Now, not so much. I love roller coasters and such, but I avoid scary movies and books like the plague. I'm a scaredy-cat. :) The last scary book I read was House, by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, and though I finished it, I couldn't read it before I went to bed.
I adore Hitchcock films, though. I can't handle scary, but I can handle creepy and suspenseful. And that's what Hitchcock is all about. Here are my favorites...
1. Strangers on a Train
2. Spellbound
This was the first Hitchcock film I ever watched, so I've always had a special attachment to it. But it really is a good movie. It's less gruesomeness and murder and more psychological mystery. The last few minutes are edge-of-your-seat thrilling, and Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman are always good. I think the romance between their characters here is really sweet.
3. Rear Window
The moral here: don't spy on your neighbors! I personally think things would have been a lot easier for Jimmy Stewart if he had chosen a different hobby. Like knitting. :) This one has a great creep factor...is Stewart's character imagining things or did his neighbor really kill his wife? Lars Thorwald is just about as creepy as Bruno from Strangers on a Train...even his name is awful sounding. :)
4. Psycho
5. Notorious
I originally had Suspicion listed for this one. But I recently rewatched Notorious and decided that it should make my favorites list. :) It was much better than I remembered it being. Ingrid Bergman's character, the daughter of a Nazi spy, is asked by the US government to infiltrate a group of Nazis living in Brazil. She's falling in love with the US agent she's working with (Cary Grant), but has to pretend to love one of the Nazis in order to find out what they're up to. It's very good, and while this one is less of a thriller and more of an espionage story (and a love story :), there are definitely some edge-of-your-seat moments.
P.S. In case you're wondering, I think the creepiest Hitchcock film is The Birds. I'm already not a bird person, and that one made me even more suspicious of them!
What are your favorite Alfred Hitchcock films?
Until next time,

My favorite Hitchcock films are North by Northwest, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Lady Vanishes, and Shadow of a Doubt. But I love pretty much all of them for one reason or another. :) Speaking of Psycho, have you seen the Hitchcock bio-pic with Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren yet? That provides some FASCINATING insight into the making of that film.
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't seen it! For some reason I didn't realize it was already out on DVD. But I just went and added it to my Netflix queue. :)
DeleteI'm so glad you gave musicals and Hitchcock films their own link-ups! That makes my favorite classic films list easier. Hopefully I'll get caught up on this here awesome party soon. ;)
ReplyDeletePsycho. I almost didn't watch it because it sounded soooo creepy, but I'm so glad I did! I'll share more about it in my post;)
I'm the kind of person who *needs* to categorize everything. :) Can't wait to read your post!
DeleteI love strangers on a train! It's my favorite Hitchcock film. The birds freaked me out. And vertigo; I love vertigo.
ReplyDelete