Spellbound [1945] (DVD)

I'll confess. I'm really not experienced in the Hitchcock field. In fact, I probably couldn't name more than 2 or 3 of his films that I have actually watched. Okay, okay, stop gasping, I know he's supposed to be the director or directors, but I've just never dabbled. At the beginning of the year, my mother-in-law popped The Lady Vanishes on while we were up staying with them, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! Fast forward to last week, and we're having a clear out. I came across a ridiculous mound of various CDs and DVDs and, if you read my status on here (as of 2/4/09), I've set myself the target of reading and hopefully reviewing all of the DVDs I ...  Read the complete review

Allegedly the first serious attempt to make a movie about psychoanalysis, this is probably doomed to be shown at psychology conferences for a laugh. The vision of dream analysis and therapy on show here is certainly not be taken seriously. Moreover, this second-rank Hitchcock movie has some of his worst artificial excesses, with Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman doing a spot of back-projected skiing (if you don't laugh, you deserve a prize). But accept that you're not watching something as good as 'Vertigo' and 'Spellbound' is enormous fun. Peck plays a psychologist who arrives at a remote asylum to replace the retiring Leo G. Carroll, and ...  Read the complete review

Introduction When I think of Alfred Hitchcock, this isn't a film that springs to mind, but nevertheless I'm glad I had the opportunity to watch it. Hard to believe that it first came out 60 years ago! Once again, Hitchcock deals with psychological issues; although it seems that he doesn't have a huge amount of time for psychotherapy and the like, he is prepared to accept that it may work, and for the time, this must have been quite enlightening. As usual, the tension is maintained from the beginning through to the end; even my boyfriend, not usually keen on this sort of film, felt compelled to find out what happens. The director Alfred Hitchcock, as ...  Read the complete review

Spellbound is one of Hitchcock’s most daring experiments and the 1st screen thriller to explore the dark arts of psychoanalysis. It stars Ingrid Bergman as Dr Constance Peterson and Gregory Peck as John Ballantine aka Dr Anthony Edwards. Describable as a film - noir mystery/ romance. Directed by Hitchcock in 1945, written by Hilary St George Sanders (novel) adapted by Angus Macphail, screenplay Ben Hecht. Music score by Miklos Rozsa. ***THE STORY*** Psychoanalysis was still quite a cinematic novelty at the time (The movie is considered to be the 1st screen thriller to the dark arts of the subject), but this means that we have to put up with an ...  Read the complete review