Rope

This was the film I was most excited to see this week.

The minute I heard of this concept, two upper class men murder their friend and place his body in a box and hold a party where all the guests surround this unbeknownst to them makeshift coffin, I couldn't wait to see it. And not only that but the movie is shot as one continuous take, with 5 cuts (yes I counted) much like Birdman which only fascinated me more to see it. And to think this isn't considered one of Hitchcock's masterpieces, or even one of his major films. That is reaching incomprable levels of bullshit. This is easily top 5 quality for his movies in my ranking. Really the only landmark I hear for this film is this is the first movie that Hitchcock made with Jimmy Stewart, which is nice to see how this relationship started, but are you kidding me that's it? The technicals for this movie alone could be a review in and of itself, the camera movements, the backdrops, the technicolor print, just what the hell were people sleeping on this for? Everyone quotes the classic example of suspense with Hitchcock as the bomb under the table. That changes today. The example henceforth is the maid clearing the stuff off the top of the box, bit by bit, with long walks inbetween, ready to put some books inside the box, that is the purest example of suspense I have ever seen. And while Jimmy does a real good job, more subdued until the end where he gives a great monologue, the shining star here is John Dall as one of the killers Brandon. He is devilishly wicked in this role, always so cool and loving every moment, he has such charm and affability that you could almost forgive him being a killer. The script is also really good, it's not full of that morbid comedy you might suspect, but the discussion considering the right of murder by superior individuals while incredibly easy to make fun of because well...all the characters are upper class white people, is still good writing. I dare say this is the high point of the week, I greatly enjoyed it more than Shadow Of A Doubt so I give it 4 stars, 9/10, might be a bit high but I feel it's that good. Check it out and get this movie more attention!

The Man Who Knew Too Much

A decent movie in the filmography that I think many would agree on.

Not to say in the slightest this movie isn't good, it handles the world of espionage well but there's no doubt Hitchcock went on to improve certain elements greatly in later films. It handles it's story well with a family who are visiting Morocco and already some suspicious characters are introduced, and pretty soon Jimmy Stewart is witness to a murder and is told with dying breaths of a plotted assassination, and if that wasn't bad enough his son is kidnapped leading him to travel to London to save his son and try to thwart another death. I feel the first half is the better part, because you get a lot of intrigue as to who these odd characters are and you are not fully aware of the plot, so it really gets you thinking whereas when it shifts gears to get their kid back it becomes more standard fare. But the performances from Jimmy and Doris Day are really good, they have a good relationship and effortlessly potray these realistic parents. You'd get steeped into some stuff for the sake of your kid, so the movie handles that incredibly well in that respect. It's not a horrible story, the location shoots are really cool, the cast is mighty good, I like the tense atmosphere as Jimmy tries to tiptoe through this world of spies, but you can easily tell the movie has aspects that can be improved. I'm now very interested to see the 1934 version also directed by Hitchcock to compare notes, and to see if the remake is actually better. Well as a devout cinema snob it is clearly obvious remakes are always inferior to the original. 2.5 stars, 7/10, here's hoping for better tomorrow.

Vertigo

Yes the film that usurped Citizen Kane as the quote unquote best film ever. How was it?

I very much enjoyed it, I feel it was indeed the best of the Hitchcock films I've reviewed this week, and it kept me interested until the very end. Jimmy Stewart returns again as a detective who suffers from acrophobia and after watching his partner die decides to return, but his friend asks for his help in watching his wife. The reason? Well, I'd rather not say. Needless to say it builds intrigue and mystery very quickly, and you're constantly throwing ideas out to what the cause of this strangeness really is. Well I was half right. Honestly a movie hasn't screwed with my brain this much since Perfect Blue, and that movie is a trip and a half, I still need to watch that movie like 4 more times. But anyway, so the mystery part of it was great. What surprised me is this movie didn't get a lot of praise when it premiered, critics felt it was lackluster and audiences made the film about triple it's budget, so it wasn't a bomb but it was not so well loved. Whereas now, people view it as the best of all Hitchcock's works, but I'm still on the fence about that. I thought Jimmy Stewart was great in this movie, still bringing his usual stamp of invested and fun acting while bringing even more to the table. But man did Kim Novak steal this show and run laughing with it to the bank. Holy hell's bells, she is fantastic! This is an excellent performance, and she is able to bring such emotion and unearthliness to this part. Easily the best part of the entire movie for me. This is certainly one of Hitchcock's more artsy films, evident immediately from the opening credits and seen throughout the course of the film through lighting, shot placement, and of course effects. The effects are done incredibly well and really does make you feel uneasy and a bit off center, I myself suffer from acrophobia and get vertigo more than 10 feet off the ground, so it was effective for me. But I think it's the story, this ever expanding mystery, an inner struggle within our main character that really is why it's so well received and loved today. I'm very happy I finally had a chance to see more films and wasn't disappointed with any of them, though Psycho still holds a strong place in my heart I can say Vertigo is in fact the best Hitchcock movie I've seen to date. He really was a one of a kind director that tapped into his own fears and demons and brought it into the lens of a camera, able to make entertaining and wonderful cinema that will be watched for decades and decades to come. Every movie with a twist is owed a great deal to Psycho, every suspense scene is compared to his films, most everyone will agree he is a fantastic director, and I'm one of those people. Does it surpass Citizen Kane in terms of filmmaking and story? Eh, it's debatable but Citizen Kane just speaks to me more. Regardless, this film gets an easy 4 stars, 8 if not even 9/10, and two thumbs way up from me.

Well next week we look into some more classics that I have yet to see. Hey I got a lot of stuff to watch, cut me a break.

Rear Window

I'll definitely say I liked it more than North By Northwest.

So I finally watched Rear Window, does it hold up to the expectations? I have to yes. I knew the basic premise of a world travelling photographer who is wheelchair bound after an accident and has taken a hobby of looking out the window and observing the neighborhood before he suspects someone of murder and subsequently tries to prove it, but beyond that I knew hardly anything about it except for the cast. I loved Jimmy Stewart in this movie, he has such a likable charm to him and is a very compelling lead, and his interactions with Grace Kelly never failed once to bring a smile to my face. She was a lovely lady in life, and most everyone who worked with her said she was a great actress which I agree with. Raymond Burr was surprisingly scary even though I mostly know him for his lifelong career of defense attorney Perry Mason and reporter Steve Martin from the immortal american edit Godzilla King Of The Monsters, but this was done before both and he brings such a strong uneasiness and on just two occasions made my blood run a bit cold. Absolutely great cast, and a damn good story, but I really feel this movie could never be replicated again even in 100 years time. Hitchcock knew exactly how to direct this, and more importantly what to show. A very good portion of this film is seeing things through a point of view shot, you never see any actors observing the small neighborhood, you just see different people across the courtyard interacting in their own apartments. It really does feel like you're sitting in that wheelchair and observing all the things going on. It's absurd how well constructed the set was for the apartments, and the fact that each resident has their own story and personalities must seriously be recommended, I absolutely loved this movie for that. It's so difficult to explain because it really is so intricately constructed and each shot is there for a purpose, that it would take all day to fully explain why it works so friggin' well. Bottom line, watch it. It is well worth your time and money even if just for a one time viewing, it's easily one of Hitchcock's finest films that I will watch time and again. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and we got one more movie with Mr. Stewart. Will it be the best of them all or will it fall flat? Somehow I doubt it at this point.

It's A Wonderful Life

It's A Wonderful Life, Christmas classic, beloved by all, and......I really do not get the love for this movie.

This is not an uplifting, happy, or joyous movie that makes you appreciate life. Hell, it's not even a Christmas movie until more than halfway through! I just...I can't....why is this movie so loved?? Honestly, it's one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen. I really did not like this movie! It's not a bad movie, not by a long shot! But dear God, I just could not get into it. Did I watch the wrong movie? You know the movie where we spend the better part of an hour and a half watching the life of an ordinary guy, his buisness ventures, romance, and decline until there's about maybe 40 minutes left and his guardian angel goes Rod Serling on his ass, showing him the world if he was never born, then we get a mere glimpse of happiness and genuine pleasant moments before the credits roll? A Christmas movie where suicide is brought up multiple times, the stereotypical rich asshat actually wins the day in the end, one of the most cruel and genuine suspenseful scenes where a man berates his family and almost looks like he is about to beat his wife and children, and just gets more and more dark and depressing until...maybe the last 10 minutes. I'm sorry, this is a Christmas classic? How much xanax did you take in order to enjoy this movie? Please, tell me. Cause I need some! True, the movie has brief comedic moments but they are so few and far between. It deals with some pretty heavy stuff but the problem is, Jimmy Stewart's character has had a not so great life to begin with, so honestly when he Twilight Zones and see what the world is like without him, and he comes back it doesn't feel triumphant or uplifting in the slightest. It just still feels tragic. I'm sure I'm nothing but a dirty, rotten, heartless bastard for not liking this movie but it is not a happy, or uplifting, or even a Christmas movie. This movie bombed big time when it first came out, critics hated it, and not many people saw it. So how did it become ressurected as this "Christmas classic"? Now I will say the performances are all good, with Jimmy Stewart having a lot of humor and frantic energy but good God does he get over the top happy near the end. I honestly was kind of rolling my eyes at how joyous he was being back to the real world, it just seemed so cheesy and forced. I really did not go in to this movie like, "Bring it so called Christmas classic, show me the joy of life, and the spirit of happiness.". No! I was happy to finally see this movie with hardly any expectations, and what I got was an underwhelming, kinda dull, and downright depressing movie. Jesus H. Christ, no wonder suicide rates skyrocket around this time of the year since we got this movie playing! I am dead...fraking...serious. This is not a joke. It's A Wonderful Life is actually the exact opposite of a wonderful film.