North By Northwest (1959)

4.5 / 5  Aug '11
Tagline:  Alfred Hitchcock takes you.... North by Northwest!
Directed by:  Alfred Hitchcock
Written by:  Ernest Lehman
Actors include:  Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
Genre:  Thriller, Mystery
Length:  131 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:
Yet another reason why [Artist77324] is considered "The Master of Suspense"!  This taut thriller stars [Artist143734] as Roger Thornhill, a New York ad executive who is suddenly kidnapped from a restaurant.  His captors seem convinced that he's a Government spy but of course it's a mistaken identity thing.  The more Thornhill starts investigating the Spy, the deeper he gets wound into the mess and the more convinced the bad guys become that he really is who they thought.  It's just so well written and tightly wound that it makes for one hell of a great film.  This even has some extremely memorable and spectacular chase scenes (featuring a crop duster and Mount Rushmore) and it's pretty much non-stop excitement from beginning to end.  Who can argue with that?  If you haven't seen this film then you absolutely must, one of Hitchcock's best and undoubtedly a classic that everyone should enjoy!

Availability:  On DVD and Blu-Ray

Vertigo (1958)

4.5 / 5 Dec '09
Tagline: A Hitchcock thriller. You should see it from the beginning!
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Written by: Alec Coppel, Samuel A. Taylor
Actors include: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Length: 129 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I saw this when I was a kid and liked it though I couldn't remember much but the typically thought of scene with the swirls and the high building. I was happily surprised to find when I watched it again that there is a lot more to the story than just my minor memory of it. The story is about a retired Detective (James Stewart) who of course suffers from serious vertigo. When he's asked by his friend to tail his beautiful icy wife Madeleine (Kim Novak) he gets an awful lot more than he bargained for. It seems Madeleine has some serious issues as she can't remember half of her bizarre activity. He starts to believe she is possessed by the soul of a Woman who is in a painting that looks just like her. The deeper in her web he falls the more he's tempted and the more he's challenged in the situation. It's pretty gripping, extremely well acted and has enough twists and turns to keep nearly anyone captivated I would think. There's definite reason that Hitchcock is so well regarded, this is one of his most interesting thrillers. Definitely recommended for a first timer or for anyone looking for a good story and some excitement.

Availability:  On DVD

Strangers On A Train (1951)

4.5 / 5 Feb '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Written by: Raymond Chandler, Czenzi Ormonde
Actors include: Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman
Genre: Thriller, Comedy, Mystery
Length: 101 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
What a fantastic black comedy/mystery film...okay so by this point based solely on seeing parodies and what not I knew what the basic plot was. Still, the character development and the story and details make this more than worthy of a viewing. The idea is that two men who don't know each other meet on a train, Bruno (played brilliantly by Robert Walker) suggests that they murder someone for the other thus eliminating motive. Guy sort of shirks it off not thinking much about it, until his wife turns up strangled. The sense of wit, and sheer excitement of the tale makes this extremely easy to watch. That and I found the "carousel" scene shockingly wicked and unexpected. Maybe this isn't Hitchcock's absolute best, it's still one of his most entertaining and I'd recommend it highly to just about anyone, very satisfying.

Availability:  On DVD

Rear Window (1954)

4.5 / 5 Apr '11
Tagline: See It! - If your nerves can stand it after PSYCHO!
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Written by: John Michael Hayes, Cornell Woolrich
Actors include: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Drama
Length: 112 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Certainly one of Hitchcock's best and most parodied...in fact you probably already know most of the plot of this one. I saw it first when I was a kid, and having just watched it again I still think it's one heck of a stylishly good film. James Stewart plays L.B. Jefferies, a wheelchair bound photographer who has taken to watching his neighbors for entertainment. Lucky for him most of them perform right in front of their window. When half of a bickering couple disappear and suddenly L.B. starts getting curious. Especially when the Man is handling rope, jewelry, a purse and some knives he starts theorizing. With the help of his elegant Socialite girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) can they figure out what really happened? It's pretty interesting, and the black humor makes it even more enjoyable. I didn't think it was really intense or anything but it was satisfying and classic none the less.

Availablity:  On DVD