A thoroughly underrated Hitchcock film. If you're reading this and haven't seen the film, drop what you're doing, and go find a copy of Frenzy. It's just *lovely*.
The best thing about Hitchcock films is the humor. This film does not disappoint. The most disturbing of his films i think, but I feel if he had not been censored all of his films would have had more violent nature.
One of Hitch's most underrated flicks. Contains some of the humor of his British roots (the potato sequence), and is indeed strangely disturbing as Pickman points out.
This Hitchcock guy can direct a movie! I'm a big fan of Hitch's work, and this proved to be the grimiest yet. It mixes the classic stylings of the director with the violence and shock you would see out of Giallo and 70s Exploitation, and that proves to be a great combination.
There are a couple of sequences where the camera lingers or moves in such a way as to be winking at the audience, grimly nodding that the exact terror we are expecting happens. The potato truck scene is a killer as well. And don't get me started on the horror the detective feels over his wife's cooking, executed in a way that is just my kind of humor.
What struck me the most was how modern the movie is. I think I'm so used to viewing Hitchcock in either black and white or that rich, vivid aesthetic that permeates say Rear Window or Vertigo that I wasn't really prepared for it. It's classically British through and through, loved the dinner scenes with the Inspector. That has the director's fingerprints all over it. Nearly all of Hitch's camera maneuvers and trademark suspense is there but just somehow thrown into the time machine and jettisoned to 1972. Really gives you an appreciation for how wide Hitchcock's career is especially if you traveled all the way from the 1930's to this point. The progression of his filmmaking is striking.
In 1972's Frenzy, Hitchcock tries for a more lurid style, more violent and for the first time, with gratuitous nudity. It's a strange blend that starts off slow, gets rather disturbing, but eventually gets my up-vote. The plot focuses on a man set up, in the eyes of the audience as much as the law, to take the fall for a rash of rape-stranglings. Circumstances are always playing against the protagonist, though the real killer eventually takes a hand too. The first rape-murder we see is bizarre and upsetting, as it should be, but once the shock fades, Hitchcock softens the blow by refusing to show any more rapes, and with his trademark black comedy. He enlivens the investigatory exposition with the detective's gastronomic plight, and turning the focus to the killer, places him in situations where he's bound to make mistakes. That's Hitchcock all over - a comedy of errors where you find yourself tensing up for an evil, disturbed criminal.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 16
scronkey
Top film, so Hitchcock throughout and deserves recognition amongst his greats.His way of bringing a lighter tone to a gritty story is unique - dinner times with the inspector (and his wife) demonstrates this here.
sureup
Amazing movie, both hilarious and disturbing. Loved it!LostOverThere
A thoroughly underrated Hitchcock film. If you're reading this and haven't seen the film, drop what you're doing, and go find a copy of Frenzy. It's just *lovely*.HulotD
This was the first Alfred Hitchcock film to show nude scenes.seithscott
The best thing about Hitchcock films is the humor. This film does not disappoint. The most disturbing of his films i think, but I feel if he had not been censored all of his films would have had more violent nature.Pickman
There's something deeply nauseating about this film. Didn't really like it, even though technically it's as good as any other Hitchcock's creation.wizardinblack
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo goodMrE2Me
One of Hitch's most underrated flicks. Contains some of the humor of his British roots (the potato sequence), and is indeed strangely disturbing as Pickman points out.Qwertyfla
Lovely. Lovely! LOVELY!mcmakattack
Hooptober XDirectors: Hitchcock
This Hitchcock guy can direct a movie! I'm a big fan of Hitch's work, and this proved to be the grimiest yet. It mixes the classic stylings of the director with the violence and shock you would see out of Giallo and 70s Exploitation, and that proves to be a great combination.
There are a couple of sequences where the camera lingers or moves in such a way as to be winking at the audience, grimly nodding that the exact terror we are expecting happens. The potato truck scene is a killer as well. And don't get me started on the horror the detective feels over his wife's cooking, executed in a way that is just my kind of humor.
DisneyStitch
What struck me the most was how modern the movie is. I think I'm so used to viewing Hitchcock in either black and white or that rich, vivid aesthetic that permeates say Rear Window or Vertigo that I wasn't really prepared for it. It's classically British through and through, loved the dinner scenes with the Inspector. That has the director's fingerprints all over it. Nearly all of Hitch's camera maneuvers and trademark suspense is there but just somehow thrown into the time machine and jettisoned to 1972. Really gives you an appreciation for how wide Hitchcock's career is especially if you traveled all the way from the 1930's to this point. The progression of his filmmaking is striking.Yarnold66
Great performance from Alex McCowen as the Chief Inspector.Panunzio
Great late-period Hitchcock thriller! I quite enjoyed the London setting, and the dark humour sprinkled throughout made this a really fun experience.Siskoid
In 1972's Frenzy, Hitchcock tries for a more lurid style, more violent and for the first time, with gratuitous nudity. It's a strange blend that starts off slow, gets rather disturbing, but eventually gets my up-vote. The plot focuses on a man set up, in the eyes of the audience as much as the law, to take the fall for a rash of rape-stranglings. Circumstances are always playing against the protagonist, though the real killer eventually takes a hand too. The first rape-murder we see is bizarre and upsetting, as it should be, but once the shock fades, Hitchcock softens the blow by refusing to show any more rapes, and with his trademark black comedy. He enlivens the investigatory exposition with the detective's gastronomic plight, and turning the focus to the killer, places him in situations where he's bound to make mistakes. That's Hitchcock all over - a comedy of errors where you find yourself tensing up for an evil, disturbed criminal.americanadian25
Its no masterpiece, but its still Hitchcock.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKDB_UwNFjk
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