:: New York Times
“The capacity to blast open our understanding of the physical structure of the Universe… This absorbing documentary leads to some unexpected twists and turns and comedic hand wringing.” – Nathan Lee, New York Times

 

:: Orlando Weekly
“The science documentary may be at the precipice of a golden age. BLAST! fuses high-impact experiments with delicious drama that actually build to an edge-of-your-seat climax.” – Justin Strout, Orlando Weekly

 

:: New City (Chicago)
“The intelligence on screen thrills rather than bewilders, a tribute to both Devlin brothers.” – Ray Pride, New City

 

:: Science Books & Films
“Not your typical Nova-style science program! – Science Books & Films

 

::Neil deGrasse Tyson
“In a rare combination of content and storytelling, BLAST! treats the viewer not only to the fruits of cosmic discovery but to the fits and starts of dedicated scientists who navigate paths of research that enable it.”
– Neil deGrasse Tyson , Astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History and Host of PBS NOVA science NOW

 

::New Media Magazine
“They’ll probably be watching this one in science classes for years to come.”
– John Latchem, New Media Magazine

 

::billyokeefe.com
“Blast! is terrific fun!”
-Billy O’Keefe

 

::MovieScribes
“Not just for scientists, but for everyone.”
-Christina Zawadiwsk, MovieScribes.com

 

:: Screen Comment
“A thrill to watch. A total must-see! ” – Ali Naderzad, Screen Comment

 

:: David R. Gilson
“A fantastic way to reach out to children and the general public about the valuable work being done in astrophysics and experimental cosmology.”
– David Gilson, Institute of Physics

 

:: The Guardian
“Storyville is still TV’s most unmissable programming strand, continuing to find the best in the world’s documentaries. This one from Paul Devlin is a case in point. BLAST! is the simple but compelling story of the quiet, well-reasoned obsessive behaviour that must necessarily accompany groundbreaking scientific research.”
— John Robinson, The Guardian

 

:: Film-Forward
“BLAST! may go where no science documentary has gone before — mainstream appeal, because watching those who let nothing stand in the way of achieving their singular mission (even if we don’t quite understand it) is still compelling drama.” – Devanshu Patel, Film-Forward

 

:: Dr. Lucy Rogers
“This film will appeal to anyone with an interest in space and adventure, and
should inspire future scientists and engineers with a glimpse of the
exciting opportunities that exist in these careers.” – Dr. Lucy Rogers , Author of “It’s ONLY Rocket Science.”

 

:: Larry Witham
“This film is quite unique for its you-are-there story line, which keeps the suspense and curiosity going. The film allows its characters to discuss science and religious belief in a most natural way, and with a bit of humor.” – Larry Witham, Author of “The Measure of God: Our Century-Long Struggle to Reconcile Science and Religion. The Story of the Gifford Lectures.”

 

:: Talking Science
“BLAST!, a new documentary by Paul Devlin, is a jolting, riveting ride.”
– Karen A. Frenkel, Talking Science

 

:: DVD Talk
“It’s like Werner Herzog’s Up.”
– Jamie S. Rich, DVD Talk

 

:: Pat Aufderheide
“BLAST! should be in every high school library to show kids what science is and can be.” – Pat Aufderheide, author, Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction

 

:: All Movie
“There comes a point in everyon’e life when they begin to wonder about the origins of the universe, and Dr. Devlin’s world-class team turns that heady speculation into a full-time job.” – Jason Buchanan

 

:: The Onion
“Devlin comes away from his globe-hopping scientific adventure with a lot of terrific footage of giant balloons rising from barren landscapes, and stressed-out theoreticians nervously watching their fragile, expensive equipment scrape across ice floes.”
– Noel Murray, The Onion

 

:: Box Office Magazine
“Combining hard science, human interest and suspense, BLAST! is a stimulating introduction to astrophysics and a fine tribute to scientists of all stripes who engage in taxing fieldwork.”
– John P. McCarthy, Box Office Magazine

 

:: Video Librarian
“While the participants also make personal sacrifices-spending large amounts of time away from families-their dedication is readily apparent, and their diverse religious and philosophical perspectives add a larger context to the story.” – Video Librarian, 3 Star Review

 

:: Chicago Reader
“Fast, fun, and beautiful to look at, BLAST! communicates the joys and heartbreaks of scientific creativity.” – Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader

 

:: National Science Teachers Association
“Excellent to use in an advanced classroom where it could spark some interesting discussions.”
– Claudia Fetters, NSTA

 

:: Discovery Space
“Paul discovered the magic formula for a successful mainstream science movie…BLAST! helps you see first-hand just how difficult, amazing and rewarding these kinds of scientific efforts can be. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll walk away astounded that people can actually send a telescope to the edge of space and forever change how we see and think about about the universe.”

 

:: The Telegraph – Pick of the Day
“A story that, in trying to answer age-old questions about how we got here, produces an intriguing dynamic between the two main scientists.”
– Simon Horsford, The Telegraph UK

 

:: Salem Gazette
“Wins over audiences young and old.”

 

:: The Space Writer
“BLAST! is a film about scientists and the challenges they face that sometimes turn their lives crazy. Sounds interesting. Sounds human. Sounds like fun!” – Carolyn Petersen, TheSpacewriter.com

 

:: The Independent – Nick Fraser
“BLAST! [is] a film that is like a Tintin album with a mix of cutting edge science and theology.”

 

:: DOX Magazine
“BLAST! succeeds in making science exciting through drama and personal, identifiable characters who are portrayed as normal people torn between their families and a passion for the Universe.”

 

:: Moviebuffs – “Gem in its Class” award for documentary
“BLAST! is a standout movie…not pulling any punches. It should be required viewing at every high school.” –Ricardo Barberini, Moviebuffs

 

:: Chris Lintott
“Brilliant, one of the best scientific documentaries I’ve seen for a long while.” – Chris Lintott , Sky at Night co-presenter

 

:: Hot Docs
“Follow along on a hardcore, risk-filled, scientific adventure into the heart of the Big Bang.” – Myrocia Watamaniuk, Hot Docs International Film Festival

 

:: EasternBlot Blog
“All in all, BLAST! was a blast! I loved that it was so very much focused on the work, not just on the results…That’s science in action.”

 

:: Sympatico/ MSN Blog
“Pretty awesome stuff if you are a geek like me. Beyond the pure science, there is a very human side to the story.”

 

::Acanac
“Director Paul Devlin showed with his camera the struggle and success of scientists in search of scientific data, showing their human side of trial and error experimenting in their professional lives cut in with their personal family lives.”

 

:: Variety
“This adventuresome spin on breakthrough science should wow ’em!”
– Ronnie Scheib, Variety

 

:: Times Online UK – **** 4-Star Review
“For those of us with bad memories of physics and chemistry class, it was inspirational and aspirational.”
– Tim Teeman, Times Entertainment

 

:: Time Out Chicago
“Enjoy this look at a group of obsessive, brilliant people pursuing their passion. It’s like an extreme-sports doc for science nerds.” – Hank Sartin, Time Out Chicago

 

: Wired.com
“BLAST! portrays such an energetic, do-it-yourself fun-and-frazzled atmosphere that it’s hard not to think of the scientists and crew as a bunch of geeks who could be doing this in the garage next door.” – John Booth, Geek Dad Wired.com

 

:: School Library Journal
“This award-winning documentary will be useful in classroom settings as well as personal enjoyment for those interested in scientific pursuit and the challenge of discovery.” – School Library Journal

 

:: Nature NYC
“Interesting and enjoyable. You won’t be disappointed.” – Caryn Shechtman, Nature Network, NYC

 

:: Cole Smithey
“Anyone with the slightest twinge of celestial curiosity in them will enjoy BLAST! A fascinating lesson in the Earth’s microscopic place within the vast reaches of space.”
– Cole Smithey, Film Critic

 

:: Ferdy On Films
“BLAST! is a success on every level…it had me on the edge of my seat all the way!” – Marilyn Ferdinand, Ferdy on Films

 

:: “BLAST! was about an interesting subject which immediately got me hooked. There wasn’t a single point during the movie in which I wished I was doing something else, which is how I usually feel about science movies. Kids should really be able to watch this in schools, it’s important.” – Claudia Dimick, age 16

 

:: Culture Wars
“One could be forgiven for mistaking BLAST! as a drama and getting lost in the plot. We may still be some distance away from a scientifically literate public, but this film is at least a thoughtful step in the right direction. A refreshing take, not only upon scientists and the practice of their art, but also on humanity as a whole.”

 

:: Physics World
“A fascinating glimpse into life as an astronomer at the ends of the Earth.”

 

:: The Observer
“We experience the scientists’ hopes, tensions and frustrations as their goal of charting distant galaxies is threatened by arctic conditions, damaged mirrors, lost hard drives and polar bears.”
— Ian Johns, The Observer

 

:: Fantasy Moviesbox
“Has many ingredients of a great drama.”

 

:: Agnes Varnum
“It’s a movie about a scientific project but it is also about learning through trail and error, about what we know and don’t know about the universe, and also a smattering of faith in science.” – Agnes Varnum, freelance writer, film programmer and communications manager for the Austin Film Society.

 

:: Doc-a-Day Blogspot
“A review of a documentary that does everything right…an adventure tale with twists and turns, lively characters, and some lessons about life, the universe and everything.

Devlin understands a few things about storytelling: building strong characters, having a solid story arc, and stripping down complex ideas to the bare essentials the audience needs to know. It’s a film about the thirst for knowledge, ingenuity, obsessiveness, and humans’ attempts to know.”

 

:: Lucid Forge
“An inspiration because of…the sheer enthusiasm of these scientists in pursuit of answers literally as old as the universe itself.” – Adam A. Donaldson, Lucid Forge