Posts about Alfred Hitchcock (RSS, JSON)

3AM — Dosed with a bottle of Bourbon. Spent the night in prison and appearing before a judge, energetic, well-rested, not a trace of a hangover. Several days on the run. Tangled up in a murder conspiracy. An adult sleepover on the night train. Chased by a crop duster, spraying him with 1950s cancerous pesticides, forcing him to hide in a ditch. No shower for days. Yet, Cary Grant’s Roger Thornhill still looks impeccable. The suit maybe a little dirty, but not a single crease. The hair immaculate, as if it is a LEGO wig.

As a man in his early forties who works from home and doesn’t wear socks on most days, I’ve got to ask myself what I can do to look more like Cary Grant?

5PM — If Psycho was released today, it would be classified as a thriller not a horror. By today’s standards, there aren’t make-up and cuts that make you jump in your seat to justify the “horror” label. Yet, Hitchcock managed to create a scary atmosphere in the movie, mainly because of Anthony Perkins’ disturbing portrayal of Norman Bates, but more so because the events could unfold as depicted in Psycho, and it could happen to anyone. This is the main differentiator to more modern horror movies set in an unrealistic realm—you walk away thinking, “it’s just a movie.” That’s not the case with Psycho.