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by: Alfred Hitchcock  List Price: $23.95 Amazon.com's Price: $19.16 You Save: $4.79 (20%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 791 EAN: 9780520212220 ISBN: 0520212223 Label: University of California Press Manufacturer: University of California Press Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 360 Publication Date: November 04, 1997 Publisher: University of California Press Studio: University of California Press Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: No one knew more about manipulating a movie audience than Alfred Hitchcock, the legendary master of suspense. But while many film directors have written books about their ideas and techniques, Hitchcock discussed his personal theories almost exclusively in the short articles he wrote throughout his long life. Here, for the first time, most of these hard-to-find pieces have been collected. Sidney Gottlieb's well-edited volume features Hitchcock's thoughts on actors ("they should be treated like cattle"), effective film editing, the power of the thriller, proper uses of a director's talents, and the keys to any good suspense film: sex and murder. Gottlieb's introduction and running commentary is illuminating and helpful. Product Description: Gathered here for the first time are Alfred Hitchcock's reflections on his own life and work. In this ample selection of largely unknown and formerly inaccessible interviews and essays, Hitchcock provides an enlivening commentary on a career that spanned decades and transformed the history of the cinema. Bringing the same exuberance and originality to his writing as he did to his films, he ranges from accounts of his own life and experiences to techniques of filmmaking and ideas about cinema in general. Wry, thoughtful, witty, and humorous--as well as brilliantly informative--this selection reveals another side of the most renowned filmmaker of our time. Sidney Gottlieb not only presents some of Hitchcock's most important pieces, but also places them in their historical context and in the context of Hitchcock's development as a director. He reflects on Hitchcock's complicated, often troubled, and continually evolving relationship toward women, both on and off the set. Some of the topics Hitchcock touches upon are the differences between English and American attitudes toward murder, the importance of comedy in film, and the uses and techniques of lighting. There are also many anecdotes of life among the stars, reminiscences from the sets of some of the most successful and innovative films of this century, and incisive insights into working method, film history, and the role of film in society. Unlike some of the complex critical commentary that has emerged on his life and work, the director's own writing style is refreshingly straightforward and accessible. Throughout the collection, Hitchcock reveals a delight and curiosity about his medium that bring all his subjects to life. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - GoodThis book was a good entertaining read that provided fascinating information, but did not get bogged down in the process. Rating:  - The Master of Suspense becomes Master of BoredomI'm a huge fan of Hitchcock movies and wanted read more about him. I was greatly disappointed with this book though. Like others have said, it is repetitive to the point of insanity. After I read the first half of the book I found myself just jumping ahead to parts of interest just so I could get the dang thing done with. Whoever put this thing together obviously had even less patience and regard for this book than I the reader. While there were a chapter or two that were interesting, overall it ... Read More Rating: - Very good readingYes, some of it dragged a bit. But overall I found it very interesting indeed. There was a chapter on the making of "Rope", as well as a speech Hitchcock made at a dinner which is worth buying the book for. His sense of humour is very humourous. It was fascinating to read all the things he had to say about filmmaking and how to please the audience. I read it straight through except that once I jumped ahead and read the chapter on Rope, but it's more the type of book where you read a chapter here ... Read More Rating: - A rare chance to read a great director in his own (!) words.So few of the great directors from Hollywood's Golden Age wrote about their craft, either its theory or practice, so this collection of articles, interviews, speeches, lectures and publicity pieces from Alfred Hitchcock is very welcome, even if most were ghost-written. The volume covers his career from humble menial in 1919 to aging maestro in the 1930s, and includes his thoughts on acting, plots, the studio system, producers, production, technicians, genre audiences, Britain, and, ... Read More Rating: - Rambling And ForgettableThis should have been a great book. However, this collection of interviews, essays and writings from Alfred Hitchcock develops into an almost utterly incoherent mess that has no shape and is hard to get into. The editor clearly loves Hitchcock and his work, it's just a shame this love is so poorly expressed. The constantly changing, unconnected 'chapters' will leave you confused and losing interest in finishing the book. However, I endured all the way to the end. Whilst ... Read More 
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