h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

All his movies are too long and could have been better with more editing and the tedious prolonging of little details is NOT subtle at all but go way beyond their sell-by date. 'Strangers on a Train' seemed endless and less than intelligent at the same time. You could't really buy into the premise that the police would be completely bumfuzzled by motiveless murder. If the police were really so dim, 'perfect' crimes would occur frequently.

Well, I agree that Vertigo and Marnie probably outstay their welcome a bit... but for me most of his movies just work, even some of the quite early ones like Foreign Correspondent. Like most thrillers I think you have to cut the stories some slack, though...

I disagree - there's barely a dull moment in 'Rope' or 'Rear Window'. And every time I watch 'The Birds' the banking of the birds in the birdcage whenever the car goes round a bend cracks me up.

I saw his silent classic 'The Lodger' in a candle-lit church in Leeds as part of a silent film festival, with original musical accompaniment on the church's organ - that was very atmospheric.

<BB<

Climate change is a whole lot scarier:

http://news.yahoo.com/bird-invasion-brings-real-life-horror-kentucky-city-205852369.html

I'll grant you 'Rope'. I thought it was well-filmed. And 'Spellbound' is not too bad.

But 'Strangers on a Train' was the longest, most boring film ever made. And I remember how we giggled all through 'The Birds'.

I'd agree that The Birds is overlong and a tad pretentious - but the set pieces...!

Don't much care for Rope, though - the execution of the gimmick is impressive, but the gimmick itself feels pointless.