June 15th: The Man Who Knew Too Much

Okay guys, so my internet has been awful so all of my posts are ending up late and I'm sorry. Still watching and posting though, so be patient for me?

My mother, as I may or may not have mention, works at a boarding school for wayward girls. Well, the school's motto is "Everything Happens For a reason" which is just another way of saying God knows what he's doing. Well, the couple in the movie I saw on June 15th I really think proves this.

In 1934 Alfred Hitchcock had The Man Who Knew Too Much make its debut. The movie is about Bill and Jill Lawrence as they're vacationing with their daughter. While Jill is dancing with a friend at a party, He's shot (And NOBODY NOTICED). The couple finds out he was a French spy, and as he dies he gives them specific information. Now, because of knowing this information, the assassins kid-napped the Lawrence's daughter. The couple must come up with a plan hat not only get's their daughter back, but greatly affects the mission of their friend and the assassin's (Which with Hitchcock could mean anything) . What makes the film is the creepy performance of Peter Lorre who is the assassin's head dude.

The movie was redone later, the only movie that Hitchcock ever re-did, and he did it with Mr. James Stewart, one of my more favorite actors, the dude in It's A Wonderful Life and Dorris Day. Apparently the two films are very different, and I'm looking forward to seeing the remake.
The movie is Questionable for children from mild violence.



The movie is in one piece at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBTzgYuo6GU&feature=related

The Flick Chick, Signing off until my other entiry posts (hopefully the next 10 minutes)

June 6th: Jamaica Inn

This was another from my Hitchcock package, but is such a great classic of his by all standards I've yet to find.
Jamaica Inn came out in 1939, the same year as The Huntchedback of Notre Dame, and starring two of the same people. Maureen O'hara (Esmeralda & Mary Kate Danaher) comes back as a strong young woman, Mary, who has recently become an orphan, and must leave her home in Ireland to stay with her Aunt at the hotel owned by her uncle, The notorious Jamaica Inn.
It seems that the second that she gets to her new place of residence (Let's not call it a home....) nothing really suits her. The inn is dark and musky and disgusting, as well as those who reside. The only thing that does seem to her liking is the kind Sir Humphrey Pengallan who's abode is just a bit down from the inn. This guy, is our Huntchedback, Mr. Charles Laughton (Without the extreme make-up) and his character is so VERY different that I didn't know he did this part until the credits.
But, when Mary (within only hours of getting there) starts to figure out the haunting secret of the Jamaica Inn, she ends up on a series of thrilling and terrifying experiences trying to save her life (sometimes with help). The story proves that first impressions are often very wrong, and to always keep an open head.

The film is NOT suitable for children mostly on subject matter, but there is a little nicely cut violence. The story is all mind games, though, so one never knows what to expect. It's just an hour and a half long, and very satisfying to watch.

YouTube letting me down again, but this movie can be found on one piece for streaming somewhere on the internet. Hope you like it as much as I did!

The Flick Chick, signing off

June 4th: Number 17

So, I've always been very interested in movies (not always thinking I would make them someday, but always interested), and my parents always supported that. When I got into the mechanics of film, more interested in the directing aspect of it, my parents had to get me to watch some Alfred Hitchcock (which is a funny yet awesome name no matter how mature you claim you are). I was hooked. His most famous film to this day is still Psycho, but as a kid I also become addicted to his book series, The 3 Investigators. (Yes, Dad, I did read some of them by myself, if you decide to read this).

So, when I saw "20 Hitchcock films for $16.88" at Sam's Club I sprang at my second chance for them. So, my first one I watched today.

Nobody of interest really comes up in Number 17, because you're paying much more attention to the mind-game of a story. it came out in 1932 in Brittan but was a big deal in all English speaking places. The story is of a group of people all thrown (with excuses) into an old house for different reasons, but when a rumar of treasure comes out, all Hell breaks loose in an hour.

The film is rather chilling, and you NEVER know what is about to happen with so many lies coming forward and side trading that it's very intriguing. What sets this movie, and this director away from others is the way it (and he) are so ahead of their time. The camera angles won't seem unusual to a modern movie goer today, but in 1932 when sound in film was a new deal itself, let alone all the things Hitchcock did, it's extremely intense.
The film is great, only an hour long, and well worth it, because your mind will stay active and the story will keep you guessing (even if you see it at 5A.M. like me today).


Its convenient that YouTube doesn't have a tailer, but google does have the entire movie in one piece at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1342676033928316362#

The Chick of Flick, Signing off