(For the previous "Best Hitchcock Movies" list click here.) The problem with creating a "Best Hitchcock Movies" list is that so many of the picks are plainly obvious. Any list that does not include Vertigo, Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window, and arguably The Birds in the top 10 is automatically illegitimate in my book. In addition you'd …
There are very few cinephiles, film critics, or industry insiders who would not have Alfred Hitchcock somewhere near the top of their list of best directors ever. In the most recent Sight and Sound list of the best films of all time (possibly the most comprehensive "best-of" film list) Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo came out on top. But more than that, …
Alfred Hitchcock once said that the key difference in creating a successful atmosphere of suspense is to "keep the audience informed." In his famous "bomb under the table" example he showed that while the explosion may provide 10 seconds of shock, it is the knowledge that there is a bomb under the table and that …
(As is the case with my viewing habits, once in awhile and typically during the slow part of the year, I get into the habit of running through a chunk of someone's filmography or a bunch of movies with thematic similarity. Since they are usually pretty rewarding experiences for me, I figure I might as …
One of my biggest problems with most end-of-year best film awards is that we crown these films the "best" when we have at best had about six months since they first encountered it. In the case of the biggest prize of all, the Academy Awards, there is so much lobbying by film studios that it is …
Marjane Satrapi's powerful autobiography Persepolis is a lot of things. It is a unique history of the monumental political shifts that happened in Iran between the 1970s and 1990s. It is a powerful statement against the opponents of free speech and expression. It gives fascinating insight into the specific dangers that women face in both liberated …
There is a moment halfway through the movie where Francis (Owen Wilson), Jack (Jason Schwartzman), and Peter (Adrien Brody) find themselves in the middle of rural India on a bus. An Indian man stares at them incredulously and asks "What are you doing in this place?" and without skipping a beat Francis answers with utter …
Continue reading 10th Year Anniversary: The Darjeeling Limited
Now I know what you may be thinking. Isn't it just a little bit late to be putting out a list like this? Well yes, most of these lists do come out in July or August but I just can't bring myself to put together a list then for a few reasons. First, I'm a …
Spider-Man: Homecoming is aptly named for several reasons. From a purely corporate level, it is the official celebration of Spider-Man’s return to Marvel Studios (through Sony Pictures’ gracious lending of the character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe). But from a more essential level, Homecoming represents a return of the character to his roots as a …
Famously Henri-Georges Clouzot's school-yard chiller Diabolique closes with a placard begging the viewer not to reveal the ending of the movie. Unlike most spoiler warnings, this request is not made because the movie's magic falls apart once the reveals are made. Even on my fourth viewing this film managed to capture my attention and rope …
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