Alfred Hitchcock Marathon

[Dragonfire]

I still intend to finish my Hitchcock movies.  I just have to get motivated again.  lol

[Achim]

 

I remembered a few times in the last three weeks that Torn Curtain was up for review and then kept pushing it. Well, I had two short vacations to get done with and one exciting video game to go through (Heavy Rain).

I'll try to get to it before this week is over.

[goodguy]

... and one exciting video game to go through (Heavy Rain).

So this guy is wrong then?
http://m-mcgregor.livejournal.com/230258.html

[Achim]

So this guy is wrong then?
http://m-mcgregor.livejournal.com/230258.html

Well...

Yes, the actors are, except one I believe, all non-native speakers. That is, I assume, a real problem for a native speaker when playxing this game. Personally I was only irritated a few times, so I guess playing as a non-native it's easier to overlook this issue.

The story and/or the writing is arguable. I enjoyed it myself for the most part. Of course it's somewhat derivative of films we've seen and of course it's not the next Citizen Kane or Shakepeare. There are plot holes, there is some suspension of disbelief required and it can get cheesy at times. I was emotionally attached enough to get involved in certain scenes and I found that in other scenes the combination of the action on screen and the music created sufficient excitement. Also, I find it interesting to replay certain scenes and see how actions unfold differently depending on what I do. Some decisions influence the ending even; I understand there is a total of 6 or 7 variations.

The controls are a different issue. They work well in many parts of the game but can be frustrating in others. Nothing game-breaking though.

So yes, I guess one could boil it down to there not being enough gameplay for a game and not enough drama for a movie. You could call it a cutscene with user input.

So, I wouldn't say he is entierely wrong, he is just a tad harsh...

[Achim]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Torn Curtain
Year: 1966
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: PG
Length: 128 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, French: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Paul Newman
Julie Andrews
Lila Kedrova
Hansjoerg Felmy
Tamara Toumanova

Plot:
Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star in this edge-of-your-seat Cold War thriller set behind the Iron Curtain. Newman plays Michael Armstrong, a renowned scientist attending an international physics conference in Copenhagen with Sarah Sherman (Andrews), his fiancée/assistant. The heart-pounding action begins when Sarah picks up a message intended for Michael, and discovers that he is defecting to East Germany...or is he?

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
Scenes scored by Bernard Herrmann

My Thoughts:

For me, another case of back cover blurb exaggeration. The heart pounding action does not start as early as they make us believe... there is two problems with this film and the overly long setting up of characters and the situation is one of them. It takes entirely 70 min with only one exciting bit to explain everything. Another problem is that the action that then started at the 70min popint grinds to a halt half way through (Polish lady). The third is.... So there is three problems with this film, with the third being that we are asked to believe for a while that Paul Newman is a bad guy (well, not exactly bad, but a traitor still, which in 1056 must have been extremely bad).

But there is enough good things to save the film from being a failure. For starters, kudos for the attempt to have everyone speak in their mother tongue. I say attempt, because there is a few non-native speakers which have trouble saying their German lines or, going by the names, few German immigrants who have not spoken their mother tongue in too long. Why stop short at filling a few key roles with German actors? Then there is of course the escape sequence, which unfortunately gets interrupted and the suspense takes a back seat for a while, and the grand finale which I should have seen coming but still didn't. Also the famous scene where Armstrong struggles to kill the German security officer, even with the help of the farm-woman, must be mentioned; Hitchcock wanted to show that killing someone is a messy affair; I found the cutting to be very successful here. And as had been mentioned in Jon's review I also found the scene where Armstrong has to trick the German professor starngely exciting; two professors matching their wits with chalk and a blackboard is not what you expect to get your blood pumping.

In overall this film could have profited from a serious trimming, maybe 20 or so, or even better from some tighter scripting in the opening section. However, the second half is very entertaining and the suspense had me on the edge of the seat several times (well, not literally, but still). The acting good, but not outstanding

Spoiler: Cameo (hover to show)

Alfred Hitchcock can be seen in the ninth minute, sitting in the hotel lobby with an infant in his lap.

[Achim]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Topaz
Year: 1969
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: NR
Length: 142 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Frederick Stafford
Dany Robin
John Vernon
Karin Dor
Michel Piccoli
Philippe Noiret
Roscoe Lee Browne

Plot:
The best-selling spy novel bursts onto the screen in this riveting story of adventure and international intrigue. John Forsythe stars as an American CIA agent who hires a French operative (Frederick Stafford) to travel to Cuba and investigate rumors of Russian missiles and Topaz, a NATO spy. The inquiry soon spins into a life-threatening escapade of espionage, betrayal and murder.

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
Storyboard Comparisons

My Thoughts:

That must have been a hard sell at the time... The film has a great plot about spies, takes place during an actual historic event (therefore giving it immediacy to the audience) and places it's set pieces (not high caliber action but good suspense) well spaced throughout the run of the film. The problem is however, that it lacks a central character to identify with and those who are with through the main part of the story have strong character treads that have potential to make them unlikable to some (especially since not portrayed by famous actors). So, actually quite a ballsy movie to make.

The acting is good and Hitch went and hired French actors for most of the French roles. I had hard time recognizing Philippe Noiret or Michel Piccoli as they are so very young here. John Forsythe reminded me, in a rather irritating way, of my late grandmother I have always enjoyed Roscoe Lee Browne, although he overacts a little bit in this one.


(a weak one though)

Spoiler (hover to show)

Hitchcock can be seen in the 34th minutes (rather late), in the airport.

[Achim]

Taken the lead


Only two more to go! Looking forward to Frenzy (Hitchcock's most vicious film) and Family Plot (probably the film of his I have seen the most, mainly on TV).

[Jon]

I haven't got Frenzy and I'm surprised to hear you say that Family Plot is the one you've probably seen the most. I'm not sure I ever have! Trying to find them to finish this thing off properly.

[Dragonfire]

I've never seen Frenzy or Family Plot.

And yes, I'm still horribly behind on this one.  lol

[Achim]

I haven't got Frenzy and I'm surprised to hear you say that Family Plot is the one you've probably seen the most. I'm not sure I ever have! Trying to find them to finish this thing off properly.

Well, it's just that they played on TV a lot when I was a teenager. haven't seen it since, actually (at least 20 years) and wonder how it will hold up.

You might want to skip over Family Plot if you'd have to buy it. It's not bad, but it's his last film and people say it shows... Frenzy on the other side is interesting in that Hitchcock showed some advancments into the new era, something we discussed here briefly before ("what would Hitchcock do if he was alive to day"). Like the (in)famous killing scene and there is a some other stuff too (it's been too long, don't want to guess ). But I assume you have at least seen Frenzy before and knew this already...?

Dragonfire, same goes for you obviously, if you've never seen either one. Family Plot is rental at least though, should see it at least once.

[Jon]

I might be able to watch all of the last three soon. I have Frenzy already, but rather ironically after saying to Achim I never see it on telly, bloomin' Family Plot was on BBC4 one night! So I recorded it. I know! "Recording" off the telly; I should be shot. I was going to skip Topaz, but I just found someone on Play selling it for 98p. Less than a quid? Got to be worth a punt. And I really should trust these sellers, as I am one occasionally. 

[Emma]

Ive bought alot from Playtraders

...98p .... Would that seller be Zoverstocks by any chance? if so... I have never had a bad disc from them! and ive bought alot.

[Jon]

Nope. Discexchange, apparently. They seem to shift a lot, so I doubt it will be a problem and if it is, I can willingly write off 98p considering the hellfire and rage I would visit upon them... 

[Emma]

Haha, Well... :p like I said... no problems with Playtraders... I love them XD

[Achim]

Hmmm, I keep forgetting about this one.

Tom, are you planning to watch Topaz reasonably soon...?