Rear Window

[sholio]

We watched Rear Window last night -- the James Stewart/Grace Kelly one, which neither of us had ever seen before.

I am fairly sure that a diet of Tarantino/Sixth Sense/Fight Club completely ruins you for being able to accurately anticipate the plot twists of 1950s movies. We spent most of the movie convinced that we were watching James Stewart's character descend into madness, with a hallucinatory girlfriend and ever more paranoid fantasies about the perfectly normal people on the other side of the courtyard. Needless to say, it came as an unexpected shock when it turned out that the guy they thought was a killer -- was actually a killer! Twist ending, 1950s style: everything the main characters thought was going on ... is actually going on! Well, it is a twist ending if you're not expecting it.

Aside from that, and aside from spending most of the movie thinking that Grace Kelly was a figment of his imagination, it was a deeply adorable romance. :D I am not really one for romance except when I am, and I loved that it was a movie about Stewart's character falling in love with his girlfriend all over again as he saw a different side of her. And the entire trope of Stewart being housebound so that the girlfriend and the nurse had to do all the legwork ... that really worked for me. (Especially Kelly scaling the apartment building wall in high heels. Sweet.)


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Comments

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Heh, what with the Simpsons, parody shows, Disturbia and the remake starring Christopher Reed, I think even people who haven't seen it are pretty much spoiled for it ;)

But I still want to see it one of these days. I find fifties movies a heck of a lot scarier and more intense than what passes for "scary" these days.

[sholio]

They do spooky suspense very well! I need to watch more Hitchcock. :D

[ga-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Seriously? There are few Alfred Hitchcock movies that aren't worth viewing again and again. The best all have that "questionable sanity" vibe to them. Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest - all big faves.

[sholio]

I haven't seen a whole lot of Hitchcock, but clearly I need to watch more. *dashes off to add to Netflix queue*

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I also recommend Marnie - was always one of my favourites. And I personally like "The man who knew too much". "The Lodger" is a fairly old silent movie, but it's very interesting. And there is always Psycho and The birds, if you are in the mood to get scared shitless.

[trobadora]

Hee! You really are amazing for remaining unspoiled for so many things. *g*

[sholio]

*laughs* Well, I think part of it is ... there's a whole lot of pop culture out there, and while I do read meta and reviews and such for things I haven't seen, I don't do it a whole lot. I've picked up some things through fannish osmosis because they're talked about a lot in my corners of fandom (I know quite a bit about some sci-fi shows, like BSG, that I haven't seen) but '50s suspense movies -- not so much!

[trobadora]

I suppose I just assumed this kind of stuff is floating around the general culture so much, it's almost impossible to avoid. (Much like avoiding the knowledge that Methos was once a horseman if you're at all involved in mediafannish culture. *g*)

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there was that whole Tiny Toons episode about it and everything.

[sholio]

I've never seen any episodes of Tiny Toons. Never underestimate how pop-culture-illiterate I am. *g*

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I loved that it was a movie about Stewart's character falling in love with his girlfriend all over again

I'm not sure I'd ever thought of Rear Window that way...

No, if you haven't already, go watch Vertigo! Oh, and my personal fave, Rope.

[sholio]

But it kinda was, though, wasn't it? At least on the romance end of things. It wasn't about him meeting some new girl and falling for her; it was him taking a second look at someone he'd initially dismissed. Which is really up my alley, romance-wise. :D

Anyway, I'll add those to my queue as well! Netflix, how I love thee.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

I found that film zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I don't know if it was a remake if I would find it any better.

[bratfarrar]

Actually, there was a remake, with Christopher Reeves, of all people, in the Jimmy Stewart role. I can't remember if it was any good or not, though.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Still not interested........it is the story itself.
I would rather watch grass grow, but I feel that way about some of
the other Hitchcock stuff.........
Boring stories with even more boring personalities involved.