the audience applauded

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Better Late Then Never

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Ted Haimes put together this tribute to a fine film maker. It's narrated by Kevin Spacey, and there are interpolated comments from Alfred Hitchcock's stars, co-workers, relatives and friends like Janet Leigh, Norman Lloyd, Joseph Stefano, John Michael Hayes, and Peter Bogdanovich.The comments are brief and informative. Most of the screen time is given over to Hitchcock's home movies, still photos, and clips from his better-known movies.Among the subjects given more extensive treatment are "Rear Window," "The Birds," "Shadow of a Doubt," and examples of Hitchcock's skill as an entertainer and self promoter, especially his appearances on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." Appearing on television, in the 1950s, was considered something of a demotion for a movie director. The guy must be in decline if he's desperate enough to appear on the small screen, right? Can you imagine something along the lines of "John Ford Presents"? And yet, for all the show biz elements of his television show, it worked. It was successful even though he only directed a dozen or so episodes, and even though the material for his irreverent framing announcements were written by someone else. By this time he was as much a public figure as his movies. He was recognizable and, probably more important to him, merchandisable. By selling himself he made Alfred Hitchcock the instrument for the sale of his products.What a complicated man he was. The movie soft pedals his human weaknesses and, since it's a paean to Hitch, he is presented as a genius in touch with our innermost fears. A genius, no doubt, and an artist. Also, in the end, an abject alcoholic, a stingy man ("mean" in Britain), uncomfortable with either expressing or accepting affection or dissent, and obsessed with lurid fantasies. I doubt that the documentary would have been a lesser piece if it had mentioned some of these devalued habits.But, perhaps, that's a different kind of documentary. This one is splendidly written. It doesn't talk down to the audience, doesn't treat them as children. Not once is Hitchcock referred to as "the master of suspense." Thank Bog. I don't know if we would want to change places with Hitchcock. He earned world-wide acclaim, but his tormented soul inhabited a most unprepossessing body with compulsive traits. At the same time, I'm sure he would happily have traded places with Cary Grant.

If you've been living under a rock for the past thirty years or so, you may not be that familiar with all things Hitchcock. But fans of the great director have seen much of this footage before--or at least similar interviews with participants in Hitchcock's films, to be vaguely familiar with most of the points accented here.Still, it makes for delightful viewing, especially if this is your first glimpse of this Canadian-made documentary that gives one a close-up look at Hitch's quirky personality, good humor and wry wit.There are times when it's painfully obvious that Hitchcock had all the charisma of a bump on a log or a stand-in-the-corner man at a party gathering who would rather observe than be put under the glare of a spotlight. This is especially true in some of the remarks made by those who knew him well and apparent from the many film clips, especially the home movies. Nevertheless, he seemed to rule well enough behind a camera.The treat is hearing what famous actors/actresses and screenwriters had to say about working with him. Among the most articulate: John Michael Hayes who did the screenplay for NORTH BY NORTHWEST, Norman Lloyd, Janet Leigh, Patricia Hitchcock (his daughter), Teresa Wright, Tippi Hedren, Joseph Stefano and others.It's clear that his wife's influence (Alma Reville) on his film-making was of utmost importance. If she didn't approve of a story, he never touched it. She was a film cutter that he met in England before he began his film career as a director and their marriage was evidently a very compatible one, according to daughter Patricia.Most interesting aspect of the whole piece: the discussion of the quintessential Hitchcock film, PSYCHO, with some of its most chilling scenes.Well worth watching.

This film was re-monikered DIAL H FOR HITCHCOCK when I saw it recently on cable.We get it all here. Clips from the films. Commentary about his craft. Commentary about the personal impact he had on current film-makers. Personal insights from a few people who'd worked with Hitch. A brief biography blended in with a chronological survey of some of his career highlights. We also get Hitchcock himself; both in serious archival interview as well as entertaining appearances from his trailers and TV show intros. And montages. Glorious beautifully crafted montages. We get it all. Except for that compulsive-monster stuff you can only find in the tabloid-style book THE DARK SIDE OF GENIUS.I was very impressed by the montage sequences and how they artfully chose just the right images to blend with what the commentators were saying. It didn't hurt that Bernard Herrmann's score to VERTIGO was used, both for the long opening montage as well as the closing sequence.Commentators included several directors from today ... Wes Craven, Brian DePalma, Jonathan Demme, Robt Altman, Peter Bogdanovich.Would have been nice to get old footage of interviewed commentators from days of old ... folk that Hitchcock had worked with. The only ones left to interview were ... Norman Lloyd (the actor who took the plunge off the Statue of Liberty in SABOTEUR and whom collaborated closely on the 50's TV show ... he also had become a very close personal friend with Alfred and Alma)... Janet Leigh, who needs no introduction ... Tippi Hendren, ditto ... Teresa Wright, the nice young lady in SHADOW OF A DOUBT... and Joseph Stefano who wrote the screenplay to PSYCHO.Stefano's comments were very keen as he mused about where the hell such a civilized man as Hitchcock could have found the deep dark places of the human soul within himself to mine. His narration synched-up nicely with the montage, displaying short snippets of various characters in close-up, tortured souls, lonely souls ... as Stefano's comments were handed over to the voice track of Norman Bates: "we're all alone. Trapped like animals. In our own private cages."For Hitchcock aficionados, there might not be anything new to glean here. It covers old territory like explaining "The McGuffin" theory. But it doesn't go much into technical things like his montage-approach to editing ... or the pre-eminence of building a long anxious suspense sequence, compared to a brief sudden shock. (These kinds of things are covered more thoroughly in the 1970's docu series THE MEN WHO MADE THE MOVIES ... but when will we ever get treated to THAT again??) This is still a great retelling of his life and career in a fresh style, and a nice entertaining way to spend 90 minutes. In fact I got sucked into watching part of it a second time. But this (like Hitchcock's own work) is like a rollercoaster -- you can enjoy it over and over.

This is a great look into the man known as Hitchcock. There are alot of interviews with alot of the stars who worked with Hitchcock telling all about him, and the movies they were in. There are some appearences by alot of the directors of today saying what they admired of Hitchcock. Hitchcock is the master of suspense, and this is a look into how he worked, who he worked with, where he got some of the ideas for his movies, and a great documentary you shouldn't miss. You also see how "Psycho" shocked some people in a way where they had nightmares for years. A must see, a most definite must see.