Hitchcock 101

For those movie viewers who don't feel like searching through the Hitchcockian craziness catalog for the ones you may take an interest in, I thought I'd share a few thoughts. Though I do have a theory that it takes a certain type of person to really enjoy his entire body of work, I feel that interesting characters and intertwining story plots can be anybody's game if they just give it a fair shot. I can watch most of his movies over and over again because I am ridiculous that way, but for the rest of you...













REAR WINDOW This film speaks for itself. As far as storytelling goes, this is one of the best movies ever made and will always rank high up in the list of my favorite movies of all time. I have watched it more than any other Hitchcock movie so far and it is a great choice for anyone to enjoy. If you like Rear Window, you may also like Dial M For Murder.













REBECCA One of those good old fashioned classics that I can't just watch once. Like many of the other films listed here, if I turn it on, chances are very high I will watch it at least 3 times within a week, probably triple that number if I decide to repeat it in the background as I work. It is one of my "serial repeater" films that I haven't gotten sick of yet. The first time through, I was a little hesitant at the hype I'd heard through the grapevine in my years of working around movies, but it exceeded my expectations. Eleven Oscar nominations isn't something to scoff at, even if you only take home two. If you like Rebecca, you may also like his first "talkie" film, Blackmail










ROPE Though a different style than Vertigo or Marnie, it is one of those Hitchcock films that grew in popularity years after its initial release as it gained a "cult" following. The original release of Rope did not garner much financial or critical success, though it steadily gathered momentum in later years and became an official Hitchcock classic. The story unfolds almost completely in real time, making the theater-lover in me enjoy this film even more as it makes me feel I am watching a stage play that was performed back in 1948. It's a simple, yet twisted tale that touches on the dark side of human nature that we all know exists, but don't always feel comfortable enough to talk about. If you like Rope, you might also like Strangers On A Train.











MARNIE Not a film for everyone, but something about this movie continues to interest me (and its not just a young Sean Connery.) Watching it in our present time, one may not appreciate how it opened the door to more interesting subject matter as far as psychological thrillers go, seeing as how it is not as action packed as what we are used to today. Hitchcock was no stranger to casting strong leading men, but he also set the bar very high for his leading ladies. Obviously their level of attractiveness was a large part of their commercial appeal, but he was determined never to slack on character. His leading female characters are more than just a vehicle for the blond bombshell type, and he chose his leading ladies specifically to fill the shoes of those flesh and bone characters. As with Marnie, some Hitchcock movies are not for everybody, but if you enjoy movies that put you outside of your comfort zone, you may also enjoy Frenzy. *Warning* There are great bits of dark humor mixed into the brutal nature of the subject matter, but there is a reason it garnered Hitchcock his first R rating.