WEEK 18: Secret Agent (1936)

And we’re back, once again, and welcome to week 18 of Weekly Hitch, a film-studies blog wherein I watch all of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies – in chronological order – and then I write about them, also in chronological order because that’s just how things happen in the world due to the relativistic nature of time and whatever.

This week, Hitch and us are riding high off the success of The 39 Steps and straight into a nearly forgotten and constantly overlooked espionage drama, 1936’s Secret Agent. So get ready for intrigue and drama, in a world where nothing is what it seems!

WEEK 17: The 39 Steps (1935)

Hello there, and welcome back to the seventeenth week of Weekly Hitch! This is a film-studies blog-type project wherein I watch every single one of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, in chronological order, and then write about them in a way that probably only makes sense to me and maybe other slightly deranged people.

This week we follow up Hitchcock’s breakthrough thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much, with the smashiest smash hit The 39 Steps. It’s the film that really put Hitch on the international map, and you do not want to not read why I think you shouldn’t not see it. If you get what I mean.

WEEK 16: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

It’s week 16 at Weekly Hitch, a film-type blog where I watch all of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies in chronological order, no matter what they are, and then I talk about them and tell people what I think. You’re people.

This week Hitchcock turns a corner and we turn it with him as I watch 1934’s classic, exciting, and only slightly flawed thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much. So read on, and see how much he knew!

WEEK 15: Waltzes From Vienna (1934)

Hello, and welcome back to Weekly Hitch. This is a film studies style blog where I watch all of Alfred Hitchcock’s films in chronological order and then I write about them, usually in a meandering and unfocussed way that I then later find irritating, but all the same at least I’m not out doing crimes or whatever.

This week, my 15th (!) week on the project, we dance our way in to a movie that Hitchcock described as “the lowest ebb” of his career – and also one of the films that stands out as the most atypical for the director. It’s a musical-operetta-comedy-period-biopic about Johann Strauss, and it’s called Waltzes From Vienna.

WEEK 14: Number 17 (1932)

It’s another week and another Hitch here at Weekly Hitch. This is a blog-type project in which I watch all of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, in chronological order, and then dissect them like a frog in a high school biology class – except, unlike the frog – the movies will live on forever.

This week, my 14th on the project, brings us to the much derided and curiously uneven crime thrillerish sort-of-comedy Number 17. So, welcome, and let’s begin.

WEEK 13: Rich and Strange (1931)

It’s lucky week 13 here at Weekly Hitch, which is a film studies blog wherein I watch every one of Hitchcock’s movies, in chronological order, and then I write about them and what I think about them. Sort of like a book report, but instead of books – which don’t move, I write about films – which do.

This week we’re taking a look at Hitch’s 1931 comedic travelog Rich and Strange, adapted by Hitch and Alma from a novel by Dale Collins. It’s a light and frivolous movie, and only slightly removed from plausibility, so here we go with Rich And Strange.

WEEK 12: The Skin Game (1931)

Hi there! And welcome back to Weekly Hitch, which is a film studies blog where I watch all of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, in chronological order, and then I write about each one and pretend I know what I’m talking about and also sometimes I question why I’m doing this at all, but it’s too late to stop now.

For the 12th week here at Weekly Hitch, I watched Hitchcock’s 1931 rural family-feud film The Skin Game, which stars future Academy Award winner, Edmund Gwenn and is also a pretty boring movie. So let’s begin! (sorry)

WEEK 11: Murder! (1930)

Hello again you wonderful people, and welcome back to Weekly Hitch – a blog sort of thing, in which I watch every Hitchcock movie and then try to work out what makes them good, or bad, or ugly.

This week Hitchcock returns to suspense and thrills with one of his very few actual “who-done-its” – the pleasant, but uneven 1930 film, Murder!

WEEK 10: Juno And The Paycock (1930)

Hello again, whoever you are, and welcome to week ten of Weekly Hitch – a film studies blog in which I watch all of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, in chronological order, and then talk about them into a computer. It’s like having a friend show you slides of a trip to Italy, but instead of slides it’s opinions and instead of Italy it’s old movies.

This week, we enter the 1930’s with Hitchcock’s adaptation of one of Ireland’s most famous plays – there’s religious symbolism aplenty and lots more experimenting and adapting to sound. So let’s begin, with 1930’s Juno And The Paycock.

WEEK 9: Blackmail (1929)

Hello once again, and welcome back to Weekly Hitch. This is a film studies project sort of thing in which I watch all of Alfred Hitchcock’s films, in chronological order, and then analyze them to the best of my meagre ability. It’s sort of like I’m going to a very weird film school, and you have to read all my homework.

This week, our last week in the twenties, also brings us our very first film with actual synchronized sound – and brings Hitchcock back to form (and to murder) with a morally ambiguous and rather startlingly raw thriller with 1929’s Blackmail.