Obsession is the Vertigo rip-off right? It’s been a long time.
you know what they say about those that assume…
“I mean, I haven’t see “Family Plot” but I did see “Frenzy” and I can only assume that “Family Plot” is also in the tradition of “Frenzy” and is classically Hitchcock.”
Oh my…. You are in for a big surprise…
“Obsession” is a symphony by Bernard Herrmann with visual accompaniment by Brian De Palma
Yes, but not in the sense you mean. De Palma, whether intentionally or “un”, goes beyond mere homage to Hitch in the majority of his works. It’s almost like De Palma is watching a Hitch film (with eyes asparkle) and decides to one-up it, modernize it, view it through a looking glass and then paint a fresco of it, ultimately cheapening fine wine by pouring it into a bejeweled dog bowl.
And it’s not for this ‘coupling’ with Hitch that I despise (strong word, but it has a serpentine quality that I find attractive) De Palma’s approach (for there are a few De Palma films I greatly enjoyed; Sisters, Carlito’s Way … okay, that might be all) – I despise him because he seems like a hack to me, but in addition to that he insists on referencing Hitch (and I can only hope that it’s intentional – if not, he’s even more daft than I once thought) is just overkill. There’s no need to recreate Hitch and Hitch is renowned enough that we don’t need a blatant reminder of him every time De Palma releases a film. De Palma doesn’t “carry on” Hitchcock’s legacy any more than Wes Anderson carries on Peter Greenaway’s legacy.
Harsh, I know.
And no mention of Body Double? Perhaps the most blatant Hitchcock “homage” ever filmed.
Family Plot is a black action thriller comedy. Frenzy is FRENZY.
David, that’s really funny…….and true.
I know I was stretching it with the comparison, because I have not seen the “Family Plot”. But I thought the coincidence was interesting. Wonder if Hitchcock ever saw Obsession.
Pavel
Watching those films do you get a sense that when Sir Alfred Hitchcock died Brian De Palma carried on his legacy LITERALLY? I mean, I haven’t see “Family Plot” but I did see “Frenzy” and I can only assume that “Family Plot” is also in the tradition of “Frenzy” and is classically Hitchcock. And Obsession is in the form of an homage of Hitchcock but also classically De Palma marking to me as one of his first De Palma-esque movies (next to to sisters).