tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post6618646863649542832..comments2023-08-15T05:06:03.233-06:00Comments on The Writing Sisterhood: The Genius of Alfred Hitchcock (and what writers can learn from him)The Sisterhoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09889577041903181315noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-29587769808647877212013-11-21T15:31:50.997-07:002013-11-21T15:31:50.997-07:00I LOVED Memento. Insomnia was good, too. But I'...I LOVED Memento. Insomnia was good, too. But I've never seen (or heard of) The Prestige. What is it about? I should add it to my list. I didn't know he'd directed all those films but it makes sense. He seems very interested in the brain. In fact, it becomes his antagonist! Talking about puzzle films. Did you guys ever see The Game? I saw it years ago, but it was super hard to follow. Can't remember much about it.<br /><br />Fight Club was definitely strange and dark, but I've noticed that a lot of men like it. Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-54662342540993482122013-11-21T11:47:28.881-07:002013-11-21T11:47:28.881-07:00Wow, I'm just surprised at how many of Nolan&#...Wow, I'm just surprised at how many of Nolan's films I've seen! I like the trippy story of The Prestige, but Inception has never been one of my favorites.Mary Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09429769115085903305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-79662383522598102732013-11-21T08:09:20.953-07:002013-11-21T08:09:20.953-07:00Nolan did Inception, yes. I've watched it two ...Nolan did Inception, yes. I've watched it two or three times now because it's J's favorite film. She's watched it probably six, seven times? Nolan does a lot with the camera, not just at the end with the spinning top. He's also directed Memento, The Prestige, and Insomnia. You could call them all "Puzzle Films." David Fincher (Fight Club) is supposed to be like that, too: puzzles and clues placed throughout the set. As you said about Almodovar, I might be more into Fincher if he wasn't so graphic. I was also unhappy with the message of Fight Club, but that may be a post for another day. :)Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02187854108656107958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-86317828842168846652013-11-20T21:23:05.554-07:002013-11-20T21:23:05.554-07:00I saw half of that movie when I was a teenager (in...I saw half of that movie when I was a teenager (in a plane!!) But I think I was too young to get it. I definitely want to watch it now.Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-30792948652598237122013-11-20T08:27:26.208-07:002013-11-20T08:27:26.208-07:00I don't recommend Psycho, but I'm sure a l...I don't recommend Psycho, but I'm sure a lot of people out there probably do. I watched it when I was really young and shouldn't have been watching something like that. It creeped me out really bad and I just can't watch it again. One other film I enjoy of Hitchcock's is Rear Window. It seems Stewart might have been Hitchcock's go-to actor, kind of like Depp is with Tim Burton and DiCaprio is with Martin Scorsese. But, Major H might be right in the fact that he wasn't able to turn down the role if he was hired on by the studio. That's just the way things worked back in the Golden Age of film!Mary Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09429769115085903305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-40611358187310350642013-11-20T08:21:44.808-07:002013-11-20T08:21:44.808-07:00With Strangers on the Train, make sure you watch T...With Strangers on the Train, make sure you watch Throw Mama From the Train! I know you like humor and you'll like this humorous take on Hitchcock's film.Mary Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09429769115085903305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-81502684850204757012013-11-19T21:37:13.541-07:002013-11-19T21:37:13.541-07:00You know, I just heard today that there is a stage...You know, I just heard today that there is a stage version of Strangers on the Train. It would be fun to watch! I hope they bring it here. <br /><br />I wondered the same thing about Stewart. Major H speculated that maybe he was under one of those contracts with the big production companies where actors couldn't really decline a role. I was actually surprised to learn this because I thought he did a great job with that character (he was one of the characters who brought humor to the film).<br /><br />Christopher Nolan is the one who directed Inception, right? Now that you mention him, I remember he used the camera "to tell us something" at the end of Inception (what he told us, I'm not sure, ha ha!) One needs a manual to understand that film (not joking, there is a website with graphics that explains it, ha!)<br /><br />You know, someone who plays a lot with camera angles, humor and suspense is Pedro Almodovar. If only he wasn't so graphic in some of his films I would like him more. Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-61061657663060299392013-11-19T21:25:21.178-07:002013-11-19T21:25:21.178-07:00"I can't tolerate a lot of visual gore.&q..."I can't tolerate a lot of visual gore."<br /><br />I couldn't agree more! That's why horror films turn me off, but I love psychological thrillers, too!Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-54561302893587550102013-11-19T21:24:03.560-07:002013-11-19T21:24:03.560-07:00Ok, I know this is weird but I've never seen P...Ok, I know this is weird but I've never seen Psycho!! I understand why you don't care for The Birds. It's a little odd and the effects just seem a little funny to us, but I bet you don't see crows the same way after watching that film!! I get a creepy feeling when I see a large group of birds on a wire (and there's always a lot of them near my house, ha ha!) I also love Vertigo!Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-71740057327380815392013-11-19T21:20:56.341-07:002013-11-19T21:20:56.341-07:00I'm glad to see so many of you love him as muc...I'm glad to see so many of you love him as much as I do!Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-82884095166593795842013-11-19T21:20:04.735-07:002013-11-19T21:20:04.735-07:00The thing about Hitchcock is that he was original,...The thing about Hitchcock is that he was original, a visionary, whereas a lot of what we see today is the same stuff from one film to the next (a formula that many times relies on special effects or emotional manipulation of the audience). Hitchcock was an innovator, not only with his themes but also in the way he told his stories.Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-80087451519786561932013-11-19T21:17:05.796-07:002013-11-19T21:17:05.796-07:00Thanks for the compliment! I thought it was odd th...Thanks for the compliment! I thought it was odd that I saw both films on the same weekend when they are almost the opposite (in their views about life) but they were similar in that they had small casts and simple plots. I enjoyed both but in very different ways!Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-52795109618407806482013-11-19T15:15:18.726-07:002013-11-19T15:15:18.726-07:00Oh yeah ... you asked for a director that compares...Oh yeah ... you asked for a director that compares. Christopher Nolan is not exactly the same kind of director, but we do enjoy all the puzzles he tucks into his films, and the way he keeps you guessing until the end. He makes similar use of the camera. (More so in his non-Batman movies.)Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02187854108656107958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-60163633277405254552013-11-19T15:09:28.127-07:002013-11-19T15:09:28.127-07:00I agree with Suze, this was a really well-written ...I agree with Suze, this was a really well-written post. We were on a family Hitchcock kick a year or two ago, and the storytelling style really appealed to the elder kiddo in general, but we only got through the big-name movies. I really want to watch this one now, and the one about the train ride, after talking to you and MM. The trivia you gave was fascinating ... I wonder why Stewart took the role, if it made him uncomfortable? I can imagine how playing the guy who accidentally programs two killers with an amoral philosophy might not be appealing, especially for oh-shucks sunny Jimmy. But he did take the role.<br /><br />I love your list of lessons-learned as a writer. Those are all excellent.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02187854108656107958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-25837232497432058722013-11-18T13:09:41.218-07:002013-11-18T13:09:41.218-07:00I haven't seen Rope, but now I'm definitel...I haven't seen Rope, but now I'm definitely going to! Masterful review. I can't tolerate a lot of visual gore, so I seldom watch horror movies; it's nice to run across scary films that rely on character, psychology, visual cues and camera work to deliver the story and the punch.Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08831231531918915804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-47170762280759975012013-11-18T10:22:46.641-07:002013-11-18T10:22:46.641-07:00For the most part, I love Hitchcock. (The ones I r...For the most part, I love Hitchcock. (The ones I really can't stand watching are Psycho and The Birds). I'd say Rope is one of my favorite films of his, mainly because it has this trippy feel to it and you really want to know if the murder will be found out. Vertigo is probably another one of my favorites. He really did have a fascinating way of telling a story, and with great suspense. I'm glad you highlighted his work. Even though he was a bit odd, he really knew how to spin an amazing story!<br /><br />"Never befriend someone who admires Nietzsche!"<br /><br />I'll keep this in mind!Mary Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09429769115085903305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-21737626958039641012013-11-17T20:39:30.518-07:002013-11-17T20:39:30.518-07:00I love Hitchcock!
Great reflection, Lorena. Hitc...I love Hitchcock!<br /><br />Great reflection, Lorena. Hitch was a master storyteller with much to teach us all.The Armchair Squidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13509001761075530940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-4326439902377557212013-11-17T17:09:54.285-07:002013-11-17T17:09:54.285-07:00Yes, I'm a Hitchcock fan, and I think he was b...Yes, I'm a Hitchcock fan, and I think he was brilliant. Since I rarely go to the movies anymore, I can't really comment on the talents of today's directors, but strangely enough, my husband and I DID go to the movies to watch "Gravity." (First movie outing in fifteen or twenty years... talk about sticker shock!) As much as I enjoyed the movie, it pales compared to Hitchcock's works.Susan Flett Swiderskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425315552148200073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266371808927804670.post-63871130777771159142013-11-17T12:35:11.402-07:002013-11-17T12:35:11.402-07:00Lore, this was such a well-written post. I was rea...Lore, this was such a well-written post. I was reading it when little one knocked on the door on her way back from her friend's apartment from a play date and I actually shook a bit with the shock of the sound when my concentration on your words was broken!<br /><br />What drew me in from the dashboard was your comparison of Gravity and Rope and, wow, what a payoff with the rest of the post. I found a lot to chew on in your lessons learned as a writer.Suzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07908805179119217608noreply@blogger.com