Post by A.R. Gallo on Aug 13, 2013 21:29:26 GMT -5
"Good evening...." 
Just wanted to take a moment from the day to wish a happy day of birth to the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. He is known for his pantheon of films such as Psycho, Vertigo, The Birds, and North by Northwest, among many more. He revolutionized film making as an art form, and you see his influence everywhere even in films today.
One of the best experiences I ever had was being able to watch Psycho on the silver screen, at the independent theater at my college. I believe that's the way the film is meant to be presented; watching it on DVD or online just doesn't hold a candle to sitting in a theater in the dark and at the edge of your seat, even knowing the twists and the ending.
The film's marketing on its own had been part of the experience when it was first released. Hitchcock had been adamant that the original story be spoiled for no one, going so far as to not only swear those involved in the film not to leak the details of the plot, but to even buy all copies of the original novel so that no one would know of the various twists in the story, much less what the story was even about. The trailer itself actually revealed very little to audiences of the time as to what to expect. The original film was even accompanied by an audio recording by Hitchcock at the end credits, urging viewers not to spoil the movie for future audiences. Suffice it to say, that would probably never work today in the age of the internet and twitter hash tags. I often wonder if the movie's success or reputation would be the same it had been released today.
Which of Hitchcock's films have you seen? What do you think of them?
Just wanted to take a moment from the day to wish a happy day of birth to the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. He is known for his pantheon of films such as Psycho, Vertigo, The Birds, and North by Northwest, among many more. He revolutionized film making as an art form, and you see his influence everywhere even in films today.
One of the best experiences I ever had was being able to watch Psycho on the silver screen, at the independent theater at my college. I believe that's the way the film is meant to be presented; watching it on DVD or online just doesn't hold a candle to sitting in a theater in the dark and at the edge of your seat, even knowing the twists and the ending.
The film's marketing on its own had been part of the experience when it was first released. Hitchcock had been adamant that the original story be spoiled for no one, going so far as to not only swear those involved in the film not to leak the details of the plot, but to even buy all copies of the original novel so that no one would know of the various twists in the story, much less what the story was even about. The trailer itself actually revealed very little to audiences of the time as to what to expect. The original film was even accompanied by an audio recording by Hitchcock at the end credits, urging viewers not to spoil the movie for future audiences. Suffice it to say, that would probably never work today in the age of the internet and twitter hash tags. I often wonder if the movie's success or reputation would be the same it had been released today.
Which of Hitchcock's films have you seen? What do you think of them?
