Hitchcock: Odds & Ends

In case you were wondering, the correct answers to test #5 are:
1) c. 2) a. 3) e. 4) b. 5) d. 6) e. 7) c. 8) d. 9) b. 10) a.

For those who took the makeup test, the correct answers to it are:
1) e. 2) c. 3) e. 4) d. 5) a. 6) d. 7) c. 8) b. 9)b. 10) a.

As you probably know, on Thursday (8/1) we will have our final exam in the second half of the class, sometime after the break. It will contain 50 multiple-choice questions and you'll have an hour to complete it.

Earlier on Thursday, we'll see The Birds, our final Hitchcock film. It's a good one!

Hitchcock: Reminders for 7/30

On Tuesday, 7/30, I'll be offering tips about how to study for the final exam (which will be on Thursday, 8/1). This won't be a formal review of the material we've covered but, rather, suggestions for what to focus on while studying for the exam. There will also be quite a bit of new material introduced on Tuesday, some of which will be on the exam.

Meanwhile, we'll watch Psycho, Hitchcock's most famous film (by far). We'll also look at a couple of scenes from the 1998 Psycho remake.

Hitchcock: Reminder for 7/25

Our fifth short test will be on Thursday, 7/25. Be sure to bring a raspberry (pink) scantron with you. Like the previous tests, this one will have 10 questions and should take about 10 minutes. This test can cover anything we've done so far and may be given at any time during class.

On Thursday, we will watch North by Northwest, an especially exciting Hitchcock thriller. We'll also see part of Dressed to Kill, a thriller by one of Hitchcock's many "children," Brian De Palma.

Hitchcock: Reminder for 7/23

Our fourth short test will be on Tuesday, 7/23. Be sure to bring a raspberry (pink) scantron with you. Like the previous tests, this one will have 10 questions and should take about 10 minutes. This test can cover anything we've done so far and may be given at any time during class.

Also on Tuesday, we'll watch Vertigo, a film that is often considered to be Hitchcock's greatest masterpiece.

Hitchcock: Talking Points for 7/18

To Catch a Thief may be the most purely entertaining movie that Alfred Hitchcock ever made. Before coming to class think about these questions:
1) What is the difference between a work of art and a work of entertainment?
2) Is there, in fact, a difference?
3) If there is a difference, what films (not necessarily Hitchcock films) are examples of each kind?

Hitchcock: Reminder for 7/16

Our third test will be on Tuesday, 7/16. Be sure to bring a raspberry (pink) scantron with you. Like the first and second tests, this one will have 10 questions and should take about 10 minutes.

This test can cover anything we've done so far and may be given at any time during class.

Hitchcock: Bad boys for 7/11

Uncle Charlie in Shadow of a Doubt

Bruno in Strangers on a Train

Norman Bates in Psycho

Hitchcock: Images for 7/9

Salvador Dali

A moment from "Un Chien Andalou"

Dali's "The Persistence of Memory"

Hitchcock: Reminder for 7/9

Our second test will be on Tuesday, 7/9. Be sure to bring a raspberry (pink) scantron with you. Like the first test, this one will have 10 questions and should take about 10 minutes. It can cover anything we've done so far and may be given at any time during class.

Review: The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger is being kicked around by the critics and, honestly, I can't blame them. It's one big hot mess of a movie. Still, it does have its moments. Johnny Depp's stone-faced, laconic performance as Tonto seems to owe less to Jay Silverheels (who played the warrior/sidekick on TV) than it does to Buster Keaton, the great silent-film comedian. And, in fact, The Lone Ranger's director, Gore Verbinski, also appears to have been influenced by Keaton, especially in his staging of the semi-comic action sequences, some of which do come off OK. But, yes, finally, the film is just over-scaled, overlong and implausible (even by the standards of the genre), and there's little discernible chemistry between Depp and Armie Hammer, who plays the masked man. Take a pass, Kemosabe.

World War Z review

So after complaining about the high body counts in other blockbusters this summer (Star Trek: Into Darkness, Man of Steel, Iron Man 3), here I am about to praise the one with the highest body count of all. Yes, I like World War Z. Maybe the body count doesn't bother me because, well, what else should you expect from a zombie movie? Anyway, it's clever and has some powerful imagery (the zombies climbing a wall, for example, like a rising tide in a sea of inhumanity). And while WWZ moves swiftly, it also pauses now and then for reflection. (I believe that's called good pacing, something I wouldn't accuse those other blockbusters of having.)  This isn't Brad Pitt's biggest acting challenge, but his connection with the audience is impressive and he achieves it without fuss or irony. Of course, a movie like this one is a strong flavor that isn't for everybody. But much to my surprise, it's for me.