"And now ladies and gentlemen..."

IMDb.com- Alfred Hitchcock

It is easy to count the reasons I love and miss Alfred Hitchcock.  I doubt there will ever be a director that  parallels his talent.

I am lost in watching a slew of his gems this week:  Frenzy, Topaz, for a sampling. Glued to my flat screen television - I remotely remember watching all his films' - but it has been so long since that I have seen them the thrill is the same as watching for the first time.

Can anyone top the edgy scene in Frenzy when Hitch zeros in on the English psychopath in the victim's office?  The scene starts out so benign, just a 'wacko' client that isn't satisfied with the agency's attempts to "match" him up with a prospective partner.

I am dazzled by way the camera pans the expression on the killer's face, mountains of orange wild hair, the watery eyes of the victim as she realizes she is trapped.    The gruesome rape scene, the victim reciting a measured prayer; as the killer's voice grows deeper and deeper as he lapses into a rage-  stealing more than her body - during the savage attack.

I especially like the type of characters Hitch selects for his films.  Undoubtedly, the  most eccentric bunch  of people I have seen on screen.  Woody Allen has the same ability to pick perverse characters.

Brian De Palma has a bit of the Hitchcock twist and turns in his films, but still; they are a far cry from the class of this English master director.

How about the fun in watching for his cameo's?

I am always afraid I will miss his split-second appearances when I race to the restroom or kitchen.  It is always a challenge to find his bulbous face in a crowd, or some other obscure place within the frame.

There are so many Hitchcock films  I love, especially his first films at the beginning of his career.  As his films' evolved  the zaniness just got better. Characters took on a more morbid, yet eccentric element as he began to flourish.

Something that never changes is the thrill watching an Alfred Hitchcock film.  Moreover, one never knows what to expect next.  It is hard to predict what will happen in the end, as in far less brilliant films.  He was the master of dark disguise, and his character direction brought out the dark side in every one of his characters.

What's you favorite Alfred Hitchcock film?  Why did you pick that one as your favorite?

Today, there is so much memorabilia that can be bought from his estate.

Including, get this, a phone voice over of him advising your callers "you are out for the moment, but should return soon."

Just one of my personal favorites....