Blink (1993 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.

This article is about the 1993 film. For the 2022 short film, see Blink (2022 film).
Blink
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Apted
Written byDana Stevens
Produced byDavid Blocker
Starring
CinematographyDante Spinotti
Edited byRick Shaine
Music byBrad Fiedel
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release dates
  • October 1993 (1993-10) (MIFED)
  • January 26, 1994 (1994-01-26) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$11 million[1]
Box office$21.7 million[2]

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 she, (and the police) are unsure whether it was just her new vision deceiving her. The killer then begins to stalk Emma.

Cast
Actor / Actress Character
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.[3][4][5] It holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 25 critics.[6]

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."[7] 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 number 4 at the US box office.[8] It grossed $16,696,219 in the US and Canada and $21.7 million worldwide.[2]

Year-end lists

References
  1. "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.
  2. "Worldwide rentals beat domestic take". Variety. February 13, 1995. p. 28.
  3. Maslin, Janet (26 January 1994). "Review/Film; The Blind Woman Gets Tougher In a Familiar and Deadly Formula". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  4. "MOVIE REVIEW : Tangled Scenario Turns Thriller 'Blink' into a Blur". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  5. "Blink". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on 2007-09-22. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  6. "Blink - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
  7. Rodriguez, Rene (January 26, 1994). "Blink Falls Short as Suspense Thriller, But It's Worth a Look". The Miami Herald. p. 2E.
  8. "Weekend Box Office : 'Mrs. Doubtfire' Still the Champ". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  9. 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.
  10. Arnold, William (December 30, 1994). "'94 Movies: Best and Worst". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Final ed.). p. 20.
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