Welcome Movie fans!

Last night on Halloween, I saw Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece PSYCHO on a big screen at Benaroya Hall while the Seattle Symphony played the great Bernard Hermann soundtrack live. The music sounded incredible, and was so in-sync to the movie that many times I forgot the orchestra was there. A taped introduction from TCM's Robert Osborne talking about the movie and music score made specifically for the Seattle Symphony's performance was a classy touch. Amazingly, in spite of the fact that PSYCHO is considered one of Hitchcock's best and most well known films, and is rated in many polls as one of the top 10 of all time (by critics and fans), there were some in the audience who apparently had never experienced PSYCHO before. Appropriate gasps, moans, laughs (yes, some of it is very funny), and starts were observed as the film progressed in it's fascinatingly spellbinding manner. (I do have to RANT about one film goer who felt the need to take a startling and distracting flash photo just as the shower scene was underway. Rude and Boorish.) Many concert/movie goers came in costume, and even the ushers and symphony members dressed for the occasion. One violinist came dressed as Norman Bates Mother, complete with slashing motion knife thrusts and was greeted with warm applause. Highlights among the audience costumes were an older man who appeared to be Count Dracula by way of Liberace, a princess with Marge Simpson-type hair (piled high) and a tall thin near bald headed man wearing high heels, necklace and earrings and a rain coat, who then would "flash" open the coat to reveal that he wore just a leather jock strap underneath!
I do believe a good time was had by all and the genius of PSYCHO will survive another 50 years.

In 1960 my family lived in Spokane, and my father had a job that required him to be on the road occasionally for several nights at a time. During one of his road trips he became bored while overnighting in a small town and decided to go the movies, PSYCHO being the only game in town that night. He knew nothing about the film but did recognize Hitchcock's reputation.
He remembers being quite shocked by the film, as many were in those days of relative innocence. This was the first film to feature such explicit (for the time) violence, implied sexuality and nudity, and lurid plot twists. Even the flushing of the toilet was a scandalous moment. His heart beat fast and by the time he got back to the motel, he found it difficult to sleep--his mind churning over the disturbing images of the film. Suddenly he felt something was wrong--there was something warm and wet under his bed sheets. He turned on the light and threw back the blankets. Under his feet was a small but growing puddle of blood. He struggled to see what was happening, then realized that somehow a varicose vein near his ankle had either burst or been cut. In a panic, he wrapped his foot, packed his bag, and jumped into the car (a small VW Beetle!). In early morning I heard my mother's excited voice saying "What are you doing here? What's happened to you?" We all rushed out to the car to see the blood soaked floor mat--he'd driven 5 hours to get home, and had lost a lot of blood. I'd like to think that PSYCHO played a big part in that little adventure, but my father is not much of a movie fan (especially of PSYCHO) and I'm sure he will be happy to deny it.
This past October I've seen 25 films from the Seattle Public Library, advance screenings, and various Film Festivals, and I will write about them later, but I will mention a few older titles that really impressed me--Jane Eyre (1944) with a dashing and intense Orson Welles and featuring one of the first roles of a young Elizabeth Taylor, beautiful and intense even as a child. (Just read Elizabeth Taylor by Kitty Kelly--what a mess her personal life was...) Also the amazing Joanne Woodward and Estelle Parsons in Rachel, Rachel(1968), directed by Paul Newman. And a newly restored reissue of The Boys in the Band, about a group of 8 gay men and one who says he is not, at a birthday party. The script is especially sharp, witty, funny, sad, tragic and full of classic one-liners (including "Who do I have to **** around here to get a drink," and "Hot stuff coming through!" while maneuvering through a crowd with a steaming casserole.)
Currently playing in theatres and highly recommended--Bright Star, Julie and Julia, Up, The Hangover, The September Issue, Inglorious Basterds
Not recommended--Invention of Lying, Black Dynamite, Act of God
I have seen what I think will be the best film of the year. It opens next week and I'll talk about it then. It is called PRECIOUS.

Cinematically Yours,
Jeff