Frenzy (1972)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Arthur La Bern (novel)
Anthony Shaffer (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 June 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Just an ordinary necktie used with a deadly new twist. [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

A serial killer is murdering London women with a necktie. The police have a suspect... but he's the wrong man.

Plot Keywords:

Necktie | London | Police | Serial Killer | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jon Finch	...	Richard Ian 'Dick' Blaney
Barry Foster	...	Robert 'Bob' Rusk
Barbara Leigh-Hunt	...	Brenda Margaret Blaney
Anna Massey	...	Barbara Jane 'Babs' Milligan
Alec McCowen	...	Chief Inspector Oxford
Vivien Merchant	...	Mrs. Oxford
Billie Whitelaw	...	Hetty Porter
Clive Swift	...	Johnny Porter
Bernard Cribbins	...	Felix Forsythe
Michael Bates	...	Sergeant Spearman
Jean Marsh	...	Monica Barling
John Boxer	...	Sir George
Madge Ryan	...	Mrs. Davison
George Tovey	...	Neville Salt
Elsie Randolph	...	Gladys

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-15 (2001) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1972) | Spain:13 | Iceland:16 | Brazil:12 | USA:R (certificate no. 23143) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Italy:VM14 | Norway:16 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | West Germany:16 | UK:18 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

119 Oxford Street, London, England, UK

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Side Five of the DiscoVision LaserDisc release has every frame encoded with Auto Picture Stop, rendering it unplayable on all but a few models of laserdisc players.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the driver of the potato lorry stops after spilling his load, the locking pins on the tailboard differ between shots.

Quotes:

[to publican Felix Forsythe]
Chief Inspector Oxford: I expect she'll turn up sooner or later. These days, ladies abandon their honor far more readily than their clothes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Robot Holocaust (#2.9)" (1990)

Outstanding Alfred Hitchcock Film

I really enjoyed Frenzy. I think that Alfred Hitchcock, although he may not have been on top of his game was still sticking to his style. I particularly enjoyed all of the suspense, actors, and screenplay. It got me more and more curious until the end. I think that Hitchcock also stuck very well to his medium in this movie. He also picked the best spots in London to film it. Although I did not necessarily appreciate the rape and murder scene he showed because it was disgusting, I really enjoyed the action. Hitchcock also did a very good job of the camera angles in this movie. For the most part it is just a regular Alfred Hitchcock film except for the nudity,the rape scene, and some slight use of horror. Overall, I think it was just the time that Hitchcock had reached the end of his career and did his best to please his audience. With his age and his state of health, I think that he did an outstanding job of his second to last film.