It’s time yet again to Social Distance the heck out of this epidemic and watch a movie together while still staying in three different states: North Carolina, Florida, and California. Next up for the Tri-State Watch Party, we’re going with Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest.
The Netflix Watch Party app ended up being a little complicated, so we just set a time to hit “play” and then chatted through instant messenger. Click the jump to read some highlights from the conversation.
The Players: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kathryn, Nathan, and the parents (Parents represented here by Marian, because Dad would chisel a message in a stone tablet before typing anything on a phone.)
Marian
testing…
Kathryn
Helloooo!
Elizabeth
Greetings!
Running behind, renting on prime…
Marian
I ( Hannah) am on Mom’s computer trying to get it set up for Dad
Kathryn
No hurries.
Kathryn
Dad’s going to join the conversation?
Elizabeth
Rented!
Marian
Well, he’s going to be able to see the conversation
Hopefully
Kathryn
137 minutes, this movie definitely doesn’t feel that long.
We’re set over here too.
Hannah
Okay, just waiting on Mom
… who has decided to clean the kitchen? Perfect
Elizabeth
hahaha
Kathryn
MOM.
Hannah
Okay, we’re ready
Elizabeth
Hitting play!
Kathryn
Playing!
Wheee, no trailer!
Elizabeth
I swear, I actually know nothing about this movie other than the crop duster
Nathan
Keep any eye out for Hitchcock’s cameo. It’s pretty early in the film.
Hannah
Pretty modern feel for 59
Kathryn
Quite.
This movie has aged extremely well
Hannah
Did Hitchcock always use the same composer?
Elizabeth
There he is!
Nathan
And there it was!
Kathryn
I think he started doing those sooner and sooner to keep from being a distraction.
Nathan
Cary Grant: the very definition of suave.
Hannah
This feels like The Apartment. And all of these things must’ve influenced Brazil
Kathryn
Definitely the same rapid-fire conversation as The Apartment
Hannah
And claustrophobic offices
Kathryn
I’d like to say I’d start shouting, but that’s easy to say when you don’t have a gun pointed at you.
Hannah
It’s a helluva gambit to threaten to shoot someone in a crowded restaurant. Might call their bluff
Elizabeth
I’ve heard fall to the floor and make them pull your dead weight, but I don’t know if I’d be able to pull it off
Nathan
I’d forgotten Marin Landau was in this.
Kathryn
The very soul of charming menace.
Hannah
Isn’t that James Mason?
Nathan
Yep!
Marian
No. It is James Mason
Nathan
Martin Landau was the young guy outside the window holding croquet mallet.
Marian
And now we have Martin Landau
Elizabeth
Who’s on first?
Marian
James mason
Hannah
Mom…
Elizabeth
Martin Landau!
Hannah
Stop it, both of you
Kathryn
Ahahaha
Elizabeth
Hannah
Was James Mason ever parodied on Loony Toons?
Nathan
Hannah
Heh
Nathan
Might have been!
Hannah
Young Landau looks like Chelsey’s boyfriend
Kathryn
Wouldn’t that much liquor all at once KILL you?
Hannah
Naaaaaaaaaah
Marian
Depends
Hannah
Heh I didn’t realize this is where Death Becomes Her got this car plot
Elizabeth
I’ve had literal nightmares about this..
Kathryn
SO HAVE I.
“No they didn’t give me a chaser.”
Nathan
Elizabeth
“Doctor I am GASSED.”
Kathryn
The actress playing his mother is the same age as him, has to be
Nathan
Only 8 years older, in real life.
Hannah
That’s some Forrest Gump shit
Nathan
“What a performance!”
Kathryn
God, that panicky feeling where you KNOW you sound crazy and you can’t stop.
Hannah
Haha how often does that happen to you, Kathryn?
Kathryn
In my mind, all the time.
Hannah
Heh
Elizabeth
Putting fingerprints on all the things
And establishing a whole bunch of witnesses who know he’s Kaplan..
Kathryn
The call is coming from inside the hotel!
Now THOSE are some fancy elevators.
Nathan
Seriously!
Elizabeth
Speaking of nightmares…
Hannah
Blond baddie looks like Nik Wallenda
Kathryn
Elevator of DOOM
Elizabeth
Ooo, I forgot about the elevator nightmares. That’d be the only thing to make them worse: a pack of people laughing at you.
Beautiful building, matte painting?
Kathryn
Pretty sure.
Elizabeth
hee, dumbass
Nathan
DON’T GRAB THE MURDER WEAPON!,
Hannah
Eep
Hahaha
Kathryn
Everybody following the exposition here?
Elizabeth
I .think. so
Just that Kaplan doesn’t exist?
Hannah
Kaplan doesn’t exist
Kathryn
Got it in one!
Hannah
Getting more now
Elizabeth
And they’re hanging him out to dry
Hannah
“Nobody’s denying that” is a good comeback for professor exposition
Elizabeth
Grand Central Station?
Nathan
Yep!
Hannah
Yerp
Nathan
Did we ever take you there?
Elizabeth
Yep!
Kathryn
“Something wrong with your eyes?” “Yes they’re sensitive to questions.”
Hannah
On the Waterfront would be a good watch too
(EMS)
Nathan
Excellent film!
Been a long time since I lasted saw it.
Marian
On the waterfront is a great film
Elizabeth
Another one I’ve never seen
Nathan
I wish trains were still this nice.
Amtrak is decidedly low frills.
Hannah
I’ll say it: what’s in a Gibson?
Kathryn
Just looking that up now
Gin and vermouth
Marian
Martini with onion Garnish
Elizabeth
I like this lady, she’s got moxie.
Hannah
George Clooney definitely has this type down
Elizabeth
Agreed
Nathan
Trying to imagine Cary Grant singing Man of Constant Sorrow now.
Kathryn
This kind of frank sexuality in a female character is really refreshing
Hannah
Haha “OOPS”
Elizabeth
“It’s going to be a long night, and I don’t particularly like the book I’ve started” is a GREAT pickup line.
Hannah
Ol Monkey Knuckles
Elizabeth
Hee
Kathryn
Still the gentleman who pays for dinner as he runs from the cops.
Hannah
Exactly
Elizabeth
.wink wink.
Hannah
Hayes Code HAYS CODE
Elizabeth
Had to look that one up
Kathryn
Did that actually get repealed, or did everyone just start ignoring it?
Hannah
I .think. there was an official reversal of the code, but surprisingly late, like 1978 or something
Elizabeth
I feel like one of the Naked Gun parodies made fun of this, having sex in a very small cabin
Weeeell I had a feeling but still, crap.
Kathryn
Femme fatale
Elizabeth
Heh, he even paid the guy who’s clothes he stole
Is it that it’s a ladies razor?
Kathryn
Yeah, although I can’t imagine shaving your legs with that teeny razor would be any easier than shaving your face.
Hannah
I was going to say earlier that this also reminds me of 12 Monkeys, but then I remembered there’s a double feature in that film with Vertigo and The Birds, so OF COURSE it’s Hitchcock-inspired
Elizabeth
OH, totally forgot that.
Nathan
Classic scene coming up!
Hannah
Oh dear…
Nathan
After the shower scene in Psycho, this is probably Hitchcock’s most famous.
Elizabeth
THAT road reminds me a little of Se7en
Nathan
Hannah
Did Hitchcock coin the term “McGuffin”? Because this is all a good one
Nathan
He might have.
Elizabeth
Kaplan being the McGuffin?
Kathryn
The person driving the plot
Hannah
Pretty much. That this guy raised his hand at the wrong time in a restaurant and here we are
Kathryn
Just imagine being out here in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone and no way to find out if the bus is delayed. Or broke down. Or you just missed it.
The quiet menace in that plane going along the horizon…
Elizabeth
Even knowing it was coming I’ve still got goosebumps
Hannah
I guess just hiding behind the road sign wouldn’t be safe
Elizabeth
YIPE
Kathryn
‘SPLOSIONS!
Hannah
Hahaha
There was no music in all of that
Elizabeth
Amazing
Nathan
Fantastic!
Kathryn
Definitely an iconic scene for a reason.
Elizabeth
O hai
Ah in the days when they’d just hand your room number to strangers
Hannah
TBH if you know their name and floor they might still do that?
Elizabeth
Hm, good point
Hannah
(Speaking from a herd of idiot hockey players)
Can we pause at 10?
Nathan
Sure.
Hannah
All work and no play is apparently the theme of our June movies…
Nathan
Kathryn
That would be hilarious if we could keep that theme going
Elizabeth
Funny how he went from sexy to creepy so quick
I mean I know she’s no good but eesh
Kathryn
In a flash, damn.
Also, I want that dress.
Elizabeth
Same
Nathan
That is a nice dress,
Elizabeth
He’s wising up
Hannah
Okay sorry but pause?
Kathryn
Paused
Good spot for it.
Elizabeth
Paused!
Hannah
They also used that technique in Lebowski
Kathryn
I think I remember trying that pencil trick a long time ago.
You had to pretty much bear down with the pen, almost THROUGH the pad of paper, to make it work.
Hannah
I love how today’s brilliant wackadoo filmmakers have been inspired by noir
… is this noir?
Elizabeth
I guess?
Nathan
We’re at 1:25:39.
Hannah
Perfect, 1:25:37 here
Elizabeth
Cool, I’m at 1:25:56. I’ll back up
Kathryn
Would it have to be a black-and-white film to count as noir?
Hannah
I think this might be a generation after noir
What with the originals probably being French aaaaand all
Kathryn
Also, shall we hit play at 10:10?
Hannah
Sure
(They did a mini ep of Wooden Overcoats recently that was unsurprisingly sweet, involving Antigone’s French film nights)
Elizabeth
Ooo, I must listen?
Hannah
Yes, yes you must
Currently on The Wallace Household
ME: Your tea smells like a Yankee Candle shop
MOM: NO IT DOESN’T
Kathryn
Nathan
Elizabeth
hahaa
Kathryn
Two minutes, places!
Hannah
We here
Elizabeth
ready when yall are
Kathryn
Play
Hannah
Elizabeth
Playing
Speaking of creepy
Kathryn
The auctioneer has done a LOT of voicework I think.
Elizabeth
I feel like he’s got a 1950s voice
Nathan
He was in a few Twilight Zone episodes, too.
Elizabeth
Ooo, slow removal of the hand
“She puts her heart into her work. In fact her whole body.”
Buuuuurn
Hannah
NIK, NO
Sorry, woulda been throwing elbows if I were that lady
Elizabeth
heh
.rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb.
Hannah
ohsusanaohsusana
Nathan
Peas and carrots, peas and carrots.
Hannah
IIIII’ll have a lager she’ll have a beer
Elizabeth
“Stick this in your alphabet soup” is going into my vocabulary.
Interesting choice to have them still argue when you can’t hear them
Hannah
Anti exposition
Kathryn
And because we don’t need the Kaplan exposition twice.
Elizabeth
Ahhhhhh….
Hannah
TEDDY ROOSEVELT IS LITERALLY THE ONLY ONE WHO ISN’T LOOKING AT YOU
Elizabeth
hahahaha
Kathryn
Hee!
I was JUST thinking that.
Elizabeth
If there was anything else in South Dakota I wanted to see I’d suggest Rushmore for the next National Park trip.
Hannah
I’ll bet they have the usual trimmings around there
Elizabeth
Yipe!
Hah, nice.
Kathryn
Perfectly composed shot there.
Hannah
Lordy mcSoftFocus
Elizabeth
LOT of vaseline on that lens
Nathan
Not as much as they put on Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, though.
Elizabeth
True dat
Hannah
Did Cary Grant manage a longstanding romantic relationship in private, do we know?
Nathan
He married Dyan Cannon late in life.
She was quite a bit younger than him, too.
Hannah
I.. thought he was gay?
Nathan
I don’t think so.
Kathryn
I think you may be thinking of Rock Hudson.
Hannah
Huh.
Elizabeth
POW
Nathan
He was married five times, so I’d say, no, not gay.
Elizabeth
Not that that wouldn’t be a hell of a red herring if he was
Hannah
I mean, it’s Hollywood…
It’s definitely a prominent rumor, I didn’t make it up
Elizabeth
Huh, so it is. Him and Randolph Scott.
Nathan
He did take LSD. That’s a fact.
Elizabeth
Heh
Kathryn
Love that throwaway scene there
Elizabeth
Dude was carrying a lot of folding money
Hannah
Jesus any random mugger could’ve made out like a bandit
Nathan
Funny, you type Randolph Scott into the search field in the GIFs browser and you get lots of pictures of Cary Grant.
Elizabeth
Hmmm
Kathryn
Five marriages would be taking the whole “in the closet” thing a little far.
Hannah
Not in old Hollywood, I don’t think
Kathryn
True.
Hannah
At least bi tendencies
Elizabeth
I read somewhere that studios used to “take care of” their stars a lot more in the old days.
Hannah
Yeeeeep
PALM SWEATS
Elizabeth
RIGHT
Hannah
I am so sure I know James Mason from Bugs Bunny
Nathan
I would love to have a house like that.
Hannah
Friend, some of yer folding coin has come un-stowed
Elizabeth
Ooooo, I thought this scene was going in a different direction
Hannah
“Great height” with the crane shot. Nice.
Kathryn
Beautifully done.
Nathan
Shades of Rear Window here.
Kathryn
Champagne with ice cubes? You monsters.
Elizabeth
hahah
Hannah
I used to have a tiny pen like that and it was the best
Elizabeth
So classy. Even on the run he’s got a pen and a handkerchief.
a MONOGRAMMED handkerchief
Hannah
OMINOUS PROP PLANE NOISES
whew
Kathryn
Hitchcock knew how to play out the tension
Elizabeth
Complimentary box of cigarettes on the coffee table, different times.
Kathryn
Evil housekeeper returns
Elizabeth
Nice wrapping up of a loose end there
Ah, I thought it was a security camera and went “surprisingly high tec there..”
Hannah
Everybody Has a Tiny Gun
Kathryn
My favorite line in the whole movie.
Elizabeth
hahahah, same gun!!
Hannah
Watch out for the talking trees
I had no idea the monument factored so heavily in this movie
Nathan
Climb down Mt. Rushmore in heels & loafers? Good luck!
Elizabeth
palms sweating again…
Kathryn
Odd that the crop dusting scene became more iconic than the monument
Nathan
The original title was going to be “The Man on Lincoln’s Nose.”
Hannah
Hahaha
Elizabeth
That would’ve been too on the nose.
…I’ll see myself out…
Hannah
… stop it
Kathryn
Get out
Elizabeth
Oh, it’s the statue. For a second I thought he was carrying her shoes for her.
Kathryn
Understandable
Hannah
NIK, NO
NO, NIK
Elizabeth
hahaha
Hannah
Oh dang, went the way of his grandfather
Shades of Last Crusade here
Elizabeth
Very
Awwwww
Hannah
Waow that was… sudden
Kathryn
Train going into a tunnel. IN YOUR FACE, HAYS CODE.
Elizabeth
Heh. The Train Going Into the Tunnel got past the censors
JINX
Hannah
YEP
Nathan
My favorite Hitchcock film!
Elizabeth
So fun!
Kathryn
Now what movie won the Oscar that year. I need to listen to the Best Pick episode and see what they said about it.
Hannah
Argh, I was trying to think of that
Kathryn
Hmm, looks like it was Ben Hur.
Remember how Hannah said the Oscars could use a Cultural Juggernaut category?
Hannah
WILLIAM WYLER STRIKES AGAIN
… was that even him? I don’t actually know
Honestly did I say that? Because they tried it and it was stupid
Elizabeth
Did they?
Kathryn
I remember you suggested it when there was talk of Avatar getting a Best Pic nom.
Hannah
They threatened a “best big blockbuster” or something but it never happened
Elizabeth
God forbid we make the Oscar ceremony even longer
Hannah
Oh, well to keep any non-terminator Cameron movies out of the running, sure
Kathryn
I think the uproar was about the idea that people have that the super-successful movies are never going to be the “good” ones.
Hannah
Or at least, why award movies just because they’re already financially successful?
Kathryn
That too.
Looking for a present for that hard-to-shop-for person? Want to buy them (or yourself) a square foot of a castle in Scotland? Look no further! You can support the restoration of Dunan’s castle, legally call yourself Lady or Laird, AND if you use this link to get there, you can support this podcast too! ScottishLaird.co.uk.
If you want to follow along with Fanart Fridays, check us out on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram!