12 Times A Director Went On An INSANE Streak Of Great Movies
2. Alfred Hitchcock: Four Films From 1958-1963
The Streak: Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Birds
Alfred Hitchcock is rightly considered one of the best filmmakers of all time, but it was 30+ years into his career that he put together the defining run which would come to seal his legacy, achieving something few of his contemporaries had managed: a run of four sublime movies. There aren't many words to do this run justice, but thankfully they speak for themselves.
It kicks off with Vertigo, which is now considered the greatest film ever made. Understandable, although for my money it's not even the best of this run. Then there's the thrilling North By Northwest, which contains another all-time great James Stewart performance, and in its crop-duster sequence, one of the best movie scenes ever committed to the big screen.
Speaking of greatest movie scenes, he was then able to flip gear again with Psycho, whereby he delivered one of the most groundbreaking, jaw-dropping twists in cinema history only 30 minutes in - and then did another one before the credits rolled. Or how about the psychological terror of The Birds, taking something so everyday and commonplace and crafting a work of pure horror.
Hitchcock was known as the Master of Suspense, a title he never lived up to more than across these four films. But more than that, these four show him to simply be the master. His knack for building tension, for making you invested in the story, and leaving you completely stunned was unparalleled, and these four showcase that perfectly.
[JH]