By Frank Miller
Night at the Movies, A: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers
Brief Synopsis
Filmmakers reveal the secrets of some of history's greatest suspense films.
Film Details
Genre
Documentary
Release Date
2009
Technical Specs
Duration
60m
Synopsis
Filmmakers reveal the secrets of some of history's greatest suspense films.
Film Details
Genre
Documentary
Release Date
2009
Technical Specs
Duration
60m
Articles
A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers -
How do you keep an audience on the edge of its seats? TCM looks for the answer to that gripping question in this hour-long salute to the movies' ability to turn film going into a white-knuckle experience. From the earliest silent suspense classics like Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922) to more recent thrillers like Martin Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear (1991), the documentary looks at how filmmakers have mastered the genre in the pursuit of profits and as a comment on society. In archival footage, Alfred Hitchcock shares his secrets for generating suspense in films like The 39 Steps (1935), The Lady Vanishes (1938), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Strangers on a Train (1951), Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960), while his longtime associate, actor-producer Norman Lloyd shares his own insights into the director's work. Other original interviews include actor-director Kenneth Branagh, whose Dead Again (1991) offered a new take on the suspense genre, Mel Brooks, who spoofed Hitchcock's work in High Anxiety (1977), Martin Landau, who played one of the villains in North by Northwest (1959), Illeana Douglas, who delivered a scene-stealing performance in Cape Fear, and TCM host Robert Osborne.
By Frank Miller
By Frank Miller
A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers -
How do you keep an audience on the edge of its seats? TCM looks for the answer to that gripping question in this hour-long salute to the movies' ability to turn film going into a white-knuckle experience. From the earliest silent suspense classics like Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922) to more recent thrillers like Martin Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear (1991), the documentary looks at how filmmakers have mastered the genre in the pursuit of profits and as a comment on society. In archival footage, Alfred Hitchcock shares his secrets for generating suspense in films like The 39 Steps (1935), The Lady Vanishes (1938), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Strangers on a Train (1951), Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960), while his longtime associate, actor-producer Norman Lloyd shares his own insights into the director's work. Other original interviews include actor-director Kenneth Branagh, whose Dead Again (1991) offered a new take on the suspense genre, Mel Brooks, who spoofed Hitchcock's work in High Anxiety (1977), Martin Landau, who played one of the villains in North by Northwest (1959), Illeana Douglas, who delivered a scene-stealing performance in Cape Fear, and TCM host Robert Osborne.
By Frank Miller
