Latest news with #Hitchcock
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
15 Must-Watch Hollywood Classics You Need To Binge Right Now
What specifically turns a movie into a Hollywood classic? These are not merely vintage films; they are milestone movies that have defined the very vocabulary of film. A classic film typically encompasses timeless storytelling, legendary performances, groundbreaking techniques, and subjects that still resonate across generations. These must-watch Hollywood classics have inspired generations of directors, earned top awards, and are still deeply ingrained in pop culture. For all the seasoned cinephiles as well as the curious newcomers, this carefully curated list of must-watch Hollywood classics is here to make your life easier. 15 Must-Watch Hollywood Classics of All Time 1. Casablanca Director: Michael Curtiz Lead Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman Release Year: 1942 IMDb Rating: 8.5 Genre: Romance/Drama Where to Watch: Max, Amazon Prime Video Casablanca is an apotheosis of romantic movies and war drama. Against the background of World War II, it combines political suspense with individual sacrifice. Its iconic one-liners and sublime performances are still entrancing audiences, winning three Oscars. 2. Gone with the Wind Director: Victor Fleming Lead Cast: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable Release Date: 1939 IMDb Rating: 8.2 Genre: Historical Romance Available on: Amazon Prime Video This epic of the Civil War is a masterwork of grand storytelling and imagery. A winner of 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, its layered exploration of life in the South has provoked both praise and critical rethinking, particularly for its racial representations. Nevertheless, its influence on costume, set design, and film length conventions is unarguable. 3. Psycho Director: Alfred Hitchcock Lead Cast: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh Release Year: 1960 IMDb Rating: 8.5 Genre: Horror/Thriller Where to Watch: Peacock, Amazon Prime Video Hitchcock's Psycho revolutionized horror and thrillers with its startling plot twists and spine-tingling music. The legendary shower sequence instantly became a cinematic landmark. Hitchcock's direction brought fresh psychological dimensions to films, affecting slashers and psychological dramas alike. 4. The Godfather Director: Francis Ford Coppola Lead Actors: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino Release Date: 1972 IMDb Rating: 9.2 Genre: Crime/Drama Where to Stream: Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video A Shakespearean-heavy mafia saga, The Godfather is a cultural touchstone. Its exploration of family, power, and betrayal has become the standard for crime dramas. Coppola 's brilliant directing and memorable performances carried the film to sweep the Oscars and redefine the genre. 5. 12 Angry Men Director: Sidney Lumet Lead Cast: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb Release Year: 1957 IMDb Rating: 9.0 Genre: Drama/Legal Thriller Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Almost entirely contained within one room, this courtroom drama showcases the strength of dialogue and character work. Its themes of justice, prejudice, and reasonable doubt are just as topical today as they were back then. 6. Schindler's List Director: Steven Spielberg Lead Cast: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley Release Year: 1993 IMDb Rating: 9.0 Genre: Historical Drama Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video A harrowing portrayal of the Holocaust, Spielberg 's black-and-white opus is both artistically powerful and emotionally devastating. It is often cited as one of the most important films ever made. 7. Monty Python's Life of Brian Director: Terry Jones Lead Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin Release Year: 1979 IMDb Rating: 8.0 Genre: Dark Comedy Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video A classic British black comedy that follows the story of Brian Cohen (played by Chapman), who is born on the same day as and next door to Jesus and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah. While its religious satire was controversial at that time, the film still brings forth important socio-cultural and literary discussions. 8. Chinatown Director: Roman Polanski Lead Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway Release Year: 1974 IMDb Rating: 8.2 Genre: Neo-noir/Mystery Where to Watch: Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video Chinatown revolutionized the noir genre with its contemporary take on detective fiction. Its intricate plot and cinematic setting cement its status in film noir lore. 9. The Wizard of Oz Director: Victor Fleming Lead Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan Release Year: 1939 IMDb Rating: 8.1 Genre: Fantasy/Musical Where to Watch: Max, Amazon Prime Video This Technicolor gem is still a cultural reference. With its songs and lovable characters, it's a fantasy movie that still casts a spell on audiences of any age and is a must-watch Hollywood classic. 10. Sunset Boulevard Director: Billy Wilder Lead Cast: Gloria Swanson, William Holden Release Year: 1950 IMDb Rating: 8.4 Genre: Drama/Film Noir Where to Watch: Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video A scathing indictment of Hollywood's youth and fame culture, this film noir boasts one of the greatest closing lines in movie history. Swanson's eerie turn as Norma Desmond is the embodiment of the seedy underbelly of stardom. 11. Some Like It Hot Director: Billy Wilder Main Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon Release Date: 1959 IMDb Rating: 8.2 Genre: Fantasy/Romance Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV A comedy masterpiece, the movie combines gender-switching humor with quick wit and performances that have become a part of our collective memory. It defied conventions in comedy as well as in cultural expectations and set the standard for contemporary romantic comedies. 12. Lawrence of Arabia Director: David Lean Top Cast: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness Release Date: 1962 IMDb Rating: 8.3 Genre: Historical/Biographical Drama Where to Watch: Netflix A cinematic epic with expansive desert vistas and an intricate hero, this movie redefined the art of telling history on screen. Its impact ranges from biopics to contemporary epics. The music, photography, and film editing are even studied in schools of cinema. 13. Singin' in the Rain Director: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen Lead Cast: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds Release Year: 1952 IMDb Rating: 8.3 Genre: Musical/Comedy Where to Watch: Max, Apple TV This euphoric celebration of Hollywood's leap from silent films to talkies blends dazzling dance moves with endearing wit. The title song-and-dance number is one of the film's most iconic sequences. A favorite among cinema historians, it's frequently referred to as the greatest musical ever produced. 14. Citizen Kane Director: Orson Welles Lead Cast: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten Release Year: 1941 IMDb Rating: 8.3 Genre: Drama/Mystery Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Widely regarded as the best film of all time, Citizen Kane influenced narrative and cinematography. Welles' application of deep focus and non-linear narrative was innovative. This must-watch Hollywood classic is still a topic of scholarly debate and artistic inspiration. 15. A Clockwork Orange Director: Stanley Kubrick Lead Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates Release Year: 1971 IMDb Rating: 8.2 Genre: Sci-Fi/Crime/Drama Where to Watch: Max, Amazon Prime Video Kubrick 's provocative take on free will, government control, and violence is often heaped with praise for its striking visuals, classical music integration, and Malcolm McDowell's performance.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
One Of The Best Thrillers Ever Made Just Landed On Netflix
Rear Window If you're looking for something great to watch, sometimes it's best to look to the classics. There are plenty of top-notch movies being made these days, but few promise to withstand the test of time. Fortunately, a number of really terrific films just dropped on Netflix and one of these in particular qualifies as one of the most brilliant thrillers of all time. Rear Window is often considered Alfred Hitchcock's best movie, though it ranks second in terms of Rotten Tomatoes scores, behind the much less-known Shadow Of A Doubt from 1943, one of the storied director's earliest films and Hitchcock's personal favorite. As far as I'm concerned, the 1954 thriller is the best of the bunch – up there with Vertigo and North By Northwest – a tightly-paced, incredibly intense movie that would work just as well as a theatrical production as a film thanks to its confined set and small cast. Few films reach this level of suspense, though it's far from the type of action-thrillers most modern audiences are accustomed to these days. The story follows photojournalist L.B. 'Jeff' Jefferies, played by James Stewart, as he recuperates with a broken leg in his Greenwich Village apartment. Jeff is a bit of a voyeur or peeping Tom, though not in a perverted way. There's an oppressive summer heat wave and he's confined to his apartment, with the occasional visit of his middle-aged nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter) and his pretty socialite girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly). He's bored with nothing to do, so he watches his neighbors go about their lives. The neighbors are entertaining enough. One is a professional dancer. Another is a songwriter with writer's block. An old spinster puts on elaborately staged, and entirely fake, date nights with her pretend suitors. He refers to her as Miss Lonely-Hearts. But one couple in particular stands out: A traveling costume jewelry salesman, Lars Thorwald, and his nagging, bedridden wife. One night, Jeff hears a woman scream and notices some very suspicious activity in the Thorwald apartment. When Mrs. Thorwald is mysteriously missing the next day, Jeff begins to suspect foul play. With the help of Stella, he begins investigating the woman's disappearance. I won't spoil it any further. Suffice to say, what follows is a masterclass in filmmaking and the art of suspense, not to mention a brilliant study of voyeurism and our own morbid curiosity. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes was based on the 1942 short story It Had To Be Murder by Cornell Woolrich. The film was shot at stage 17 at Paramount Studios, with a massive set created to replicate the Greenwich Village courtyard and building. Despite the relatively limited setting, this was the largest set of its kind at Paramount at the time. The set designers even included a complex drainage system to accommodate the rain scenes. The lighting design was set up to portray an entire day and night cycle. The film uses primarily diegetic music – music characters can hear in the film also – rather than a traditional score. Jeff hears music drifting in from other apartments, including the piano from the songwriter's apartment and songs by Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Leonard Bernstein. Anyone interested in filmmaking or who just wants to enjoy an intense, suspenseful drama with some of the greatest actors of the era, should absolutely check this one out on Netflix as soon as possible. It's the perfect summer thriller. Even better, several other Alfred Hitchcock movies have also just landed on the streaming service, including Vertigo and The Birds. For all the new TV shows, movies and Netflix Original landing on Netflix in June, check out my streaming guide right here.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
One Of The Best Thrillers Ever Made Time Just Landed On Netflix
Rear Window If you're looking for something great to watch, sometimes it's best to look to the classics. There are plenty of top-notch movies being made these days, but few promise to withstand the test of time. Fortunately, a number of really terrific films just dropped on Netflix and one of these in particular qualifies as one of the most brilliant thrillers of all time. Rear Window is often considered Alfred Hitchcock's best movie, though it ranks second in terms of Rotten Tomatoes scores, behind the much less-known Shadow Of A Doubt from 1943, one of the storied director's earliest films and Hitchcock's personal favorite. As far as I'm concerned, the 1954 thriller is the best of the bunch – up there with Vertigo and North By Northwest – a tightly-paced, incredibly intense movie that would work just as well as a theatrical production as a film thanks to its confined set and small cast. Few films reach this level of suspense, though it's far from the type of action-thrillers most modern audiences are accustomed to these days. The story follows photojournalist L.B. 'Jeff' Jefferies, played by James Stewart, as he recuperates with a broken leg in his Greenwich Village apartment. Jeff is a bit of a voyeur or peeping Tom, though not in a perverted way. There's an oppressive summer heat wave and he's confined to his apartment, with the occasional visit of his middle-aged nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter) and his pretty socialite girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly). He's bored with nothing to do, so he watches his neighbors go about their lives. The neighbors are entertaining enough. One is a professional dancer. Another is a songwriter with writer's block. An old spinster puts on elaborately staged, and entirely fake, date nights with her pretend suitors. He refers to her as Miss Lonely-Hearts. But one couple in particular stands out: A traveling costume jewelry salesman, Lars Thorwald, and his nagging, bedridden wife. One night, Jeff hears a woman scream and notices some very suspicious activity in the Thorwald apartment. When Mrs. Thorwald is mysteriously missing the next day, Jeff begins to suspect foul play. With the help of Stella, he begins investigating the woman's disappearance. I won't spoil it any further. Suffice to say, what follows is a masterclass in filmmaking and the art of suspense, not to mention a brilliant study of voyeurism and our own morbid curiosity. The screenplay by John Michael Hayes was based on the 1942 short story It Had To Be Murder by Cornell Woolrich. The film was shot at stage 17 at Paramount Studios, with a massive set created to replicate the Greenwich Village courtyard and building. Despite the relatively limited setting, this was the largest set of its kind at Paramount at the time. The set designers even included a complex drainage system to accommodate the rain scenes. The lighting design was set up to portray an entire day and night cycle. The film uses primarily diegetic music – music characters can hear in the film also – rather than a traditional score. Jeff hears music drifting in from other apartments, including the piano from the songwriter's apartment and songs by Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Leonard Bernstein. Anyone interested in filmmaking or who just wants to enjoy an intense, suspenseful drama with some of the greatest actors of the era, should absolutely check this one out on Netflix as soon as possible. It's the perfect summer thriller. Even better, several other Alfred Hitchcock movies have also just landed on the streaming service, including Vertigo and The Birds. For all the new TV shows, movies and Netflix Original landing on Netflix in June, check out my streaming guide right here.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Channel Seven stars Amelia Brace, Bill Hogan and Denham Hitchcock leave to start new roles with Network 10
The Seven Network has lost three well-known reporters to Channel 10 after the trio were reportedly head-hunted to start work on a new investigative program. Former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace, senior Sydney news reporter Bill Hogan and Spotlight's Denham Hitchcock each resigned from Seven last week to head over to the rival network, The Australian's Media Diary has revealed. The publication reports Brace and Hitchcock swiftly departed Seven "within hours of quitting", and both started their new roles at Channel 10 on Monday. Hogan on the other hand will need to work for three more weeks until he heads over to the Paramount Global-owned broadcaster. Brace, a former political reporter in Canberra's Press Gallery, was reportedly offered a $50,000 bump on her $220,000 salary to join Network 10. The Walkley-winning journalist shared the news of her departure in a rather cryptic message to colleagues last Friday. "It feels off to not have an official 'last day' to say goodbye, but it's best for me to just fade away for now," Brace wrote, according to the Media Diary. "Stand up for yourselves, and each other … and think of me every time you have to find a case study." For Hitchcock, the opportunity to host the new program was "too good to pass up", according to the publication. All three journalists were reportedly tapped on the shoulder by Channel 10 boss Martin White to join the broadcaster's new investigative unit, although little is known about the upcoming show. The development comes less than four months after Hitchcock announced his return to Channel Seven's Spotlight program. Hitchcock stepped away from the network in January 2023 to spend more time sailing with his family and focus on freelance work. Upon revealing his return earlier this year, the presenter said it was time for him to "wash some of the salt out" and get back to what he does best. "Back in 2019 the network asked me to start what would eventually become the Spotlight program with one producer and one cameraman - and as the limited shows proved successful - the team quickly grew and it would turn into the networks flagship program," Hitchcock's post read, accompanied by a selfie. "I stepped away for a few years to go sailing with the family - and have returned to find a new EP, a new team, new reporters, a fresh energy, an abundance of stories, and some genuine excitement about the year ahead." At the time, Hitchcock and his family had recently moved back to Sydney after living life at sea on a catamaran. has contacted Channel Seven and Network 10 for comment.
Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Oilers have more resolve in Cup rematch with Florida: Ken Hitchcock
Article content As the fourth winningest coach in NHL history, Ken Hitchcock has a pretty good feel for hockey teams and what he sees from the Edmonton Oilers through this 16-game run to the Stanley Cup final against Florida is more resolve in their style of play. Article content They took the Panthers to Game 7 last June but Hitchcock sees a better Oilers today. 'They have learned a very valuable lesson, one that takes a long time to learn,' said the Hall of Famer Hitchcock, whose last coaching job was with his hometown team. 'You can talk about it but what the Oilers have learned is there's a big difference between fighting for space and looking for space. Article content 'The Edmonton Oilers now fight for that space as good as anybody in the National Hockey League. They're not looking for quick areas, they're not hoping pucks squirt free. They're fighting for that space and that's why they're going to be such a hard out in this final,' said Hitchcock, who coached defenceman John Klingberg in Dallas and had fellow blueliner Jake Walman when both were in St. Louis, so he has an attachment to the Oilers apart from growing up here. Worm vs. the rat Hitchcock greatly admires both Corey (the Worm) Perry and Brad (the Rat) Marchand and is keen to see the two villains in the finals. 'Perry's got it (greasiness) naturally. He's just that type of player. Corey has a presence and he plays to that presence whereas Marchand can impact games in numerous areas. He seems to make the right play at the right time, get the big goal, make the right assist,' said Hitchcock. Article content 'They're both exceptional players getting on in years, guys who still make an impact on a game in a major way. Perry was never the quickest player but what's impressed me about him is he hasn't gotten slower, at all. Boy, he brings a lot to the table. He's an honest competitor. Marchand is a small guy who plays like a big player,' he said. Marchand, 37, is chattier on the ice than the oftimes laconic Perry, 40. 'As an opposition coach, Marchand can really make you laugh. I know he got on me a few times. Yeah, it was pretty funny,' said Hitchcock. Marchand's sense of humour has been on display in Florida as fans throw all the plastic rats on the ice at game's end — their tradition since Scott Mellanby killed a real rodent in the dressing room at Florida's home opener in 1995, and Mellanby went out and scored three goals which brought out the 'rat-trick' line. Article content Article content Now? 'They just see all my family out there on the ice and want us to be together,' kidded Marchant in a recent story. Another ex-Oiler in Hockey Hall of Fame Daryl Reaugh, once the Oilers second-round draft pick in 1984 and back-up in net to Grant Fuhr, was just voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the broadcast wing after his 30 years in the business in Dallas — as a colour commentator and a TV play-by-play man. 'I was shocked when I got the call, incredible honour,' said the rapier-witted Reaugh, 60, who was always the life of the party here, once being the master of ceremonies at the Oiler Christmas get-together and doing bang-on imitations. 'He humoured those (junior) bus rides like you couldn't believe… you should see the ones (imitations) he did of me, make you cry and laugh. He was hard on me, in a good way,' said Hitchcock, who had Reaugh as his goalie in junior in Kamloops. Article content Reaugh, who finished playing in the 1993-94 season, was the first ex NHLer doing play-by-play when he replaced Dave Strader on the Stars broadcast with the Hall of Famer Strader fighting bile-duct cancer. Reaugh says he greatly appreciated listening to Oilers' Hall of Fame radio voice Rod Phillips when he was part of the Oiler organization. 'I loved Rod from my Oiler days. I loved the way he called a game. Rockin' Rod. He was very passionate,' said Reaugh, who was working the Dallas-Edmonton playoff series as a colour commentator with play caller Josh Bogorad 'Daryl was at every pre-game skate, he would find new words in the dictionary or the thesaurus. He didn't just ask the question of what you were doing (as a coach) but why you were doing it,' said Hitchcock, from his days behind the Dallas bench. 'He had a tremendous work ethic from playing and competing and he transferred it into broadcasting.' Article content Reaugh played 27 NHL games and would have played longer but the injury bug kept biting him. He last was in a hockey net in the East Coast Hockey League in Dayton when he was 28 and gave play-by-play a first-time whirl there. 'As a player Daryl ran into some significant injuries…I remember we had him in Kalamazoo (Dallas farm team) at a training camp when he was a free-agent and he was the best goalie by a mile. We were looking to sign him but a day later he got injured and couldn't play forever. He made up for it as a broadcaster. I'm so happy for him (Hall of Fame honour). He's worked his butt off,' said the Hall of Fame builder Hitchcock. Handshakes after series ends Count Hitchcock in the same group as Florida's Paul Maurice who doesn't like coaches standing in a handshake line on the ice with players when the battles end. 'I probably changed (his view) five or six years ago. The ice surface is where the players bleed and sacrifice for each other. It's their surface,' said Hitchcock. Article content 'I looked at other sports and none of them line up with players. It's just coach on coach. I know I got hassled for it once (opposing hockey coach) but I didn't care. The other coach can do what he wants (handshake line or not) but my competition is the coach.' Hitchcock hasn't liked what he's seen from coaches in the locker room, either. 'What bothered me more than anything,' said Hitchcock, who coached 1,598 NHL games, 'is I think the coaches were becoming too dominant. The locker room is for the players first and foremost. We can stick our head in there but when I see coaches handing out pucks (post-game) or awards or making speeches… the players don't get any time for themselves. You have to turn it over to the players at a certain stage. I feel pretty strongly about this.' How icy is the goalie-coach relationship in heat of Dallas? Needless to say, Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger wasn't happy after coach Pete DeBoer gave him the hook following Oiler goals on the first two shots of Game 5. One was off a 10-footer by Perry on a powerplay when all alone in front of the net. The other was a partial breakaway by Mattias Janmark. Article content 'It sucks, it's embarrassing. Anytime you get pulled, it doesn't matter if it's the playoffs or regular season, you just want to go right off the ice and crawl in your bed and not talk to anyone,' Oettinger told the Dallas media Saturday, with the veteran head coach and his star goalie not yet speaking of the Thursday yank. This 'n that That Darnell Nurse slash on Roope Hintz in Game 2 of the Stars' series broke a bone in the Dallas centre's foot. It wasn't much of a whack but it appeared to catch him on the laces. Hintz missed Game 3 but played the last two and was skating hard enough in Game 5 to almost chase down Connor McDavid on his breakaway. Things to watch out for in the Florida-Oiler series: four of defenceman Nikko Mikkola's 21 career goals have come against the Oilers. The Panthers might not have fourth-line forward A.J. Greer when the series starts. He was hurt in Game 5 against Carolina. But valuable third-liner Eetu Luostarinen, also banged up when he crashed into the boards, should be ready. Article content Latest National Stories
