MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Your one stop thread for club members to talk about the master of suspense. I wanted to get the ball rolling with some of these clubs and hope fully get some conversation started. I am going to do a viewing schedule for five Hitchcock movies in the hopes that people will watch and write some reviews. When the time period comes up a particular film I will make a thread for that film. I absolutely love the club set-up and hope things like this can keep our clubs relevant for many moons. I am going to give us two weeks before we start and I will only start a new film every two weeks. This should give everyone plenty of time to view and converse. I want to start with five of Hitchcock's big hitters because, frankly, I want to watch them again. I will also probably watch Hitchcock/Truffaut again before getting started. Highly recommended for anyone who wants some tid-bits to look out for during viewings.

Schedule I

Psycho (1960) Feb. 15-28
Vertigo (1958) March 1-14
Rear Window (1954) March 15-28
North By Northwest (1959) March 29- April 11
Dial M For Murder (1954) April 12-25

Re: Macguffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Good idea Sean. I had wanted to work more on my Hitchcock watching. Maybe this will get me inspired to do so. I will make an effort to watch those and in the order you have them.

Link to Clubs

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Awesome! I'll join in when I can. :up:

I've only seen Psycho, Rear Window and North By Northwest once, so I'm stoked to watch them again! I don't even remember what North By Northwest was about, so I do need to see it:p

I thought you were in the HOF with Dial M, pretty sure you will love it. You gotta see Vertigo, the film that unseated your namesake.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I will definitely participate in any Dial M discussion.

;):p

Yup I've seen all those Hitch's on the schedule. I was in the Hof...but wasn't overly fond of Dial M for Murder or Grace Kelley. Vertigo on the other hand I really liked and gave it a solid 4/5

My review Vertigo

I just ordered from my library the two disc DVD set of Psycho which has a lot of extra features. I love those extra DVD features for the classics.

My bad, I read too quick. I saw "I have only seen" and blanked on the "once". I thought that was strange coming from you. :blush:

Nah it's my bad:p It's how I wrote it. My sentence was backwards. It made sense to me in my head, but I just read it and it reads weird.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Will definitely participate in all of the discussions as I basically know all five of those films by heart. Might rewatch one as well, if I'm in the mood for it.

Great initiative, Seanc!

So we all watch the movie, and chat about it together in a thread, for a couple weeks?

If so, then I much prefer this over the way the Hall of Fame threads run. I hate doing reviews. I love discussing a movie. That I can do all night long.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Sounds fun. Have seen Vertigo, Psycho, North by northwest once each, haven't seen the other two. I'm in. Will join the club post- haste.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

This sounds good. I plan to join in at around North by Northwest time.

The Hall of Fames have both reviews and discussions. You missed all of the discussions because you didn't start watching until the last minute and by that time everyone had already finished. Me and Cricket both pointed this out to you in November.

Great idea, Sean :up:. I own all of these except North By Northwest so i'll take part if i can.

I already know how those threads work, because I've done them, and on time.

This is not like those threads. This is very close to what we used to try to get going on this board, several years ago. We wanted to watch the same movie, at the same time, and chat about it. Not quoting a bunch of ignorant lines, but actually conversing about it. Making good points, solids facts, etc . . . This is not 12 movies going up, with 12 people randomly watching them, and only being able to read the reviews, and chat about them, once they've seen each film. It's one movie at a time, the same movie, with one thread dedicated to it. It's not the same thing.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Of those films, I haven't seen NbNW. I'll participate in all though!!!

I sent you a PM clarifying what i meant by my comment so i won't go into that again.

The Hall of Fames are whatever the members make of them though. Some Hall of Fames alot of good discussion is generated some not, it entirely depends on the nominations and what the members put into them. This is the same thing as the Movie Club which False Writer started exactly except with a popular director so it should generate more discussion as long as alot of us take part. All of those things you mentioned have came about in Hall of Fames before and you are free to get these discussions started in any of the Hall of Fames you join.

Also what is this? - I've never been in a Hall of Fame even the underwhelming ones where people have quoted "a bunch of ignorant lines" whatever that means. And there's been plenty of conversing, again i don't remember you sparking or attempting to spark any discussions in the two Hall of Fames i've been in with you but i do remember plenty of discussion.

You haven't? Damn, it might be my favourite of his. Hope you like it.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Without quoting . . .

One, the slasher thread, which I was in 100% of the way. I made huge reviews, in which I asked questions that never got answered . . . So yeah, I am really done there!!!

The quoting . . . We've tried a lot of ideas, from hopefully using that chatroom, IMing, etc . . . but it never really took off past basic bullsh!t. I think a thread that is all about the one film, and nothing else, will work. It's honestly what I've always wanted, which is why I am soooooo for the damn thing.

Well i wasn't in/haven't read the Slasher HOF so don't know what to say there. Why did you join like five after that if you were done then?

The chatroom is a horrible idea to spark discussion, it moves way too fast. Here's one of the False Writer threads i was talking about which is exactly what you're talking about - http://www.movieforums.com/community...ad.php?t=44413

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I've yet to see a Hitchcock movie I don't like. But if I don't like this one, I'm holding you responsible.

I didn't say I was done then. I said I "am" really done. As in now.

I joined back then, for that reason you all didn't like. I did them for me. I would watch the movies, while I worked out. After the first thread, I then decided not to worry with reviews. I had proof they weren't getting read, so who could complain. I watched, said things when I wanted to, and turned in my list. I did enjoy nominating, viewing, voting . . . I did and have always hated doing reviews. It's just not my thing. I spent sooooo much time on the slasher reviews. Those things were long. I even made a comment one night about my unanswered questions. Nothing changed, so I stopped worrying with writing them.

As far as I'm concerned, the best review I ever did on this board, was my lesbian movie review. It's a five star.

I had intended on joining those, but that was before my life went nuts last year. This year is going to rock. It already has been.

No, that's a good movie, Sus. It's in my top 20 favorites from Hitchcock.

This is going to be great, and I hope we add a bunch to the list. I own them all! :D

Psycho thread is open for business. Two weeks to watch and discuss and write reviews. Get to it Hitch fans.

Psycho

I think I will join in on that Psycho discussion. I will re-watch it sometime next week. Bates Motel also starts next week. So that will be good for me to have a re-watch of the film in time for the final season of that show (after all, this is the season that leads up to the action in the original movie).

My mom likes that show and I watched a bit of it with her last week. I thought it was a prequel to the movie, like the way you just described it. It takes place modern day which makes me interested in how they will end it. I really didn't find what I saw very compelling but I know the show has a lot of fans.

Glad you are going to join in on the Psycho talk.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I'm in, btw what's the path to get to Clubs. Is there a tab? or this is the only way to get there: http://www.movieforums.com/clubs ??

When it was the first season I decided to watch just for complete curiosity's sake. I didn't think I would get much from it but I actually didn't mind the first season. I liked it enough to watch it when it came back. I wasn't a big fan of the second season at all but I wanted to see where it was going to go with it all. The third was better. I thought the fourth season (last year) was great. And because last year was so good, I suppose I have high expectations for this to be even better. I have an idea of how I think they should end it but whatever I want to happen in a series never really seems to happen. All I can do is wait and hope it will go where I want it to.

I wasn't sure how I would like it with a modern day setting, but I think because the look of it all (the clothes, home, et.c.) has enough of a touch of the past, it works well.

Has your mother watched the show from the beginning? I haven't really met anyone else who has seen the show from the very beginning and is watching it still except for gbgoodies. So I am also curious to know who else has devoted their time to it for all these years.

@SilentVamp Yeah, she has and is rewatching the first four to get ready for the final season. She cracks me up because this is the only show she has ever watched that does the ten episodes once a year format. She has complained about it so many times and asks three or four times a year for me to lookup when it starts back. She is so used to traditional network formats.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I watched the first season and some of the second. It was alright. I liked what's her name who plays Norma and the redhead with the breathing problem or whatever it is. Can't really remember it well as you can tell haha. The kid who played Norman was okay but i remember i hated the guy who played his older brother.

Did you see the 2-minute preview that A&E aired about the upcoming season? It looks like this season is going to be great.

It took a while to go from the "normal" teenage Norman Bates to the Norman Bates that we know from the movie, but it looks like we're getting there this season. I'm pretty sure that A&E has already announced that this upcoming season will be the final season.

The "kid who played Norman" is Freddie Highmore, and I thinks he's doing a fantastic job.

I like the guy who plays his brother Dylan too, (Max Thieriot), but he seems out of place on the show. He's too normal for that family.

I guess what I'm getting at is it seems weird for the show to be set in modern times yet be a prequel to the film. I'm not watching so it doesn't matter but I don't like that. How do you guys feel about it?

Yeah, that bothered me a little bit when I first started watching it, but I just decided to accept the concept and it all worked for me.

No, I didn't. I know today there was a commercial on but I wasn't paying attention until it was too late. :p I have no idea what happened but I happened to look at the TV right at the very end when Norma was saying something.

From what I heard last year they said that they knew this was going to be a 5 season show and no more than that. I figure that means they knew exactly where they were going with this each season from the very beginning. And there was at least ONE thing last season that was taken from the film. One shot they did is a shot from the movie itself, which I got a kick out of.

I think he's good, too. So much so that at times I want such terrible things to happen to him (preferably by Romero!) because i just hate his character so much and then there are those times that I feel so terrible for him. Just so, so bad for him. If that guy can manage such different feelings from me for his portrayal of Norman, then he is doing a pretty good job with his performance.

I think that is 100% deliberate that Dylan is as normal as he is in that family. Especially considering how abnormal his "situation" in life is. I am just really curious to know where they are going to go with Dylan. Particularly because he is so normal. You know there is a reason for everyone and everything that is happening in this show. And I would love to see it all come together in the end. I love it when TV shows do things in one season, never have it mentioned again, and then years later they connect it to something in another season (kind of like something with Romero last year).

I said yesterday that I thought the modern day setting was odd when it first started but it has enough of a look that reminds me of the past that I think once I was into this show, I actually forgot the fact that it is not set in the past. In the beginning, based on the commercials, I thought it was set in the past. So I was surprised when the show first started and it was modern but I've come to accept it and I don't think anything else about it.


I don't know if I mentioned this somewhere on this site before (I told somebody about it :)), but they randomly showed this commercial for the show on A&E. I wasn't really thinking about it at first, but then I realized what was happening. They showed a drain with blood going down it. And as they closed in on the drain the film changed from color to black and white. And it was an ad for Bates Motel. Simpleton that I am, I liked that commercial. But I wondered right away how many people out there that have watched Bates Motel may not really have any idea about Psycho itself and they wouldn't have gotten that tiny ad at all. I liked it, though.

I was reading some trivia about Psycho, and the original book was based on the killer Ed Gein. The real Ed Gein had an older brother (Henry) who died under suspicious circumstances, and it's suspected that Ed Gein may have killed his brother. I don't remember anything in the movie about Norman Bates having a brother, so I wonder if they're going to have something like that happen in "Bates Motel". (I haven't read or heard anything about this, so it isn't a spoiler. It's just my own curiosity and speculation.)

ZOMG! I love Hitchcock. There may be some high pitched squeaking when Rope gets on the schedule. :lol:

Watch along. Psycho has its own thread right now. Rope was just a part of one of our hall of fames. I love it too. More tham Psycho and Veryigo actually.

I'm very pleased to see another Rope fan. I can't really choose a number 1 Hitchcock, because I believe making an absolute fav EVER choice with that director will hurt my soul.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Rebecca would be my number 1 Hitch film, though I haven't seen them all......yet:)

Yah, Gein was clearly Bates. His brother died during an accident, a fire i believe officially. The theory is that Gein's brother had apparently met a woman and was planning on getting away from life on the farm and his overbearing mother (Norma clearly) and that he had been badmouthing her to Ed who was completely under his mothers spell.

Hitch for me so far:

01.North By Northwest
02.Vertigo
03.Notorious (I love these all equally practically)
04.Rebecca (i'm with you Citizen amazing film :highfive:
05.Dial M For Murder
06.The Wrong Man
07.Shadow of a Doubt
08.Psycho
09.Strangers On A Train
10.Frenzy
11.Suspicion
12.Saboteur
13.The 39 Steps
14.Rope
15.The Lady Vanishes
16.Rear Window
17.The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
18.Marnie (Want to rewatch this)
19.The Birds
20.The Trouble With Harry

I own Torn Curtain, Topaz and Family Plot but still have to watch them.

Growing up in Wisconsin I heard a lot about Ed Gein through the years. But I actually never heard that much about his brother, or even his death. I know his mother was terrible. She was just insane. Apparently Gein had some sort of severe mental illness, and I always figured she didn't help his situation any. Anyone with a mother the way that she was wouldn't have much of a chance at living a normal life. And if a person had the tendency to be a little "off", which he did, then the way she was would've made that person hopeless. I don't think there ever would've been help for someone like him.

I know Milwaukee police were called up to help out with it all. My mother went to school with a girl whose father was a detective. He had to go up and I guess he really didn't want any part of it. And there are things, which I won't go into here - too graphic, that I know they found up there. Just horrible things. And I guess, according to that girl that she knew, they tried to keep it "down" what was found up there. So some details are never talked about. And I haven't really ever seen/heard some of it other than what I was told by my mother.

Yeah i heard about it on this podcast - http://truecrimegarage.podbean.com/e/ed-gein-49/

That's the episode if anyone is interested, obviously it's about a murderer so if you can't handle that sort of thing don't listen to it. It's mainly about his upbringing and mental state though. He killed two confirmed people and that's mostly mentioned at the end. Apparently he claimed there was an old guy called George (or something can't remember his name) who got Ed into gravedigging, that guy would rob the bodies of their valuables according Ed and Ed would use the skin, etc, for his disgusting lampshades or whatever. Ed then said the guy got old and had to go into a care home which meant Ed had to do it himself which is why he ended up killing people as he thought it was easier. Weirdly a few detectives apparently kind of believed him because all of the valuables were missing and weren't found on Ed's property. Most just believed he sold them and that this was either a delusion or a lie. I'm leaning on delusion since while Ed was in the Asylum he apparently wasn't able to comprehend the fact that he was never going to be released, sending letters to his lawyer talking about what he is going to do with his life when he got released. Either way he was seriously mentally ill. The podcast is interesting because it explores the possibility of his parents causing his mental problems rather than furthering already existing problems and explains what his life was like. I mean Ed was in his 40s i believe when this all started after his dad, brother and mum had all died and he was left alone on the farm. That had to have taken a toll on him as well as the abuse from his father and the apparent extreme coddling from his mother.

Interesting anecdotes there. It's a messed up yet intriguing story.

For me, it's hard to decide, I like even Family Plot, but little bit less. Good excuse for me to watch them all again:D and decide

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Has anyone actually watched all of Hitch's available films? @mark f ? There's 52 i believe. I know a guy who has watched about 40.

I watched all from THe man who know too much upto Family Plot

Yah, that's only 11/52 though. Think most people have seen those ones (as well as Rear Window, Dial M, and Strangers from the 50's) i've only got three of those left and i own them all. I'm most curious if anyone has seen the majority of his silent/british films.

Actually were you talking about the 30's or 50's one? I just assumed the 50's, impressive if it's the 30's one.

Yeah, mid 30'. I think it is 38 films all together that I've seen from HItch. I didn't mature enough to watch silent films, beside Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy :):)

Yeah, fair enough then that is alot. I've seen the 20 i mentioned at the top of the page, i want to see them all including his silents at some point.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I've watched 23 Hitchcock films so far.

The ones I've seen, ordered by release date:

The 39 Steps (1935)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Rebecca (1940)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Saboteur (1942)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Spellbound (1945)
Notorious (1946)
Rope (1948)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
I Confess (1953)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Rear Window (1954)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Wrong Man (1956)
Vertigo (1958)
North By Northwest (1959)
Psycho (1960)
The Birds (1963)
Marnie (1964)
Frenzy (1972)

My current Top 5 would probably be:

1) Vertigo (1958)
2) North By Northwest (1959)
3) Rear Window (1954)
4) Dial M for Murder (1954)
5) Notorious (1946)

There are a few I'd love to rewatch, though, because most of his films have become better for me after I watched them for a second time. The sign of a great filmmaker!

I don't get that. Reviews turn into, or should turn into, discussion. That's what his Psycho thread is. He posted his review and others comment on it. That's supposed to be the way it works. If I've seen the movie another person reviewed, I almost always comment on it and spark some discussion. Even if what I have to say is negative, I still say it.

I haven't seen most of Hitch's early silent/British films, but I've seen most of his later movies.

My top five tends to change every once in a while, but right now, it is:

North By Northwest (1959)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Suspicion (1941)
To Catch a Thief (1955)


Rebecca (1940) would probably be in my top 5, but I haven't seen it in a while. It will most likely crack into my top 5 after a rewatch.

Yep, they should, but if you total all my reviews from the Hall of Fame threads, and compare them to the chit chat I did in the new Psycho thread, the Psycho chat wins, hands down. Not to mention the fact that I had a lot more fun shooting the ***** with those guys. That's the type of person I am. I can shoot the ***** all day, but I hate writing reviews. Of course I've said that a few times, I'm sure. Now, as far as the Hall of Fame threads go, reviews are at least asked for, and usually expected. I was just very recently told (by sweet Ed!) to just write a line or two. I still feel that the bulk of people want to see a review, because they do reviews. However, in the Hitchcock thread, Sean simply posted about us starting some conversations. That he hoped to see some reviews, and then he said he'd give each film two weeks for viewing and conversing about. He didn't give me the feeling that I "had" to do a review. I've been on this board 11 years, and you probably don't need anything more than your hands and feet, to count the number of reviews I've done . . . Well, up until these Hall of Fame threads. It shouldn't matter anymore, anyways. As I've said, I'm not going to bother with them anymore. Well, unless they have something to do with scary movies.

Neiba joins pretty much every hall of fame and this is his average comment in the hall of fames (this one is about one of my noms) - http://www.movieforums.com/community...16#post1615916

Not everyone does reviews and there's no requirement for you to do so, you'd only know that if you took part in the thread though.

Just a couple more days left for Psyco if you want to follow the club schedule. I am very pleased that a bunch of you have wanted to participate, I really enjoyed that thread.

Camo and I have already watched Vertigo, although I still need to write a review. I will put up the thread Tuesday night.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

How long for Vertigo? I really want to watch it again but am tied up for awhile.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Been crazy busy, but should find time to talk a bit about Psycho tomorrow.

From the first post:

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Ah thanks. My craziness should be shores up by March 7TH, so that gives me time.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I'll have been sitting on this review for over a week by the time the thread is opened because i thought Psycho was only up for a week :facepalm::laugh:

I'm still in for discussion on Psycho. I wanted to re-watch it first, which I will do tomorrow night. I decided to make it a double feature with Bates Motel. First the show, then the film.

I'll talk about it, I haven't had a chance to just post about it.

Hey, you have. Think we kind of exhausted ourselves during the first week which is why your great post didn't spark alot of discussion. If you want to ask any questions or whatever i'm happy to take apart by the best of memory of it in the last few days. It's always going to die down in the second week which is why it's probably better getting your views in early.

Vertigo thread is up and running a night early.

Vertigo

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I am late to the party, but count me in. It's never a bad time for a Hitch flick. :)

Vertigo not nearly as popular as the Psycho thread. I enjoyed reading the thoughts of those that watched though. I will be busy tonight so it may be tomorrow evening before I get the Rear Window thread rolling. I already watched this weekend. Spoiler Alert: Hitchcock made another great film.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

You cheated. You didn't watch it in the allotted time frame and therefore must watch again.

I didn't get the chance to watch it. I honestly don't remember the last time i sat down and watched a film properly other than Psycho.

As i told you i'll watch Rear Window sometime through the first week. Normally i don't like it as much as everyone else so there might be someone not saying it is perfect for once haha.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I just requested Rear Window and should have the DVD in a couple days. I've seen it once and long ago. I remember nothing about it, other than I liked it. So in some ways this will be like a first watch for me.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

How about adding 5 more Hitchcock movies after the first 5!?!

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

If he does i hope i haven't seen one of the next 5.

I was going to see if one of the other Curators was interested in something similar. I thought about rotating around with my other clubs too. I am open. I just know if we do too many at once they will fail. I'm all for what the majority wants and if that is more Hitch, that's coolio with me.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

Well in that case, I think Wilder would be great.

Run with it brother. I will join in.

I know I have talked to a couple of Mofos about doing another Hitch viewing schedule. I'm still planning on it but will probably wait till June. Lots of baseball with the boys till end the
school year and vacation right after they get out, so I am staying busy. I'm thinking of doing a silent Hitch schedule. How does everyone feel about that?

I'd be interested. Part of why i fell off with them after the first two was because i had watched all of the ones picked and i find it harder and harder to go through with rewatching something, even something i love when there's so much i want to see. Not that i disagree with those being selected, it was the place you had to start. Not seen many of his silents so these will all be new to me, do you know which ones you are going for yet?

No, I'm not even sure the name of any of them. I just know he has a few. Suggestions welcome.

June is fine. I have Topaz on request from Netflix DVD. So I'll be watching that whenever they manage to send it to me (currently it's tagged as 'very long wait':rolleyes: which probably means they don't have the DVD!)

I plan on watching/rewatching all of Hitch's films some day. The last I seen was To Catch A Thief.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I own Topaz and haven't watched it yet. Also own and haven't watched Torn Curtain and Family Plot.

I've never seen Family Plot. I've seen but can't remember Torn Curtain, so I need to watch that again too.

Regarding silent Hitchcock films, if that's what people want to do that's fine. As much as I love silent films, I'm not particularly interested in Hitch's silent work, so can't say I'll be watching them anytime too soon. Perhaps one day I will.

Re: MacGuffins: An Alfred Hitchcock Club
 

I feel off the viewing schedule because of work, being busy as hell, and then a vacation where I didn't have much access to stuff like that. I unfortunately missed Dial M which I would have loved to revisit.

Anyways, I'm probably down for more Hitch especially stuff I haven't seen. :up:

Yeah, I continue to work my way through. I'm really hoping I can do it by the end of the year. We shall see.

Ready to setup some more Hitch viewing. I would love to do 5 of his silent films. If anyone has requests or readily knows which are easy to find let me know. Hope at least a few will be into this.

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I wouldn't completely commit to it with 40s HOF and my Coen watching, but I would try.

I learned recently Hitchcock had a home in Scotts Valley.

I live near Scotts Valley

That means I'm Hitchcock reincarnated.

THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION.

Gotta change your avatar to Hitch now.

Still planning on Hitch silent viewing but I think I will wait till September. Going to use August for 40's viewing.