Dressed to Kill [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Director: Brian De Palma

Overview

In this stylish, violent thriller,an unhappy wife, Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), meets a handsome man in a museum and goes to his apartment for a quick sexual encounter. As she leaves, she is brutally murdered. Kate's son, Peter (Keith Gordon) sets out to solve the murder aided by the call-girl Liz (Nancy Allen), who discovered his mother's body and got a glimpse of the murderer, a blond woman. Peter begins watching the office of Kate's psychiatrist, Dr. Elliott (Michael Caine), setting up a camera to record the comings and goings of his patients. When the suspect finally appears, Liz makes an appointment with Elliott in order to get a look at his appointment book. In Dressed to Kill director Brian De Palma deftly incorporates all the tricks and plot devices he learned from observing the masters of the genre, Alfred Hitchcock, Mario Bava and Dario Argento to great effect. The scene where Kate meets her lover in the museum is reminiscent of Vertigo. The murder of Kate in the elevator frightening, bloody and chillingly effective, is similar in tone to the shower scene in Hitchcock'sPsycho. Brian De Palma directs with great visual panache, and gets great performances from his cast, particularly Michael Caine who gives his usual fine performance in a surprising and difficult role. Dressed to Kill is a violent, gory, memorable thriller with many surprises and exciting plot twists.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/18/2015
UPC:	0715515154413
Original Release:	1980
Rating:	NR
Source:	THE CRITERION COLLECTION, INC
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:45:00
Sales rank:	8,478

Special Features

New conversation between De Palma and filmmaker Noah Baumbach; New interviews with actor Nancy Allen, producer George Litto, composer Pino Donaggio, shower-scene body double Victoria Lynn Johnson, and poster photographic art director Stephen Sayadian; The making of "Dressed to Kill," a 2001 documentary; New profile of cinematographer Ralf Bode, featuring filmmaker Michael Apted; Interview with actor-director Keith Gordon from 2001; Pieces from 2001 about the different versions of the film and the cuts made to avoid an X rating; Gallery of storyboards by De Palma; Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Michael Caine	Doctor Robert Elliott
Angie Dickinson	Kate Miller
Nancy Allen	Liz Blake
Keith Gordon	Peter Miller
Dennis Franz	Detective Marino
David Margulies	Dr. Levy
Kenny Baker	Warren Lockman,Warren Lockman
Brandon Maggart	Cleveland Sam
Susanna Clemm	Bobbi
Fred Weber	Mike Miller
Sean O'Rinn	Museum Cabbie
Bill Randolph	Chase Cabbie
Robert Lee Rush	Hood
Mary Davenport	Woman in Coffee Shop
Amalie Collier	Cleaning Woman
Anneka De Lorenzo	Nurse
Norman Evans	Ted
Robbie L. McDermott	Man in Shower
Samm-Art Williams	Cop
Pino Donaggio	Composer
Anneka Di Lorenzo	Actor
Basil Rathbone	Actor

Technical Credits

Brian De Palma

Brian De Palma	Screenwriter
Samuel Z. Arkoff	Executive Producer,Producer
George Litto	Producer
Vic Magnotta	Stunts
Fred C. Caruso	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Just as Brian De Palma's Obsession rewrote Vertigo, Dressed To Kill rewrites Psycho. This time out, however, De Palma displays far more wit in an overhaul enjoyable for even those less immersed in Hitchcockiana than himself. Criticized for its sadism, the film might more accurately be described as an exploration of the sadism already implicit in Hitchcock's work, particularly in a bravura opening sequence featuring Angie Dickinson. Of course, how easily viewers let De Palma off the hook will depend on how literally they take the whole exercise. Certainly decades of advancement in gay rights date certain aspects of the film. But with De Palma it's best never to underestimate the satirical element, and here he combines his biting humor with some of the most thrilling suspense sequences of his career. It's a delicate balance that can produce such misfires as Body Double but when done right makes for a pretty thrilling ride.