tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post3608954500232510140..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: PEEPING TOM 1960Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-33048180599264314552020-07-12T15:54:12.855-07:002020-07-12T15:54:12.855-07:00I’m too old for blushing, but your extremely kind ...I’m too old for blushing, but your extremely kind and well-expressed words have me doing just that. I think I've said before how it was my love of movies combined with my frustration with the Internet’s propensity for making film appreciation a competitive sport (I never understand the argumentative thing) that led to writing a blog essentially for myself. <br />When you write that some of what I express about the films here resonates with you, that you find things to interest you, disagree with, dismiss, or relate to…well, that just makes my day and my entire month. <br />All that you expressed is what I used to find when I was a teen and discovered film criticism. I loved movies but had no one to talk to about them in my household. Reading Pauline Kael and Stanley Kauffmann was like sitting across the table from someone as into film as I was. <br />With this as my history, your discovery of this blog and expressed enjoyment of it is the nicest compliment you can give. <br />But I add that each of you who contribute your memories, thoughts, funny anecdotes, and vast knowledge and love of movies here with so much honesty and heart is what I ALWAYS hear about time after time from other readers. Some even jump to the comments before reading the essay!<br />So, with appreciation, I have to say the feelings are mutual.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43986573894548457252020-07-10T00:59:36.845-07:002020-07-10T00:59:36.845-07:00Ken, I consider your blog a digital version of fin...Ken, I consider your blog a digital version of finding a film criticism paperback in a favorite used book store, taking it home, and realizing you've found another lover of film who resonates with you and becomes a cherished "voice" and "companion". Not only is your writing excellent, but you add lots of lovely bonus factoids and that sense of humor that is very much your own. I am quite enjoying going back through your blog posts in reverse chronological order, excited to finish one and then see what era or genre you offer next, either an already familiar gem or one ripe for discovery. I can't thank you enough for sharing your insights with us here, considering how much b.s. and negatitity exists on the internet. Hopefully you don't mind me continuing to share my excitement with you as I dig through your archives. Cheers.petlodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01271851273533301436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-39423248201038868442020-07-06T22:51:22.857-07:002020-07-06T22:51:22.857-07:00Hi Pete
Looks like we share a similar too-young-an...Hi Pete<br />Looks like we share a similar too-young-an-age exposure to PSYCHO. Only for me it was Hitchcock’s film I saw just once (only up to the shower scene, then my terrified sisters and I turned the TV off) letting at least 15 years or so go by before trying it again.<br />From the way you describe your response to the characterizations and performances in PEEPING TOM, I can well understand how it would prove to be an unsettling film experience. In several ways, I don’t think the artfulness of PEEPING TOM is all that apparent on first viewing. It has the color of a Hammer film, and the sordid subject and setting are so effectively sleazy, I think it’s very easy to get caught up in the lowbrow milieu of the story and wholly overlook how each of those elements are manipulated and employed to such strong ultimate effect.<br />Good for you in being up to giving it another look-see!<br /><br />I know there must be other films I feel similarly about, but Robert Altman’s “Short Cuts” is a film I’ve seen once, I even own it, but I’m in no race to look at again. It’s too disturbing for me, and I don’t associate watching it with a pleasant experience…this despite being aware of how well-made it is.<br />I’m glad you gave a shout out to Shirley Anne Field, who indeed is wonderful in all of her scenes. <br /><br />You really have been making the rounds in catching up with some of the films I’ve written about here. I always try to make a point that my essays are so strongly a personal journal and not any sort of “recommended” list, but I’m happy to learn you’ve found a new favorite or two, or, as in this case, you were motivated to reopen a closed door. Thanks, Pete!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-11131319998096379252020-07-05T00:32:34.270-07:002020-07-05T00:32:34.270-07:00Hi Ken-
I have my next couple of films recently vi...Hi Ken-<br />I have my next couple of films recently viewed thanks to LCD, first up the one I had seen before.<br /><br />Back in the early 2000s I had started collecting all of the Criterion DVDs. I gave up on that idea many years ago (which was good for my bank account), but one of the films I encountered due to that hobby was seeing Peeping Tom for the first time...and last up until now. <br /><br />The irony of this situation is that for many years "Psycho" was my all-time favorite film. I saw the latter for the first time at a too young age (around 9 I think) and while it scarred me in both a bad and good way, it had enough elements that hooked me hard: the brilliant score, Perkins' defining role, the fabulously foreboding house and horrifying corpse. <br /><br />Peeping Tom didn't have those luxuries at the time of my first viewing. It was a genuinely unsettling film, and not in a "I can't wait to experience that again" way. It's unfortunate that my emotional response at the time overruled what a brilliant piece of filmmaking it is, let alone the links between the two films. (At least I'm not alone in this, seeing as the British critics did the same!)<br /><br />Karl Bohm does such a brilliant job of making the character sympathetic and complex. You really do get a sense of the inner workings of someone who is so closed off, possibly even more than Perkins in Psycho! The scenes with Massey ring so pure and true, offering a great contrast to the horrors at hand. She's wonderful in her reactions as you point out. It's also interesting that you point out that the audience would be much less likely to sympathize with Mark if they saw the brutal crimes themselves. Very true. One for the "less is more" file.<br /><br />Special shoutout to Shirley Anne Field, who would at first appear she's going to be exasperating comic relief for just one scene, only to be pivotal in her two other "shopping" scenes! She's great! And Moira is of course fabulous in her extended scene. Time for a viewing of "The Red Shoes"...<br /><br />Thanks for another great and insightful post. I doubt it will be another couple of decades before I revisit this film again, thanks to you.<br />Petepetlodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01271851273533301436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-49087514232800795302020-06-26T18:27:49.367-07:002020-06-26T18:27:49.367-07:00YouTube I would have to watch on my desktop - not ...YouTube I would have to watch on my desktop - not the greatest way to view a movie. I can wait. <br /><br />On the tele I can stream Netflix and Vudu so it'd be swell if this movie showed up on either of these services but I feel free to exhale. goodshotgreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02780368631346641311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-46037566328039964572020-06-26T07:24:40.245-07:002020-06-26T07:24:40.245-07:00Wow...July 31st! That's a long wait for movie/...Wow...July 31st! That's a long wait for movie/book exchanges. I'm glad they're being safe, but perhaps you'll have to resort to streaming until August. "Peeping Tom" should be all over the internet, maybe even on YouTube.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-17630038707424166832020-06-25T21:29:17.327-07:002020-06-25T21:29:17.327-07:00Hi Gill - Thanks very very much for nominating me!...Hi Gill - Thanks very very much for nominating me! I'm going to go with legitimately saying the age-old "It's honor enough to be nominated," but it's so true! Much appreciated!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-65261133086571164062020-06-25T18:53:10.572-07:002020-06-25T18:53:10.572-07:00Surely the dumbest 70s disaster movie is When Time...Surely the dumbest 70s disaster movie is When Time Ran Out - so dumb it wasn't released until 1980.<br /><br />Anything our President doesn't like is fake - don't you know that?<br /><br />The Free Library of Philadelphia is now showing July 31. Sigh. All these books and movies I want to exchange. <br /><br />(Yay! You live!)<br />goodshotgreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02780368631346641311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-91658353313770919872020-06-25T10:38:55.511-07:002020-06-25T10:38:55.511-07:00Another well deserved nomination... https://weegie...Another well deserved nomination... https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/more-2/my-blogging-awards/two-liebster-awards/Realweegiemidget Reviewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07112425802962283173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-55249803467949890212020-06-12T03:58:54.279-07:002020-06-12T03:58:54.279-07:00Hello, Chris
I agree with what you said about PEEP...Hello, Chris<br />I agree with what you said about PEEPING TOM feeling somehow franker and more contemporary than PSYCHO. Both films are brilliant and have their distinct and separate appeal, but in PSYCHO I find the scenes featuring the conventional heroics of Gavin, Miles, & Balsam work as a bit of a tension-breaker by taking us away from the weirdness that is Norman Bates. I like how PEEPING TOM keeps the lens trained so much on Mark and his skewed vision of the world. <br />I don't know that I've ever seen a truly interesting, challenging, and quirky film from a director who wasn't the same. The more I read about Michael Powell, the more I realize that he more than fills the bill in that department. Good to hear from you, Chris! Thanks for commenting.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-89364272156091771602020-06-10T17:42:53.742-07:002020-06-10T17:42:53.742-07:00I love this film, too, Ken, so interesting this wa...I love this film, too, Ken, so interesting this was made the same year as Psycho directed by another famous misogynistic voyeur. This one has a similar feel to me, but the bright vivid Technicolor and more frank European treatment of the material make it more contemporary and forward looking. Powell was a very interesting character himself, and a real artist. Need to see this one again soon!<br />- Chrisangelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-63190955592577146312020-06-09T06:35:34.788-07:002020-06-09T06:35:34.788-07:00Hi, GG!
Nice to see you here in my wordier section...Hi, GG!<br />Nice to see you here in my wordier section of the internet. Yes, it seems no two people can agree on what film(s) inspired the slasher genre (weird to think there was a time the phrase “serial killer” didn’t even exist…I think old exploitation films always said “thrill killer”). But I agree with you in seeing PEEPING TOM as a film more likely to inspire the giallo genre. Most certainly for the characteristics you accurately pinpointed: bold color, underlying fetishistic subtext, & a certain essential anger at women. (The latter is seriously in need of an overhaul, something I like seeing in work of the new crop of work from horror directors like Jordan Peele, Jennifer Keny, and Ari Aster. <br />Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Hope you haven't suffered any waning writing inspiration for your own blog over the last couple of months. Cheers!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-63641397293081350392020-06-08T18:37:37.690-07:002020-06-08T18:37:37.690-07:00This film is one of the 5 or 6 contested entries f...This film is one of the 5 or 6 contested entries for the first proto slasher, though to me its influence (bold color, underlying fetishistic subtext, a certain essential anger at women) can more easily be seen in the early days of giallo films than in "Black Christmas" or "Halloween".<br /><br />Nice to see you writing again(the short form of social media is just not the same), though I can understand why you took some time off.GG Grahamhttp://www.midnightmoviemonster.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-80332885133404279052020-06-06T05:47:38.509-07:002020-06-06T05:47:38.509-07:00Hi David
Wow…so you were one of those who saw PEEP...Hi David<br />Wow…so you were one of those who saw PEEPING TOM when it made its rounds at colleges and film schools! You bring up an excellent point about this film and about the entire horror genre as it relates to the film’s cultural/artistic vale and its social impact/responsibility. <br /><br />I think all the art…because it lives…cannot help itself from being both political and personal. So to look at a film from those perspectives is, as valid as analyzing it from an artistic, cultural, and intellectual viewpoint. Bruce and I have this saying that always comes up often when we are talking about a film we’ve just seen (especially one we feel differently about); “Two things can be true at once.”<br /><br />I agree with your observation that PEEPING TOM is an undeniably well-crafted film, one which is somewhat problematic in its depiction of violence directed towards women. As I say in the piece, PEEPING TOM was criticized during its initial release for introducing the idea of the “sympathetic monster.” <br /><br />It’s a valid, intriguing narrative option, but problematic. And perhaps in ways even Powell and the screenwriter hadn’t counted on. The more Mark is humanized, the more his victims become objectified. Mark’s murders are never depicted. This could be a choice made for suspense reasons, but it has the side-effect of keeping Mark “clean”: were the audience to see Mark carry out his horrific deeds, we would be seeing the monster, and its unlikely the audience could sustain sympathetic identification.<br /><br />As it stands, all the focus remains on Mark, while his victims become little more than the objects and targets of psychosis. That’s how Mark sees them. But should the film encourage us to see them likewise?<br /><br />So I think the point you made is extremely well-taken.<br /><br />The depiction of women-directed violence in films is a somewhat under-discussed phenomenon. It brings up a lot of interesting culture and gender food for thought. I recently saw a documentary about the sequel to NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET which caught a lot of grief because so much of its violence was male-directed and a male was cast as the screaming lead victim. The film made so many people uncomfortable (principally the made adolescent demographic for horror) that they practically yanked the lead actor out the closet in a subconscious effort to “prove” that a terrorized screaming man HAD to have been gay.<br /><br />I too don’t think films like PEEPING TOM need to be censored, but more humanist/feminist commentary like yours needs to meet the principally academic accolades hurled at the film by the largely male critics and film scholars. Of the Hitchcock films you name, I find FRENZY to be the film I cannot watch again. I find it repulsive and very ugly in its misogyny (to which fans inevitably reply “It’s supposed to be!”…but my take is one easily leveled at PEEPING TOM as well …a director needs to be careful: it’s far to easy to make violence appear only as “action,” to minimalize the victim perspective, and to end up glorifying (or at the very least sensationalizing) that which you profess to abhor.<br /><br />As you see, your superb comment sparked a lot of food for thought for me, as I’m sure it will with other readers. A marvelous contribution to this PEEPING TOM essay, David. Thank you!<br />And I’ve never seen WILD HEART, so I’ll check it out. Much appreciated!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-18738084222257071432020-06-05T09:25:34.020-07:002020-06-05T09:25:34.020-07:00Dear Ken: Hi!
I saw "Peeping Tom" back ...Dear Ken: Hi!<br /><br />I saw "Peeping Tom" back in the mid-1980s when I was in college. The university film society had scheduled it for a screening, which was then protested by a campus feminist group. As a result, the film was shown in a large campus auditorium, with a discussion afterward hosted by members of the feminist group. Their contention was that the film encouraged violence against women.<br /><br />At the time, my reaction was that the film was disturbing but extremely well-made. I also thought the student group's protest was misguided; I thought it would have made more sense for them to protest the many trashy and exploitative slasher films that were then so popular.<br /><br />That was the reaction of my mid-20s, rather sheltered (and perhaps smug) self. Today, I'm not sure how I feel about "Peeping Tom." I haven't seen it since about 1986 but I remember several scenes quite vividly. I recall that the movie presented well-rounded characters for whom it had great sympathy. And I agree with you that the film suggests a number of thought-provoking themes about the voyeuristic urges that exist within all of us, a worthy subject for exploration.<br /><br />Yet I'm still troubled by "Peeping Tom" and similar films, particularly films by Hitchcock such as "Psycho," "Marnie" and "Frenzy." The fact is that in all of them, the existence of human voyeuristic impulses is explored through scenes of violence toward women (rape, murder, and sometimes both). And it's difficult for me to view such scenes as merely artistic expressions or intellectual exercises. Violence toward women is too real a fact in our world for me to view its depiction at an intellectual remove. The shower scene centerpiece of "Psycho," for example, is without doubt a brilliant piece of film-making. But it also depicts the brutal murder of a naked, vulnerable woman.<br /><br />Am I advocating that "Peeping Tom" and similar films should be banned and locked away from human view? No, I think that's too simple an answer. But I do know that I find it difficult for me, personally, to stomach such films, no matter whether they are brilliantly made.<br /><br />(As a side note, I do agree with you that Michael Powell is a brilliant filmmaker. My favorites of his are "Colonel Blimp" and "The Red Shoes." One I would recommend if you haven't seen it is "Gone to Earth" from 1950. It was re-cut and shortened for its U.S. release and re-titled "The Wild Heart." The recent bluray release of "Wild Heart" contains both versions of the film, and the film itself contains what one critic called "a potent, dexterous performance" by Jennifer Jones.)<br />Dave Kucharskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10780946474352916520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-12771167063516701762020-06-04T00:20:01.636-07:002020-06-04T00:20:01.636-07:00Kind of you to notice...it's nice to be missed...Kind of you to notice...it's nice to be missed! Didn't plan on such a long hiatus, but for a while there, writing while America turned into the dumbest, most implausible 70s disaster film ever made (Scientist: "Swarms of killer bees are headed to North America!" Villain:"Phooey! They're only doing that to make me look bad!") felt vaguely absurd.<br />The Criterion Blu-ray is what I watched, and you'll love how pristine the restoration is, and it has some wonderful extras. Maybe it'll feel like seeing PEEPING TOM for the first time. Hope you enjoy it. And thanks very much for reading and commenting.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-31796540286575382702020-06-03T17:01:44.099-07:002020-06-03T17:01:44.099-07:00Oh good, a new post - I was getting concerned.
I ...Oh good, a new post - I was getting concerned.<br /><br />I saw this in my early twenties (in the mid '90s) and don't remember much about it other than the premise. My library has the Criterion DVD so as soon as it reopens (July 1 as of right now) I'll have to check it out. goodshotgreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02780368631346641311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-46064503243708225862020-06-02T17:52:14.766-07:002020-06-02T17:52:14.766-07:00Hi Ron
The point you make is one I consider to be ...Hi Ron<br />The point you make is one I consider to be very true: that a well-made film has the power to be both insightful and blinding. One reason why I always respect directors who seem to have a respect and understanding of just how powerful film can be.<br />PEEPING TOM is a good example of a film about an exceedingly disturbing subject manner handled by a director with restraint. I hope no one ever tries to do a remake, this is not a film that cried ut for the dumbing down of explicitness.<br />And as much as I love this movie and think it's a genuine masterpiece of filmmaking, I'd say proceed with caution and listen to your instincts. A well-made film has the power to get into your head; we should always be careful of what images we allow in there.<br /> Thanks for commenting, Ron! (Oh, and for your very kind compliment as well.)Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-80155511368550487552020-06-01T12:27:59.363-07:002020-06-01T12:27:59.363-07:00"Different faces, but all with roughly the sa..."Different faces, but all with roughly the same expression: a kind of rapt, hyper-attentive stare that’s equal parts voracious scrutiny and blinkered immersion." Well-written! Well-expressed! And a bit discomfiting! Well-made film can provide insight but it can also blind us to certain truths as well. And we're often prepped for it, particularly as we tend to check our brains at the door when we watch movies (though I've nothing against mindless entertainment). I've heard of but not seen "Peeping Tom." I'm still mulling over whether I want to or not. It sounds pretty disturbing. Thanks for the review though. Ronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02624356466416350251noreply@blogger.com