Viewed – 09 May 2020 Blu-ray (A-Z Collection Challenge)

I have a confession. I have never really got that much into the movies of famed director Alfred Hitchcock, and my experiences with his work have been fleeting at best, with possibly only Rear Window being a movie I have watched all the way through. However I intend to rectify this and have recently purchased a couple of box sets that house many of his classics. This 1972 effort, made towards the end of his career may not have the word of mouth or notoriety of movies like Psycho or The Birds, but I’d say is still worthy of your time.

Following getting fired from his job as a bartender, a man becomes embroiled in the hunt for a serial killer, nicknamed the necktie killer due to the victims, all women being found strangled with a tie. Set in London and with a decidedly tongue-in-cheek tone, mostly shot in bright daylight, this like Psycho marries the mundanity of normal life and normal folk with the looming shadow of a killer. The movie isn’t a whodunnit as-such, more of a ‘how do I prove I didn’t do it?’, with the actual killer revealed early on. Filled with interesting, quirky characters, a very of-the-time acting style, some corny cor-blimey cockney dialogue and several recognisable faces from British television … this wasn’t like any serial killer thriller I’d seen, which made the movie more ‘fun’ than expected. Such a style at times sat uneasy with more shocking scenes including a rape and murder, with the killer particularly unnerving in his relative normality. Yet that all worked in the movie’s favour I’d say.

As an introduction to Hitchcock this might be a bit Hitchcock-lite from what I hear, although retains his famed visual flourishes and suspense. On its own merits, I found this unique and gripping … and I rather enjoyed it.

The Blu-ray, part of the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection has an impressively sharp and vibrant image, that has a look of technicolour. Grain is intact and detail very good throughout. Sound is also effective and clear in DTS Master Audio 2.0. Extras consist of a fascinating making of documentary as well as a trailer and production photographs.

Verdict:

(the movie). Good

(the Blu-ray) Recommended