Quentin Tarantino Calls this Streaming Thriller “One of the greatest films ever made”

Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino ,1994. (c) Miramax Films/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.

Brian De Palma is one of the greatest directors of all time. Carrie, Sisters, Phantom of the Paradise, and Dressed to Kill are striking, provocative pieces of work. De Palma’s trademark style and subversion of genre tropes are responsible for some of the most astounding cinematic moments of the past few decades, and one seminal director seems to agree. Quentin Tarantino, film nerd that he is, revealed years ago upon a visit to a video archive that De Palma’s Blow Out, a 1981 neo-noir thriller, is one of his favorite movies of all time. Check out a trailer and synopsis below:

Per IMDB: A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.

Blow Out stars John Travolta, who would later appear in Quentin Tarantino’s own Pulp Fiction, and Nancy Allen, a De Palma staple in the eighties (and his wife at the time). It’s a werid, violent odyssey, one augmented by De Palma’s fluid camerawork and astute understanding of noir conventions. It’s part conspiracy thriller, part horror movie, and an all-around celebration of cinematic suspense, a movie that quite simply loves other movies.

Quentin Tarantino seems to agree, having been quoted as saying, “some of Brian De Palma’s finest filmmaking,” while consistently ranking it as one of his favorite movies of all time. Tarantino would later add, “It’s one of the greatest films ever made because as we all know Brian De Palma is one of the finest directors of his generation.”

Hear Tarantino’s full thoughts here:

There’s no argument there. While Blow Out might not have the audience backing some of De Palma’s other classics, it’s absolutely worth seeking out. It’s a chilling political time capsule, the efficacy of its suspense lingering even to this day. You can stream it now on the Prime Video Cinemax channel or DirecTV.

What do you think? Do you agree with Quentin Tarantino? What’s your favorite De Palma movie? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.

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