Frenzy - 1972 * * * *

Coming up to 2 years ( can it really be that long?) since I originally purchased the Alfred Hitchcock boxset I have 2 left ( to my knowledge) that I haven't seen. I decided to watch this at the weekend, in the mood for a good serial killer movie.

This movie bares comparisons to 'Straight on 'til morning' ( although that was a Hammer horror and filmed about five years beforehand.) I loved that film, and I loved this. Hitchcock as usual is on top form ( look out for his cameo at the very beginning, makes me chuckle!)and really gets the audience to grips with early 1970s London.

There is a terrifying killer on the loose murdering women by strangling them with his necktie ( how very refined!) therefore known to the general public as 'The Necktie Strangler.'

Jon Finch plays the lead Richard, and after getting fired from his job in a pub decides to make other arrangements with his girlfriend ( played excellently by Anna Massey). However, the pub landlord is not impressed and begins to believe that Richard is running away with his girlfriend for the wrong reasons and leading her into danger...

The clever thing about this film is that Hitchcock decided to fill the film with unglamorous actors to give an impression of real London and I feel it works superbly. I certainly wasn't disappointed to see someone like Massey in the main female lead instead of someone like Grace Kelly or Tippi Hedren. As long as they can give us a good show that's all that matters.

Brilliant ending that makes the whole film worthwhile, although there are some camp moments towards the final scene that made me laugh. This film on the whole is black comedy as opposed to thriller. But as it's done by Hitchcock you know you're in for a treat.