Hitchcock On Ecstasy: A Blobtastic Movie Review of 'Body Double'

Ok, I need to get this out...I just watched Brian De Palma's 1984 film Body Double, and loved it! I had first heard about the movie from reading Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 novel American Psycho, which follows the character Patrick Bateman a homocidal maniac on a murderous rampage across upper-class New York City. Patrick Bateman often refers to the movie as one of his favourite, boasting he's seen it some 37 times and often cites his favourite scene from it.

According to Mr.Bateman; "After more stetching exercises to cool down I take a quick hot shower and then head to the video store where I return two tapes I rented on Monday, She-Male Reformatory and Body Double, but I re-rent Body Double because I want to watch it again tonight even though I know I won't have enough time to masturbate over the scene where the woman is getting drilled to death by a power drill since I have a date with Courtney at seven-thirty at Cafe Luxembourg." (Ellis, American Psycho, p. 69.) Ahhh classic Pat Bateman.

So if anyone knows me, and my love for Bret Easton Ellis, and my strange obsession with Patrick Bateman/American Psycho it was only a matter of time before I HAD to see this movie.

Said to be an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's classic suspense thrillers of the past with a touch of De Palma class, Body Heat is embedded with mystery, suspense, nudity, and violence, and an all around great watch. The story follows the protagonist, Jake, a struggling actor who after freezing up on camera while filming a low budget vampire film, comes home to find his girlfriend with another man. Distraught and required to find a new place to live Jake runs into Sam, a fellow actor who offers him a place to live. Sam himself is house-squating at a luxurious house overlooking the Hollywood hills, but has to leave town for an acting gig he got in Seattle. Seeing an opportunity to help a fellow actor and not break his agreement to watch over the house, he asks Jack to sit in for him, and water the plants. While showing off the place Sam also presents Jake with an added bonus to the house-sitting deal, "his favourite neighbour" who performs self-absorbed foreplay in front of a mirror and open blinds across the way. Over the next few days Jake becomes a budding voyeurist and he gradually becomes obsessed with her nightly rituals. However he also begins to unravel more than he bargained for. Peering from his pirtched bachelor pad, he witnesses a brutal murder and begins to undercover a mysterious plot, which has him as suspect number one.
The film stars relative no name actors, Craig Wasson as Jake, Gregg Henry as Sam and Debroah Shelton as the seductive neighbour. The only real name in the movie (other than Dennis Franz who plays a bit part of the b-vampire film director), is Melanie Griffth, who plays a porno superstar named Holly Body, who I must say, looks pretty f*n 80's hot in this movie. The performances aren't great, but not terrible either. They are simply weak at times, and from the start you will feel as if this itself is a low-grade movie, but it doesn't take long for De Palma's talent to kick in and take you away with the strong story. Gripping and terrifying scenes, the voyeristic eroticism, nudity, sometimes brutal violence and even a music video for Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax in the middle of the movie, makes this movie a thrill to watch.

Watching the movie I couldn't seem to look away. I was in constant awe of what I was watching. I can't help agree with Roger Ebert in his review of the film when he points out "The movie is so cleverly constructed, with the emphasis on visual storytelling rather than dialogue, that we are neither faster nor slower than the hero as he gradually figures out the scheme that has entrapped him." I found this to be very true and instead of trying to guess on the ending, I just watched to find out the ending. The voyeristic naughtiness throughout the film also seemed to be very effective and you can't help feel somewhat turned on yourself even though you feel like a bit of a pervert yourself. I can't speak for females, but I'm sure you'd find the same excitment...you perverts! There is something about the images you see in Body Heat that commands a certain sexual attention. I'm sure if you find this movie in your DVD player during a date, following the credits, some sexual attention of your own will be met. (The Blob does not gaurentee this however). At numerous points in the movie I said to myself "this movie is so rad." I recall one point in particular I felt somewhat blown away at the genius of De Palma's film. It was the scene when Jake is gone undercover as a porno actor in order to meet Melanie Griffith's character for the first time. De Palma shows the audience the opening scene of the porno as if it was being filmed at that moment, however somewhat different to most porno's, the opening is staged as somewhat of a music video. The scene is tough to explain, but absolutely brilliant in my opinion. This concept which you in the audience is watching a movie in the movie occurs a few times over the course of the film and I find it highly effective and engaging. Its also original for the time. Kudos for originality. The infamous "drill scene" in the film that Patrick Bateman refers to in American Psycho also lives up to its hype as I demonstrated one of my best facial cringes in a while. Like American Psycho, this movie isn't for kids and all kinds of awesome.

However, the film has not gone unscaved with critics. On occasion dubbed as a theft of the "Master of Suspense." I can see why critics would pick Body Double apart for tearing out obvious comparisons to Hitchcock films. For example, the voyerism played out by Jake in Body Double, mirrors that of Jimmy Stuarts character in Rear Window, both characters peering out their back windows into a neighbours personal life and both witnessing a murder. Jake's struggle with claustraphobia in the film is in direct relation to Jimmy Stuarts paralyzing vertigo syndrome he suffers with throughout the movie Vertigo. Another scene that could be seen as comparable is the drill scene vs. the shower scene in Psycho. I could go on really, its not hard to see the parrallels between Body Double and Hitchcock movies, but does it make it a bad movie? I say no and so does Roger Ebert gave it 3 1/2 stars citing it as "an exhilerating excercise in pure filmmaking." Rotten Tomatoes has given it an 85% and although I don't often look on movie critics for their opinions on what to watch, I tend to agree with the majority of them on this one. I love Alfred Hitchcock but I also understand that is pretty damn near impossible to make a suspense movie without ripping him off slightly. So get out of Alfie Hitchcock's ass and watch this movie. I can see why Patrick Bateman watched this film 37 times. An excellent film worthy of my Pick Of The Week! Anyone want to come over and watch it with me again?

BONUS: The opening to the porno/music video mentioned earlier. Frankie Goes To Hollywood provides the soundtrack and this is seriously cut straight from 3/4 through the movie. I love it! If Glee was like this, I'd watch it. Fun Facts:(1)This also acted as FGTH's alternate music video for the single Relax. (2)For Ellis/Bateman fans, notice Jake is wearing Oliver Peoples glasses or close to them. Not so much SFW...(safe for work)