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Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill

List Price: $14.95
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Special Edition for a Great Film
Review: A remarkable thriller that's as funny, nerve-wracking and exciting as ever. So beautifully crafted that I wish more thrillers were like this.

MGM has done a spectacular job... the making of and still galleries are a class act... now if only they'd do one for DePalma's "Blow Out".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Has not lost its impact...
Review: The master of the psych-erotic thriller, Brian De Palma, truly came into his own with this provocative piece of filmmaking. He does something unique, however, that sets him apart from other writer/directors, and that is he creates a work of pastiche, lovingly imitating and paying tribute to past masters of the genre, i.e., Hitchcock et al, though stamps his own inimitable signature, enabling anyone viewing the film to know without a shadow of a doubt that it is a Brian De Palma film. De Palma loves mixing dream sequences with reality. He uses this technique to shock, surprise and frighten the audience, and it works every time. In the opening scene of ~Dressed to Kill~, for example, Angie Dickenson is in the shower watching her husband shave through the glass. The eroticism begins slowly, the music is easy listening, lulling us into a sense of relaxation, while Angie starts to reach the inevitable conclusion from her actions, suddenly the woman is attacked from inside the shower, her husband oblivious to her screams for help. This technique pulls us into the film, keeping us on our toes at all times, because we never know what to expect next. Even though I have seen this film several times, this high suspense has not diminished in the slightest, because I still jump from my seat every time the killer appears from the shadows or is seen through the glass in the door.

Michael Caine plays the young psychiatrist, who discovers that one of his patients has been brutally murdered, slashed to death from a razor, and the perpetrator could well be one of his other patients. A beautiful prostitute, (Nancy Allen) witnesses part of the crime and sees the slasher in the mirror of the elevator. She herself becomes a suspect and finds herself followed by the killer. The ending is very clever and quite surprising because, as with all horror films, when you think it's over and can finally sit back and relax, it isn't over al all...

If you haven't had the opportunity to see this picture before, and you're in the mood for some erotic, psycho/slasher fun, by all means do so...and if you've seen it before, see it again, for the years have not lessened its impact in any way. Excellent viewing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hats off to Hitchcock!
Review: I remember seeing this film when I was younger and it really scared the crap out of me. Though the film is somewhat easy to figure out, you cannot deny the power of Caine's performance. He really is an interesting one to watch. The first and last half hours of this film really shine. It certainly proves that though it may be imitation, it certainly is flattering. For fans of the film this DVD is a must own.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: One of De Palma's best
Review: Although dated in it's appearance, "Dressed to Kill" is an impressive film and worth owning for lovers of the thriller/suspense genre. It doesn't take long though to figure out who the killer is, but some twists along the way help keep the suspense going.

Angie Dickinson and Michael Caine star in this, Brian De Palma's third movie. Angie's part is rather short, but memorable! Yes that famous shower scene is in this film ... although not really her.

DVD SUMMARY:
The DVD is quite impressive to say the least. All three versions of the film are included, plus some featurettes. Throw in the great widescreen version and an analysis of the rated versus the unrated, and you come up with a very generous disc. Deserves the title of Special Edition for sure.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Unrated Version now available on DVD. Angie Dickinson!
Review: Absolutely the best murder-mystery by Brian De Palma. And Angie Dickinson is magnificent in this film. She draws you into the film. Her acting and facial expressions are perfect. Sometimes I just watch the film just for Angie Dickinson. One important featurette is "A Film Comparison: The 3 versions of Dressed To Kill". Here you will see in split screen the differences of the Unrated version and the Rated "R" version. Then the difference of the Network Version with all adult scenes deleted. "Slashing Dressed To Kill" featurette is 15 minutes long with current interviews with Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Editor Jerry Greenberg, Producer George Litto, Angie Dickinson and Brian De Palma. The "Dressed To Kill: An Appreciation by Keith Gordon" featurette is six-minutes long and is just a continuation of the other featurette. "The Making Of A Thriller" documentary is 43 minutes long. Also, original trailer, animated and advertising photo gallery. This is a must-see film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A sleek, stylish and suspenseful De Palma masterpiece
Review: Brian De Palma's 1980 thriller Dressed To Kill, in my opinion, ranks among his best films. It's a suspenseful murder mystery that plays in Hitchcock's territory. It seems very much like a Hitchcock movie, only with graphic violence and nudity. There are traces of Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt and many others. I'm not sure if De Palma was intentionally referencing Hitchcock or these aspects just came out sort of subconsciously in his script. I don't think that De Palma was "ripping off" Hitchcock in any sense with this movie. I don't think it's really possible for anyone to make a movie in the suspense genre nowadays without having some elements of Hitchcock's work come out. There are indeed some close similarities to Psycho, in particular, but I think De Palma is really just paying homage to the master. His earlier film Obsession (1976) paid homage to Vertigo, now with Dressed To Kill, he sets his sights on Psycho.

The film has a good enough story, but the style is really the star here. Everything from the cinematography to the editing to the use of clever, subtle touches (such as Michael Caine looking in the mirror in several scenes). There's the whole museum sequence, brilliantly shot and acted (without dialogue), the elevator murder scene, and a couple of dream sequences. It's incredibly well crafted altogether, but the film is not just an excuse for nice camera work. There's an incredible amount of suspense and terror. There are many wonderful suspenseful scenes, such as the Nancy Allen shower scene at the end. And of course, great performances from Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, and Dennis Franz.

Dressed To Kill is a must-see for anyone who likes Brian De Palma or just likes suspenseful murder mysteries. It's probably one of the best suspense films of the past 20 years. Accordingly, it has a great DVD edition which presents the proper widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio and gives the choice of R-rated or unrated versions. Some trims had to be made to the film for theatrical release. The film is pretty much the same (and still great) in either version, but the unrated version is more explicit. There are also some good supplemental materials including a documentary on the making of the film and several shorter featurettes (including comparisons of the R-rated, unrated and network TV versions of the film). Unfortunately, Brian De Palma has not recorded an audio commentary for the film. This is a DVD that can be had pretty [reasonablel priced], so De Palma fans or suspense thriller fans are strongly advised to pick this one up.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A MUST see - CLASSIC movie.
Review: To condemn Dressed to Kill as a Hitchcock [type movie] is to miss the sheer enjoyment of Brian De Palma's delirious 1980 thriller. Hitchcockian homages run rampant through most of De Palma's earlier films, and this one's chock-full of visual quotes, mostly cribbed from Vertigo and Psycho. But De Palma's indulgent depravity transcends simple mimicry to assume a vitality all its own. It's smothered in thickly atmospheric obsessions with [love], dread, paranoia, and voyeurism, not to mention a heavy dose of Psycho-like psychobabble about a ... transsexual who's compelled to slash up any attractive female who reminds him--the horror!--that he's still very much a man.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Well done Brian!
Review: Many say that Dressed to Kill is a 'rip off' of Psycho, and it is, but it is the execution of this 'rip off' that is applaudable. During the elevator scene, I began to laugh my head off, you will see why, but then I suddenly realised that it was very well executed. The score, the blood, the blonde, all very intriguing stuff. Dressed to Kill is one of the best slasher movies I have ever seen. There are many shots in which Brian De Palma adds to some Hitchcock techniques and as some reveiwers sais, he out hitches Hitchcock.Don't let the Hitchcock rip offs put you off. Enjoy the movie for what it is, entertaining.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Suspenceful DePalma at one of his best
Review: Now this is DePalma at the top of his game. It's a superb suspence thriller copmbining sex, fear, a transsexual killer, and one of the best actress around-Nancy Allen, who is always awesome and I think is underrated as a actress. DePalma move the story along with suspence and kept me guessing at what would happen next. A interesting film combining hitchcockian techniques, it can be seen as something similar but what I love about DePalma is that he takes something and makes it his own. Anyone that hasn't seen the film- see it. And the extras are informative. A great buy for the fans.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Alot like Psycho
Review: But I still like it. To condemn Dressed to Kill as a Hitchcock rip-off is to miss the sheer enjoyment of this good horror/thriller movie. It plays out like a suspense film, but there is enough scare factor in to make it a horror film. This isn't for everyone though, especially NOT for Scream fans, because this film is just to intense for them. It's smothered in thickly atmospheric obsessions with sex, dread, paranoia, and voyeurism, not to mention a heavy dose of Psycho-like psychobabble about a wannabe transsexual who's compelled to slash up any attractive female who reminds him--the horror! That he's still very much a man and not a woman. Yes there is a guy wearing womens clothing in this. It's dark, and cool, so I'd get out there and buy this now! WATCH IT ALONE IN THE DARK!


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