Film critic and historian Charles Champlin once wrote, “The Hitchcock touch had four hands, and two were Alma’s.” In “Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind the Man,” Pat Hitchcock O’Connell and Laurent Bouzereau create an affectionate portray of the woman who inspired so much of Alfred Hitchcock’s work, Alma Lucy Reville Hitchcock.
Born in 1899, just one day after her future husband, Alma joined England’s nascent film industry before Hitchcock, having grown up around the corner from Twickenham Studios. Film seems to have been her destiny; her father worked at Twickenham, and Alma was fascinated by movies. She broke into the business while still in her teens, doing odd jobs, learning how to edit films, and even appearing before the camera in a few films.
All this would lead to a partnership with young Alfred Hitchcock that would develop into both collaboration and marriage. O’Connell paints a vivid picture of these early days, providing details and photography that few have seen before. The pictures reveal young Alma as a tiny dancer and actress, with long dark hair and a twinkle in her eye. After the missteps of the early Hitchcock films “The Pleasure Garden” and “The Mountain Eagle,” the newly married couple experienced their first success with “The Lodger.” While describing those early days, O’Connell makes the reader feel at home at the Hitchcocks’ Shamley Green home, recalling in great detail the transition to Hollywood and her parents’ high and low points. And when O’Connell began her own acting career, Alma was there for her daughter, offering support without getting too involved.
“Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind the Man” is a sweet, anecdotal book crammed with photos and details that enhance our understanding of both Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock. Bouzereau’s hand in bringing O’Connell’s stories to life is evident without being overwhelming. (You can read my post on his recent book “Hitchcock Piece by Piece” here.)
If you aren’t already intrigued by “Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind the Man,” O’Connell ices the cake by dedicating the last 50 pages of the book to her mother’s recipes, giving us new insight into the Master of Suspense’s tastes and shedding light on those legendary dinners at chez Hitchcock. Alma was an accomplished cook, and Hitchcock was happy to do the cleaning up afterward. A 1963 dinner for Sean Connery, for example, began with caviar, vodka and cheese rolls, moved on to mushroom soup, continued with lamb and mint sauce, peas, potatoes, gravy, followed by brie cheese and crackes, and finished with raspberry ice cream with pineapple, coffee and liquors. It’s enough to whet anyone’s appetite.
In the movies “Psycho,” “The Birds” and “Marnie,” Alfred Hitchcock presented tales with increasingly complex psychological underpinnings. The new book “Scripting Hitchcock” puts these films under the microscope, examining the process by which the Master of Suspense reshaped the source material for each into three of his most debated films. Using interviews with screenwriters Joseph Stefano (“Psycho”), Evan Hunter (“The Birds”) and Jay Presson Allen (“Marnie”), writers Walter Raubichek and Walter Srebnick reveal Hitchcock’s process of adaptation from the original stories.
The writers are both professors of English at Pace University, and they take a scholarly approach to the subject, with an appropriately scholarly tone. They dissect the underlying themes of the stories, which are largely Freudian, and Hitchcock’s desire to wrap these challenging themes in exciting stories that would hit audiences on a visceral level. The book looks at each screenwriter’s background and experiences in working with Hitchcock, the development of the story treatment as each compares to the source material, and how characterization, dialogue and camera work would bring the stories to life.
Like Steven DeRosa’s “Writing with Hitchcock,” “Scripting Hitchcock” looks at a rich vein in the Hitchcock oeuvre. Raubichek and Srebnick do an admirable job in explicating Hitchcock’s aims with these movies. This is no mean task, as two of the films had their themes candy-coated by fast-paced action, while the third failed to connect with audiences. With so much going on in each film, from the sensational publicity campaign of “Psycho” to the introduction of Tippi Hedren in “The Birds” and the lack of success of “Marnie,” which could be attributed to so many factors, it would be easy to examine so many aspects of these fascinating movies. Raubichek and Srebnick stick to their guns, however, and remain focused on the writing behind the films. Anyone who enjoyed “Writing with Hitchcock” would do well to order a copy of “Scripting Hitchcock,” which you can do here.
Since the start of 2011, there’s been talk about Sir Anthony Hopkins playing Sir Alfred Hitchcock in a big-screen adaptation of “Writing with Hitchcock,” Anthony De Rosa’s fantastic book about Hitchcock’s 1950s collaboration with screenwriter John Michael Hayes. (I blogged about this book here.)
Now, it looks like we’ll have our pick of Hitchcocks. And Alma Revilles, too.
First, the BBC has announced plans this week for the movie “The Girl,” about Hitchcock’s difficult relationship with Tippi Hedren during the making of “The Birds.” The movie will star Sienna Miller as Hedren, with Toby Jones as Hitch and Imelda Staunton as Reville. Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto will serve as a consultant on the film; no word yet on when it will air, but it’s a good bet that it will be sometime in 2012.
Toby Jones and Sienna Miller, slated to play Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren
Today, the Anthony Hopkins Hitchcock project got an update, with Fox Searchlight announcing that the movie would be about the making of “Psycho,” with Helen Mirren as Reville. Reports say that the film’s story will focus on Hitchcock’s decision to make a horror film, and his struggle to finance it when he could not get the studio backing he had expected. It looks like this movie may start production in the spring.
Helen Mirren to play Alma Reville
Anthony Hopkins IS Alfred Hitchcock!
So, film fans – who do you like better as Hitch? And who will be the better Alma: Helen Mirren or Imelda Staunton? I think it all sounds pretty amazing – but Helen Mirren may be a little too glam for Alma – but we’ll have to wait and see.
Visionary writer/director James Nguyen pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 horror film “The Birds” with “Birdemic: Shock and Terror,” his own homegrown “romantic thriller™.” (We know he’s a visionary because the trailer for “Birdemic” says so. And yes, the phrase “romantic thriller™” appears with that ™ in the trailer.) Released in 2008, “Birdemic” has taken wing as more than a mere tribute, though. It’s come to stand for all that is great – and delightfully terrible – about inept, low-budget filmmaking.
Like “The Birds,” “Birdemic” takes its time in unleashing its true horror upon the audience. The first half of the movie is mostly about Rod, a young software salesman, and Nathalie, a hot model he meets. After spying her in a diner, Rod realizes they’ve met before. They went to high school together…they sat two seats apart in English class in eleventh grade…but he never made a pass at her. When Nathalie asks him why – in those words – he says he was too shy.
Both of their careers are going great, fortunately, and they make a great couple, as they quiz each other on their interests and ideal mates over Italian food. Rod closes a million dollar sale from the comfort of his open-air cubicle – the biggest deal he’s ever made, so high fives all around! – while his company is bought for a billion dollars (“A billion!” the CEO keeps repeating to his assembled staff of about 14 people.) Meanwhile, Nathalie’s agent at “Dream Models” informs her that she’s been selected to be the cover model for the next Victoria’s Secret catalogue – although her mother would feel better if she would get a real estate license, you know, in case that modeling thing doesn’t work out. Because, yeah, landing the cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalogue is no guarantee of anything.
After a double-date with another couple, Rod’s friend from work and his girlfriend, who happens to be Nathalie’s best friend, things start to go bad. That’s not just because after watching “An Inconvenient Truth” at the local multiplex, the other couple excuse themselves to go to a meeting: “A sensual meeting,” as the dude explains. Yeah, that movie is quite a turn-on. No, while Rod and Nathalie make tender love without undressing in a motel room they inexplicably check into even though he lives alone, the little town of Half Moon Bay changes. After long panning shots of the local scenery – the quaint streets, the English pub, the pumpkin patch – the town is savagely, suddenly attacked by flocks of birds that somehow seem able to (a) hover, (b) spit acid and (c) explode.
The birds even find Rod and Nathalie in their motel room, banging on a window and waking the still-dressed couple. They manage to escape and knock on a nearby door where another couple is hiding out. Since Rod has lost his keys, they join forces, escaping the motel room by brandishing coat hangers against a flock of hovering birds in one of the film’s most harrowing scenes. They then speed off in the guy’s beat-up Ford Aerostar minivan. And since he’s an ex-Marine, he has lots of assault rifles in the vehicle, enabling them to shoot at the birds as they drive away, taking out some of them in graphics that are about two steps up from the video game “Duck Hunter.”
Word of the attacks has spread; “forest wildfires” threaten the countryside, and gas stations gouge desperate drivers with $100 per gallon prices. After saving two frightened kids, they pick up snacks and a case of bottled water, but that doesn’t keep them from stopping by a stream to refill some empty bottles with fresh water. While in the forest, a self-professed “tree hugger” wearing a terrible wig explains that he’s safe in the forest, so…good for him! They also encounter a roadside bandit who steals their gasoline can at gunpoint, but is viciously slashed by a bird.
After running out of gas, our heroes make their way to a beach, where Rod catches a fish and Nathalie gathers seaweed for a delicious dinner, although both children express a preference for Happy Meals. Before Rod and Nathalie can cram the seaweed and fish down the kids’ throats, the birds attack! Again! This time, they are saved by another flock of birds: Peaceful doves that drive off the awful eagles and hawks. As the little band watches the two flocks of birds very very slowly fly off in the distance, the credits roll.
I knew “Birdemic” was going to be special from the word go. The film opens on local traffic, as a white minivan waits at a traffic light to make a left turn. “Ah ha,” I thought. “Whoever is driving the car must be our hero.” But we never see the white minivan again. After it turns, we cut to a blue Mustang, which we follow for a long time while the credits roll, never seeing who’s driving. For a minute or two, the Mustang is followed by a bright yellow tow-truck which is towing another car, so I thought that might be something, but no. We see Rod at last, for the first time, when he reaches his office and gets out of the car.
Also, quick pointer for would-be filmmakers out there: When you shoot through the windshield of a beat-up Ford Aerostar, it’s okay to clean the windshield.
In many ways, the high point of “Birdemic” may be the scene in which the CEO tells Rod and the rest of the staff that the company has been bought out for “a billion dollars! A billion!” It’s a chilling indictment of greed in corporate America, as the staff applauds the buyout. Director Nguyen films the staff, seated at a table, two at a time; as each pair finishes applauding, we cut to another pair, who are still applauding, until we see the full horrific effect of the applause. Or, in other words, “A billion!”
Or it could be the terrifying scene in which Rod and his Marine friend, Ramsey, rescue some people trapped in a double-decker tourist bus by hovering turkey vultures. Rod and Ramsey aim at the birds and bus, but manage to kill the birds without causing any apparent damage to the bus or the people inside. Who all get killed by more birds the minute they make their escape.
Nguyen does an admirable job combining his love of Hitchcock with an environmental message. Because, as Dr. Jones says, “It’s the human species that needs to quit playing cowboy with nature. We must act more like astronauts, spacemen taking care of Spaceship Earth.” and he should know. He’s a scientist.
This fall, Rod returns in “Birdemic II: The Resurrection 3D,” as the marauding birds attack Hollywood! It’s sure to be every bit as good as the original “Birdemic,” because James Nguyen is a visionary.
Here’s the official trailer for “Birdemic.” There are lots of clips from the movie on YouTube, so be sure to check them out!
Check out these two great new tributes to the classic Alfred Hitchcock film “The Birds,” both of which you’re definitely going to dig!
The first, which I spotted while busily running around at Comic-Con International: San Diego a couple of weeks back (I was working!), is this awesome T-shirt that recreates Hitch’s famous silhouette in bird form. It’s available from the company Super7. They have lots of other nifty shirts, toys, books and more, but of course I was drawn to this particular item, which I was told was one of their hottest sellers at the con. You can order it here – but first, look how cool!
In a related story, I am driving to Buffalo, NY, on Saturday, August 6, for a family event – and by sheer coincidence, I learned that this is the date the stage show “The Birds Attack!” opens at the Buffalo United Artists Theater. It stars local stage legend Jimmy Janowski, who created this adaptation of the movie, as Melanie Daniels, the role made famous by Tippi Hedren – green suit and all. The show runs Saturdays and Sundays in August, and I hope to see it on the sixth so I can write a review for this Hitchblog. It sounds like it’s going to be a hoot, and you can read more about it in this article from Buffalo’s ArtVoice – and watch for my review coming up soon – if I can get tickets for Saturday night, that is!
Film critic and historian Charles Champlin once wrote, “The Hitchcock touch had four hands, and two were Alma’s.” In “Alma Hitchcock: The Woman Behind the Man,” Pat Hitchcock O’Connell and Laurent Bouzereau create an affectionate portray of the woman who inspired so much of Alfred Hitchcock’s work, Alma Lucy Reville Hitchcock.
