Thanks to the AMC channnel, I've been able to catch up on some movies by Alfred Hitchcock that I've been meaning to see. He really was the master of suspense and has often been imitated. Here's a quick rundown of the ones I watched recently:The Birds - Often considered by many to be among his creepiest, I was worried this one would be too scary for me. It wasn't, but it can still be disturbing. I actually saw a big group of crows in a tree as I was getting out of the car yesterday and was feeling very unsettled!
Marnie - Tippi Hedren is most famous for her performance in The Birds, but it's a shame more people don't know about this one. I think it's a much more impressive performance. Hedren plays a beautiful kleptomaniac, and a young and sexy Sean Connery is the man trying to unravel the root of her psychosis.
The Trouble With Harry - A bit disappointing, this farce is about 4 people in a small New England town trying to decide how to handle a dead body. (It's like the great-grandaddy of Weekend At Bernie's.) It is interesting to see young performers Shirley MacLaine and John Forsythe.Rear Window - Although I'd seen this years ago, it was nice to see it again, particularly to enjoy Grace Kelly in all her elegant beauty. Full of tension, it begs the question - is this film a condemnation of peeping Toms?
Shadow of a Doubt - I wasn't really fond of this one, where a young woman is convinced that her visiting uncle is a killer. It felt like a test script for his far better film (Notorious).
But if you're really are interested in getting into the Hitchcock oeuvre, try my all-time favorites - Vertigo (the best, IMO), The Man Who Knew Too Much, North By Northwest and Rope.
Of course, I still have quite a few left to see and hope to rent them from Netflix, like Frenzy, Family Plot and Dial M for Murder.Oh, and there is Psycho. Let's just say I look forward to the day when I'm brave enough to finally watch it!
3 comments:
It's interesting because I think Hitchock has two gears - glamour and scary. I'm a glamour Hitchock guy myself and think the best of this genre is To Catch a Thief where Grace Kelly is has a smart wit, Cary Grant is a zillion years older than her but somehow it works, and the dubbing of the Franch actors is atrocious. Nevertheless, the dialogue just crackles, the Edith Head costumes rock, and the action is brisk.
Oooh, a great subject! I'm so glad you mentioned Rope, which has always been one of my favorites. I also really like Rebecca - yummy Olivier! -Vertigo, Suspicion, Notorious, North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief (good call on the 2 gears, DCFB). I'll be adding some of these to my Netflix queue, just watch!
Don't laugh, but that recent Shia LaBouef movie Disturbia is a pretty decent homage to Rear Window/
I'm surprised you haven't see Psycho yet. It's good! I'll watch with you and protect you.
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