songsparrow Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 My 10 yo dd has asked about watching some Hitchcock movies. It's been years since I've seen any, and I think I've only seen Rear Window and The Birds. What would you recommend as a first movie to introduce Hitchcock to kids? I'm thinking it should be something with a decent amount of action and a not-too-subtle plot line. Feel free to also recommend what other Hitchcock movies we should follow up with, if she wants to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Rear Window, my kids love that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Agree with Mrs Mungo--Rear Window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 When I saw the title from the main page, my immediate thought was, Rear Window. **SPOILER ALERT** (Because I would offend someone), but when Perry Mason (lol, can't think of his name right now) looks up at Jimmy Stewart at that moment that he knows, you have to pick your feet up off the floor and put them on the sofa or chair. That way you'll be safe. You'll thank me later, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 "Rear Window" is good…but I also love "How to Catch a Thief"…more fun. Wonder about the sexuality of Grace Kelly, though. A few scenes in both…not sure if for a 10 year old. What about starting with "The Lady Vanishes"? One of his earlier ones, but still wonderful. I also really really like "I Confess"…but then again, I have a thing for Montgomery Clift. (Trivia fact for politico junkies…he was Eleanor Clift of "The McClaughlin Group's" brother in law.) OK…I really like them all. "Marnie" is a favorite that a lot of people haven't seen. (Has a young Sean Connery.) "Rebecca" is great, plus you can tie it in with the book. ANy of the Ingrid Bergman or Cary Grant ones…. too. Anything with Grace Kelly, especially "Dial 'M' for Murder." Be sure to tell him to look for the cameos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 North By Northwest, but I'm a huge Cary Grant fan. I also don't think you can beat the action scenes and I find much of the dialogue hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 My ds has watched To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, and Rear Window at age 11-13 and enjoyed them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 My dds, 12 and 14, have watched and enjoyed Rear Window, The Birds, Vertigo, and Psycho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 The Trouble with Harry North by Northwest Notorious Rebecca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 North by Northwest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Haven't seen any but the basics, but Rear Window was dd's first--it has great dialogue and an interesting relationship between the two main characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 The Trouble with Harry North by Northwest Notorious Rebecca Oh yes, "The Trouble with Harry" is hilarious. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Oh yes, "The Trouble with Harry" is hilarious. :) The first time I started watching it I got sucked in, but I was at my ils house and Sil turned the channel to watch a lifetime movie. :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Marnie is about sexual frigidity and recovering memories of past sexual abuse, so I would pass that one up for a bit. I agree that Rear Window is a great first Hitchcock. Lots of plot. To Catch a Thief is fine too, but younger boys sometimes think it's too romantic. How about Shadow of a Doubt? Where the young girl wonders about her Uncle Charlie? I'm fond of The Lady Vanishes and Suspicion too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Marnie is about sexual frigidity and recovering memories of past sexual abuse, so I would pass that one up for a bit. I agree that Rear Window is a great first Hitchcock. Lots of plot. To Catch a Thief is fine too, but younger boys sometimes think it's too romantic. How about Shadow of a Doubt? Where the young girl wonders about her Uncle Charlie? I'm fond of The Lady Vanishes and Suspicion too. Thank you! My children and I were discussing Hitchcock movies tonight, and I was just getting ready to go search for the name of Shadow of a Doubt! My almost 16 yo son wants to watch Rope. My 14 yo daughter said that Rear Window is her favorite. It was probably her first one at around age 10-12 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Rear Window! I watched it when I was around 12 and loved it. It's still my favorite Hitchcock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Rear Window Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Vertigo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I'd start with the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV series from the 1950s. After that, here are some Hitchcock films that are pretty tame to start with (the last 2 are a bit more intense, with the stories revolving around murder): The Lady Vanishes (1938) B&W. Fun sparks-fly-dialogue between Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood, who are thrown together and must unravel the disappearance of a fellow traveler and intrigue/espionage, all while traveling across Europe on a train. (Although the "shoot out" scene right towards the end drags a bit, but otherwise, a LOT of fun!) The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) Color. Married couple Jimmy Stewart & Doris Day vacationing in Morocco get pulled by mistake into espionage and an assassination attempt. North By Northwest (1959) B&W. A bit similar to the above film -- a man unwittingly dragged into espionage and plotting, with the famous crop-duster scene. Parts of this one feel a bit long and drag. James Mason is a fabulous, sophisticated bad guy, and Eva Marie Saint gets "punished" for appearing "loose", before Cary Grant finally knows the truth and supports her. Family Plot (1976) Color. Lighthearted suspense, with a phony psychic/con artist and her taxi driver/PI boyfriend encountering kidnappers. To Catch a Thief (1956) Color. Reformed thief Cary Grant must uncover who stole Grace Kelly's jewelry to prove his own innocence. The Trouble With Harry (1955) Color. Goofy "black humor" -- the trouble with Harry is that he is dead, and everyone has conflicting ideas of what to do with the body. Not so much like traditional Hitchcock. Dial M for Murder (1954) Color. If your 10yo can handle murder, this is a great one -- the original "criss-cross" murder plot, with innocent Grace Kelly being set up to take the fall. Rear Window (1954) Color. Outstanding; probably the best of all his films. A lot of Innuendo, but it will likely go over young heads. Warning: a little dog dies, too, if you have a child sensitive to things happening to animals. I'd wait a few years for Vertigo, Psycho, and The Birds which are all great, but more psychological or disturbing. Marnie is odd and disturbing (see previous poster's comments). Rebecca is good, but a very non-traditional Hitchcock type of film -- more like a gothic novel. And while I love Notorious, it has an ishy element to it for me -- the US government asks Ingrid Bergman who is known to be "loose" (i.e. "notorious") to get into a relationship with Claude Rains to spy on him -- and, by the way, to "prove her loyalty" to make up for her father's pro-Nazi spying (blech!). Cary Grant is her contact and is just brutal to her (double blech!!), until the end after she's been "punished". And then Spellbound has Ingrid Bergman as a psychiatrist whose professional judgment is called into question because she falls for fellow psychiatrist Gregory Peck -- oh pu-leese! -- But there is the interesting Salvador Dali set design for the dream sequence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Is she wanting a typical Hitchcock suspense? Or just a light intro to his films? Both To Catch a Thief and Mr. And Mrs. Smith are pretty benign and fun. But, if you are looking for something more typical of his films, I agree with others that Rear Window is a good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamzanne Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 North by Northwest or The Man Who Knew too Much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 North By Northwest, but I'm a huge Cary Grant fan. I also don't think you can beat the action scenes and I find much of the dialogue hilarious. I agree; my kids loved this movie! Since then we've also watched Rear Window and The Birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I've been wanting to watch Rear Window with my kids, the Hitchcock version, then watch the remake with Christopher Reeve (post-accident) in the male role. It really was well-done, I thought. Plus it has the distinction of having a quadriplegic in the main male role of a film-that has to be unique!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 My kid watched Psycho first. *bag on head smilie* Vertigo and Rebecca are my favorites but I like them all really. I had her watch Rebecca after watching Lord of the Rings once to show her how PJ used the same trick that Hitchcock used for that movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 OK…I really like them all. "Marnie" is a favorite that a lot of people haven't seen. (Has a young Sean Connery.) "Rebecca" is great, plus you can tie it in with the book. ANy of the Ingrid Bergman or Cary Grant ones…. too. Anything with Grace Kelly, especially "Dial 'M' for Murder." Be sure to tell him to look for the cameos. I LOVED Marnie! I just recently watched the Birds with DD and DH. Neither had ever seen any Hitchcock movies! I introduced them to Hitchcock with The Birds because one day while we were watching the flock of swallows (we have 11 swallow houses) blanketing the sky, I mentioned it was almost like the movie, The Birds. Both of them immediately asked me about the movie. Therefore, I ordered it from Netflix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 North By Northwest Rear Window The Man Who Knew Too Much I would NOT start with Psycho or The Birds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I'd start with the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV series from the 1950s. After that, here are some Hitchcock films that are pretty tame to start with (the last 2 are a bit more intense, with the stories revolving around murder): The Lady Vanishes (1938) B&W. Fun sparks-fly-dialogue between Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood, who are thrown together and must unravel the disappearance of a fellow traveler and intrigue/espionage, all while traveling across Europe on a train. (Although the "shoot out" scene right towards the end drags a bit, but otherwise, a LOT of fun!) The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) Color. Married couple Jimmy Stewart & Doris Day vacationing in Morocco get sucked by mistake into espionage and an assassination attempt. North By Northwest (1959) B&W. A bit similar to the above film -- a man unwittingly dragged into espionage and plotting, with the famous crop-duster scene. Parts of this one feel a bit long and drag. James Mason is a fabulous, sophisticated bad guy, and Eva Marie Saint gets "punished" for appearing "loose", before Cary Grant finally knows the truth and supports her. Family Plot (1976) Color. Lighthearted suspense, with a phony psychic/con artist and her taxi driver/PI boyfriend encountering kidnappers. To Catch a Thief (1956) Color. Reformed thief Cary Grant must uncover who stole Grace Kelly's jewelry to prove his own innocence. The Trouble With Harry (1955) Color. Goofy "black humor" -- the trouble with Harry is that he is dead, and everyone has conflicting ideas of what to do with the body. Not so much like traditional Hitchcock. Dial M for Murder (1954) Color. If your 10yo can handle murder, this is a great one -- the original "criss-cross" murder plot, with innocent Grace Kelly being set up to take the fall. Rear Window (1954) Color. Outstanding; probably the best of all his films. A lot of Innuendo, but it will likely go over young heads. Warning: a little dog dies, too, if you have a child sensitive to things happening to animals. I'd wait a few years for Vertigo, Psycho, and The Birds which are all great, but more psychological or disturbing. Marnie is odd and disturbing (see previous poster's comments). Rebecca is good, but a very non-traditional Hitchcock type of film -- more like a gothic novel. And while I love Notorious, it has an ishy element to it for me -- the US government asks Ingrid Bergman who is known to be "loose" (i.e. "notorious") to get into a relationship with Claude Rains to spy on him -- and, by the way, to "prove her loyalty" to make up for her father's pro-Nazi spying (blech!). Cary Grant is her contact and is just brutal to her (double blech!!), until the end after she's been "punished". And then Spellbound has Ingrid Bergman as a psychiatrist whose professional judgment is called into question because she falls for fellow psychiatrist Gregory Peck -- oh pu-leese! -- But there is the interesting Salvador Dali set design for the dream sequence... Yup, The Lady Vanishes is where I was going to suggest to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 North By Northwest, but I'm a huge Cary Grant fan. I also don't think you can beat the action scenes and I find much of the dialogue hilarious. North by Northwest! Oh, man, my entire family gave this movie two thumbs down! Soooo slow and boring. We barely made it to the end. A few catchy lines, but you can read those on IMDB and save a couple of hours :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Oh, man, my entire family gave this movie two thumbs down! Soooo slow and boring. We barely made it to the end. A few catchy lines, but you can read those on IMDB and save a couple of hours :lol: Obviously a lot of people disagree, but movie preferences are very subjective. I do think there are some slow spots in the movie that maybe could have been edited. Otoh, I feel most modern movies are a waste of a couple of hours. I also think today most people do not have the patience for dialog and plot development....not that that was the case in your experience w/ NbyN, but many older movies do start out with slow development taking time to build, which I don't think modern movies take much of a chance with b/c they are competing with action movies that hit you over the head with something happening every second (it seems). I feel like life hits me over the head enough and I deal with enough coming at me daily, I'm happy if a movie takes it's time and I can sit back and :chillpill: a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 My kids (8, 9, 11) loved The Birds and were not scared at all really. I personally find Rear Window creepier, maybe because the fear in that movie feels more reality-based to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Rope. Two brilliant rich kids kill a friend, then stuff his body in a trunk and throw a dinner party with the trunk in the room.... Clever creepy fun. And doesn't have that slow moving icy blonde thing n so many Hitchcock films that feels less fresh than it did at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Rear Window and To Catch a Thief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 We just watched North by Northwest with our 10yo last night. The Trouble with Harry is my favorite. We also like Rear Window and To Catch a Thief My older kids did not like The Birds because it creeped them out. I like Rope but they didn't, they said it was boring. Probably because there is not much action. Suspicion is the one that unnerves me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttichen Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Definitely The Man Who Knew Too Much. Our kids also enjoyed Rear Window and North by Northwest, but The Man Who Knew Too Much was their favorite by far. They were laughing at The Birds. They said the creepiest thing about it was that there is no scary music in the suspenseful parts. It's just silent. They didn't find it nearly as disturbing as I did. I saw it in college and am still slightly freaked out when I see a flock of starlings gathering.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 My vote is for Rope or North by Northwest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I'll repeat what a lot of you have said: The Trouble with Harry Rear Window North by Northwest The Man Who Knew too Much my dc saw all of these when they were around 10 and 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 The only one my kids have seen is Psycho. We often do the noise for the knife in the shower scene while slashing our hand up and down. I may have to introduce them to the others listed in this thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songsparrow Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 I found out what inspired my daughter to ask about Hitchcock movies - she has been watching episodes of the TV show Psych and the 4th season finale was Hitchcock movie themed. It included references to Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, Marnie, and I think one or two other movies. The lead also did an impersonation of James Stewart, which she didn't get the reference and just thought it was a funny voice. Based on the overwhelming majority vote, we'll probably start with Rear Window. But I want to also watch a lot of the other movies listed - many of which I've never seen! Thanks so much for all of the recs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 … I had her watch Rebecca after watching Lord of the Rings once to show her how PJ used the same trick that Hitchcock used for that movie. I've seen both Rebecca and LotR; what trick are you referring to? :confused1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 My kid watched Psycho first. *bag on head smilie* Vertigo and Rebecca are my favorites but I like them all really. I had her watch Rebecca after watching Lord of the Rings once to show her how PJ used the same trick that Hitchcock used for that movie. I've seen both Rebecca and LotR; what trick are you referring to? :confused1: Yeah, spill! (Please?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 The Man Who Knew Too Much or Dial M for Murder. But we might like Rear Window best. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 I found out what inspired my daughter to ask about Hitchcock movies - she has been watching episodes of the TV show Psych and the 4th season finale was Hitchcock movie themed. It included references to Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo, Marnie, and I think one or two other movies. Ahh, then DD will want to see both Rear Window and Vertigo, so she can match them up with the Psych episode. :) I do think Jimmy Stewart's character in Vertigo is brutal, and Kim Novak gets "punished" -- twice! -- but a lot of the psychological abuse stuff will likely go over the head of a 9yo... Your DD wanting to see Hitchcock after the Psych episode reminds me of watching Mel Brooks' High Anxiety with DS#1 (film/video production person) -- it has very hilarious spoof scenes of several specific Hitchcock films, but even more, it parodies the types of camera work/angles, editing, and use of music that Hitchcock used. Maybe one to check out in a few years after your DD has watched some Hitchcock… Very fun! :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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