We all remember Brian De Palma’s “Carrie,” “Scarface,” and “Dressed to Kill” mainly because of the stylized gore, violence, and suspense. But few know he started his feature film career making satires/comedies with “Greetings,” “Hi, Mom!” and “Get To Know Your Rabbit.” “Sisters” (and “Phantom of the Paradise” to some extent) fits very well as a transitional work. It is a horror-comedy or terror-comedy done as many folks have noted as an homage/parody of Alfred Hitchcock’s work.

De Palma admits to borrowing ideas from Hitchcock and also from the early Soviet montage theorists and filmmakers. Indeed “Sisters” succeeds with its “Psycho” first act and “Rear Window” second act and a number of suspenseful collisions of fullscreen and splitscreen images. But its all the filler, in-between stuff and the third act that makes this film truly unique and worth watching.

One can also find similarities between this film and Samuel Fuller’s “Shock Corrdior.” The character of Grace Collier reminded me of the other film’s journalist — Johnny Barrett. Their motives for trying to solve a murder and their demises are not dissimilar. Also both films twist genre conventions via absurdity while tackling the heady subjects of their times (i.e., racism, abuse of power, and the audience’s zest for the taboo).

If you want something more serious, see “Obsession.” If you want to see De Palma outdo Hitchcock, see “Dressed to Kill.”

(I’m eager to watch the Criterion DVD to hear De Palma’s recollection of “Sisters.”)