Alfred Hitchcock Appreciation and Discussion Thread

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  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,160
    There are quite a few Hitch movies I haven’t seen but from those I did watch, Strangers On A Train is my absolute favorite, with the magnificent Robert Walker delivering one of the greatest ever villain performances.
    Other personal favorites include Shadow Of A Doubt, Rear Window, North By Northwest, The Birds and Frenzy.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I like his movies, but not his films.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Pay more attention to your chef
    Posts: 7,057
    I like his movies, but not his films.

    So you like North by Northwest but not Vertigo?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    mattjoes wrote: »

    So you like North by Northwest but not Vertigo?

    Clever analysis. But no, I like his American period, but not his British.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,865
    mattjoes wrote: »

    Great, looking forward to it, @Fire_and_Ice_Returns!

    Looking forwards to your impression of the film.
    strangers-on-a-train-gif-501.gif
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    edited July 2022 Posts: 25,378
    Dwayne wrote: »

    Looking forwards to your impression of the film.
    strangers-on-a-train-gif-501.gif

    tumblr_pe4y8ix0sy1xe57euo1_500.gif
    Like Father Like son. (Robert Walker Jnr. in Star Trek episode Charlie X).
  • mattjoesmattjoes Pay more attention to your chef
    Posts: 7,057
    Dwayne wrote: »

    Looking forwards to your impression of the film.
    strangers-on-a-train-gif-501.gif

    What an exciting shot!
  • DB5MNDB5MN USA
    Posts: 47
    Is the hitchcock films in the 70s any good?
  • mattjoesmattjoes Pay more attention to your chef
    edited July 2022 Posts: 7,057
    DB5MN wrote: »
    Is the hitchcock films in the 70s any good?

    Frenzy is just great. Jon Finch stars as a man wrongfully accused of murder, and the fact the character is a bit unpleasant creates an interesting contrast later on when, despite his shortcomings, we find ourselves rooting for him to clear his name and find the real murderer. Finch, Barry Foster, Alec McCowen, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Anna Massey, Billie Whitelaw, Bernard Cribbins, Clive Swift, Jean Marsh... great cast with some very entertaining and colorful supporting characters. There's a fantastic, alternatively funny and touching subplot between McCowen's police inspector and his wife at home, played by Vivien Merchant.

    The opening piece of music is interesting in that it emphasizes the grandeur of London rather than the dark nature of the story that is about to unfold. The very end of the film, despite being slightly rushed and not reaching its full potential, is terrific as well.

    There is a particularly dark and unpleasant scene early in the film, and it goes on forever, or at least it feels like it does. It does lend the film a sense of tension and urgency.
  • edited July 2022 Posts: 7,507
    Yes, Frenzy is one of Hitch's masterpieces. I honestly think it might be his most intense film, which says something. It is certainly his darkest, darker than any of his "horror films". There are very few films where I have been so engaged in the story and the fate of the characters on first viewing. It made my top ten above, but not for lack of competition. I really had to deny that spot to some films I hold in extremely high regard.
  • Posts: 7,535
    Love 'Frenzy' one of my favourites of Hitch!
    A special mention for the blackly funny, macabre set piece in the back of the potato lorry! And its low key ending!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,251
    Frenzy is a very good film, indeed. Shows the master still has what it takes.

    Funny side note: it's the only Hitchcock film that shows nudity.
  • Yup, Frenzy is a classic, there are a couple of all-timer scenes and shots in there. Feels like a culmination of a lot of his pet themes. Family Plot isn’t terrific but I think it’s undeserving of its reputation as a stinker; the beginning is pretty bad but it settles into a fun rhythm after a while. Frenzy would be a more fitting end-note to his career, though.
  • Posts: 7,507
    I have yet to see a bad Hitchcock film
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,378
    jobo wrote: »
    I have yet to see a bad Hitchcock film

    In every film Hitch made there are moments of genius other film makers will never achieve.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,081
    jobo wrote: »
    I have yet to see a bad Hitchcock film

    Same here, but there are a few I clearly dislike - or am not too fond of - nonetheless. I never really cared for The Trouble with Harry (I don't really find it funny) and I kind of "hate" Vertigo because it gives away the secret so early. Apart from Jimmy Stewart's generally sort of grating acting in the latter one. It may be his role/character, but I didn't have that problem in the likes of The Man Who Knew too Much nor Rear Window or Rope. Harry and Vertigo are probably my least favorite Hitchcock movies of his "American" period. And yes, I know that bashing Vertigo is generally not popular, but I don't care.
  • I’ve seen 32 of his so far and there’s a few towards the bottom I would classify as either very mediocre or bad (Topaz, Young and Innocent, and Murder!) but the rest range from “pretty good” to masterpiece. I suspect there are some more stinkers in the remainder of his films I have yet to get to, many of which are in his silent era when he was a hired gun and before he was really making what we think of as Hitchcock Movies.
  • edited July 2022 Posts: 7,507
    I’ve seen 32 of his so far and there’s a few towards the bottom I would classify as either very mediocre or bad (Topaz, Young and Innocent, and Murder!) but the rest range from “pretty good” to masterpiece. I suspect there are some more stinkers in the remainder of his films I have yet to get to, many of which are in his silent era when he was a hired gun and before he was really making what we think of as Hitchcock Movies.


    Out of curiousity; where do you get hold of these films? As far as I am aware of they are not available on any streaming platform? I have been investing in a lot if blu-ray discs and DVD's and seen most of his filmography, but there are a few left I haven't gotten hold of yet, like Spellbound for instance. If there was a simpler way than ordering and waiting for physical format to arrive, it would be great to know...?
  • jobo wrote: »


    Out of curiousity; where do you get hold of these films? As far as I am aware of they are not available on any streaming platform? I have been investing in a lot if blu-ray discs and DVD's and seen most of his filmography, but there are a few left I haven't gotten hold of yet, like Spellbound for instance. If there was a simpler way than ordering and waiting for physical format to arrive, it would be great to know...?

    They periodically pop up on streaming services. Criterion channel, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max are the best bets.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Pay more attention to your chef
    Posts: 7,057
    I haven't seen Topaz in full so I don't know how good it is as a whole, but that scene with Roscoe Lee Browne in New York (?) is pretty cool.
  • Posts: 2,025
    The 39 Steps, Psycho, Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, NxNW, and Frenzy. What spectacular films. My absolute favorite is Vertigo. Yes, we discover the ruse early, but that's not what fascinates. It's the obsession of falling in love with a role. I especially like Midge's sick obsession with Scotty. She wants to be mother and lover. A great film that gets better with each viewing by looking deeper into its twisted themes.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Having seen more of Hitchcock s work the last few years, Rebecca remains my favourite.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,378
    Having seen more of Hitchcock s work the last few years, Rebecca remains my favourite.

    Great film, certainly has one of the most insidious villains in cinema.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489

    Great film, certainly has one of the most insidious villains in cinema.

    Exactly right. And that ending...
  • Notorious is my personal favorite. Love seeing Grant play a darker role, and the suspense and romantic tension are so, so good.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,378
    Notorious is my personal favorite. Love seeing Grant play a darker role, and the suspense and romantic tension are so, so good.

    Great cast Ingrid Bergman is amazing, I always find it amusing that Mission Impossible 2 lifted the plot from Notorious, M:I 2 is laughably bad.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,081
    mattjoes wrote: »
    I haven't seen Topaz in full so I don't know how good it is as a whole, but that scene with Roscoe Lee Browne in New York (?) is pretty cool.
    My favourite scene in Topaz is probably the John Vernon character's killing of Karin Dor's character. You'll find it on Youtube by looking for the "purple dress scene".
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,475
    I think one of my favourite Hitchcock films is Rear Window. The way we aren't shown the violence but know that something bad happened is fantastic. The peeping tom aspect is well done and to think the whole building was a set is incredible and it looks and feels like a real space.

    Random thought, would Hitchcock embrace CGI or would he stick with more traditional shooting. He eschewed shooting out in public so he might like the options that CGI could bring him?
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,081
    thedove wrote: »
    I think one of my favourite Hitchcock films is Rear Window. The way we aren't shown the violence but know that something bad happened is fantastic. The peeping tom aspect is well done and to think the whole building was a set is incredible and it looks and feels like a real space.

    Random thought, would Hitchcock embrace CGI or would he stick with more traditional shooting. He eschewed shooting out in public so he might like the options that CGI could bring him?
    Hitch would have hated CGI...says my belly feeling. There's a lot of leeway between shooting in public and doing everything in the studio. Hitch probably wouldn't have understood that computer stuff anyway and tried something else. Or so I hope.
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