93

First viewing of the RECUT; a director-approved 'fan edit' instinctively focused on gradual deterioration rather than the Theatrical Cut's grasp on masterful surface shocks. Indeed, the RECUT commits to the insanity as it's an inherent part of Lithgow's performance and De Palma's stirring eye, but there's a lyrical dreaminess to the way this "Director's Cut" explores the initial set-up which knocked me on my ass. Preferably, De Palma should always work in limited locations, as it enables greater expansion…

93/100

The opening of Dressed to Kill, with its soft-core seduction and luscious yet calculated imagery, is Brian De Palma grasping his fundamental characteristics and shrinking them into a singular sequence of delight and horror. A woman, standing naked in the shower, is watching her husband shave behind the foggy glass, and as dreams morph into fantasies and nightmares, we as an audience witness an entire history of a relationship through sensual gestures and primal fixations.

It is this woman,…

94/100

Mission: Impossible is delightfully cheesy, aged to perfection and surrounded by the meatiest strip of bacon ever crafted. It's a tasty and junky blast, from the first frame to the last. Brian De Palma has always been known for his sensual and gleefully silly ventures, all of which possess immaculate form and content. but this is easily his most delicious in regards to spookiness. The set-pieces here are just magnificent, relishing in flawless camerawork and ingenious pacing, and it's…