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EWB Film Club


Jimmy

How are we going to do this?  

15 members have voted

  1. 1. How are we going to do this?

    • We take it on turns to nominate five films, then we vote on which one we'll watch.
    • A film a decade from 1910-2010
    • A-Z film
    • A different genre every week.
    • Take in turns to nominate a director, or actor, and everyone has to watch one film of theirs.
    • 10 films from 10 different countries.
      0
    • Other
      0


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I have to triple post!

I just watched 'The Wrong Man (1956)' with Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. It isn't the typical Hitchcock film but still one of his best. It's based on true events and he tells you that himself. You are following a simple family man with a lovely wife and 2 boys named: Christopher Emmanuel Balestrero as he is being accused of armed robbery. A man at the wrong place at the wrong time. I loved it!

Also I've decided for everyone here that they have to post in their opinion on whatever Hitchcock classic they've watched, if they found the Master of Suspense himself in the film. In the Wrong Man he's in front of the camera, talking about how this is based on true events.

EDIT: Also, http://www.letterboxd.com/larziej/list/ewb-filmclub/

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North by Northwest is epic.

Also, I've had some time left before I have to go to bed so I've decided to watch: To Catch a Thief, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. So far my least favorite Hitchcock film and I still gave it 3½ stars at Letterboxd. Grant is a retired jewelry thief trying to find out and catch his copycat. While also having a love interest in Grace Kelly and trying to avoid the cops. It all plays out in France and it has some beautiful shots. I still enjoyed it a lot! And everyone who loves Mr. Alfred should watch it.

Also, you will see Hitchcock next to Grant in a bus while he escapes the police. You can't miss him.

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Theres one called "The Lady Vanishes" on Netflix. It sounds pretty interesting

If it is the original, then go ahead. All of the remakes are turd, though (and not done by Hitchcock).

Btw, how long do we usually have to watch our choice? A week?

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I just watched "The Lady Vanishes" on Netflix. It was pretty good. Not at all what I was expecting. I usually associate Hitchcock with like Horror type stuff and this wasn't really that. Can't really say much without giving away the most important part but I enjoyed it. Didn't spot Hitchcock anywhere. Was he in it?

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I just watched "The Lady Vanishes" on Netflix. It was pretty good. Not at all what I was expecting. I usually associate Hitchcock with like Horror type stuff and this wasn't really that. Can't really say much without giving away the most important part but I enjoyed it. Didn't spot Hitchcock anywhere. Was he in it?

More thriller than horror, I'd say. Well, at least if he is considered horror, it is more psychological than anything.

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Hitchcock movies seen before Rope: Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds. Watched Rope last night. SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY.

So I knew a lot about Rope because it is a film students wet dream. It is one of those movies that is great in understanding a mise-en-scene when you are still grappling with the idea, it has a unique gimmick (super long takes centered in one room), and stand out performances. I think I've seen a few bits and pieces from the movies previously, but never the entire thing.

The movie was fantastic. I think the plot was a bit heavy-handed. It's Hitchcock - total focus on intellect and characters who think they are the smartest characters in the room. I wasn't engulfed by the plot, but it served the purpose. I think the movie is far more interesting for the reasons everyone else will pick up on - it is a well thought through movie that uses physical space in an interesting way to tell the story, give depth to characters and builds tension. The use of space does a great job in explaining who these characters are through physical space. Phillip fidgets as the conversation and action moves towards David. Brandon is practically telling everyone he did it and almost seems to want to be caught.

I thought the ending wasn't great. I think the premise was great and Rupert provided a great foil, but I thought there was probably many more ways for the reveal. The cat and mouse dialogue, while interesting, was heavy-handed and pure Hitchcock. I thought for such a strong use of the physical space and the characters premise in it, it was a bit of a weird way to end the movie.

I'd give the movie a 3/4. It had it's flaws, it was far from perfect, but it took a pretty basic gimmick and played with it in cool and interesting ways. Not the best place to start in Alfred's filmography, but a good movie nonetheless.

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So, I watched Shadow of a Doubt (1943). Spoilered for those who haven't seen it.

I'm not sure how I felt about it. They painted it very obviously, to me at least, from the start that Charlie was dirty, so the shock twist that he actually was the Merry Widow Murderer didn't have any real impact on me, since I thought we were meant to know that he was. The character build was done nicely though, and I definitely get a feel for how cinema was back then. Very family oriented, so I guess if the whole premise to the film is how damaging discovering a murderer in your family can be then it makes more sense, but I'm not sure I fully understood it.

Having never watched Hitchcock before, that was... interesting. I guess I'm more used to modern cinema so elements of older cinema are lost on me or something to that effect.

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I have a feeling I'll end up doing a batch of these in a go when I get any evening to myself. Looking forward to seeing what's next :)

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