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Not part of a collection.
Just an ordinary necktie used with a deadly new twist.
London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.
CinemaSerf
May 28, 2023 · via TMDB
This is probably my least favourite Hitchcock story. It is still cleverly constructed, but somehow it has a vulgarity to it that I rather struggled with. The premiss is a serial killer who has been brutally killing women using a neck tie, then dumping their bodies. The police are baffled until "Brenda Blaney" (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) is found raped and killed in her office, and suspicion falls on her ex husband "Dick" (Jon Finch). He flees, is apprehended and judicial process takes it's course. We all know who actually killed "Brenda" so insofar as this is a murder mystery, then that's that. It is, though, quite a curious character study of the mind of a man who is jovial and engaging one moment, then brutally lethal the next - a sort of deadly schizophrenia that might be borne out of sexual frustration, or misogyny, childhood - all of the above? Barry Foster is efficient, if a little lightweight as "Rusk" and there are enthusiastic efforts from Anna Massey and pub landlord Bernard Cribbins. What raises this (slightly) above the norm, is the fun sub-plot between Alec McGowen ("Chief Insp. Oxford") and his wife Vivien Merchant - she a budding gourmet who seems intent on offering the poor man the most complex dishes when all he wants is pie and mash; and - as ever with Hitch - intimate and clever use of the camera. What suspense there is all comes to a rather weak head, I felt, and though this is still an eminently watchable film, it is all just a little bit tacky, and it lacks much that made it's director great. It might have worked better in black and white?
DalekDave01
Mar 5, 2021 · via TMDB
This is one of those thrillers that is in no way a whodunnit as it becomes evident very early on that the killer is who you think it is going to be. But that is not sloppy film making, it is entirely deliberate, for the mystery here is not who is the killer, but will he get away with it, and what will happen to our hero? It is a well plotted piece, and, oddly, based on a true story. [see Jack The Stripper - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammersmith_nude_murders] Some fine performances from good, steady actors, all giving well rounded characterisations, especially Barry Foster and Billie Whitelaw. The general feel of London in the early 70s is well presented, and the locations are well chosen to give the overall viewing of the film a very satisfactory glow. Not one of Hitchcocks classics, to be fair, but still a great film and one that will certainly entertain.
John Chard
Aug 30, 2020 · via TMDB
Chillingly humorous Hitchcock piece of work. It's always great to take a revisit to Frenzy some years after your last viewing, to re-evaluate it post haste. As a proud Englishman it gives me great pleasure to see the Master back in England capturing the English time frame of London perfectly, for the film works because we really get the vibe of the place and believe in the characters who frequent the area, Hitch delivers this no problem at all. The story stands up as genuine thriller material, some crazy fruit loop is strangling women with neck ties and the police are trailing the wrong man...Sound familiar? Well yes it is, but Hitch being Hitch, he manages to bring dashes of humour to go with the tense taut terror unfolding on the screen. The cast do fine here, and I do believe that the fact that none of the actors are top draw names actually helps the film bring out an uneasy feel, here the interesting fleshing of the characters is one of Hitchcock's great strengths in this particular piece. The villain of the piece stands up as one of the best because he could easily be your best mate, someone you readily turn to in times of need, yet strip away that facade and you get the savage murdering rapist that Hitchcock takes great delight in assaulting our eyes with. Lovely...Lovely...LOVELY....LOVELY ! Although its rating on the IMDb movie site hovers around 7.5 I have always been led to believe that Frenzy wasn't all that well thought of, with tales of America refusing to embrace the film because of the London sensibility, and tired old arguments about the great man being past his peak etc. I have no idea if any of those statements are true? But what I personally know is that Frenzy is a very good film that has me squirming and laughing in equal measure. So with that it may just be shy of being a Hitchcock classic, but still it stands up as better than what most other thriller directors could ever have hoped to have achieved back in that era. 8/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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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
DCI Tim Oxford
Vivien Merchant
Mrs Oxford
Billie Whitelaw
Hetty Porter
Clive Swift
Johnny Porter
Bernard Cribbins
Felix Forsythe
Michael Bates
DS Spearman
Jean Marsh
Monica Barling
George Tovey
Neville Salt
Elsie Randolph
Gladys
Jimmy Gardner
Bertie
Gerald Sim
Usher - Solicitor in Pub
Noel Johnson
Doctor in Pub
Alfred Hitchcock
Spectator at Opening Rally (uncredited)
Michael Bilton
Trial Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Jim Brady
Juror (uncredited)
John Cater
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
June Ellis
Maisie - Barmaid (uncredited)
Charles Farrell
Complaining Pub Customer (uncredited)
Jill Goldston
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Drewe Henley
Forensics Technician (uncredited)
Barry Keegan
Hospital Patient (uncredited)
Roy Lansford
Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Doreen Mantle
Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Margaret Nolan
Young Woman (uncredited)
Robert Rietti
Doctor (voice) (uncredited)
Michael Sheard
Jim (uncredited)
Roy Skelton
CID Man (uncredited)
Colin Spaull
Man (uncredited)
Richard Wyler
Truck Driver (uncredited)
Susan Travers
Victim (uncredited)
Rita Webb
Mrs Rusk (uncredited)
Martin Wyldeck
Sir George's Aide (uncredited)
Gilbert Taylor
Director of Photography
Peter Frampton
Assistant Makeup Artist
Julie Harris
Costume Designer
Henry Mancini
Additional Music
Alfred Hitchcock
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Producer
Anthony Shaffer
Screenplay
Mortal Remains
You're Bleeding
MIDNIGHT EXPRESS
The Departed
Vertigo
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
Double Indemnity
A Killing Affair
Alibi
The Lost Face
No Country for Old Men
Rope
Fail Safe
Dancer in the Dark
Mulholland Drive
First Blood
Rabid Dogs
Blow-Up
Don't Torture a Duckling
Cape Fear
Monster
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Ordinary Person
Straw Dogs
Murder by Death
Marnie
From Russia with Love
Arlington Road
Sweet Sixteen
Million Dollars Snatch
Beauty and the Dogs
Dr. No
Basic Instinct
Cube
Overhaul
Tough Enough
In the Valley of Elah
Klute
The Runner
The Girl Next Door
Live Free or Die Hard
The Bricklayers
The Werewolf Game: Crazy Fox
28 Weeks Later
The Harder They Come
Secret Window
Lemming
Beyond the Darkness
Watcher
So Evil My Love
Wallander: The Secret
Lucid Dream
The Werewolf Game: Prison Break
The Wilby Conspiracy
Murder in Monaco
The Abandoned
Hannibal Rising
The Photographer
Turks & Caicos
The Toxic Avenger
Killing Zoe
Finder's Fee
Rising Sun
Van Helsing: The London Assignment
La muerte camina en la lluvia
Lady in White
Murder on the Orient Express
RoboCop 2
The Last House on the Left
The Crooked Web
The Date
Vampire's Kiss
Death Smiles on a Murderer
Murder in Three Acts
Party Monster
Der Tote am Strand
Perfect Stranger
Love and a .45
Keep 'Em Slugging
Dream Demon
Seven Years of Night
The Alphabet Murders
Kiss of Death
The Bank
The Lost Samaritan
Cube Zero
The Rage: Carrie 2
One Way
Mist & the Maiden
Absurd
White Noise 2: The Light
Slaves in Cages
Maestro
The Circle
Pig
Welcome to Arrow Beach
Don't Look Back
The Werewolf Game: Lovers
The Hand of Now
Hunting List
RoboCop 3
Massacre on Aisle 12
November
Moon of the Wolf
Dead Tone
Stiletto
After Darkness
The Card Player
Her Private Affair
Seed
International Prostitution : Brigade criminelle
Strip Club Massacre
Legionario
Flying Saucer Rock 'N' Roll
Der zweite Mann
Forgive Me For Raping You
Pendulum
2012: Curse of the Xtabai
Fletcher and Jenks
Old Growth Murder
Dusk
A Casa Vazia
Qatil Chandalini
The Mystery of Murder: A Horizon Guide
Digest
Finding Flubber
Looking for Candy
DÉTECTIVE MANO 2 - LE RETOUR DE LA VENGEANCE
Beyond Darkness
Murder Ballads: How to Make It in Rock 'n' Roll
Asthenia
Roots
25 O'Clock in Shinjuku
Wanted Man
Edifício Bonfim
Wardriver
Eastern Promises
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Frank and Penelope
10 Rillington Place
Cheat
Grindhouse
Dressed to Kill
The Hitcher
Graphic Desires
Strange Darling
The Entity
Fear
Luther: The Fallen Sun
Sudden Impact
I Spit on Your Grave
Mother's Day
Watcher
Unhinged
War
I Spit on Your Grave 2
6 Bullets
The Killer
The Limehouse Golem
Influencers
Compulsion
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Blitz
Tightrope
Gothika
God Is a Bullet
Night of the Hunted
Faces in the Crowd
The Corrupted
Fright
No One Lives
In Cold Light
The Courier
Bloodline
Mindcage
Night Train
Bone Lake
Squealer
Jun 21, 1972
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2005
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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