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3 things about Gus Van Sant’s PSYCHO

Psycho [1998] 1. Hitchcock didn’t need a Steadicam. 2. A single drop of blood falls on the edge of the sink. 3. Stupidest line not in the original: “Let me get my Walkman.”

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3 Things

25th Hour [2002] 1. A sobering scene involving Ground Zero is abruptly ruined by a needless montage and the most bombastic music cue in cinema history. 2. He tries to rub the graffiti off the mirror, but he can’t. 3. … Continue reading →

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3 Things

Wild River [1960] 1. “The current will take us to the other side. Slowly.” 2. Bruce Dern keeps trying to get a haircut. At the time, Bruce Dern had hair. 3. The hotel lobby is crowded with people sitting and … Continue reading →

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3 Things

Hammett [1982] 1. First Hammett seems anxious about losing his manuscript, then he brushes it off. Then he’s desperate to get it back, then he just watches as the pages scatter into the water. Doesn’t make a lick of sense. … Continue reading →

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3 Things

The Seventh Seal [1957] 1. He taps the man on the shoulder. It is not a man. 2. von Sydow’s gaunt face, cropped hair. 3. A squirrel hops up onto the tree trunk.

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3 Things

Murder, My Sweet [1944] 1. Helen: “I thought most private investigators were heavy drinkers.” Marlowe: “Some are. Some just encourage others to drink.” 2. The bell-shaped liquor decanters. 3. A neon sign in the parking garage.

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3 Things

The Whales of August [1987] 1. Lillian Gish brushing Bette Davis’ hair. 2. A plate of broiled fish, delicately covered in slices of lemon and onion. 3. Vincent Price bends over to pick up something. A tall man.

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3 Things

Let the Right One In [2008] 1. He carefully positions the funnel beneath the boy’s head to catch the blood. 2. For a brief moment, she is an old woman. 3. The severed arm gently drifts toward the bottom of … Continue reading →

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14 Great Movies I Watched This Year

(This is an adaptation of a post which originally appeared on Chicagoist.) The precise year a movie was “made” is in many ways becoming less and less relevant. First off, theatrical distribution can be glacial. Just look at Francois Ozon’s … Continue reading →

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3 Things

Side Street [1950] 1. He bursts into the room, sees the dead body in the chair, flings the door closed. The music cue cuts out so fast it’s like someone swatted away the needle from the record. 2. Her pillbox … Continue reading →

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