Kevin's Watch

OK, one of the most famous directors of all time. I beleive from my extensive VHS and DVD collection, I have almost all his movies. And I have favourites.
Here is a list of my top 3 Hitchcock films and why...

1. North by Northwest. This is Hitch in top form. From casting (even if Cary's mother is only a little older than he) to script, and impecable directing, this has it all: romance, suspence, mystery, action... My favourite bit is the scene where Cary's character is having drinks with his colleagues and calls for a page, unwittingly drawing attention to himslef as being a mysterious spy the bad-guys are looking for. It is a slice of perfect film making. And I love the mystery and how it isn't revealed until halfway through and the coldness by which the good guys regard him. Great!

2. 13 Steps. Sentimental favourite. I guess I love the innocent guy who gets involved in extra ordinary things. And the fact that the lead is a Canadian (on film, not in real life). The humour is great in this without losing the film noir feel.

3. Rear Window. Never was an 'experiment' so successful as this: telling the entire story from the POV of one closterphobic room. The build up is fantastic! I'm not a big James Stewart fan, but everything about this is so good, I can't help but like him. The scene where Grace Kelly is found by the bad guy --- Stewart's reaction is pure, believable terror.

Now there are other notables, such as Psycho and Vertigo, but these three are his gems to me.


discuss and add.

i've never heard of 13 steps. do you mean 39 steps?

i used to be addicted to spellbound. rear window, despite many contemporary spoofs is still a great watch but NBNW is probably difinitive Hitchcock.

good thread.

Agreed 100% on North By Northwest. That is a gem.

Not a real big Hitchcock fan though. I appreciate his talent, but I'm not a big fan of his films.

Maybe I need to take the time and rewatch them.

39 steps!

D'oh!




(ahem) .. yah, that's what I meant....

Love The 39 Steps (great book too!), North By Northwest, and my #1 AH film is a tie between Vertigo and Rope...

Just watched the 39 Steps again (prob 1st time in 20 years) thanks to this thread. Very refreshing and relaxing to see how they did movies way back when...cool flick, black and white is a very welcome change to all this color bombardment.

danlo wrote:#1 AH film is a tie between Vertigo and Rope...

I agree, and happy to see someone finally mentioned Rope. Truly a very disturbing movie if you let yourself become immersed in it.

Now Rope I liked. No cuts, all one take, and a good story to boot.

The Birds is a masterpiece.

I can definately admire Rope (and Liifeboat) for the experement they were, but I don't think either were as gripping as they could have been. I think this is a case of the style getting in the way. But there is certainly a lot to admire in that. Sheesh, Rope is all acting! And not bad at that. Only 8 cuts in the entire movie, and that is only because they had to change film reels! I think I liked Rope because of its coldness, but it looses something after repeated viewings. But you are right, it is not given the credit it is due.
Another which deserves more attention is Frenzy. It is dated if only because the fashion of the '70s. But the darkness of many parts of the movie are wonderful to watch. Hitch had a gift for direcing a movie that seems one way then would switch gears. Usually a master at depicting nice scenareos then throw a grisly murder at you (Lynch has the same ability to shock that way). And that potato truck scene! God! How twisted was that. An interesting choise to show the murderer in that light, almost building up tension so we hope(?) he finds the pin in time.

twisted man. You have to wonder what kind of movies he would have made had he lived longer. No doubt they would be very dark and viscious at times.

Agreed, and his TV show was awesome: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (SO drool--loved the way he talked!)--I looked foward to the frickin theme song itself! Like original Twilight Zone and Outer Limits I couldn't get enough!

I admire your level of devotion, Usivius. Wish I had more to say, but I've never seen any Hitchcock film in its entirety, just some of the more well-known scenes here and there. I'm afraid I just never felt the urge to watch his films.

The thing for me about Rope, not even talking about the "experimental filming" is the creepy psychology behind it. Stewart as their professor exploring these self important attitudes and the boys committing the murder for the thrill and then throwing a party over the dead body. The whole thing just gives me the creeps to imagine it really happening and someone really being that twisted