Mock Squid Soup - April 10, 2015: Strangers On A Train

I love me some Hitchcock.  When fellow Souper Birgit put this forth as her March offering, I knew I had found my April film!  After showing Nan and Logan the original trailer on Amazon, we were all convinced.

After our Easter meal and Star Trek viewing, we settled in for this.  It was my son's third Hitchcock offering (we've watched North by Northwest a few times and he has seen all of To Catch A Thief but in three separate viewings) and he and my wife are currently planning a trip that will take them on their first long distance train trip, so everyone was cracking wise as things got under way.

This was great fun!  Logan spotted Hitchcock's cameo at around the ten or eleven minute mark.  He thought the performances were incredible.  It was so much fun listening to him unraveling the story and motives.  It was all so scandalous but still tame enough for his soon-to-be-teen sensibilities.

It has been a while since I'd seen this.  So many of Hitchcock's other films with Grant and Stewart and the like always seemed to overshadow this for me.  Rebecca and Rope are two of my all time favorite movies of any type.  But this was like finding an old pair of pants that still fit....nice and comfortable and a pleasant surprise.

When this was discussed last month on Birgit's site, there was a lot of talk about Throw Momma From The Train, the 1987 black comedy inspired by this film.  Recollections of that film were decidedly mixed, but I remember it fondly.  Perhaps I'll seek it out.  Or just pull out all my Hitchcock VHS tapes!

Favorite Line

Senator Morton: One doesn't always have to say what one thinks.

Film Festival Friday: 6/29/12

Another week, another batch of movies!

Currently #74 on my flickchart list.

The week started very rainy here in Vermont. I took advantage of that and spent some time Monday on the computer working on my comic book database and put "Serenity" on in the background.

I am a late-to-the-party Whedon fan.  I had read his comic book runs on "Astonishing X-Men" (enjoyed it) and "Runaways" (caused me to drop the book) but hadn't seen any of his TV work.  We were fans of Nathan Fillion from "Castle" and once The Armchair Squid shared he had enjoyed "Firefly", we hunted down the series and become instant converts.

I'm not sure how the movie works as a stand alone film as I've not spoken to anyone who has seen it but NOT seen the show.  The phenomenal opening tracking shot (actually TWO shots nicely cut together) does a great job of introducing you to the main characters and setting up the story.  It is action packed, funny, grim and exciting!

Currently #124 on my flickchart list

Tuesday's comic session had "Live Free or Die Hard" with Bruce Willis playing in the background.  I went with the unrated version.  I remember seeing this in the theater when it was PG-13 and realizing how badly they had erred by going with a lower rating.  Die Hard NEEDS to be an R rated adventure. 

Currently #37 on my flickchart list

Each summer, I try to send my new class of students a postcard every couple of weeks.  On Wednesday, it was time to send out the first batch.  "Predator" with Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed to be a good choice to have on in the background.

Currently #41 on my flickchart list

Last night Nan and I watched "North By Northwest" with Cary Grant.  What a great movie, from start to finish.  I think a Hitchcock week is in order.  The Armchair Squid recently talked about starting his daughter on some Hitchcock movies....I think that is a GREAT idea!