Search - Do You Like Hitchcock? on DVD

Argento Pulls A DePalma

Stanley Runk | Camp North Pines | 09/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Folks may gripe about Argento's output over the last decade or so, but he certainly hasn't lost the knack for a good concept. I don't expect another Deep Red or Tenebre, and why should I? With a ton of great movies under your belt over more than 30 years, not everything is gonna be primo.

Do You Like Hitchcock? is a little murder mystery Argento made for Italian television. No, it's not the most original of concepts because the whole theme is based on another director's ideas. But at the same time, that's also what makes it original. It's both an homage as well as an Argento film.

The film follows a kind of dorky film student(is there any other kind?) who becomes suspicious of a sexy neighbor. At a local video store he witnesses a meeting between his neighbor and another attractive woman who both come to rent the Hitchcock film, Strangers On A Train. He suspects that these two woman have come to a similar arrangement as the two male characters in the Hitchcock film(and if you haven't seen Strangers On A Train, shame on you!). And in the Argento(and Hitchcock) tradition, our protagonist plays detective and snoops and spies, getting in over his head when he finds out that there is indeed a murder plot going on. No one believes him of course and he finds himself a target.

This is a relatively common type of scenario with Argento, but this time the Hitchcock influence is cited. It's the actual catalyst for the mystery. Argento also mixes in a bit of Rear Window and even a tad of Vertigo. For a made for T.V. movie, it's very above average. Not as violent as the average Argento film, but it is a bit bloody for the first murder. Like I said before, don't go expecting Deep Red, but Argento fans should get a bit of a kick out of it."

"Rear Window" in Turin: Well-Made Thriller from Dario Argent

Tsuyoshi | Kyoto, Japan | 01/05/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Dario Argento`s new film arrives with the slightly tongue-in-cheek title: `Do You Like Hitchcock?' The film is not only homage to the master of suspense films, but it also is a surprisingly good thriller cleverly developed from the concepts in several of Hitchcock classics such as "Rear Window" and "Strangers on a Train."



Giulio is a film student living in Turin, who occasionally watches Sasha, beautiful woman living in the room across the street. One night Sacha's mother is brutally murdered. Apparently it was done by a robber, but Giulio alone knows some secrets anyone else does not know. One of them is that before the murder she was having a conversation with another lady at a local rental video store, and both of the women seem interested in Alfred Hitchcock films.



You don't need any more summery of the plot, nor Giulio. Being a film student Giulio knows the story of most of the Hitchcock movies, and can predict what may happen next. He rather stubbornly insists on his theory that his girlfriend does not take seriously, and gets involved in the case more than he should.



First let me tell you something about the director's trademarks. Dario Argento's lavish visual style is certainly here, but you don't find much gore or violence. You will still see the close-ups of seemingly unimportant things (like a key in the keyhole) and will find the film's opening chapter unnecessary, but Argento fans would find the master's distinct touch in them. You also hear the curiously enticing music of Pino Donaggio, but Argento's technique is more restrained than usual. The script is more tightly written, but except for several thrilling moments (like Giulio riding a motorcycle running in the rain), the film fails to build up the tension we expect from this kind of suspense.



Still the film is largely well-acted (even though English-dubbed) and entertaining, will certainly keep us guessing until the end. Worth watching if you like either Argento or, of course, Hitchcock."

Bad acting, bad filming, bad ending, boring movie

Mark Prindle | NYC | 07/14/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This film had some interesting moments but was basically destroyed by its terrible shot-on-video look, its stupid and confusing double-ending, and some really poor direction (ex: when the protagonist breaks his leg and repeatedly falls off his moped in the rain, the strong healthy man chasing him blatantly slows his running down to an impossible level of sluggishness to avoid catching him). It wasn't quite as out-and-out atrocious as Argento's "Phantom of the Opera," but doesn't hold a candle to his newer, more graphic works like "Pelts" and "Jenifer." It's mostly just dull, and filled with stupid characters."

Most satisfying Argento film in quite a while

Neverman | Georgia | 08/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many of Argento's films over the last 20 years have left me feeling various degrees of disappointment and dissatisfaction. While elements of many have been good, the movies as a whole do not stand up to his better work. For the record, the most satisfying Argento film for me, start to finish, is Tenebrae. His most recent American released DVD, The Card Player, really left me feeling sad. It contained none of his trademarks - brilliant cinematography, interesting set pieces, and that surreal quality to the action that lets you know you're inside an Argento giallo. I just rented his latest American release (nods to Anchor Bay) last night, and for the first time in a long time, I watched from start to finish and felt a deep sense of satisfaction afterwards. No disappointment, no lingering feelings of lost opportunities.



During many scenes of "Do You Like Hitchcock?", the action and situations more closely resemble DePalma's Hitchcockian homages than the work of Hitchcock himself. And that's a good thing, because I've always thought no one does fake Hitchcock better than Brian DePalma. As the previous reveiwer noted, Argento pays tribute to several Hitchcock classics throughout - framing it all inside a Rear Window set piece. At one point, our hero even breaks his foot and is confined to a cast, bickering with a girlfriend who at first thinks he's crazy and then realizes he's not. Of course neither actor is of the caliber of Stewart and Kelly, but they give solid performances.



This Argento movie is less bloody than any of his movies since Bird With the Crystal Plumage and relies more on good old-fashioned genuine suspense without the bizarre murder scenes. I found that change refreshing. I did not realize the movie was made for Italian TV, as noted by the previous reviewer. Perhaps this forced Argento to go back to basics, so to speak, and build a coherent plot that utlizes atmosphere moreso than the killer's bloody knife. All in all, high applause for "Do You Like Hitchcock?" Recommended for fans of Argento, Hitchcock and DePalma."