I spent most of this weekend in bed with a cold. I continued to do a lot of work on my computer (incl blogging) but always love to have something on TV in the background. Sunday was Alfred Hitchcock day as I kept replaying movies recorded on my DVR.
I have to say that he is one of the most talented directors. He had this uncanny ability to mesmorize us by taking everyday characters that we could relate to and putting them in challenging situations. He created intrigue and suspense. We could relate to the character, so we felt we were there.
He was a pioneer and a genius. He is always featured in film classes. I remember learning about his "continuous" filming for "Rope" where it's made to look like it has no cuts.
I love the mistaken identity in "North By Northwest" which provides the foundation for so many fims since. I love how he incorporated pscyhological diseases such as "Vertigo" or schizophrenia in "Pscyho" so that they've become a common part of our understanding a vernacular. Forget for a second these may not be portrayed quite correctly and the terms are a bit misused. The important thing is that it starts the public understanding about these areas.
I alway s have difficulty picking my favorite one, but here are several of my top picks:
- North By Northwest
- The Man Who Knew Too Much
- Rear Window
- Rebecca
I love his cameo appearances and searching for them. I love how he was creative in some. E.g. Think about Lifeboat...everyone is on a boat in the middle of the ocean...how does he make a cameo appearance there? Well, of course someone has a newspaper and he is in the picture.
For all you Alfred Hitchcock buffs, here's a trivia question for you. Do you know which actor appeared in the most Alfred Hitchcock movies?
His daughter appears in at least 2 movies, including"Strangers on a Train" (another classic) and of course "Psycho." Psycho was a masterpiece in so many ways...but at the time, what was so shocking was the leading lead was killed before the halfway mark. He had a huge advertising campaign urging everyone to not reveal the shocking secrets of the movie. I mean, seriously, how many people were afraid to take showers after this movie. (BTW, the stabbing noise in this scene was knife being plunged into a watermelon).
And, for all that love Alfred Hitchcock's cameos, here is a video montage.
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