i luv cinema

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • 100 “Must-See”
  • About Me
Home Archives for vertigo

November 9, 2009 By idawson 2 Comments

Obsession, Revisted

VertigoSome time ago i mentioned I saw Brian de Palma’s 1976 homage to Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Obsession and was not a fan of it.

One thing I failed to do was give a full on review laying out my disappointment in the experience.

Just the very implication of incest … hmm

As a theme it is a tough sell in so many ways. Of course many folks generally do not feel comfortable with it as a general rule of thumb. Should it not be addressed as a topic? I am not saying that at all. What I take exception with how it is handled in this movie is that I am supposed to believe that he does not know that this is his daughter or that there is some biological connection between he and she?

I find that a little hard to accept. Especially since his daughter was kidnapped and never seen for a number of years. I guess the conclusion to possibly be drawn from that (and I am sure the filmmaker will agree) that he is so blind with obsession over the memory of his dead wife that he cannot fathom this as a possibility. Me? I am not buying it.

Homage is one thing…

Maybe some think that it is clever that de Palma uses a similar cinematically literary device, the idea of the double, the reveal in the middle of the film and the protagonist as the pawn – all central elements in both films but somehow more effective in the master’s work.  I think to model one’s own work after someone you admire is slightly double edged. And while you admire someone sometimes it is best to simply mention your admiration or refer to it (with a wink and a nod) in your own style. So while I may be in the same boat of admiration as De Palma, I think that some things are better left undone and not to be replicated.

Maybe I will give it another go…

For the sake of my love of Hitchcock’s Vertigo I will go back and re-watch Obsession, but be warned I am already slightly put off by it so a major epiphany will have to wash over me if my mind is going to be changed.  This second chance is something that I gave vertigo which I admit was a film that was a bit over my head when I first watched it on VHS.

In the end movies like all works of expression and art are pieces that inspire diverse reactions in many people. Also one’s idea of the creative or artistic evolves and morphs over time. So maybe, in time, I will come to see Obsession as De Palma would want me to see it.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: alfred hitchcock, brian de palma, obsession, vertigo

October 4, 2009 By idawson Leave a Comment

Short but Sweet Review ….

1976’s Obsession – an “homage” to Vertigo.

Simply put, not so much; in my opinion not so much an homage as a rip … with a few changes. And the “twist reveal” in the middle was kind of a let down. In addition I was kind of creeped out with meeting and subsequent actions of his wife’s double. More to come later …..

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: de palma, hitchcock, plot twist, thriller, vertigo

May 21, 2009 By idawson Leave a Comment

On Location – San Francisco

Here is an “on location” shot from 1959’s Vertigo.  It is the Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum; it is one of the many locations in San Francisco where James Stewart follows Kim Novak.

100_0872
Photograph Taken August 2007

This film was great in capturing the spirit of San Francisco.  In fact, several tours will take you to the various locations in and around San Fran where Hitchcock shot. Here is about.com‘s guide to the many real life locations featured in the film.

There is also a great book about Vertigo and San Francisco (Footsteps in the Fog).  It is recommended reading for any fan of San Francisco or Alfred Hitchcock.

Filed Under: Fun Stuff, On Location Tagged With: On Location, san francisco, vertigo

Search

Recommended Read

Captain of Her Own Soul

UC Press

Added to My Video Library

Imitation of Life (1934)

Centers of Film Study

  • JBFC
  • MoMA Film Screenings
  • The Picture House
  • University of California Press (Cinema and Media Texts)

Fast Film Resources

  • Alfred Hitchcock Wiki
  • Alfred Hitchcock-Master of Suspense
  • Film | The Guardian
  • Kermode & Mayo's Film Reviews
  • Park Circus
  • Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Internet Movie Database
  • Tribeca Film

Film Societies

  • BAMcinématek
  • Film Society of Lincoln Center

This is How We Blogroll

  • BBC Film: The Bulletin
  • Cinematic Corner
  • Comet Over Hollywood
  • Critical Women on Film
  • FlixChatter
  • Future of Flim (Tribeca Film Blog)
  • in so many words …
  • Kermode's Film Blog
  • Paula's Cinema Club
  • Roger Ebert
  • Sobriety Test Movie Reviews
  • Superhero Movie Talk
  • Sweet Freedom

Archives

Tweets by @iluvcinema
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact iluvcinema
totalfilm600movieblogs

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2025, iluvcinema ·Streamline Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in