Strangers On A Train

I just finished watching Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers On a Train. I didn't have that high of expectations for it, but it had been on my Netflix queue for a while and made it's way to the top. I must say, it surprised me. I thought it was great. I think I had forgotten how much I used to love his movies and why. The last movie of his I saw was one of his early ones, Jamaica Inn, and I don't think he had hit is stride yet. Before that I had rented his classic The Birds, but I can't say that was the Hitchcock style I loved so much either.

I've liked Hitchcock for a while now. Actually, it was a summer in high school when I caught the last 15 minutes of Rear Window and was so impressed I had to go and rent the movie to see the first part of it. I liked it so much I went and rented Hitchcock movies all summer. I can't say I ever got near seeing all of them, but there was a summer where I was thoroughly obsessed with his movies. Strangers On a Train is one I had remembered the name of but had never gotten around to seeing and then I heard it mentioned somewhere a few months back and added it to my queue. I was actually laughing out loud (at the carousel scene, if you've seen it) during part of it, I don't think (all of) it was supposed to be funny as it was the climax of the movie, but damn, it was pretty great. There are so many clever/brilliant things in them. Hitchcock was such a genius of the interesting shot, picking an amazing story, and making things that are so subtle be so suspenseful. So great.

My favorite Hitchcock movies, in case you're interested:

Rear Window

Rebecca

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Doris Day version)