Alfred Hitchcock

[criterionmaster]

1. Family Plot (1976)
2. Frenzy (1972)
3. Topaz (1969)
4. Torn Curtain (1966)
5. Marnie (1964)
6. The Birds (1963)
... aka Alfred Hitchthingy's The Birds (UK: complete title)
7. "The Alfred Hitchthingy Hour"
- I Saw the Whole Thing (1962) TV Episode
8. "Alfred Hitchthingy Presents" (17 episodes)
- Bang! You're Dead (1961) TV Episode
- The Horse Player (1961) TV Episode
- Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat (1960) TV Episode
- The Crystal Trench (1959) TV Episode
- Arthur (1959) TV Episode
(11 more)
9. Psycho (1960)
10. "Startime"
... aka Ford Startime
... aka Lincoln-Mercury Startime
- Incident at a Corner (1960) TV Episode
11. North by Northwest (1959)
12. Vertigo (1958)
13. "Suspicion"
- Four O'Clock (1957) TV Episode
14. The Wrong Man (1956)
15. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
16. The Trouble with Harry (1955)
17. To Catch a Thief (1955)
... aka Alfred Hitchthingy's To Catch a Thief (USA: complete title)
18. Rear Window (1954)
... aka Alfred Hitchthingy's Rear Window (USA: complete title)
19. Dial M for Murder (1954)
20. I Confess (1953)
21. Strangers on a Train (1951)
22. Stage Fright (1950)
23. Under Capricorn (1949)
24. Rope (1948)
... aka Alfred Hitchthingy's Rope (USA: complete title)
25. The Paradine Case (1947)
26. Notorious (1946)
... aka Alfred Hitchthingy's Notorious
27. Spellbound (1945)
... aka Alfred Hitchthingy's Spellbound (USA: promotional title)
28. Watchtower Over Tomorrow (1945) (uncredited)
29. Lifeboat (1944)
30. Bon Voyage (1944)
31. Aventure malgache (1944)
... aka Alfred Hitchthingy's Aventure malgache
... aka Madagascar Landing
32. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
33. Saboteur (1942)
34. Suspicion (1941)
35. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
36. Foreign Correspondent (1940)
37. Rebecca (1940)
38. Jamaica Inn (1939)
39. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
40. Young and Innocent (1937)
... aka The Girl Was Young (USA)
41. Sabotage (1936)
... aka A Woman Alone (USA)
... aka I Married a Murderer (USA: reissue title)
... aka Sabotage (USA)
... aka The Hidden Power
42. Secret Agent (1936)
... aka Laugh Track: Secret Agent (USA: video title (redubbed comic version))
43. The 39 Steps (1935)
44. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
45. Waltzes from Vienna (1933)
... aka Strauss' Great Waltz (USA)
46. Number Seventeen (1932)
... aka Number 17 (USA)
47. Rich and Strange (1931)
... aka East of Shanghai (USA)
48. Mary (1931)
49. The Skin Game (1931)
50. Murder! (1930)
51. Juno and the Paythingy (1930)
... aka The Shame of Mary Boyle (USA)
52. An Elastic Affair (1930)
53. Elstree Calling (1930) (some sketches)
54. The Manxman (1929)
55. Blackmail (1929)
56. Sound Test for Blackmail (1929)
57. The Farmer's Wife (1928)
58. Easy Virtue (1928)
59. Champagne (1928)
60. Downhill (1927)
... aka When Boys Leave Home (USA)
61. The Ring (1927/I)
62. The Lodger (1927)
... aka The Case of Jonathan Drew
... aka The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
63. The Mountain Eagle (1926)
... aka Bergadler, Der (Germany)
... aka Fear o' God (USA)
64. The Pleasure Garden (1925)
... aka Irrgarten der Leidenschaft (Germany)
65. Number 13 (1922) (unfinished)
... aka Mrs Peabody
... aka Number Thirteen

[mixed]

Hitch is great, one of the best filmmakers. All his films are good really, barely a weak one. Even family plot if alright.

[criterionmaster]

Mr. and Mrs. Smith I believe is his worst but even that is great.

[blackmoses]

Hitchcock is deff one of the best if not the best diectors!

[mixed]

I haven't seen Mr and Mrs Smith.

[criterionmaster]

Oh it's in the great Hitchcock Signature Series boxset you should check it out sometime.

[cineaste25]

Basically the best director. He combines art with entertainment seamlessly, and even people who never wtach films before 2000 love his films. The best.

[meshuggeth]

Hitchcock is truly a master. I've seen four of his films. Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest and Rear Window. I loved all of them (Psycho being my favorite). I look forward to seeing more.

[criterionmaster]

[Nomansvally]

Oh, nice picture!

here's my list of the 25 Hitchcocks I've seen so far, and my currenlty ranking of them:

- Here we go:

1. Notorious ;D
2. Shadow of a Doubt
3. Strangers on a train
4. Psycho
5. Vertigo
6. The 39 Steps
7. Rear Window
8. North by Northwest
9. Foreign Correspondent
10. Suspicion

11. Rope
12. Dial M For Murder
13. Marine
14. Saboteur
15. I Confess
16. The Birds
17. Torn Curtain
18. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)
19. The Trouble with Harry
20. The Wrong Man
21. Stage Fright
22. Frenzy
23. Family Plot
24. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
25. Topaz

I was a huge fan for about 2 years ago and I bought three of his dvd-box sets. I have'nt rewatched his stuff since so this is my list now. I still have’nt seen any of his silents, and my goal is to see every film the guy has made...

[jewellrunner]

Here's how I rank my favorite Hitch films.

1. Psycho
2. Vertigo
3. Dial M for Murder
4. Strangers on a Train
5. North By Northwest
6. The Lady Vanishes
7. Spellbound
8. Rebecca
9. I Confess
10. Notorious
11. The 39 Steps
12. Rope
13. To Catch a Thief
14. Foreign Correspondent
15. Shadow of a Doubt
16. Rear Window

[criterionmaster]

Here is a debate I was having at another forum. My thoughts are not in quotes.

I'm suprised no one's mentioned Hitchcock as overrated. He basically made a career out of making the same movie over and over again. A great director should have versatility.

How in God's name is Psycho and Vertigo the same movie? And dude, if a director made a single one of Hitchcock's films he would be one of the greatest. I am wondering how many of his films you have actually seen if you think they are "basically all the same." I could list about 20 of his films that are among the best ever.

There's a difference between stories and structure. The structure is usually the same. The stories differ a little...but even those have many similarities. Look at 39 Steps, North by Northwest, The Wrong Man. They are all about the wrong man mistaken for a criminal. Hitchcock is without a doubt the most repeatitive over the top auteur there is. Vertigo is one of the few example that shine out as something different from the rest of his works. So that's an exception. I also think Notorious and Rear Window are exceptions. Most of his films are usually different versions of the same story. Eventhogh I enjoy Hitchcok very much, I will admit he is the mst over-rated director of all time. I'll admit this now. No directer in America is hailed as much as Hitch was. He's a good director for the masses.
So, I do agree with Enviru.

But he did so much for cinema overall. So many directors have listed Hitch as an influence on their work. So even if he does have many similarities in the stories, he did something different with them than all other directors of the time, and he still is ahead of his time in some instances. He has done so much for film, so much which is still used. And even look at those films you listed as being exceptions, if any director made those three films they could retire, and still be one of the best ever. Plus almost all directors essentially keep making the same movie over and over.

Hitchcock may have repeatedly told similiar stories and explored certain themes numerous times, but isn't that what makes him an auteur? I'm all for eclecticism of course, but Richard Fleicher, Robert Wise, and Michael Curtiz have very eclectic filmographies and are fine directors, but are they auteurs? Did they have a signature style and themes like Hitchcock? Of course it's possible to be very eclectic like Howard Hawks but still tell essentially similar stories and explore the same themes over and over again. After all, the heart of Rio Bravo and Hatari! is essentially the same, that is, a group of professionals uniting together for a common purpose, despite that those two films are remarkably different in terms of structure and story. Even though Hitchcock repeatedly used the premise of an innocent man wrongfully accused of a crime, I think there's still vast differences between say, The Wrong Man and The 39 Steps, the former being an incredibly depressing film influenced by Italian neo-realism and the latter a fun, fast-paced, witty action-adventure film that laid the ground work for subsequent Hitchcock films like Saboteur and North By Northwest. To me, that's what makes a particular director intriguing, how they obessess over the same themes and stories in film after film. While I can understand why one would argue that Hitchcock is overrated because he receives so much attention nowadays, I don't quite agree. To me, that's like saying Shakespeare is overrated because of the constant attention his plays receive. There's a reason for it, it's because Shakespeare is a titan among playwrites as Hitchcock is among filmmakers and before someone dismisses Hitch with the Ray Carney attitude of "he only made thrillers," why is it that no one has been able to replicate Hitch's genius despite such talented directors as Brain DePalma and Claude Chabrol have been trying to their whole career? I remember reading an article somewhere (can't remember which magazine or when) where the author argued that 500 years from now people will still be reading Shakespeare and listening to Bob Dylan, I would like to add that people will still be watching Hitchcock films as well.

I can't believe I forgot to mention his signature style, where you can tell it is a Hitchcock film. You said everything I wanted to say, but couldn't think of how to say it. I agree with you 99%. The only thing I don't agree on is that anyone has ever replicated Hitchcock's genius, I don't think anyone ever will be able to. Know one understood how to get under peoples skin and scare them like Hitchcock. And most of the time when people are praised, or films are praised as much as this, there is a reason for it.

The problem I have with Hitchcock is that while many of his films are some of the greatest ever made, there is a certain uneveness to his ouevre. Psycho, Notorious, The Birds and Rear Window are films that I will watch again and again (along with others that I can't recall atm), but then there are those that I despise like Vertigo and few other of the more melodramatic films (Notorious - while melodramatic - at least has several edge-of-your-seat moments like the wine bottles sequence). For me, when Hitchcock gets too heavy on the melodrama he is not as interesting as when he is in full suspense mode - he cannot compare to Douglas Sirk when it comes to melodrama, but obviously outclasses just about everyone in the suspense stakes. I found Vertigo dull, overwrought and -to be quite honest - extremely overrated. That said, Hitchcock at his best still outshines many lesser directors so I don't think he deserves the tag 'overrated' so much as some of the individual his films in his ouevre are overpraised.

Guys, he's technique over substance. Sure, he can take anything and make give it his great suspense...but a truly excellent director gives us some insight into how they precieve the world...rather than give us great popcorn thrillers. This is why I'll never hold him high like Tarkovsky and Ozu and others. You can literally expect his moves with every new film of his you watch. He's a revolutionary of thrillers and technique...but not much beyond that. I still enjoy him though. Hell, Notorious ranks high high amongst my favorite films. Vertigo is up there as well.

What does everyone else think about this??

[criterionmaster]

No comments on this master? What about on this set coming out? Anyone seen any of the films?



www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000KJU12S/dvdbeaver-20/ref=nosim

[ie]

I'll post this here, because that's the way it will be, goddamn it!

Saw Psycho for the first time earlier tonight. I was not quite 100% convinced by it, but after seeing the packaged-in documentary the Making of Psycho, I realized that it was actually quite well done. Not an absolute favorite, but a very good movie none-the-less.

I'd highly recommend to anyone that is kind of on the fence about Psycho to check out that documentary.

SPOILER: Click to show

I thought the "twist" was shocking and then very amusing. It was like "holy shit... that guy's in a dress! *chuckling*

Also, it seems odd to me, but I've known about Hitchcock for years and years, but I've never seen a picture of him other than his usual 50s+ old man look. What, was he born looking like an old man?

[criterionmaster]

ie said:

I'll post this here, because that's the way it will be, goddamn it!

Saw Psycho for the first time earlier tonight. I was not quite 100% convinced by it, but after seeing the packaged-in documentary the Making of Psycho, I realized that it was actually quite well done. Not an absolute favorite, but a very good movie none-the-less.

I'd highly recommend to anyone that is kind of on the fence about Psycho to check out that documentary.

SPOILER: Click to show

I thought the "twist" was shocking and then very amusing. It was like "holy shit... that guy's in a dress! *chuckling*

Also, it seems odd to me, but I've known about Hitchcock for years and years, but I've never seen a picture of him other than his usual 50s+ old man look. What, was he born looking like an old man?

Glad you enjoyed it, and yes, that documentary was great on there, it doesn’t surprise me it made you appreciate the film more.

You probably know, but the film is based on Ed Gein who worshipped his mother and dressed as woman and stuff, so when you think about that, it is less funny, yet, I don't know what it is, when I see this ending, or other great twist endings, I always get so happy. I guess I like being surprised or something.

His younger pictures are much, much, much less cool looking. He basically looks the same, just with darker hair, and just looks ordinary and eh. You can see him younger on some of his earlier films, and the features on Rebecca (as well as maybe some other stuff), or the doc Dial H for Hitchcock (which is amazing), or maybe Google.

EDIT:

Now you need to see some more Cock, there is so much for you to dig into. I am glad you enjoyed this, like I said; now let’s hope you enjoy some of his other stuff even more. Any ideas as to what you want to see next?

[ie]

Made me log into reply!

Thanks for finding the picture, so I didn't have to do a Google search for younger pictures of the 'Cock.


I think Vertigo will be the next movie I plan to see from him, although I won't mind seeing others of his before then. The thing is, though, I'm still not overly interested in his work at this point, and I have some other movies that I would much rather see at this point.


Oh yeah, as I was watching the movie, I thought of ideas for a remake of Psycho. Maybe directed by Zack Synder and Uwe Boll; think of the potential! You have a guy who seriously knows how to bring in a crowd combined with a guy who seriously knows how to make classy movies! It'd be perfect!

SPOILER: Click to show

Okay, so the setup is the same. Marion still steals the money, but she has to go through a big elaborate war sequence in order to get the money. Then she drives off in the Batmobile. She gets to the Bates Motel, gets an apartment and then is in an epic hold-out gun battle between herself and Mother. Then a zombie SWAT team comes in. I mean, sure, having regular old zombies would be enough, but these are fucking SWAT ninja pirate rock musician zombies. They can do anything, and in a scene that Roger Ebert will call the best scene ever recorded, proceed to do anything they want for five entire minutes. It's rumored that people actually died from Awesomeitius during the rough cut. Anyways, after that, Mother retreats back to the house, where she gets her stockpile of rocket launching tigers to blow up the motel, but good thing Marion is invincible, because otherwise she wouldn't be able to turn super saiyan. SSJ Marion then proceeds to blow up 1/5th of the planet. The ending of the movie will be vague, but somehow implies that Mother survived, making way for a sequel that even Hitchcock himself will rise from the grave to see. Zombie Hitchcock will then give the movie his highest regards.


Wow. Doesn't that sound like the best movie ever made ;D ;D

Oh, and I wasn't serious there.

[criterionmaster]

ie said:

Made me log into reply!

Thanks for finding the picture, so I didn't have to do a Google search for younger pictures of the 'Cock.


I think Vertigo will be the next movie I plan to see from him, although I won't mind seeing others of his before then. The thing is, though, I'm still not overly interested in his work at this point, and I have some other movies that I would much rather see at this point.


Oh yeah, as I was watching the movie, I thought of ideas for a remake of Psycho. Maybe directed by Zack Synder and Uwe Boll; think of the potential! You have a guy who seriously knows how to bring in a crowd combined with a guy who seriously knows how to make classy movies! It'd be perfect!

SPOILER: Click to show

Okay, so the setup is the same. Marion still steals the money, but she has to go through a big elaborate war sequence in order to get the money. Then she drives off in the Batmobile. She gets to the Bates Motel, gets an apartment and then is in an epic hold-out gun battle between herself and Mother. Then a zombie SWAT team comes in. I mean, sure, having regular old zombies would be enough, but these are fucking SWAT ninja pirate rock musician zombies. They can do anything, and in a scene that Roger Ebert will call the best scene ever recorded, proceed to do anything they want for five entire minutes. It's rumored that people actually died from Awesomeitius during the rough cut. Anyways, after that, Mother retreats back to the house, where she gets her stockpile of rocket launching tigers to blow up the motel, but good thing Marion is invincible, because otherwise she wouldn't be able to turn super saiyan. SSJ Marion then proceeds to blow up 1/5th of the planet. The ending of the movie will be vague, but somehow implies that Mother survived, making way for a sequel that even Hitchcock himself will rise from the grave to see. Zombie Hitchcock will then give the movie his highest regards.


Wow. Doesn't that sound like the best movie ever made ;D ;D

Oh, and I wasn't serious there.

Yeah, with your luck you would have come across all kinds of underage penis. That would not have been good.

Oh, nice, Vertigo is always a good place to go for Cock. I also obviously recommend Rear Window, which might be more accessible than Vertigo. Either way, both are masterpieces.

Yeah, that idea would be sick. Despite my hatred for Uwe Boll, I would probably actually go and see that. At least it would be better than Van Sant's shot-for-shot remake. ZING.

[Clark Nova]

for the Hitchcock newbie, i'd definitely go with Rear Window first...it's a lot more accessible, a lot more Hitchcock-style suspenseful, and less to think about. Vertigo's so much more dense, deep, and emotionally complex...probably one of the deepest films ever made, I'd say.

[wkw]

Speaking of Rear Window, checkout the latest Hollywood abomination of Hitchcock:

www.imdb.com/title/tt0486822/

[criterionmaster]

wkw said:

Speaking of Rear Window, checkout the latest Hollywood abomination of Hitchcock:

www.imdb.com/title/tt0486822/

Oh God, the second I saw the trailer for that film I said they were completely ripping-off Rear Window. I mean, it looks like someone just saw Rear Window and said "wouldn't it be cool to do that, but instead of that part, do this?" And do they even give credit to Rear Window?! I laugh at how stupid it looks, but also I’m pissed off by it, every time I see the trailer. Why do films like this have to be made in the first place? Hitchcock is probably turning over in his grave.

[wkw]

Yeah, this makes the Psycho remake look good. At least that copied Psycho shot for shot, whereas this makes Rear Window into a shitty teen mystery.

[criterionmaster]

The Psycho Legacy Coming to Theaters
Source (posted at hollywood saloon): Ryan Rotten
April 3, 2007

Norman Bates is back, along with his oedipal fixations and, of course, "Mother," in a new independent documentary currently in production. Entitled The Psycho Legacy, the feature-length doc will look at not only Hitchcock's disturbed '60 milestone but its sequels, television projects, Innovation-published comic books, Robert Bloch's source novel and the others that followed.

Robert Galluzzo of Icons of Fright Productions spearheaded the project and acts as its producer alongside associate producer Chris Garetano (Horror Business). "I was inspired to start this documentary for a number of reasons. The main one being a lack of one," says Galluzzo. "Like many current horror filmmakers out there now, I was at the ideal age when all the sequels came out, and there's very little material out there documenting the stories behind the making of those 'Psycho' sequels. I will cover the original movie, but there's already so much out there about Hitchcock's 'Psycho.' I'm really interested in answering all the burning questions fans have had through out the years about the sequels. And I can confidently say that I've already uncovered never-before-heard stories from the filmmakers involved."

Those on the interview slate include Mick Garris (Psycho IV, "Masters of Horror"), Tom Holland (Psycho II), Fangoria Magazine's Tony Timpone, Lee Garlington (Psycho II and III), Katt Shea (Psycho III), Adam Green (Hatchet), Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red), author Harold Schechter ("Ed Gein: The Original Psycho"), Hilton Green (asst. dir. Psycho, producer Psycho II and III, exec. prod. Psycho IV), Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs), Greg Nicotero (KNB EFX), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and many more (including this writer…yikes)!

For more details, keep an eye on the production's official MySpace page. There, fans will get special web-exclusive messages from the "Psycho" franchise's collaborators and other special treats.

www.myspace.com/thepsycholegacy

End of Article.

[captainofbeef]

That looks interesting.

[criterionmaster]

Yeah, I already saw the documentary on the Psycho disc out, but this one sounds like it will be much different. Have you seen that? It is a great look at the original. I will probably try and see the film, but I doubt it will come near here, so I will probably have to wait for the DVD.

[criterionmaster]

(a new one coming out)


(the one I already fucking have!)

What the fuck is up with this? A new release of this film and it is just a regular one-disc version, not in a box set or anything, I am pissed, the version I have already has three great featurettes. I mean, if you are going to re-release this film why not go all out, I am pissed! Why not just give us another box set with some Hitch films we don't have yet. Ugh. In related news, this film was on TV early today, I didn't watch it, but it just reminded me how good this film is. Well, lets just say, this new release better at least have something to warrant this re-release.

[criterionmaster]

Okay, as I mentioned above, that new edition is coming out, well DVDBeaver compared them. Looks like I will be buying the new edition, it is cheap, the image quality crushes it, and Bogdonavich does a commentary on it. I recommend the film for everyone, as it is a very fun ride.

www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview/tocatchathief.htm

[sacrilegend]

I rented Vertigo for the first time the other day and I'm watching it tonight.

[jelizarose]

what did you think of Vertigo?

[dontdigonswine]

[1] Vertigo - 10/10
[2] Psycho - 10/10
[3] Rear Window - 10/10
[4] The Man Who Knew Too Much - 9/10
[5] North by Northwest - 9/10
[6] Suspicion - 8/10
[7] The Birds - 8/10
[8] Spellbound - 7/10
[9] The Trouble with Harry - 7/10

[ie]

This is a bit of a lame question, but:
Which Hitchcock movies are the most "essential"?

I'm thinking of watching Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest and the Birds, but I'm not sure which other ones would be good to have seen, culturally. Which is to say, which of his movies were the most influential?

Oh, and I do sound like a noob there, don't I?