On June 1, Netflix will unveil a collection of classic works by Alfred Hitchcock, which will be complemented by a number of contemporary movies inspired by the filmmaker. The entire list of titles has yet to be revealed, but we do know that “Psycho,” “Vertigo,” “Rear Window,” “Frenzy,” “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Family Plot” and “The Birds will for sure be included. As for the Hitchcock-inspired titles, Zach Cregger’s “Barbarian” and Jordan Peele’s “Us” will definitely be in the mix.
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Meanwhile, if you live in New York City or happen to be visiting between May 16 and June 29, you’ll have the opportunity to hit up the Paris Theater for “HITCH! The Original Cinema Influencer.” This retrospective series, co-hosted by the New York Film Critics Circle, will highlight 36 movies directed by Hitchcock, and more than a dozen films that owe their style or existence to him. According to the Paris Theater’s website, the Hitch-adjacent titles will include Pedro Almodóvar’s “Bad Education,” François Truffaut’s “The Bride Wore Black,” Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “Diabolique,” Roman Polanski’s “Frantic,” Fritz Lang’s “M,” Tom Kalin’s “Swoon,” Robert Zemeckis’ “What Lies Beneath,” Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear,” and Michael Powell’s “Peeping Tom.” Again, it appears that most or perhaps all of these movies will be projected on 35mm film, so, for the love of Alfred, go!
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While I’m grateful to Netflix for finally celebrating the rich history of motion pictures, I’ll be a little disappointed if they skimp on Hitchcock’s 1930s and ’40s masterpieces — because no Hitch retrospective is complete without “The 39 Steps,” “The Lady Vanishes,” “Rebecca,” “Saboteur,” or “Notorious.” I fondly recall watching “The 39 Steps” in my eighth grade English class, and being amazed that all of my classmates were as riveted to the master’s brand of pure visual storytelling as I was. The aforementioned films may be in black-and-white, but they have lost none of their power to captivate viewers of all ages.
And it should go without saying that we need to support this even if we own most of these movies on physical media, because if this series takes off for Netflix, they’re almost certain to give it a go with another legendary filmmaker from the 20th century.
