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spikeydlux's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating insight into what Hitch's leading ladies went through in the course of making the films that define his genius, and their talent, as well as a skimming of his psychological profile that made him and his films the successes, and failures, that they were.
Too repetitive, though, which could be expected from the third book by this particular author on Hitch and his life and works. Seems that Spoto started with a wide angle shot and kept getting closer with his successive examinations of HItch, and this third didn't quite hit the mark. The overuse of those ten-dollar words (sometimes employing the same word multiple times on the same page, mercy!) and constant reiteration of his thesis made for a bit of a drag at times.
Nevertheless, a must read for the Hitchcock addict. At least it's a breezy read.
Too repetitive, though, which could be expected from the third book by this particular author on Hitch and his life and works. Seems that Spoto started with a wide angle shot and kept getting closer with his successive examinations of HItch, and this third didn't quite hit the mark. The overuse of those ten-dollar words (sometimes employing the same word multiple times on the same page, mercy!) and constant reiteration of his thesis made for a bit of a drag at times.
Nevertheless, a must read for the Hitchcock addict. At least it's a breezy read.
greg_talbot's review against another edition
3.0
“I never said actors are cattle-I said that actors should be treated like cattle”- Alfred Hitchcock
Glamour, Razzle-dazzle, and charisma are just some of the characteristics I think of when I think of Old Hollywood actresses and actors. Behind the camera, well that's another story.
With the exception of Kubrick, no other director is described with the level of shot-by-shot control that Hitchcock was noted for. His interest was not so much with leading his cast in how to “act”. Instead he brought his interior motives out with his camera-work and post-production editing. Some examples of his finest work have been: the 9 minute single shot in “Rebecca”, the shower scene of “Psycho”, the flocks of unseemly birds in “The Birds”.
“Spellbound By Beauty”. Gives a linear progression of Hitchcock's career, and the focus is specifically on Hitchcock's relationship with the leading lady. The lady was superficially the same: blond, a budding Hollywood starlet, and submissive to Hitchcock's direction on or off screen. These weren't sexual relationships, but power-shaped ones. Joan Fontaine, actress of Rebecca writes Hitchcock “knew ways of pressuring her insecurities, and making her his”.
“Vertigo”, now widely considered by critics his best film (currently sits as the best film ever according to Sights and Sounds poll). Spoto writes in detail on the significance of the film. It's the most personal revealing movie of Hitchcock. A story about a man choosing fantasy over reality in the realm of love.
In life and film, Hitchcock pushed boundaries. Whether it was changing the perspective of the audience to one more perverse or telling bawdy jokes to his ladies, Hitchcock was a master of manipulation. With 53 films, and a strong set that are hailed as cinema masterpieces, his professional reputation is secured.
Although this is hardly the best book to read about Hitchcock as a man or artist, it's focus on his fraught relationships make it very interesting. Many readers suggest Spoto's other book "The Dark Side Of Genius: The Life Of Alfred Hitchcock". Well worth the price of admission, but don't start or end here.
Glamour, Razzle-dazzle, and charisma are just some of the characteristics I think of when I think of Old Hollywood actresses and actors. Behind the camera, well that's another story.
With the exception of Kubrick, no other director is described with the level of shot-by-shot control that Hitchcock was noted for. His interest was not so much with leading his cast in how to “act”. Instead he brought his interior motives out with his camera-work and post-production editing. Some examples of his finest work have been: the 9 minute single shot in “Rebecca”, the shower scene of “Psycho”, the flocks of unseemly birds in “The Birds”.
“Spellbound By Beauty”. Gives a linear progression of Hitchcock's career, and the focus is specifically on Hitchcock's relationship with the leading lady. The lady was superficially the same: blond, a budding Hollywood starlet, and submissive to Hitchcock's direction on or off screen. These weren't sexual relationships, but power-shaped ones. Joan Fontaine, actress of Rebecca writes Hitchcock “knew ways of pressuring her insecurities, and making her his”.
“Vertigo”, now widely considered by critics his best film (currently sits as the best film ever according to Sights and Sounds poll). Spoto writes in detail on the significance of the film. It's the most personal revealing movie of Hitchcock. A story about a man choosing fantasy over reality in the realm of love.
In life and film, Hitchcock pushed boundaries. Whether it was changing the perspective of the audience to one more perverse or telling bawdy jokes to his ladies, Hitchcock was a master of manipulation. With 53 films, and a strong set that are hailed as cinema masterpieces, his professional reputation is secured.
Although this is hardly the best book to read about Hitchcock as a man or artist, it's focus on his fraught relationships make it very interesting. Many readers suggest Spoto's other book "The Dark Side Of Genius: The Life Of Alfred Hitchcock". Well worth the price of admission, but don't start or end here.
esselleayy's review against another edition
3.0
I always knew Hitchcock had issues with women and had a bit of a shoe fetish, but I never knew just how awful he could be. I have a whole new respect for Tippi Hedren.
pbraue13's review against another edition
3.0
While I do prefer some of Spoto's earlier work on the famous filmmaker, this book was by no means a slog to get through. I was interested the entire time in seeing the evolution of Hitchcock's relationship with his leading ladies to the eventual weird obsession he had for Tippi Hedren. The book did, at some points, feel like a cliffsnotes version of the actual book as Spoto seemed to really want to rush to get to the relationship between Hedren and Hitchcock. It was a good read over all, a 3.5/5.
judyward's review
3.0
This is the final book in the author's trilogy about Alfred Hitchcock and documents fifty years of the director's attitudes about and behavior toward the female leads in his films. Calling himself "Svengali Hitch", he attempted to control every aspect of the lives of many of his starring actresses culminating in his physical and emotional abuse of Tippi Hedren (for example, he kept her chained to live birds for five days before she collapsed in hysteria). The author documents Hitchcock's negative attitude toward actors, calling them "cattle" and "stupid children" and his propensity toward telling his lead actresses vulger jokes before taping a scene and telling them how unpopular they were viewed both by the other actors on the set and by the critics. The author relied on hundreds of hours of interviews with both Hitchcock and people who worked on his films. The portrait painted of [b:Alfred Hitchcock|2014794|The Thirty-nine Steps.|John Buchan|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JYVWNH8DL._SL75_.jpg|2422487] reveals a talented, but ultimately pathetic human being.
princessleia4life's review
5.0
It is a great book that really gives you a lot of info on the perverted side of Hitch. You see how mean he was to women and how awful he treated them. However, I still love his films and genius in them.
cinephilegirl_'s review against another edition
4.0
Es muy difícil leer que alguien que vos admiras mucho como artista no es más que un acosador glorificado por un sistema que no permitía que sus estrellas denunciaran abusos. Lo de Tippi Hedren es terrible y no hay manera de suavizarlo con nada ni "es el humor inglés " o así es Hitchcock. La historia de un hombre atormentado por sus propias obsesiones que resulta ser un genio adiovisual.
esselleayy's review
3.0
I always knew Hitchcock had issues with women and had a bit of a shoe fetish, but I never knew just how awful he could be. I have a whole new respect for Tippi Hedren.