Review of Dressed to Kill (1980) by Juan C — 14 Sep 2010

Voyeurism, sleaze, prostitutes, and gratuitous shower sequences are again recurring motifs in this De Palma work. This is a film that revels is showing the true undergound nature of New York.

He even relishes his filmatic indulgences with a split screen sequence that doesnâ??t work even though it is trying to represents the trans-gendered outcome. The 360 degree flourish is also here and actually works adds tension to the chase scene. Unfortunately his clumsy nature of handling confrontations is still present and it leads to another unbelievable sequence akin to Body Double. Killer POV shots are even in the film. Special mention also goes to the horror on the old woman's face as Angie gives her speech of the ways of prostitution, again so very similar to Melanie's speech.

It is also great to see regulars Dennis Franz and Angie Dickinson return. You can't help but think the Michael Caine role was meant for John Lithgow.

This film begins in a very similar way to Psycho as the central lead disappears in a familiar way. It also adds an interesting and at-the-time novel theme to the film of an older woman dealing with her marriage and coming to terms with her aging nature. There is also the psycho-analysis speech at the end which is ll but unnecessary.

There is a great concept in this film as the Psycho version of Vertigo. The pieces of puzzle are all in place but donâ??t come together. It is infuriating that they fail to do so as with a few changes this could have been amazing.

The shower scene itself lays the path nicely for De Palma's Body Double. And how superbly that scene was cut.