The Movie Whore Flashes Back

I’ve been on an Alfred Hitchcock kick lately. I blame that atrocity “The Artist”.

…okay, “atrocity” might be a bit strong. It was a cute movie, just not award winningly cute! And really, is anything ever “award winningly cute”? Cute is not something to aspire to. They don't give awards for "cute". Something or someone is or is not cute, but if you are aspiring to be “cute”, you invariably turn out sad/pathetic and clearly “trying too hard”. Think of older women in “cute” teeny-bopper clothes. Don’t they appear to be trying too hard? Think of people putting stupid “clothes” on teacup dogs. Isn’t the dog merely “sad”?Well The Artist was cute, but not award-worthy. And it wasn’t even totally silent! Cheaters.

ANYway…

Watching The Artist inspired me to pull out my 4-DVD Alfred Hitchcock set – you know you bought it too, from the $9 bin at Walmart – and I watched his first thriller “The Lodger”. Black and white – check. Silent – check. Interesting storyline – check! Imagine that! A silent film can be riveting. It has a sort of Jack the Ripper feel to it, and you don’t know whodunit until the end.

But silent films only satisfy in small doses for the modern Movie Whore. It’s nice to watch a throw-back, but I do like having sound, and hearing the inflection… and a scream’s just not a scream without the scream!

Well just as one thing leads to another, The Lodger made me seek out Strangers on a Train, another black and white Hitchcock that I love. He comes up with the plan for what could be the perfect murder! Two strangers do the murder for the other person, and there’s no motive, so they’d never be caught! I don’t want to spoil it for you, because you really should see it. Suffice to say, there are no axes involved, but there is a madman. (teehee. Love a good “madman” plot.)

When I found Strangers on the Train, I also found Stage Fright right next to it. I couldn’t remember if I’d seen Stage Fright yet – I have, but it’s worth a re-watch. Both of these movies are black and white, but neither is silent. Now, Stage Fright has so many plot twists that by the time it ends you won’t know if you’re coming or going! And Alistair Sim. Ooo…Alistair Sim…He plays an awesome character. You know him as Ebenezer Scrooge, probably, but you’ll actually like this character.

Lest you think the Movie Whore has nothing to do but sit around eating bon-bons and watching movies all day, keep in mind that I’ve been out sick for several days so I couldn’t really do much. (Packed up most of my books, but that’s for another post.)

Finally, on Sunday, I put in my all-time favorite Hitchcock: Rear Window. If you’ve not seen it, you should. James Stewart is laid up with a broken leg and can’t leave his apartment, so he entertains himself watching the goings-on in all the apartments he can see from his rear window. The suspense is in wondering whether or not he was witness to a murder (chopped up body parts are assumed). There is the additional psycho-drama of seeing what actually happens behind closed doors. I mean really, how well do any of us know our neighbors? AND finally, it has the incomparably beautiful Grace Kelly.

This Movie Whore does love old classic movies. And what better way to spend your sick days, than watching old movies? Any other classic movie suggestions? What would you watch if you were home sick?