence proving a car accident was murder and consequently finds himself in danger.

Jack Terry (John Travolta) is a sound engineer for schlocky horror films. When the director of his latest picture is unhappy with the library sounds he’s using, Jack heads out into the night to capture fresh ones… and as his audio tape’s running, a nearby car’s tyre bursts, sending the vehicle off a bridge into a river. He dives in and saves a passenger (Nancy Allen) from the back, but is unable to save the unconscious driver. At the hospital, he learns the driver was a popular governor, expected to run for president and win. He tells the police he definitely heard a shot before the tyre blew out, and has the tapes to prove it… which is a big mistake, as now both he and the woman become the target of those behind the assassination…

As the lead, Travolta brings his usual edgy presence. It’s an inspired piece of casting because he’s exactly like the slightly slimy people who work in…