Vertigo Lament

It’s hard to believe the American Film Institute (AFI) named Vertigo as number 61 on its list of the 100 Greatest Films of All Time. What a disappointment! Whenever someone asks me to name my favorite films  the answer changes a bit depending on my mood. But one movie always makes it to the top five: Vertigo, released in 1958. I never get tired of watching Jimmy Stewart’s riveting obsession with Kim Novak in Hitchcock’s haunting psychological thriller about an acrophobic police detective who falls in love with two women. When the first one apparently dies, he becomes obsessed with turning the second woman, a lookalike, into a carbon copy of his first love – (SPOILER ALERT) only to find out later they were the same person. 

"Vertigo" named in the top five.

A worthy goal for which I strive.

Suspense, romance, and mystery

 that can’t be beat; not just for me.

Haunting music in the background,

captivates us with each rich sound.

Stewart and Novak at their best

in this amazing Hitchcock fest.

Reward the art and artists too.

Give true genius what it is due.  

Grand Cinema lives on display

in "Vertigo" still to this day.

Tippi Hedren and The Birds

Actress Tippi Hedren talks about her scary experiences while filming The Birds, one of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thrillers, in a candid interview to be revisited on the October 21st Movie Addict HQ show. This talented actress, who won a Golden Globe for her work in The Birds, also reminisces about playing opposite Sean Connery in Hitchcock’s disturbing Marnie as well as about working with the great Charlie Chaplin.

Among Hedren’s non-Hitchcock films are such offerings as Chaplin’s The Countess from Hong Kong plus Citizen Ruth, I Heart Huckabees, Pacific Heights, Jayne Mansfield’s Car, Free Samples, Return to Babylon and Roar, a movie Hedren produced and starred in with her daughter, Melanie Griffith. Her upcoming film credits include roles in The Ghost and the Whale and Lizzie’s World: The Secret of the Magic Truth. Hedren has appeared in numerous TV shows including Cougar, Raising Hope, The 4400, Hart to Hart and Murder, She Wrote.

Several charitable and humanitarian causes have benefited from Hedren’s support. She has served as a volunteer International Relief Coordinator for “Food for Hungry” and traveled worldwide to set up “relief programs following earthquakes, hurricanes, famine and war.” She is an avid supporter of the ROAR Foundation and the Shambala Preserve.

Hedren’s many awards for her acting and humanitarian efforts include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Life Achievement Award from Cinemalia (French Film Festival), the Bahai Faith Humanitarian Award, and a “Woman of Vision” Honor from Women in Film and Video.

“Actress Tippi Hedren and The Birds” airs on BlogTalkRadio at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time) on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. During the live show, listeners are invited to participate in a Chat. An archived segment will also be available.

HOST: Betty Jo Tucker

PRODUCER: Nikki Starr

LINK TO LISTEN:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2014/10/21/actress-tippi-hedren-and-the-birds

     

    

Return of "The Birds"

Ben Mankiewicz, Turner Classic Movies host, joined Movie Addict HQ on September 11th to share TCM plans for celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Universal Pictures. First up? The Birds, which will be shown in select theaters for one day, September 19. An interview with star Tippi Hedren, who talks about her experience working with director Alfred Hitchcock while filming that classic horror film, was also revisited during this special BlogTalkRadio episode. Click on the link below to hear revealing – even shocking – behind-the-scenes facts about The Birds and the Hitchcock/Hedren relationship.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2012/09/11/the-birds-again

For the Love of Hitchcock

For the Love of Hitchcock

Has there ever been a more riveting depiction of obsession than in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo? Are there any movie scenes more terrifying than those in The Birds? My son, who's all grown up and with adult children of his own, still feels frightened of birds as a result of watching that Hitchcock masterpiece. And, after seeing Psycho, I'm not the only one afraid of showering. But that's not all. The airplane-chasing sequence in North by Northwest continues to haunt my dreams; I harbor more suspicions of Cary Grant than Joan Fontaine does when I watch Suspicion; and every time I see Rebecca, it holds me spellbound from beginning to end.

Yes indeed, Hitchcock films almost always exceed my expectations for thrills, suspense and mystery. That's why it's my pleasure to participate in the 2012 Film Preservation Blogathon (May 13-18), designed to help raise funds for the National Film Preservation Foundation to stream The White Shadow (1923) on the NFPF site so that everyone with a computer can access it. This newly restored film just happens to be Hitchcock's first credited feature. Marilyn Ferdinand, one of the Blogathon founders, hasn't seen the movie yet -- but she calls it "a lurid melodrama" based on the stills she received. If the film showcases Hitchcock's budding talents back in 1923, that's enough for me! I understand Hitchcock served in various capacities on this movie, including assistant director, screenwriter, editor, and art director.

It's interesting to note that Hitchcock racked up a few early failures on his road to becoming the Master of Suspense. In their book "Alfred Hitchcock: The First Forty-Four Years," Eric Rohmer and Claude Chabrol offer fascinating information about such unsuccessful efforts as Waltzes in Vienna (1933), Champagne (1928), and The Skin Game (1931). The first was a film version of a Johann Straus operetta, and by the second week of filming he knew the movie was dreadful.  Just as everyone was getting ready for the Big Ball scene, Hitchcock called them all together -- actors, crew and thousands of extras. Pointing to his empty director's chair, he said "I hate this film. I hate this kind of film, and I have no feeling for it. What I need is drama, adventures!" Naturally, the movie received scathing reviews -- as did Champagne ("a superficial satire filled with pathetic tricks"). Regarding The Skin Game, Hitchcock even put his hands over his ears when anyone mentioned it.  

  

Fortunately, The Lodger (1926) displayed Hitchcock's tremendous potential for building suspense on screen. And, as they say, the rest is history. During a career that lasted over six decades, Hitchcock directed more than 50 films. Movie Maker Magazine called him "the most influential filmmaker of all time." And, according to Britain's Daily Telegraph, Hitchcock "did more than any other director to shape modern cinema." Because Hitchcock movies boast twist endings plus thrilling plots filled with violence, murder and crime, most viewers were -- and still are -- captivated while watching them. Add compelling psychological and visual elements as well as stylistic presentation, mistaken identity, characters wrongfully accused -- and the wow factor definitely kicks in while viewing a Hitchcock film.        

No wonder Hitchcock fans like me are so excited to see The White Shadow! If you are also a fan, please make a donation during this important Film Preservation Blogathon (May 13-18) by Clicking here:

https://npo1.networkforgood.org/Donate/Donate.aspx?npoSubscriptionId=1001883&code=Blogathon+2012

TV Journalist Covers BlogTalkRadio Show

Thanks to David Ortiviz, a multi-media journalist with KOAA-TV (a local NBC affilliate channel), for visiting with me this afternoon about my Movie Addict Headquarters show on BlogTalkRadio. He brought his camera and filmed some of our "Tribute to Alfred Hitchcock" episode as I sat by my computer and hosted the show via telephone. Turns out that David is a Hitchcock fan, so he even participated in the show!

Here's the link David posted on Twitter a little while ago:

http://www.koaa.com/aaaa_top_stories/x168959618/Movie-addict-hosts-radio-show-in-Pueblo

Hitchcock Thriller Tops AFI Mystery List

If the American Film Institute hadn't named Vertigo as the top mystery film of all time during last Tuesday's CBS television presentation, I would have been forced to make a citizen's arrest.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this haunting thriller boasts an absolutely perfect performance by Jimmy Stewart as a detective with a fear of heights who falls under the spell of the woman he's been hired to follow. And Kim Novak is at her best playing the gorgeous lady responsible for Stewart's overpowering obsession.

As in all of Hitchcock's movies, Vertigo boasts exquisite suspense, but this time it's coupled with Stewart's best-ever acting, which teaches us an unforgettable lesson about the dangerous implications of obsessive behavior.

It's interesting to note that three other Hitchcock films also made it to the AFI Top Ten list of movie mysteries: North by Northwest, Rear Window, and Dial M for Murder.

Here's a BIG shout out to the master of movie mysteries, Alfred Hitchcock!