The Birds Still Photo

Hitchcock 4 Halloween

Alfred Hitchcock revolutionized the horror film genre in the 1960s. Any film aficionado worth his salt has screened the entire collection. However, some people just don’t have the time. Here are my top 3 Hitchcock films to watch this Halloween season:

1. The Birds (1963). Wealthy socialite Melanie Daniels follows bachelor attorney Mitch Brenner to his hometown of Bodega Bay only to encounter a relentless flock of angry birds. The bayside town is overrun with several species of birds seeking revenge. The underlying theme is nature vs. development.
   

   The Birds

2. Rope (1948). Two friends stage the “perfect” murder and invite his family, fiancé, and former school teacher to dine around his hidden body. Shot in one long panning camera angle, this film is often overlooked by Hitchcock’s later works. The underlying premise is that a superior society has a right to murder inferior beings.
   

   Rope

3. Shadow of a Doubt (1943). A young eligible woman suspects her Uncle Charlie committed the ultimate crime: murder. Uncle Charlie’s strange behavior causes the viewer to doubt his intentions and motives. The theme is some people are not who they portray and not automatically trust a loved one.
   

   Shadow of a Doubt