Obsession – The Film Debate
 

What do you think about Obsession and where you think it relates amongst the best films Brian De Palma has made?

This is definitely one of De Palma's weaker Hitchcockian thrillers but that's not to say it's a bad film at all. Far from it. It just pales by comparison to the excellent DRESSED TO KILL and BLOW OUT. It's still a stylish thriller and if anyone's not seen it and is already a giallo convert they should definitely check it out.

Anyway, my point was I'm really stoked about this release and am definitely going to be picking it up on the strength of the fact that it has the De Palma shorts included as extras. An absolute no-brainer as far as I'm concerned and this release has gone from "I'll pick it up if I see it cheap" to an immediate must-buy.

I was also chuffed to see the the forthcoming Criterion DVD and Blu-ray releases are to include De Palma's early feature MURDER A LA MODE.

A great time to be a fan of De Palma it seems :)

I'm a massive fan of Dressed to Kill and Blow Out (which I should really buy on DVD or BD) and, as someone who can't get enough of gialli, I should really enjoy this.

For a full list of the specifications and extra features, go to:
http://www.cult-labs.com/forums/obse...-bd-specs.html

Let it be known, I am NOT a Brian DePalma fan. That being said, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE and SISTERS are really great freakouts. I remember liking THE UNTOUCHABLES, but haven't seen it in over 10 years (at least). I've seen bits of BLOW OUT, but was not overly impressed (I will rent the Criterion disc if it becomes available at Netflix). CARRIE doesn't really do it for me at all and most of his 80s-onwards output is totally uninteresting to me (though I've been told I should see RAISING CAIN because it's really far out there).

So, can any fans of OBSESSION tell me why I should consider spending the time and money on it? I'm willing to give it a shot if I can be lured.

That good, huh? :eyebrows:

I like it because it's an ott melodrama with great actors, director, writer and composer all playing to the gallery. Of course, I've yet to see a De Palma film that I didn't like, or at least appreciate. But I think any Giallo or thriller fans should get a kick out of it. I personally can't wait to see it on Blu-ray.

Plot-wise... lt's best to go in cold and just let the film unfold. The less you know, the more you'll enjoy it.

I'm not gonna read much of this thread,as it's a film I've yet to sit through,and will give it the once over once the Arrow release appears.

Although it's not my responsibility to read this thread (along with every other in this section), I'm going to try and stay away from details so I can watch it with an open mind.

Surprised there hasn't been more talk about this release really. I've just watched it and thought it was great. By no means the best De Palma/Hitchcocky thriller but still a thoroughly engrossing film. Excellent transfer and extras too (not watched the short films yet). Really looking forward to reading the original script with the third act later tonight.

I should really have given my two cents ages ago, so here goes:

knowing nothing about Obsession (apart from it was a homage to Vertigo) was quite good as I was able to watch the film with an almost open mind. The opening is very clever in establishing place, characters and relationships -- you almost know John Lithgow is up to no good from the get go as he's so wonderfully slimy! The daughter/wife transformation must have been a huge influence on Park Chan-wook when writing Oldboy except he took the relationship a few steps further than DePalma did!

It's strange how it develops without feeling particularly creepy or sleazy and the final scene with the repeated 360° movement is both extremely moving and technically brilliant.