Strangers on a Train

J.R. Hudson

J.R. Hudson

Spirit Animal
SPOILERS

Yet another masterpiece I have never seen. I am watching now and had to stop to say how thrilled I am to watch this

The entire sequence when Bruno follows Miriam at the carnival and then strangles her; awesome !

The shot of the murder happening inside the lens of the dropped sun glasses; awesome

The suspense Hitch created in dragging it out. I wasn't sure if Bruno was going to off her or not since the tennis player hung up on him at the house

Loving it !
 
Definitely one of my favorite films and a masterpiece of filmmaking. It has a hallucinatory quality about it and is worth watching at least three time to pick up all the interesting motifs and details. Robert Walker's performance as Bruno is incredible by any standards.
 
I love this film. Definitely up there in my Hitchcock favs. I revisit it every couple of years. John, I can't believe you like a film with a murder and tennis. Who would've guessed.
 
Hitch is unquestionably a master. I haven't watched Strangers in many, many years. I need to pull that off the shelf.

That's got the scene at the tennis court where everyone's head is following the ball except the bad guy right? And there's just a solitary, stationary set of eyes staring out from the crowd.

Love it.
 
yes yes yes. The only thing I did not like was the ramped up end with the merry-go-round. But yeah that carnival sequence still gives me shivers.

M favorite Hitch film is Rear Window, with Notorious coming in a close second. But Strangers is probably 3rd.
 
Strangers on a Train is a great movie. Hitchcock is the master. I agree Mark, Rear Window is the best film of his, but to me Vertigo is number 2
 
Mark Harris said:
yes yes yes. The only thing I did not like was the ramped up end with the merry-go-round. But yeah that carnival sequence still gives me shivers.

M favorite Hitch film is Rear Window, with Notorious coming in a close second. But Strangers is probably 3rd.
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The merry-go-round scene is pretty ridiculous with the cop blasting away (wtf!)--it always makes me laugh out loud, but it's still a great film. Probably another one of Hitchcock's jokes.

Rear Window is a geat film, but I think it lacks some of the complexity of of Vertigo, Notorious, and Psycho. For me:

1. Vertigo
2. Notorious
3. Psycho
4. Rear Window
5. North by Northwest
 
I hear you, but I think Rear Window's simplicity is its strength. He manages to pull off much of his same tension and suspense without the hero ever leaving that single room. It's a technical feat and a real lesson in storytelling.

I am in the minority in not caring too much for Psycho.
 
I can't believe you've never seen it. Good movie. My favorite Hitch films:

Vertigo
Psycho
Rear Window
Dial M for Murder
 
Mark Harris said:
I hear you, but I think Rear Window's simplicity is its strength. He manages to pull off much of his same tension and suspense without the hero ever leaving that single room. It's a technical feat and a real lesson in storytelling.

I am in the minority in not caring too much for Psycho.
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Can't really fault you for ranking Rear Window #1. Probably Hitchcock's tightest film, it's riveting from the very beginning. Plus Grace Kelly=incredible hottie with some great dialogue between her and Stewart.
 
I really enjoyed the film

The sequence I mentioned was probably my favorite as the film becomes more straightforward after that. I did enjoy the 'POV trance' when homeboy sees the younger sister (w/ the glasses)

The cop balsting away was like WTF and the Merry Go Round left a bad taste, but overall, it shines of Hitch as he starts to approach his style and mastery in the coming years

My favorite:

Psycho

Rear Window

North by Northwest

The Birds

Lifeboat

I need to go back and watch Vertigo, et al as it's been literally years since I've watched them
 
Favorite shot from Strangers has to be the tennis match where everyone's head is moving left and right and his is just locked dead forward in a trance... just incredible.

There is a great Hitch collection that you can get in a velvet box pretty cheap (its 20 films or something, just don't want to go look on my shelf)

Strangers also inspired 'Throw Momma from the Train' in a way I guess
 
Barry_S said:
Lifeboat isn't in my top 5, but I still really like it. Tallulah Bankhead's performance is hilarious.
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You hear the joke about her on set. She did not wear underwear and when the other actors told Hitch, and he said: "I don't know if this is a matter for the costume department, makeup, or hairdressing." :):)
 
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