Posted February 13, 201411 yr http://mediocrityisthenewgenius.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/alfred-hitchcock-e1334150286949.jpeg The greatest film director to ever grace us? Revolutionary and a true visionary he's helped to shape the way we view, study, enjoy, and create cinema. So much to put for him but away from his classic films and show-stopping back catalogue he was also an incredibly interesting figure with a unique and focused mindset as revealed through his interviews and TV appearances. Selected Filmography1976 Family Plot1972 Frenzy1964 Marnie1963 The Birds1960 Psycho1959 North by Northwest 1958 Vertigo 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much1956 The Wrong Man1954 Rear Window1954 Dial M For Murder1951 Strangers on a Train1948 Rope1946 Notorious1942 Saboteur 1940 Rebecca 1939 Jamaica Inn 1938 The Lady Vanishes 1936 Sabotage1935 The 39 Steps The name behind some of cinema's greatest, how many have you seen? Close Eyes: #2 Alfred Hitchcock #1 Quentin Tarantino
February 13, 201411 yr Author Everything about cinema in one man. The big ones are all rightfully praised to high heavens because they are so often the perfect films - in that they tell stories effectively, interestingly and excitingly. 'Vertigo' is probably my favourite from him, the way it twists and turns at every chance and the wonderful, delicate acting of the main cast. 'Rear Window', 'North By Northwest' and 'Psycho' are gripping like no other and the scenes are all iconic in so many ways. Of the lesser known, 'Marnie' is a good ride even if it does verge on the ridiculous (well not as calculated a ridiculousness as his big films). Same goes for 'Dial M For Murder' - he knows what his audience wants and he denies it for them until JUST the right moment :drama: I could go on for days. The impact he's had his felt in practically every walk of media i'd say? Music lyrics & videos, tv, literature, art...
February 13, 201411 yr This will make me sound like a TERRIBLE FILM FAN: I haven't seen a single one of those films in full, I've seen MOST of Psycho but that's it.
February 14, 201411 yr I know it's bad but yes, I too haven't seen any of his films. However, aside from the obvious Psycho (even if I do know the plot), I'm interested in seeing The Birds in the hope of it being scary. Rope sounds like an interesting concept too but I fear that it may wear thin if I watch it in full.
February 14, 201411 yr Absolutely love the three films I've seen from him! I'm hoping another of his films (preferably 'Vertigo' :kink:) will be in a future film club as I've been recommended it by most people, but also been told it's "boring" by others (but these are people who don't like one of the three I have seen, so I don't take their comments too seriously!) The ones I've seen are: 1963 The Birds 1960 Psycho 1959 North by Northwest 'The Birds' is one of my all time favourite films. I remember watching it at such a young age and being creeped out and thinking every bird from then on was going to attack me. :lol: He knows how to create tension and the littlest of scares! Oh man. I've been looking at his Complete Boxset collections in the past, but never really followed through and actually bought it. I should probably get on to it.
February 14, 201411 yr Author I know it's bad but yes, I too haven't seen any of his films. However, aside from the obvious Psycho (even if I do know the plot), I'm interested in seeing The Birds in the hope of it being scary. Rope sounds like an interesting concept too but I fear that it may wear thin if I watch it in full. 'Rope' actually does fall slightly flat for me, which is SUCH a shame because the concept is so clever and actually executed well. It's the plot and some of the drivel that comes with it which puts me off it slightly. Still worth a watch though for the tricks it plays (even if it's blindingly obvious what's happening to an audience now). Absolutely love the three films I've seen from him! I'm hoping another of his films (preferably 'Vertigo' :kink:) will be in a future film club as I've been recommended it by most people, but also been told it's "boring" by others (but these are people who don't like one of the three I have seen, so I don't take their comments too seriously!) The ones I've seen are: 1963 The Birds 1960 Psycho 1959 North by Northwest 'The Birds' is one of my all time favourite films. I remember watching it at such a young age and being creeped out and thinking every bird from then on was going to attack me. :lol: He knows how to create tension and the littlest of scares! Oh man. I've been looking at his Complete Boxset collections in the past, but never really followed through and actually bought it. I should probably get on to it. 'The Birds' is a riot. The scene in the school playground as the birds gather on the structure behind her is genius. It definitely makes you reconsider those casual walks down the street too for fear of what may swoop down and attack you :drama: :lol: The boxsets are actually well-worth investing in imo (second bit of promo for them already). The complete one with 14 DVDs is ~70% very good and then there's the 'Signature Collection' too which fills in some gaps - these don't include his very early films.
February 14, 201411 yr He comes from my home town of Leytonstone! :D I even live near the hotel dedicated to him, claim to fame <3 Seriously though, he is amazing, though embarrassingly I've only seen four of the above list (Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window so call me a mainstream whore). He is just masterful at creating suspense, there's never a moment you feel you can look away. He is brilliant with music, but as The Birds shows, also brilliant without it. Masterful also at the little things around us seem so scary that we don't often think about, that quiet hotel owner, BIRDS, that guy across the street from you etc. I'm just so glad I didn't watch The Birds when I was younger - I probably would've been terrified of them for life </3
February 14, 201411 yr Pyscho is obviously amazing but The Birds was f***ing ridiculous. THER'RE f***ING BIRDS?! not scary in the slightest.
February 17, 201411 yr Author He comes from my home town of Leytonstone! :D I even live near the hotel dedicated to him, claim to fame <3 Seriously though, he is amazing, though embarrassingly I've only seen four of the above list (Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window so call me a mainstream whore). He is just masterful at creating suspense, there's never a moment you feel you can look away. He is brilliant with music, but as The Birds shows, also brilliant without it. Masterful also at the little things around us seem so scary that we don't often think about, that quiet hotel owner, BIRDS, that guy across the street from you etc. I'm just so glad I didn't watch The Birds when I was younger - I probably would've been terrified of them for life </3 I agree, it's the horror (or intrigue?) in the mundane which works so well: the everyday people around us, the things we take for granted etc that he presents in terrifying ways. And the fact that we all have our secrets that we do anything to conceal and the slow gradual leaking of these as one of the most terrifying things imaginable. Pyscho is obviously amazing but The Birds was f***ing ridiculous. THER'RE f***ING BIRDS?! not scary in the slightest. Even away from that though, the way it builds up tension and then releases is expertly done. It does personally give me frights immediately after i've seen it but it's more the way in which it's done that achieves that as opposed to the actual birds.
October 6, 201410 yr I saw Vertigo for the first time last week. He really is the master of intrigue. Great plot but it burned out a bit in the final act for me. My favourite is Rear Window which is so much fun, so clever and meta in the way it takes his own voyeuristic eye and makes the act of watching the driver of the narrative. It's amazing that a film set almost entirely in one apartment doesn't feel claustrophobic and doesn't ever flag. And the dialogue and performances are just perfect. I felt his work turned a corner by Psycho and The Birds. It's hard to pinpoint but tonally they're different from what had come before. Maybe it's the remote settings, but they lacked a little zest despite being clearly fantastic (and iconic) films. North by Northwest next for me.
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