RIFLE RANGE BOY

Woman in the Window (2021) Woman in the Window (1944) After watching the 2021 version, which was entirely predictable, with a lot of screaming and display of feminine gusto, I also decided to view the 1944 one. I knew in the mind of minds that the older one, which has the classic black-and-white collection of nuances of acting and beautiful dialogue, will be a head-turner. I was not wrong. There have been many rip-offs of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 'Rear Window'. If Steven Spielberg was taken to court for making 2007 'Disturbia', I wonder what they say about this. If in 1954, James Stewart was homebound after picking up a fracture while photographing, here in 2021, a psychologist, Dr Anna Fox  (Amy Adams), is confined to the four walls of her apartment complex due to a bad case of agoraphobia.  We later learn that she had lost her daughter and husband in a nasty car accident during a winter retreat. She is the lone survivor, testing out a new medicine that may give sid...

Les Diabolique (1955, French) Nowadays, abuse does not just encompass physical and sexual kind. In development psychology, a different type of abuse is often quoted as having a detrimental effect on the maturing mind. One with no physical evidence but is said to leave a mark so deep that it may just jostle the living daylight out of a person's future. They call it psychological abuse. The constant advice (imparting of knowledge or life experience or nagging as the receiver perceives it) is so painful that living seems not worth it! I find this a little perplexing. I thought what does not kill a person, only makes him stronger! And how is one to know his real potential if he does not scrape the barrel's bottom? The world would have no Michael Jackson if his father just gave in to his whims and fancies of the unknowing child who does not know the purpose of repeated and gruelling training. Nevertheless, that is the recipe of modern parenting for you - a liber...

The Girl (2012) This controversial film produced by HBO and BBC put the legendary Alfred Hitchcock in a bad light. It is the product of the interview of a down and out actress Tippi Hedren whom Hitchcock introduced in 'Bird' (1963). Hitch's fascination with blondes continues after Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergmann and Kim Novak. In comes Tippi  Hedren a blonde with Nordic roots, a single mother, a model with a child. After an unpleasant encounter with Vera Miles who became pregnant during Hitchcock's earlier film, he is happy with her single status. Tippi, on her side is smitten for having a chance to work with a director of his stature. He promises to elevate her career to that of Grace Kelly, who stopped acting after marrying Prince of Monaco. Shooting of 'The Birds' commences (no pun intended). Slowly, Hitchcock starts controlling her dressing and even her make-up. We, the viewers, can see that Hitch is made to look like sexual predator, have long stares at...

Hitchcock (2012) I guess that it is a must-see film for suckers of Hitchcock films, of which I am guilty of. Whatever the reason may be for watching this flick, one can understand that many tears, heartaches, gambles, feuds, anxiety and initial naysayers a part and parcel of the background in the production of anything earth shattering, like the production of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 blockbuster 'Psycho'. Hitchcock's 'Psycho' broke the standard mould of a scary movie by venturing one step further by suggesting murder and violence without actually showing the act. Even this met great resistance from the censorship board those days. After his success in 'North by Northwest', he was taken aback when a reporter asked him whether it was an opportune time for him to retire! This only ignited his desire to recreate another with the same passion that he had in his earlier days. Somebody suggests a novel based on a real crime by a Ed Gein. Even though, he was...

http://entertainment.time.com/2012/11/19/spellbinder-hitchcocks-10-most-memorable-scenes/slide/all/#ixzz2Crh0cLv8 The Crop Duster in  North by Northwest Robert Donat’s Nonsense Speech in  The 39 Steps Judy Becomes Madeleine in  Vertigo Crows on a Jungle Gym in  The Birds The Killing of Gromek in  Torn Curtain Joseph Cotten’s Dinner Monologue in  Shadow of a Doubt Raymond Burr Looks Into James Stewart’s Camera in  Rear Window Grace Kelly Attacked in  Dial M for Murder The Wine Cellar in  Notorious The Shower Scene in  Psycho

Elstree Calling (1930) Director: Alfred Hitchcock et.al. At a time when Hollywood was churning out colourful lavish feather in the hat type of 'Copacabana' styled performance, 'Elstree Calling' was London's premiere studio's 1930 answer to their trans-Atlantic cousins. This one of the earlier talkies was made at a time when the British Empire was on the decline, but its culture was the envy of the world over. Trouble was already brewing over the Empire as the fall had started at the turn of the century. The movie at best can be referred to a collection of songs, dances and sketches ala -Donny and Marie (a variety show) of the 70s! There is a bumbling master of ceremony who gets all his scripts mixed up but manages to introduce the performers. He goes on to give announcements out of context, like a child looking for her father who left her 22years previously and so on. There is a funny running sketch of a man fiddling with his primitive...

Champagne (1928) Director: Alfred Hitchcock 1928 must have been a very good year for a young Alfred Hitchcock. His maiden film as a director as well as a few others came alive on screen and since then champagnes have been popping. News had it that Hitchcock did not really enjoy post-production cocktail parties and was rarely seen after shooting times. The silent movie 'Champagne' is a 1928 production that made its way to my collection of Hitchcock's movies - that means only 'No. 13'(1922-lost film), Mountain Eagle (1925-lost film), 'Always tell your wife' (1923) and 'Elstree Calling'(1930) are still elusive! 'Champagne' starts with a Wall Street magnate fuming mad (literally, evidenced by puffs of cigar fumes) whilst reading about the antics of his headstrong daughter flying across the Atlantic to meet up with her secret lover. In the next scene, passengers of a cruise ship are excited over the apparent rescuing of a stranded plane i...

Waltzes from Vienna (1934) At a time of financial weakness and desperation, Alfred Hitchcock must have made his first and last musical drama. It has a lot of Hitchcockian eccentric comedy of sorts , poking fun at the life of the rich Viennese aristocrats. Johann Strauss Jr., a disillusioned young man ridiculed by his famous composer father for his 'laughable' compositions, tries desperately to have his composition heard. He befriends a young pretty countess who takes a liking to his abilities and takes it upon herself to get his composition public. This infuriates Jr's baker's daughter girlfriend, Rasi who is quite contended with him donning baker's hat and getting his hands dirty with flour.  The countess plans a devious scheme to delay Senior Strauss' arrival at a private presentation whilst Jr. is coaxed to lead the rostrum to the demands of a boisterous Viennese aristocratic crowd to lead the  waltz 'Blue Danube' to a pe...

This is the earliest of the collection of the silent movies that is currently in my possession. When I told one of my friends that I was going to watch a 1925 (released in 1927) silent movie called 'Pleasure Garden', he asked whether it was an adult themed porn flick! Of course not, it is Alfred Hitchcock's directorial debut. Pleasure Garden is the name of the hall where Jill and Patsy were dancing girls. Jill's fiancé, Hugh, who is working in an estate overseas visits her with his friend, Levet. After a brief vacation, Hugh returns to work. Jill's fame skyrockets afterwards and is wooed by a rich prince. Patsy's advice to Jill on being level headed and faithful to Hugh falls to deaf ears and their relationship sours. Patsy is smitten with Levet and decide to tie the knot. Towards the end of her honeymoon, Patsy realizes Levet's true colour. Levet returns overseas to continue his work. Virginia Valli as Patsy  In one of the rather infrequent letters s...

AUGUST 4, 2011, By Lucy Craymer New Zealand Film Archive/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesA still image from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The White Shadow.’ Alfred Hitchcock’s first film, “The White Shadow,” thought to have been lost, has been found languishing at the New Zealand Film Archives. The first three rolls of the 1923 melodrama have been discovered in the Wellington, New Zealand, archives, where they have been held for safekeeping since their original collector Jack Murtagh died in 1989. It remains possible that the second half of the film is also in storage but yet to be restored. The Film Archive described the film as a “wild, atmospheric” melodrama starring Betty Compson in a dual role as twin sisters, one angelic and one soulless. David Sterritt, chairman of the National Society of Film Critics and author of “The Films of Alfred Hitchcock,” called the discovery “one of the most significant developments in memory for scholars, critics, and admirers of Hitchcock’s extraordin...