Sunday, June 27, 2010

Our favorite Hitchcock Movies #6

Written by: Nightmare Child

Normally when someone peaks into the window of another persons home, that's creepy enough. Can you imagine spying through someone's window, only to discover someone being murdered? It's a peeping tom's nightmare. If anybody can take an already creepy concept and turn that volume up to 11, it's Alfred Hitchcock. This was one of those movies I used to watching as a kid. Seeing it as an adult now just makes me appreciate it more. I love REAR WINDOW, and I'm sure most of you reading this list do to. It's such a great movie. Both its story and visual perspective are dictated by its protagonist's imprisonment in his apartment, convalescing in a wheelchair, from which both he and the audience observe the lives of his neighbors in a cheerfully voyeuristic fashion.

L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is an adventure-loving professional photographer sidelined by an accident while on assignment. When the invalid wife of the salesman Lars Thorwald vanishes, Jeff believes the man might have killed his wife. He tells his concerns to Lisa and to his nurse Stella and the women agree with his observations, but his friend Detective Thomas J. Doyle finds reasonable explanation for each remark. However, Lisa decides to go further in her investigation, getting closer to the suspect. One could argue that the murder plot is the MacGuffin--a mere pretext--in a film that's more interested in the implications of Jeff's sentinel perspective. When Jeff peaks out into other peoples homes, he gives the residents weird names to remember them by.

Later we learn more about the lives of the other neighbors. Jeff's evident fear of intimacy and commitment with Lisa provides the other vital thread to the story. As with most of these mysteries I can't really explain too much without giving away the entire movie, so I'll just let it rest for now. REAR WINDOW has been called one of Alfred Hitchock's best. And as you can see we completely agree (it's on our list!). It received four Academy Award nominations and was added to the United States National Film Registry in '97. REAR WINDOW has been re-told, parodied and referenced many times. DISTURBIA (2007) was practically a modern retelling of the story. This goes to show you that an old idea never goes out of style!

As with more of Hitchcock's classics, Universal has re-released REAR WINDOW in an awesome Legacy Special Edition set. Chalk full bonus features that will make you love and appreciate the movie even more.



CAMEO NOTE: About 25 minutes into the film Hitchcock can be seen winding the clock in the songwriter's apartment.




Our favorite Hitchcock Movies #7

Written by: Nightmare Child

Hitchcock truly was the master of suspense. This film alone proves that as fact. VERTIGO is one of Hitchcock's most intense and thrilling pictures. Those with a fear of heights can relate to James Stewarts portrayal as a man who is deathly afraid of tall structures. Hitchcock loves to take ordinary people and put them in extraordinary situations. Based on a novel by Boileau-Narcejac, VERTIGO is about retired police detective John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart). Ferguson suffers from acrophobia (fear of heights) and has been re-hired as a private investigator to follow the wife of an acquaintance to uncover the mystery of her peculiar behavior.

When VERTIGO was first released, it seemed to be ahead of its time. Although it wasn't a box-office success when originally released in 1958, VERTIGO has since taken its deserved place as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest, most spellbinding, most deeply personal achievement. VERTIGO has been called the most personal, emotional, and complex of Hitchcock's films. I tend to agree with all these statements. VERTIGO is such an amazing picture. It's been analyzed and praised to death by fans all over the world. It's one of those Hitchcock movies that I'll never get sick of watching.

It's suspenseful and scary to watch in parts. I myself am afraid of heights. Just thinking about falling off large buildings gives me goosebumps. There are phenomenal performances by Jimmy Stewart, who plays the biggest anti-hero of his career and Kim Novak whose stunning beauty and exceptional personalities shine through this dark film. If you don't already have this film in your collection, I recommend picking up the Universal Legacy Special Edition DVD set. It's a 50th Anniversary set with restored picture, audio and some great bonus material.



CAMEO NOTE: Eleven minutes in Hitchcock can be seen in a grey suit walking in the street.





Our favorite Hitchcock Movies #8

Written by: Nightmare Child

Much like the last film in our countdown (ROPE), this movie is notorious for its setting and atmosphere. LIFEBOAT is different from Hitchock's usual crime thriller. It's a war movie that follows a group of survivors who are stranded out at sea. During World War II a group of American and British citizens are stuck in a lifeboat after their ship and a U-boat sink each other in combat Survivors from the freighter torpedoed by a U-boat huddle together including columnist Constance Porter, the ship's engineer Kovac, radio operator Stanley Garrett, nurse Alice MacKenzie, millionaire Charles 'Ritt' Rittenouse, seaman Gus Smith, steward Joe, and Mrs. Higley, a hysterical English woman holding her dead baby. Though the inhabitants of the lifeboat come from vastly different backgrounds, they quickly set aside the social and economic differences that divide them in a united effort to survive.

Explaining the plot further would just ruin the whole thing, so I'll just leave it at that. Basically you're stuck watching these people trying to survive out at sea. Just the thought of being stranded out in the ocean is scary. Trying being in the middle of war while it's happening. These elements together create paranoia, and that's just one of the reasons why we love this movie. What makes LIFEBOAT stand apart is its character development and dialog. LIFEBOAT runs at a pretty good pace and at 91 minutes total it doesn't ever seem to drag.
The story comes from John Steinbeck, the author of such stories as "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men."

Trying to fit a group of actors in one place can be a challange, and it's remarkable that Hitchcock was able to get it down.
For such a small frame Hitchcock managed somehow to fit a good number of characters on screen at the same time. If you haven't had the oppertunity to see LIFEBOAT yet, then I suggest adding it to your Netflix cue right away. Especially if you're a fan of the movie ROPE. The film is so good that it received Academy Award nominations for Best Director, Best Original Motion Picture Story and Best Black and White Cinematography. Some critics see this as an unsubtle wartime propaganda piece; I call it a great achievement in cinema. LIFEBOAT's portrayal of a German character (was perceived as a positive fashion) caused considerable controversy at the time of its release. Looking back at it now, I don't think that's entirely true. Go see this movie!



CAMEO NOTE: How can Hitchcock make an appearance in LIFEBOAT without having to play a character on screen? That's easy, just read the newspaper. 25 minutes into the film Hitchcock's body is seen in the "before" and "after" newspaper ad for "Reduco Obesity Slayer".






Thursday, June 17, 2010

Our favorite Hitchcock Movies #9

Written by: Nightmare Child


ROPE is an interesting movie to watch. Especially when you watch it with a group of friends. Right after the opening credits the audience is treated to a quick and simple murder. Needless to say, the suspense builds up from the start. You can't help but wonder: What else is going to happen? What does the rest of the movie have in store for me? It's brilliance. Pure, long brilliance. In ROPE we follow Branden and Philip. The couple have just murdered their former classmate David, and hid his body inside of an antique wooden chest. After the so called "perfect murder", Branden and Philip host a dinner in the very same room where David was killed. The guests are unaware that David has gone missing, and begin to question his disappearance. Little do they know David is close by, but he is no longer the life of the party (pardon the pun).

What makes ROPE stand out from Hitchcock's other films is that the entire thing takes place in one setting (much like the next film in our countdown). For about 80 minutes you're stuck inside of Branden and Philips apartment. The only time you get to see outside is during the opening credits. For the rest of the picture you're inside the apartment with a view of Manhattan blaring outside the windows. The premise is strange yet satisfying. Branden and Phil throw a party while theirs a dead body in their wooden chest; which is proudly displayed in the living room with the dinner guests eating off of it. The only person in the party who begins to suspect Branden and Phil is Rupert Cadell, the prep-school housemaster and publisher played brilliantly by James Stewart. Stewart's facial expressions alone are great, and for some reason he's the only one who can see throught Phil and Branden's lies. The suspense in ROPE builds you up until the very end, and that's why we love this movie with a passion. It's very subtle, but Hitchcock still manages to keep you on the edge of your seat.

ROPE is notorious for its long and extended cuts. There are literally hundreds of cuts in movies where the camera switches from time to time depending on the scene. In ROPE the camera doesn't cut out for long periods of time. In total there's only ten cuts in the film. Each extending for about 5-10 minutes. The longest segment runs about ten minutes and seven seconds. Each part is cleverly edited with blackout shots - continuously panning from actor to actor. Most segments end by panning against or tracking into an object (a man’s jacket blocking the entire screen, for example). In this way, Hitchcock effectively masked almost all the cuts in the film. It's an experimental piece of art that begs to be seen. Be sure to add ROPE to your Netflix cue if you haven't seen it already. It's such a great film.



CAMEO NOTE: Hitchcock has not one but two cameos in this picture. One is in bodily form walking along a street. The other is his trademark silhouette which can be seen on a red neon sign advertising "Reduco" in the view from the apartment window. The neon sign is the little hard to see, so look very carefully!



Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Our favorite Hitchcock Movies #10

Written by: Nightmare Child


The best way to watch Hitchcock's THE LADY VANISHES is with a laptop (or mini-dvd player) on an Amtrak train. Perhaps with a cup of coffee in your hand. What is THE LADY VANISHES about anyway? Well it's about a woman named Iris who befriends an older lady on a train. Iris is on her way back to England. Sadly her train is delayed by an avalanche that has blocked the railway tracks. Once the avalanche clears, Iris begins preparing for her journey. While on her way to the train, Iris gets hit over the head by an unknown shadow. It's apparently obvious that something is not right. That's when Miss Froy comes in. Miss Froy is an elderly lady who has worked some years abroad as a governess. Both Miss Froy and Iris board the train together. Getting to know each other by making coversation.

When Iris takes a nap on the train, she awakens later and discovers that Miss Froy has gone missing. Was she kidnapped? Or is it just in Iris' head? The question of whether or not Miss Froy actually existed is just one of the many mysteries in Hitchcock's THE LADY VANISHES. The mysterious plot is the very thing that sucks you in from the start. THE LADY VANISHES is one of Hitchcock's best mysteries that keeps you glued to the couch until the very end. The movie was Hitchock's penultimate film made in the UK before his move to Hollywood years later. It was the great success of THE LADY VANISHES, after a slump of three films that were not hits, that made it possible for Hitchcock to negotiate a very good deal to work in the States. The film was also remade in 1979 by Hammer Studios. THE LADY VANISHES is full of suspense, mystery and humor. It's a great film to watch; especially when you're on a train yourself.

I will admit the film does get a little far fetched towards the end. There's an intense build up for the reveal, and when you do figure out what's going on, it's hard to believe. Luckily that doesn't spoil the entire experience. See THE LADY VANISHES if you haven't already.



CAMEO NOTE: Hitchcock is known to make quiet cameo appearances in most of his movies. Here Hitchcock shows up an hour and a half into the film (near the end). He can be seen in the Victoria Station, wearing a black coat and smoking a cigarette. It's a quick one, so look carefully.