Thriller & Mystery > H Thriller & Mystery > Hitchcock, Alfred

Early Hitchcock doesn't quite cut it

Advantages: Very entertaining in those days I'm sure...
Disadvantages: but we're in the 21st century now

...films deemed too irrelevant for the common movie-goer. Alas I just can't seem to give this DVD the thumbs up. You see, the thing is -if a black and white film, handicapped with the inevitable restrictions of movie-making in yesteryears, is to be an enjoyable experience for an audience today, it must have certain qualities of timelessness to it. Casablanca, The Seventh Seal and The Lady Vanishes are adored, remastered and distributed widely today ...
...to people still. I watched The Lady Vanishes (Hitchcock's last British film before he moved to America to make such international blockbusters like Vertigo and Psycho) prior to this DVD and found that to be suspenseful enough despite it being made around the same time with this film. However I must say that The Man Who Knew Too Much proved just too boring and sketchy for me despite having such a promising plot and such a decent cast. Vintage Hitchcock ...

habitualdamnation 13.07.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Man Who Knew Too Much (DVD)

Torn Curtain - Was It Really Torn?

Advantages: It's Hitchcock
Disadvantages: But not at his best

Torn Curtain is an Alfred Hitchcock produced and directed film released in 1966 which starred Paul Newman and Julie Andrews as Professor Michael Armstrong and his assistant/fiancé Sarah Sherman with support from Wolfgang Kieling, Lila Kedrova, Hansjorg Felmy, Ludwig Donath, Carolyn Conwell, Gisela Fischer and Gunter Strack. Professor Armstrong is engaged to his assistant Sarah Sherman and the films starts off with them on board a ship to Copenhagen ...
...his usual acting prowess in Torn Curtain. I did feel that the plot had some glaring holes in it from start to finish. I didn't understand the significance of Professor Manfred going with Sarah to the bookshop to collect the Professor's book as he doesn't even look at the book or try to. Whilst watching a Hitchcock film, one tries to find hidden meaning in so many scenes and strangely enough there just weren't many hidden meanings in Torn Curtain. ...

anonymili 28.04.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Torn Curtain (DVD)

Whatever happened to Saskia Wagter?

Advantages: Utterly compelling, great performances
Disadvantages: None for me

...her, to no avail, and the police aren't really that interested in helping him. Then Rex starts to receive a series of letters from the kidnapper, asking to meet up with him. Each time Rex goes to the meeting place, however, the kidnapper doesn't show up. Unable to move on, despite getting together with a new girlfriend, Rex is beginning to think he will never find out what happened to Saskia. Then the kidnapper shows himself. Will he reveal what ...
...and is really amazing in the role. Clearly in love with Saskia, he is truly devastated at her disappearance - watching him chase around the service station looking for her is really moving. The story then skips three years, and Rex is a much harder man, but has never given up the hope that one day, he will find what happened to Saskia. Occasionally, he comes close to madness. This is a deeply convincing performance by the actor and he is a real pleasure ...

sunmeilan 13.12.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Vanishing (Subtitled) (DVD)

Do you really believe in the perfect murder?

Advantages: Excellent Direction, Brilliant performance by lead characters, superb story line.
Disadvantages: None really.

...MY PERSONAL THOUGHT Dial M for Murder is one of the finest and entertaining thriller movies directed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock. The story of this movie is really unique and interesting. The viewers get to know about the criminal and his evil plans from the very beginning of the movie. So the question is, will he be able to carry out the plan and murder his wife without any doubt. I really enjoyed the way Mr. Hitchcock unfolds each ...
...revolves around five characters. He gives equal importance to the each character of this movie and gives a brief introduction about them. So the viewers can get familiar with the characters and get to know about their likes, dislikes and thoughts. But Mr. Hitchcock makes it very concise and point to point on the screen. As soon as you get to know about the central characters of this movie, the storyline moves rapidly with great consistency. There ...

Gladiator007 11.12.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Dial M for Murder (DVD)

The Seven Deadly Sins..........Fincher style!

Advantages: Powerful, acting, direction, cinematography
Disadvantages: Will be too brutal for some

...killer, who is using the seven deadly sins as a pattern for the killings. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman play the two detectives, and what starts out as a pair of hard nosed cops chasing another deranged psycho killer, soon turns into a psychological game of cat and mouse. Pitt is excellent as the frenetic and volatile young Mills, a doggedly determined detective who lets nothing stand in his way. He is contrasted by the ever serene Morgan Freeman ...
...The murders follow the Biblical seven deadly sins, and as each murder is committed, we are given an often graphic viewpoint of how each murder has resulted. Naturally, Mills and Somerset are aiming to prevent all seven murders from taking place, and the scenes featuring how they do their detective work are anxious and frantic all the time. There are many periods of silence, where closeups on their faces make for dramatic effect, and these are counterbalanced ...

pmcds 11.12.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Seven (DVD)