#(also me during class: ‘ah so THAT’S why he’s called Swatch!’ it was like a lightbulb turned on 💡)

[thebigshotman]

Graphic Designer Teacher: Okay class today we are going to learn about color theory and paint swatches

Me: 🤭 (not just cause she said the thing but also that one color theory post. You know which one)

Anyway, like I said I’m gonna start talking about the movies I watched in film class! This week I saw “Strangers on a Train” by Alfred Hitchcock. And…wow lol. I’ve never seen a thriller or horror movie before (video games are a different story) so I was not prepared to feel the way this movie made me feel. About 65% of the movie was spent sitting on the edge of my seat needless to say.

The villain in this movie felt like a more realistic Norman Bates, which is amazing since this movie predates Psycho by 9 years. Seriously, all he had to do was just follow the protagonist around and he gave me the creeps. That’s not even getting into all of that actually creepy shit he did; bottom line, he felt like a killer that might have actually existed at one point or another. Props to his actor.

The protag in this movie was very good too, he captured both the aggravation towards the villain and the anxious need to not get anyone else involved in this or killed by the villain very well. Only to be foiled and tailed by the villain at every turn.

The basic plot of the movie is the protag and villain meet by chance on a train, and the villain, after talking a bit with the hero, suggests they swap murders-villain will murder the hero’s wife, hero will murder villain’s dad. Hero, of course, thinks he’s joking, but of course he isn’t, and he gets embroiled into a very suspenseful and dangerous plot where you’re not quite sure where it will go next. The climax was a bit goofy but I think it ended well. And like I mentioned, the acting was superb. And the writing was very understated, but good!

And the direction, no surprise, was also good! The exact angle, shot, and zoom that was needed for each shot was used, but it never overshadowed the scene. It just complimented everything very well and made things even more suspenseful.

Overall, I liked it! I would watch it again. It was the exact length it needed to be and wasn’t horribly dated, neither of which I can say for the other two I’ve seen in class so far (Citizen Kane and The Searchers respectively). I don’t know if I got any Spaul vibes from anything that happened, but there was a certain creepiness and foreboding in the movie that will definitely inspire my writing in those scenarios going forward.

So there’s my thoughts! Next week’s movie is “Crimes and Misdemeanors” by Woody Allen. Gonna do my best to separate the art from the artist and watch it on its own merits, and I’ll get back to you on how I felt about that one!

As for replying to things here, ideally I’ll be doing so this weekend, but I’m not sure. Between watching the Super Bowl, a paper to write, and Mom being off from work (which means keeping busy) I don’t know when I’ll have time, but I’m gonna do my best to make time! If I can. I thank you all for your patience in advance while I attend to things IRL!

Well, that’s my giant post for the week lol 😅 See you all hopefully soon!