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Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:55 pm
by amazedemon
In an attempt to appreciate classic cinema, I've deciced to theme this week's films as those directed by Alfred Hitchcock and one where William Scully worked as the production manager. Yes, it’s a tenuous and contrived link to make a Brooklyn Nine-Nine reference.

The films, as follows:

Rear Window (1954) - PSI: 69 ---> 66
Vertigo (1958) - PSI: 72 ---> 65
Psycho (1960) - PSI: 84 ---> 66
Rebecca/ Strangers on a Train/ Rope/ The Birds - I haven't decided on this one yet. Your thoughts are welcome. Rope (1948) - PSI: 71 ---> 71
North by Northwest (1959) - PSI: 93 ---> 67

Gone with the Wind (1939) - PSI: 74 ---> 64


My initial impression is that PSIs are over-inflated for these films as they are for most classics, and perhaps I may shift a few TCI points away from my top matches. Hopefully, I still enjoy the films.

Hopefully this is the right place for this kind of discussion. Look forward to hearing what you think, and if you've got similar watchlists.


Update: I've decided to go with Rope (1948), but will probably revisit Rebecca in the not too distant future.

Update 2: Watched & reviewed.

Re: Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 8:39 pm
by iconogassed
amazedemon wrote:
Mon May 25, 2020 7:55 pm
My initial impression is that PSIs are over-inflated for these film as they are for most classic
Your ratings list 5 films made before 1960 that aren't Disney cartoons. That's not exactly a great sample size for such a judgment. If you're just getting into classic film and you're already skeptical that Vertigo might be worth 7/10, I think you're approaching things in a spirit that will benefit yourself least of all

Re: Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 9:18 pm
by coffee
Among the "undecided" list I recommend Rebecca.
Surely it's not as good as The Desolation of Smaug but one might still enjoy it to some degree.

Re: Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 9:30 pm
by paulofilmo
i would watch North by northwest. go into it like it's some stylish breezy fun. see how you get on.

Bernard Herrmann (composer on at least a couple of those) is fab.

Re: Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 10:28 pm
by amazedemon
iconogassed wrote:
Mon May 25, 2020 8:39 pm
I think you're approaching things in a spirit that will benefit yourself least of all
Sorry, might have misrepresented myself a little there. I'm actually looking forward to watching the films. It's not that I'm sceptical that Vertigo is worth 7/10, it's that 72 corresponds to 9/10. The way I've ended up rating films has made Criticker's algorithm slightly skewed at higher numbers.

I'm not a supporting member, so I don't have access to the difference between PSIs and ratings, but I hypothesise that the difference would be related to factors like genre, the presence of certain actors, and age.


coffee wrote:
Mon May 25, 2020 9:18 pm
Among the "undecided" list I recommend Rebecca.
Surely it's not as good as The Desolation of Smaug but one might still enjoy it to some degree.
Thanks. I wouldn't expect it to be ;) , but if Criticker was built on a disdain for Shrek 2, then I'll stand by my subjective (and probably irrational) fondness for The Desolation of Smaug.

Re: Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 9:29 am
by ShogunRua
amazedemon wrote:
Mon May 25, 2020 10:28 pm
iconogassed wrote:
Mon May 25, 2020 8:39 pm
I think you're approaching things in a spirit that will benefit yourself least of all
Sorry, might have misrepresented myself a little there. I'm actually looking forward to watching the films. It's not that I'm sceptical that Vertigo is worth 7/10, it's that 72 corresponds to 9/10.
How so? Even if you're judging on a scale of 1 to 10 instead of 0 to 100, mathematically a 9/10 on the 1 to 10 scale corresponds to a 88.9 or so on a 0 to 100 scale.

Re: Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 2:06 pm
by coffee
amazedemon wrote:
Mon May 25, 2020 10:28 pm
Thanks. I wouldn't expect it to be ;) , but if Criticker was built on a disdain for Shrek 2, then I'll stand by my subjective (and probably irrational) fondness for The Desolation of Smaug.
I see that you liked Inglourious Basterds a little. In that film, a certain person was mentioned, David O. Selznick. I hope you remember the name. So that guy and Hitchcock made the movie Rebecca together. Old timers... I think it would be cool to know what a movie you like was talking about.

Re: Hitchcock & Scully

Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 10:13 pm
by amazedemon
coffee wrote:
Tue May 26, 2020 2:06 pm
In that film, a certain person was mentioned, David O. Selznick. I hope you remember the name. So that guy and Hitchcock made the movie Rebecca together. Old timers... I think it would be cool to know what a movie you like was talking about.
After a quick bit of googling, Selznick was also the producer for Gone with the Wind. The scene in Inglourious Basterds was the one with Mike Myers; not sure if I've seen enough (or any) of Goebbels' films, or even Mayer's to be able to truly appreciate what they were talking about.