What does the O stand for?

Today's imdb poll asked the question Favorite Alfred Hitchcock-Cary Grant movie? North by Northwest has remained in first place all day but number two is frightening and chills me to my very core. Currently coming in at number two with 2916 votes is "I am not familiar with Hitchcock-Grant movies" brrrrrr. Oh people, people, people of the internet, you don't know what you're missing. You know what, I refuse to get mad about this, no here is an opportunity to teach and start many people on a path of cinematic love that will endure all their lives. The sooner you familiarize yourself with these films the more you'll want, nay, demand more from your movies. Hitchcock was rarely better than when he teamed with Grant, well, I suppose rarely more entertaining, Here's a quick run down of these films to get you pumped to see them at a revival house or college campus or send them to the top of your netflix q double quick. Below I'll provide a brief synopsis to entice you and then follow up with the film's trailers (many of which were created and designed by Alfred Hitchcock himself). If a tug from Alfred Hitchcock can't get you to see a movie than in the words of Angela from the Office "God help you."

North by Northwest-The thriller that all other thrillers should be measured against. Grant is a cool executive type who gets mistaken for a secret agent. Now with the bad guys after him Grant must clear his name, find out who this George Kaplan guy is that everyone keeps mistaking him for and figure out whether he can trust the sexy and alluring Eva Marie Saint. NxNW propels the first time viewer forward by not only entertaining you but making you shout to the heavens, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!?! Returning viewers can apprecaite the exemplary craftsmanship on display from the script on up. I don't think Cary Grant was ever more definitively Cary Grant than he was in this movie (he's very suave, but he is still flappable and that makes him worth rooting for). A lot of James Bond's outings was inspired by this film so fans of that series would do well to scope out this one. Oh and the Bernard Hermann score is pure ear-porn. Good lord I love this film.
Notorious-Sleek, sexy and intense, the film features Grant as a government spy-master who has the daughter of a former Nazi, played by the ravishing Ingrid Bergman, integrate herself with another former Nazi played by The Sickness Cinema's favorite character actor of the 40's Claude Rains. The integrating gets a little intimate and Ingrid's Alicia is torn between Rains and Grant (what a dilemma?) while the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Alternatively romantic, erotic (check out the censor smashing extended kiss between Grant and Bergman) and thrilling (the scariest tea cup in all of cinema, trust me).

To Catch a Thief-A sexy, glamorous spree, think Ocean's Eleven. Though a bit fluffier than the two previous films, TCAT revels in it's decadence. Check it out: Grant is a retired jewel thief who's vacationing in the French Riviera, as Grant tries to clear his name for the crimes he encounters MIKA inspiring actress Grace Kelly. A very sexy time ensues.


I kind of wish all directors introduced their films in trailers. "Hi I'm Brett Ratner and what your about to see will assuredly keep me rolling in coke and playboy bunnies for years. Enjoy two hours of broad racist characters."

Screw movie-title puns: It's My Birthday

And in the style of hobbits (how did I EVER get laid?) I'll be giving YOU gifts, the gifts of links.

The one you've GOT to see: This site is compiling every great title sequence EVER. Check out the awesomeness here.

Funny: Last night's 30 Rock was an all-time classic, but last week's was nothing to sneeze at either. Entertainment Weekly has an interview with MILF Island winner Deborah right here.
Someone was kind enough to put Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. (YOU CALL HIM DR. JONES DOLL!) course syllabus online. It descends into obvious parody after a short time but the concept is still cool. Audit the course here.
The more I hear Jason Segel talk about his new Muppet Movie the more I expect total greatness, also I laughed a little.

Lists: Jeff & Patrick are at it again compiling a killer list of 10 films so bad they haven't been put on DVD yet here.
Times Online has the ten best assassins in film history (it's a decades spanning list, good for them) here.
Killer Film put out the top 10 most difficult to watch movie scenes (fair warning the descriptions are pretty gross too).
New York Magazine compiled a list of New York canon of films. Awww, I miss you already NYC.

Strangeness: Etan hooked me up with this awesome strangeness. Someone digitally removed all the birds from Hitchcock's The Birds. Behold homo-erotic undertones (sans birds) here.
Peter Bretter updated his blog again. Something about how he hates Sarah Marshall.
Someone read Amy Adams body. Yeah...even I thought this one was kind of weird.
Cracked put up a list of 10 scenes of brutal violence that are guaranteed to induce laughter. The first one has Gary Busey saying "Butt-horn" and it all goes up hill from there.

(Pant) (Pant) It's the fastest plane alive

Ok so remember how I had writer's block? Well Vanity Fair to the friggin' rescue. Inside the Hollywood issue are portraits of celebrities in famous scenes from classic Hitchcock films. They're all pretty cool but this, THIS has got to be one of the best things ever. BEHOLD! (click on image for more detail):

Ok so now imagine Van Halen's "Panama" playing in the background. Question: great thing or the GREATEST THING EVER?

You can check out the other amazing pics (including Scarlett Johanson and Javier Bardem in Rear Window) by clicking on this link for just jared or you know, buying the issue.