Still holds up thanks to the perfect music score
Added 11/8/2009
I first saw this in 1983, and have revisited every so often since. I have to say that although it's a little dated now, it's still quite stylish, unique, and gripping. But without that incredible music score by Pino Donaggio, there's no way it would remain as significant to me as it does. It's perfect, especially during the final bookend shower sequence with Nancy Allen. And what a clever way to close off the movie. She made up the dream about the razor while meeting with Michael Caine. But then she ends up dreaming about the razor, and we even see the strap on the wall. I used to think it was a tacked on conclusion, but now I see that it was a fun yet crazily suspenseful way to end the film. He attempted the same with "Carrie" but that was for pure shock value. This time he really got it right. It's a classic as far as I'm concerned.
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2 stars out of 4
Added 4/4/2009
The Bottom Line:
Dressed to Kill is often cheesy fun (DePalma is rarely unentertaining) but it's a really pretty terrible movie that rips off/homages Psycho at a dozen different points, thinks transsexualism and multiple personalities are the same thing, wastes a nice performance by Nancy Allen and ends stupidly: rent it if you have a bunch of friends and want something campy to mock, but not for its legitimate merits.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Nice 2.35 version
Added 11/26/2008
A true 2.35 format. I had an hideous VHS tape of this movie, but here is a very good copy.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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De Palma's best next to Carrie
Added 10/21/2008
While the comparison to Psycho is inevitable, Dressed to Kill is a classic in its own right. De Palma may tip his hat to Hitchcock in some of his films, but I've never felt like they were copycats. The cast here is terrific. Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine and Nancy Allen (who at the time was married to De Palma) are the lead actors. Angie plays the troubled and frustrated Kate Miller and like Janet Leigh's Marion Crane in Psycho meets an unfortunate end in an elevator about 1/3 into the picture. Then we have the heroine played by Nancy Allen who is determined to find the killer in order to clear herself as a suspect along with the help of Kate Miller's son played by Keith Gordon. Michael Caine plays Kate's psychiatrist who thinks the killer is another one of his patients named Bobbie, a man who wants the doctor to approve a sex-change operation so he can be a woman. With a lot of suspense and character development, I consider Dressed to Kill one of my favorite De Palma films next to Carrie. The museum scene is really something to behold which uses music, facial expressions and body language to convey its meaning rather than using words. Another special touch was the little girl in the elevator who stares suspiciously at the guilty Angie Dickinson, bringing her to tears as if she knows what she has done. In the special features section, Angie herself commented on that scene and says this film is her best work and I agree. The twists and turns, mystery, suspense, music, poignant scenes and strong characters all make this thriller rank amongst the best of them. As Nancy Allen said, people are still talking about Dressed to Kill over twenty years later and enjoying it as much as they did back then. That alone makes it a classic. Also recommended by De Palma: Raising Cain
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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One of my faves from the 80s
Added 10/1/2008
I remember watching this back in the 80s when it first came out. I am (naturally) changing to dvds and wanted to add to my collection. Of course, being from the 80s, it is a bit dated, but I like the "feel" of the film. I like to call this the pre-cursor to "Basic Instinct".
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Still holds up thanks to the perfect music score
Added 11/8/2009
I first saw this in 1983, and have revisited every so often since. I have to say that although it's a little dated now, it's still quite stylish, unique, and gripping. But without that incredible music score by Pino Donaggio, there's no way it would remain as significant to me as it does. It's perfect, especially during the final bookend shower sequence with Nancy Allen. And what a clever way to close off the movie. She made up the dream about the razor while meeting with Michael Caine. But then she ends up dreaming about the razor, and we even see the strap on the wall. I used to think it was a tacked on conclusion, but now I see that it was a fun yet crazily suspenseful way to end the film. He attempted the same with "Carrie" but that was for pure shock value. This time he really got it right. It's a classic as far as I'm concerned.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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2 stars out of 4
Added 4/4/2009
The Bottom Line:
Dressed to Kill is often cheesy fun (DePalma is rarely unentertaining) but it's a really pretty terrible movie that rips off/homages Psycho at a dozen different points, thinks transsexualism and multiple personalities are the same thing, wastes a nice performance by Nancy Allen and ends stupidly: rent it if you have a bunch of friends and want something campy to mock, but not for its legitimate merits.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Nice 2.35 version
Added 11/26/2008
A true 2.35 format. I had an hideous VHS tape of this movie, but here is a very good copy.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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