Dressed to Kill (Special Edition): Amazon.ca: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Dennis Franz, David Margulies, Ken Baker, Susanna Clemm, Brandon Maggart, Amalie Collier, Mary Davenport, Anneka Di Lorenzo, Ralf D. Bode, Brian De Palma, Gerald B. Greenberg, Fred C. Caruso, George Litto, Samuel Z. Arkoff: DVD

Product Description

Amazon.com Essential Video

To condemn Dressed to Kill as a Hitchcock rip-off is to miss the sheer enjoyment of Brian De Palma's delirious 1980 thriller. Hitchcockian homages run rampant through most of De Palma's earlier films, and this one's chock-full of visual quotes, mostly cribbed from Vertigo and Psycho. But De Palma's indulgent depravity transcends simple mimicry to assume a vitality all its own. It's smothered in thickly atmospheric obsessions with sex, dread, paranoia, and voyeurism, not to mention a heavy dose of Psycho-like psychobabble about a wannabe transsexual who's compelled to slash up any attractive female who reminds him--the horror!--that he's still very much a man.

Angie Dickinson plays the sexually unsatisfied, fortysomething wife who's the killer's first target, relaying her sexual fantasies to her psychiatrist (Michael Caine) before actually living one of them out after the film's celebrated cat-and-mouse sequence in a Manhattan art museum. The focus then switches to a murder witness (De Palma's then-girlfriend Nancy Allen) and Dickinson's grieving whiz-kid son (Keith Gordon), who attempt to solve the murder while staying one step ahead (or so they think) of the crude detective (Dennis Franz) assigned to the case. Propelled by Pino Donaggio's lush and stimulating score, De Palma's visuals provide seductive counterpoint to his brashly candid dialogue, and the plot conceals its own implausibility with morbid thrills and intoxicating suspense. If you're not laughing at De Palma's shameless audacity, you're sure to be on the edge of your seat. --Jeff Shannon

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

44 Reviews

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (44 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars unrated version, Nov 8 2007

By

falcon "disdressed12" (canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Dressed to Kill (Special Edition) (DVD)

i just finished watching Dressed to Kill,which is written and directed
by Brian De Palma.the DVD had both the"R" rated version and the unrated
version.i chose the unrated version.since i have yet to view the "R"
rated version,i can't be completely sure of the difference.there is
however a very graphic graphic female nudity including a scene of
explicit expression of self gratification in this version.i guess you
could call this scene soft core porn.if this sort of thing may offend
you,i would suggest you view the "R" rated version.but i digress.Any
comment from here on refers to the unrated version.this is a murder
mystery/ psychological horror/suspense movie.there is very little
violence and blood.there is however one death sequence of note.the act
of the killing itself is fairly graphic.however the blood it self does
not look real.it is reminiscent of how a 70's slasher film would look.i
believe this is done deliberately to offset the violence of the act
itself,to give the scene a low budget feel.most of the violence,or
rather possibility of such,is implied.the film is very well paced.as
far as i can tell every scene had a purpose,which i find very rare when
compared to many of today's films. anyway,i also thought the acting was
good,especially Angie Dickinson.and Micheal Cane turns in a quietly
understated performance in his role,which works brilliantly in this
case.the movie also has one great twist in it,in my mind,although some
people might find it predictable.the only complaint(and it's really
more of an observation)i have is that i thought the character played by
Nancy Allen could have been fleshed out more,especially considering she
has a fair amount of screen time.but i think she does a good job with
what she is given.and this doesn't really take away from the quality of
the film.the film also has a strong moral to it,which is even more
relevant today.but the movie doesn't hit you over the head with it.i
also really liked the musical score,composed by Pino Dinaggioi felt it
was very similar to the music in the original Psycho.to me,this music
really elevated the movie.i thought this movie was brilliant.for
me,Dressed to Kill(1980)is a 5/5

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

3.0 out of 5 stars Glossy, meaningless, and occasionally scary, July 14 2004

By

Gavin Wilson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dressed to Kill (Special Edition) (DVD)

Brian de Palma knew his 1970s audience. When choosing what film to see at the cinema (if you had a choice in those days), it was difficult for many men to persuade their girlfriends to choose an out-and-out erotic movie. (The cinema scene in 'Carry On Camping' gives you some idea of the prevailing attitudes.) So, much like the Hammer movies, de Palma wrapped up the sex in a glossy horror thriller coating. Bizarrely, girls found it much easier to tell their mums that they'd be going to see 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' than 'Swedish Nurses Get Hot', or whatever.

But watching this movie with 25 years of hindsight, when people tend to be more open about sex, you have to wonder what was the point of this film, and what was an actor as good as Michael Caine doing in it. Angie Dickinson, another highly paid actress of the era, is also in it, but frankly her death is so badly acted that you could fairly say she deserved this film.

De Palma is a great user of that "Actually it was all a dream" device that we're warned to avoid in creative writing classes. So we get two dream sequences -- each with a central shower scene -- which are both flimsy excuses to get the clothes off his leading ladies (Dickinson and Nancy Allen). Despite the partial use of a body-double for Dickinson, these are attractive, gripping scenes, and probably the highlights of the movie.

The less said about the geekish son and the police detective, the better. Allen's redemption from NY hooker to sleep-alone companion (in chintz night attire!) to the son is also less than convincing.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

4.0 out of 5 stars GOING UP?, Jun 20 2004

By

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Dressed to Kill (Special Edition) (DVD)

DRESSED TO KILL is very much like "Psycho" in its opening segments. Here we meet the lovely Angie Dickinson who feeling sexually unsatisfied engages in a cat and mouse game with a stranger in a museum. She ends up having wild sex with him in a cab and then off to his apartment for an afternoon of fun. That fun turns sour however when she finds a doctor's report that is disturbing in itself, and then she forgets her wedding band and so after intending to leave, she goes back up and meets..well...it's just like Janet Leigh in Psycho. Your heroine is offed in the first thirty minutes. The killing scene in the elevator is extremely disturbing and brutal, and made even more so in the unrated version.
DePalma has often been accused or ripping off Hitchcock, but I don't think that's the case. Always using an imaginative twist as his fulcrum, DePalma gave us some really intense, chilling thrillers, heavy at times on sex and violence, but nonetheless, hypnotic and mesmerizing.
The cast performs adequately, although Caine seems a little disinterested and Dennis Franz plays his crude cop for the hundredth time. Nancy Allen and Keith Gordon are fine, but Angie really steals the film, even if only briefly. Without any dialogue, she shows how lonely and "hungry" she is while chasing this stud around the museum. And as with Leigh, one can't help but feel sorry for their untimely demise.
Not one of DePalma's best, but still a deserving thriller.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 44 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 110 reviews 4.1 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars one of my all time favorites!
One of my top ten favorite movies along with Carrie also by Depalma. i won't say too much about the story without giving too much away. Read more

Published on May 8 2004 by Jeremy Boettcher

3.0 out of 5 stars Under Dressed
Director Brian De Palma's early film career is noted for a series of thrillers, some of which are among my favorites in the genre. Read more

Published on April 1 2004 by T. Lobascio