Trilogy
Added 2021-07-26 17:50:36 +0000 UTCI've been on a Brian De Palma kick lately. I decided to work on a review for Blow Out, which I'm excited about. That film, and The Conversation, which coincidentally I rewatched a couple of weeks ago, are both heavily influenced by the film Blow Up, by Antonioni. Blow Up of course is one of my favorite films of all time. But that trilogy inspiration reminds me quite a bit of Persona, 3 Women, and Mulholland Drive. Have you seen all three films by De Palma, Coppola, and Antonioni? If so, which is your favorite and why?
Comments
I can see that. I have gone back and forth with the "Bobby" character, however.
Doug Brekan
2021-08-03 03:08:12 +0000 UTCI would say overall sure, similarly to Hitchcock. That said...I think at their best, both men tap into aspects of what fuels the virgin-whore complex or the male gaze. They make us consider why we feel this way rather than just creating submissive female characters.
Deepfocuslens
2021-08-02 21:23:37 +0000 UTCOkay so I am sooo not a politically correct “woke” sjw by any stretch and I am a huge Brian de Palma fan. However, do you agree with the assessment that Dressed To Kill is guilty of linking gender dysphoria with psychotic behavior? Or of the opinion that its attitudes towards women is, not the most flattering? Finally, do you feel filmmakers should even have to consider such things?
Doug Brekan
2021-08-02 19:23:54 +0000 UTCMe too! I have a beautiful blu-ray version. I'm thinking of reviewing it soon.
Deepfocuslens
2021-07-28 05:33:18 +0000 UTCYou are so right. The image vs sound in both films is quite a cool contrast. Blow Out sort of combines the two. Stylistically it's all De Palma, in the best ways!
Deepfocuslens
2021-07-28 05:32:55 +0000 UTCWell, I'm probably gonna get around to watch "The Conversation", eventually... :/
Manuel Johnen
2021-07-27 14:06:24 +0000 UTCI have been meaning to see Blow Out forever and I'm sure your review will finally make me! Only saw Blow Up (multiple times) and The Conversation (once, ages ago) and it was indeed interesting to watch them back to back, especially how the centrality of image vs. sound influences the film as a whole. I'm sure I would get more out of it now... Blow Up just gets better every time I see it. And a Brian De Palma kick sounds awesome.
Adam Gregus
2021-07-27 09:23:40 +0000 UTCIt's going to be so cool when you watch Blow Up for the first time when you love his style. Enjoy!
Adam Gregus
2021-07-27 09:12:52 +0000 UTCBlow Out is a really fantastic film. As a teen, I really loved Scarface as well. I think I should revisit it since its been about 15 years since I've seen it to see how I feel about it now.
Ryan
2021-07-26 23:01:15 +0000 UTCYes, I'm an Antonioni fan as well. I think Blow Up might be my favorite, but L'Avventura is another amazing one. Both stuck with me for years after seeing them.
Deepfocuslens
2021-07-26 22:58:35 +0000 UTCOh man, watch Blow Up! Complete the circle of life. XD
Deepfocuslens
2021-07-26 22:56:12 +0000 UTC>< oof you're killin me
Deepfocuslens
2021-07-26 22:55:41 +0000 UTCI need to revisit Blow Up again. It’s been forever since I’ve seen it. But from what I remember of it and The Conversation I would have to go with the latter. I find Gene Hackman’s surveillance expert to be much more compelling and sympathetic than David Hemmings’s arrogant photographer. His increasingly intense obsession with the couple and what part he has to play in their fate gives everything much more weight and eerieness than anything in Blow Up. All films are about larger, sinister forces at work that we may only get a glimpse of through camera or microphone (or a piece of 8mm film shot by Zapruder—possibly the ultimate inspiration for all three films), but The Conversation really hits home on how chilling all of that is much more than the other two. As for De Palma, he’s one of those directors I wish I liked more than I do. The movies he makes, particularly the ones he writes himself, are too self-aware of how absurd and melodramatic they are for me to enjoy them. They’re smothered by quotation marks. Carrie is one of the few exceptions that I really like.
Bennett Oliver
2021-07-26 22:45:44 +0000 UTC"Blow Out" is alright, but not top tier De Palma. "Blow Up" is terrible. Haven't seen "The Conversation".
Manuel Johnen
2021-07-26 20:33:10 +0000 UTCI’ve also been on a De Palma kick. Watched Obsession, Body Double and Casualties of War for the first time and was blown away by a rewatch of Blow Out. I know it’s conventional wisdom now, but I think it’s De Palma’s best. Saw The Conversation a decade ago and liked it; need to revisit it. Have Blow Up recorded but haven’t watched yet.
Jim Barnes
2021-07-26 19:36:38 +0000 UTCI've seen The Conversation and Blow Out but not Blow Up. Blow Out is my favorite among the De Palma movies I've seen, so I'll definitely be looking forward to that review. Definitely a fan of Antonioni's work (L'Avventura is an all-time favorite for me), but for whatever reason haven't got around to seeing Blow Up despite having seen Blow Out. I'll probably end up watching both before seeing your review. Lol
Stephen
2021-07-26 19:26:24 +0000 UTCThey're all fantastic films but I gotta go with The Conversation. Blow Out was solid but suffers a bit from a hilariously melodramatic ending and while Blow Up is mesmerizing, it doesn't give me chills like The Conversation does. It nails the paranoia of the Watergate era better than All the President's Men ever did and has the same impact as 2001: A Space Odyssey when it turns into a horror film in the second half.
Wolfman Brandon
2021-07-26 18:48:22 +0000 UTCWhich one is the anti-Hollywood film?
Tony Moro
2021-07-26 18:44:26 +0000 UTC
