Well, this is a first. We have a three-way tie for your favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie. But you all know how I feel about first place ties, so your winner is . . .
Rear Window!
Rear Window is my personal favorite Hitchcock film, so I was happy to see that it made a surprising comeback at the last minute. I think I first saw it in one of my film history classes and fell in love with it immediately . . . despite Jimmy Stewart’s somewhat aggravating voice. I don’t know, there’s just something irritating about it. James Roday does a hilarious two-second impersonation of it, though, in an episode of Psych.
Second place goes to Vertigo and Psycho, which both scored six votes each. If Rear Window hadn’t made a last minute comeback, I’d have had to vote for Psycho simply by default. I haven’t seen Vertigo, or at least, I haven’t seen 98% of Vertigo. One of my English teachers in high school wanted to demonstrate a principle of something or other and had us watch the last five minutes of the movie. The last five minutes. You don’t watch the last five minutes of a mystery! That’s horrible! I was so pissed. He also forced us to read someone’s introduction for The Great Gatsby before we read the book, and it told you what happened at the end. Mr. Schaut, I’m here to tell you: you’re a good teacher and beloved by many students for your zany enthusiasm for what you teach, but you have absolutely NO respect for spoilers, none at all.
I do like Psycho quite a bit, though. It’s been years since I’ve seen it all the way through, but I love Anthony Perkins in it. He does creepy oh so well.
"A boy's best friend is his mother."
Third place goes to The Birds, which managed to score three votes. North by Northwest picked up a couple as well, and Dial M for Murder and The 31 Steps each got a single vote. Very last place is awarded to Strangers on a Train, Rope, Rebecca, Shadow of a Doubt, and Notorious. None of them were loved at all. Or at least voted on—I actually enjoy Rope a lot, despite (once again) Jimmy Stewart’s somewhat aggravating voice. It’s sort of an odd movie because it’s very much shot like a staged play, but it’s really interesting nonetheless. I hate to say it, but I’d actually be curious to see what a remake looked like.
In other news, it’s my birthday today, which means two things: one, chocolate cake for breakfast, and two, I don’t have a new poll for you today. I forgot to come up with one over the weekend, and I don’t feel like trying to hastily put one together now. So we’re having a one-week poll hiatus. I will, however, try to get out my ridiculously overdue review of Immortals out in the next couple of days. I know you’re all dying, just dying, to read it.
Feel to free to find some chocolate cake while you wait.
My Geek Blasphemy 
I really liked Strangers on a Train. I’m guessing part of why it didn’t get more votes is because it’s lesser known than some of his other works. Granted his other works are great too (I’ve liked all the ones I’ve seen so far [that would be Psycho, Vertigo, and Strangers. Yes, I really need to see more of his movies]), but I think Strangers is quite underrated. I’ve heard good things about Rope, and my name is Rebecca so I’m practically obligated to see that one, lol. I haven’t heard of any of the other last-place finishers, but I’ll have to check those out too.
Also, happy birthday!
Thank you!
I haven’t seen Strangers on a Train, but it sounded really interesting. I’ll have to watch it at some point. There are a number of Hitchcock movies I haven’t seen yet, but I think this is the one I’m most interested in.
You think James Stewart’s voice is aggravating? That surprises me. Stewart is one of my favorite actors, and a lot of it has to do with that voice. I’ve always thought Bogart had the coolest voice, but Stewart had the most comforting. It’s like the voice all grandfathers should speak in while bouncing you on their knee.
I was hoping Psycho would win. That was the first Hitchcock film I ever watched, and it remains my favorite. Norman Bates is one of the greatest villains in cinema history. The ending gives me the creeps every time I watch it. But Rear Window is my second favorite Hitchcock, so I’m okay with this result. Vertigo deserves a rewatch. It’s consistently ranked in the top ten in all these Greatest Films of All Time lists, but I didn’t like it as much as some of Hitchcock’s other films. With all the twists and turns, however, it’s probably one of those films that gets better with each viewing.
Yeah, you know, Bogart’s fun . . . I really like The Maltese Falcon . . . but I’ve just never much cared for Jimmy Stewart, not his voice, anyway. Maybe because I never knew my grandfathers? I don’t get as much nostalgic listening to him as I do . . . just vaguely irritated.
But I’m now stuck trying to decide who I’d want my grandfather to sound like, bouncing me on his knee. I can only come up with Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman is a good choice. To me, he’s become the voice of God, so I guess you could say he’s the Grandfather of all grandfathers. Our universe is located in one of those freckles on Freeman’s face.
Happy birthday, and enjoy your breakfast.
Thank you. I did 🙂
The 31 Steps?