vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
I just read this for my book club, and really enjoyed it. Surprisingly I'd never read it before, though I know the 1940 Hitchcock film well, which won the Best Picture Oscar back in its day.

Rebecca is a gripping gothic thriller combined with psychological study. It has a rather leisurely pacing, which took me a while to adjust to. But then it felt more of a natural fit, and I was happy for it to have room to breathe. The story is that of a young woman, newly married and returning with her husband to his Cornish grand mansion home, only to uncover secrets from the past. I don't want to go into the plot too much, but I found it a real page turner. And even though I knew the core plot (there are very few differences between the 1938 novel and 1940 movie), it still kept me glued, through to the very end.

I have seen other movies based on Daphne du Maurier stories - Hitchcock's The Birds, and Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now. But I haven't read any more of her writings. And I need to fix that.

Rating 5/5 stars. Easily.
vivdunstan: A picture of a cinema projector (films)
We recorded this ages ago, and meant to watch it months ago, but are finally getting to it now! It’s a rewatch for me, after catching it late one night in the 1990s. Martin has never seen it. It’s the tale of two young men who commit a murder, then what happens after. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

It’s remarkably accomplished, with a limited cast, and a very compact almost theatrical setting. And James Stewart’s presence is always a win for me. However it’s overly talky early on, and for me one murderer sometimes gets quite annoying! The prolonged takes are technically impressive, but arguably less interesting than the acting and growing sense of tension. Overall though it’s a win for me. And who’d think lifting a lid could be so gasp worthy.

I also greatly appreciate its succinctness, compared with many modern movies.
vivdunstan: A picture of a cinema projector (films)
Trying to pick my movie viewing choice for this weekend, if I stay awake for long enough. And despite the calls of D&D and new Indy etc. I think this might win. As I always say about it, the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock didn't make. And it has my all-time favourite piece of movie music in it, which I recently arranged to play on my accordion. It is also appealingly under 2 hours long!

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vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
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