Blink (film)
Blink is a 1993 American neo-noir thriller film directed by Michael Apted and written by Dana Stevens starring Madeleine Stowe and Aidan Quinn. Director Michael Apted was nominated for a Crystal Globe award for the film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and screenwriter Dana Stevens was nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards. Emmy Award-winning actress Laurie Metcalf also had a role in the film. Chicago rock band The Drovers played a support role as themselves, contributing three songs to the soundtrack. Stowe's character, Emma, is a fiddler in the group. Some scenes were filmed in Chicago, Illinois.
Blink | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Michael Apted |
Produced by |
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Written by | Dana Stevens |
Starring | |
Music by | Brad Fiedel |
Cinematography | Dante Spinotti |
Edited by | Rick Shaine |
Distributed by | New Line Cinema (US) Pathé (UK) |
Release date |
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Running time | 106 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $11 million[1] |
Box office | $16,696,219 |
Plot
Emma Brody is a young musician who has been blind for 20 years. New surgery techniques restore her vision but initially cause "vision flashes" that leave her uncertain about what she sees. One night, she is awakened by a noise in the apartment above. Peeking out her door, she "sees" a figure descending the stairs. She contacts the police, worried that her neighbor has been murdered, but is unsure whether it was just her new vision deceiving her. The killer then begins to stalk Emma.
Cast
Actor / Actress | Character |
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Madeleine Stowe | Emma Brody |
Aidan Quinn | Detective John Hallstrom |
James Remar | Detective Thomas Ridgely |
Peter Friedman | Dr. Ryan Pierce |
Bruce A. Young | Lt. Mitchell |
Paul Dillon | Neal Booker |
Laurie Metcalf | Candice |
Matt Roth | Officer Crowe |
Tim Monsion | Mr. Tattersall |
Michael P. Byrne | Barry |
Anthony Cannata | Ned |
C. Winston Damon | Winston//Drovers singer/trombone |
Sean C Cleland | Drover mandolin/fiddle |
Jackie Moran | Jackie |
Sam Sanders | Bobby |
Greg Noonan | Frank |
Michael Stuart Kirkpatrick | Michael |
Dave Callahan | Dave/Drovers singer |
Blake Whealy | Mark Tattersall |
Joy Gregory | Valerie Wheaton |
Lucy Childs | Margaret Tattersall |
Ted Gilbert | Ted |
Kevin Matthews | Man on Train |
Kevin Swerdlow (as Kevin D. Swerdlow) | Receiving Cop |
Ed Cray (uncredited) | Suspect |
Michael Jordan (uncredited) | Himself |
Reception
The film received mixed to positive reviews.[2][3][4] It holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 25 critics.[5]
The Miami Herald gave the film 2.5 stars (out of 4), saying, "After a number of red herrings, the identity of the killer turns out to be rather inconsequential -- and the motive somewhat farfetched. A shame, because the premise here, paired with an equally clever plot, would've made a dandy exercise in suspense. As it is, Blink is mildly engaging entertainment, nothing that will have you checking your watch, but nowhere near as good as its terrific trailers ("Things are not what they seem" and all that) make it out to be."[6] However, film critic Roger Ebert gave the movie three-and-a-half (of four) stars, saying "... it is an uncommonly good thriller."
Box office
The film debuted at No. 4.[7]
Year-end lists
- Dishonorable mention – Glenn Lovell, San Jose Mercury News[8]
- Dishonorable mention – William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer[9]
References
- "MOVIES : The Trip to Bankable : After a series of supporting roles, Madeleine Stowe has finally achieved name-above-the-title star status. And all it took was 15 years of paying dues and speaking her mind--and one big hit in 'Last of the Mohicans'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- "Review/Film; The Blind Woman Gets Tougher In a Familiar and Deadly Formula". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- "MOVIE REVIEW : Tangled Scenario Turns Thriller 'Blink' into a Blur". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- "Blink". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blink/
- Rodriguez, Rene (January 26, 1994). "Blink Falls Short as Suspense Thriller, But It's Worth a Look". The Miami Herald. p. 2E.
- "Weekend Box Office : 'Mrs. Doubtfire' Still the Champ". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
- Lovell, Glenn (December 25, 1994). "The Past Picture Show the Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- a Year Worth's of Movie Memories". San Jose Mercury News (Morning Final ed.). p. 3.
- Arnold, William (December 30, 1994). "'94 Movies: Best and Worst". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Final ed.). p. 20.
External links
- Blink at IMDb
- Blink at Rotten Tomatoes
- Blink at Box Office Mojo