PodBill Just what I expected

Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!

GazerRise Fantastic!

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

dougdoepke This slasher flick may have historical significance, but I found it disappointing. As the slasher, Bohm's portrayal is simply too placid to engage interest. He's all hectic activity overseen up by an expressionless demeanor. Maybe that makes for an interesting case study for those who speculate. After all, Mark's about the last word in emotional repression. Plus, that penetrating cane that rises over his victims amounts to a telling bit of symbolism. Nonetheless, the overall result adds up to turgid cinema that failed to involve me in his predicament. To me, the best scenes are the movie sets-- the frazzled nerves, the tyrannical director. Such organized chaos appears a long way from Hollywood glamorville. Too bad Helen's blind mom (Audley) wasn't made the culprit. She projects the real depth that's a needed contrast to the wooden Bohm.. Also, there's plain-faced Anna Massey as Helen. Her looks and manner convey a poignancy that injects some suspense when she connects with the serial killer. (Massey also resembles Pat Hitchcock, Alfred's daughter, who was also doing cameo roles at the time.) Anyway, it's possible I saw a poorly edited version of what's reputedly a much-edited movie (IMDB). Nonetheless, judging from Bohm's uninvolving performance, the results appear unfortunately overrated, despite the hype.

CinemaClown An interesting journey into the mind of a serial killer that also touches on themes of voyeurism, loneliness, childhood trauma, sexual repression & the art of filmmaking, Peeping Tom was torn to shreds by critics when it premiered but just like any other film that was ahead of its time, it has garnered a cult following and is now regarded as a genre classic.Set in London, the story of Peeping Tom follows a lonely young man obsessed with the effects of fear and is making a documentary on it, the content of which involves him recording the final expressions of victims as he murders them. Things are set in motion when the woman living below his apartment befriends him and later comes across his works inadvertently.Directed by Michael Powell, the film packs a number of shooting tips & tricks up its sleeve and opens with a scene that introduces the protagonist doing what he does best, all captured from his camera's viewpoint. Powell paints a tragic portrait of the killer here, keeping his human aspects in tact throughout while showing him to be a psychotic product of child abuse.Also notable is the self-reflexive use of camera as this cinematic device narrates a story of its own through its POV shots, smooth manoeuvring, sharp images, bright lighting & vivid use of colour palette. Humour is cleverly incorporated in spite of the dark tone. Editing keeps the tension palpable, even leaving few murder moments to viewers' imagination, but the pacing is a bit on the slow side.Coming to the performances, Carl Boehm plays the serial killer and does a fantastic job at capturing his human side and articulating it to the audience in a relatable way. It's a thoughtful, balanced & impressive act by all means. Anna Massey is in as the girl next door but her work is mediocre at best while her mother, played by Maxine Audley, manages to leave an impression of her own despite her limited screen time.On an overall scale, Peeping Tom is a fascinating example of psychological horror that's skilfully directed by Michael Powell and is brilliantly steered by Carl Boehm's terrific rendition of his simultaneously creepy & pitiful character but there are slow patches in the middle that make the ride a bit tedious at times plus the interaction between our protagonist & his girl friend isn't quite engaging either. Controversial at its time of release, Peeping Tom has rightfully earned its place today amongst the finest works of its genre.

Hitchcoc This is a film better seen only once. It involves a filmmaker who kills women while filming their fear at their dying moments. We are brought into this by the camera angles. We get to know a young woman with whom he becomes fascinated. She starts to care for him, but there should have been hints to his lack of mental balance. No such luck. She is put through a terrifying ordeal. It's my understanding that the director pretty much lost his career over this production. He had other successes but it's not hard to imagine that the casual or even serious film-goer could have been really turned off by this. The positive is the artistry of the film; the downside is certainly the subject matter.

oOoBarracuda Some films are so innovative, so ahead of their time, so wholly engaging, that they leave the audience in a perpetual state of "wow" as they watch; Peeping Tom is one such film. Directed by Michael Powell in 1960 explores voyeurism and hypocrisy in a similar fashion to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho released the same year. Starring Karlheinz Böhm and Anna Massey, Peeping Tom delves into the emotional psyche of a man who uses his camera to kill people while simultaneously using it to film their dying reactions. Powell manages to tap into the sexual interest of voyeurism of his principle characters as well as the hypocrisy of what constitutes art in amazing ways. Showing such stark juxtapositions to illustrate hypocrisy was stunning. To watch this film in 2017, it's possible to miss just how revolutionary this film was for 1960, but nonetheless, Powell deserves to be recognized and praised for his innovative film.Mark Lewis (Karlheinz Böhm) is an introspective, shy man who works as a production assistant on British films. When he is not working on the film set, Mark takes pictures of naked women to be sold somewhat secretly by a store in town. Mark attempts to take artistic shots but is always brought back by the owner of the shop who constantly reminds him to only photograph naked women, as that is what sells. When Mark is not on film sets, or at a porn shoot, he spends the majority of his spare time tucked away in a bonus room in his flat watching reels of footage, that he makes, trying to chase his dream of becoming a filmmaker. The unsettling aspect is what Mark is viewing, Mark shoots murders, ones that he commits, and then watches them later in his flat. Mark's sexual repression is never more clear than when he is watching these films and becoming aroused by them. It becomes clear that Mark is obsessed with the effect of fear, and how it is experienced by others. Believing he is doing somewhat of a service by continuing his father's work on fear and the central nervous system, Mark views his films as research, thereby absolving himself of any guilt of committing murder. Mark fills his life with the different forms terror assumes, becoming obsessed with the emotion and willing to chase it no matter the cost.The most mesmerizing thing that Peeping Tom does is explore hypocrisy. Mark has the drive to create art, he wants to be a filmmaker, creating something for the rest of mankind, but is continuously denied the chance. Mark has taken to photographing subjects believing it to be an artistic outlet until he realizes he is supposed to take the most carnal of photos. Art is only valuable if it sells, and the naked women are all that his boss is interested in selling. Powell's ability to make such a statement on art and the way it is created and consumed was masterful. Peeping Tom is a wonderful suspense film, with each line of dialogue and image shown to the camera having a distinct place in the film. Any decent suspense film is dependent upon its score, and Peeping Tom has the perfect score for a suspense film. Another stand out technical aspect of the film is the interesting way in which color is used. Powell creates a world in Peeping Tom and uses color as an aid in such a way that the audience actually feels drawn into Mark's screening room. Karlheinz Böhm absolutely makes the film, creating a creepy yet unassuming Peter Lorre-type of performance, demanding attention from even his most subtle times on screen. Peeping Tom laid a foundation for many films to come yet continue to hold the respect of being one of the first of its kind, that "originals" often lose.