Hello everyone!! Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are back to watching and sharing about comfy cozy (and sometimes, chilling) movies for the fall season. Feel free to join in with us!! Our link will be live for a whole week after we post about a movie. You can find Lisa’s post here.
Also -we have a winner for our Comfy Cozy Care Package! I will be posting the winner as well as an important update about next week’s movie at the end of this post.
This week’s movie is Rear Window starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly.
The summary: When professional photographer J.B. “Jeff” Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. When he suspects a salesman may have murdered his nagging wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his glamorous socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to investigate the highly suspicious chain of events… Events that ultimately lead to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history. (from Amazon)
Billy and I absolutely loved this movie! We were glued to the screen the entire time, except for the moments I had to cover my eyes because I was nervous (and one time because I was sad).
I think had I been Jeff in this situation, I would have totally been doing the same thing, watching the neighbors. I mean, it was pretty fascinating. A bit creepy I guess, but at the same time, there was so much to see out there. It was like a tiny little bit of life, played out large, with so many personalities. I loved how it was like snippets of all these lives, and the stories and imaginings they had about the inhabitants. And then the ending! Not just with Jeff and Lisa, but it was really cool to see how the stories ended for all the people he had been watching. It was just so many mini-stories laid out, and I loved it.
The main story itself, where Jeff begins to have suspicions plays out perfectly. As events transpire, I think it unfolds exactly as it should. There was nothing too crazy, and it reminded me on some level of Only Murders in the Building, which seems like it may have been a little inspired by Rear Window in some ways.
Hitchcock was seriously a master at his craft. The scenes he sets up, the feelings they invoke, the tension, the fear that can be created by the sound of a door clanging.. some scenes were so simple yet could send shivers down your spine.
I loved all the main characters in this movie, especially James Stewart and Grace Kelly. They both played their characters so believably that I began to just imagine that is how they really are. I totally could buy Grace Kelly as high society but with a twist- in fact I thought her character was so charming. And Stewart, while older, didn’t seem too old, even though there are twenty-one years between their ages. Sometimes in older movies it can be a bit ick but I didn’t get that too much in this one.
This year was also the 70th anniversary of this film so happy anniversary Rear Window!
Overall, I loved this movie. It is an old classic that I should have watched much sooner in my life than this!
If you have watched along with us, and want to share your link, please feel free. We would love it!
Ok – so let’s talk about next week’s movie. We were originally going to watch a movie I chose, Murder by Death. I chose it because I read that it was funny and because it has Maggie Smith in it but I didn’t do much research on it other than that. However, after doing some reading it looks like it could be considered problematic so we are going to scrap that one and trade it for Dial M for Murder instead. It is probably not a bad movie, but a movie that didn’t meet the goal of what was trying to be achieved – it was actually trying to shine a light on racism and homophobia, and no one mentions the ableism but I think I read that is in there too, that was prevalent in Hollywood and the world, but instead just looks like it is in fact all of those things itself. Anyway, we decided to watch Dial M for Murder for Comfy Cozy Cinema, since we are trying to be cozy and snug with this fun movie watching challenge. I think both of us plan on watching Murder by Death at some point though, whether it is together or just on our own.
For the week of Halloween, we are leaving it as a wild card, although Lisa and I are watching Practical Magic. Should I have a midnight margarita?
And now, our winner of the Comfy Cozy Care Package is Yvonne! Thank you to everyone who entered!
You can read Lisa’s post here.
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
We decided to wait until we return home to watch Rear Window. I hope to review it then.
Maybe we can watch both mysteries and I’ll do a double review.
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Oh that would be really cool!!!
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Yes and feel free to add your post to whatever linky you want to.
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Pingback: Comfy, Cozy Cinema: Rear Window – Boondock Ramblings
I watched this one some years ago and remember it fondly. Dial M for Murder is GREAT fun. I’ll try to dig out my disc o f it.
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Yay!!! I have never seen Dial M for Murder and I am really excited to watch it.
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I just started Only Murders in the Building last week and agree that they probably pulled some from Rear Window. I didn’t get an ick factor from Jimmy and Grace in this one either. I think because they seemed close in age in this one. Like she seemed more mature and not like a little, giggling school girl like some of the relationships in other movies.
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I started it last night – not last week. Very important for me to clarify that for some reason. 😂
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You know, that might have been it! She wasn’t like some giggling young thing paired with a father type figure. She seemed more on his level, and it seemed appropriate.
And yay! I love Only Murders in the Building!
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That sounds like a good one! I love Only Murders in the Building.
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It is so good!! Well, both of them are, this movie and Only Murders!
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I love Rear Window. I may need to watch it again.
Yesterday, I watched The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep both movies star Humphrey Bogart. I’m a Bogart fan.
I have the movie Dial M For Murder. I plan to watch it today.
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Ooo those sounds good! I have watched a few of his movies – We’re No Angels, The African Queen, Key Largo, Casablanca. Oh wow, I have seen more than I thought. Lol. But not those two.
And yay!
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I’m going to have to rewatch this movie because I don’t remember the end. I had no idea there was such a huge disparity in their ages, though. Now, I’m curious about the other movie. I may watch it if I can remember!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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I loved this one!! This has made it to the top of my favorite old movies list!!
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Very interesting to hear your thoughts about “Rear Window”, Erin!
Although I usually notice stuff like that, I have never even wondered about the age difference. Now I wonder if the reason is that although there were kisses, there wasn’t really anything more to me, maybe because Jeff was stuck in the wheelchair and kind of immobile?
Here’s my blog post
https://catswire.blogspot.com/2024/10/comfy-cozy-cinema-2024-rear-window.html
Cat
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It came up here and we looked it up because my husband was curious. We read that Cary Grant eventually stepped back from acting in roles where he was much older than the leading lady and we were curious what the age difference was in between Stewart and Kelly. I was actually pretty surprised!
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Yes, Cary Grant was already feeling strange about making Charade with Audrey Hepburn, but I’m so glad he made it because it’s one of my top favorite movies.
And he’s my favorite actor, hands down.
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I have not watched that one! I just really began watching Cary Grant movies when Lisa and I started watching movies together; she loves Grant as well and she got me watching them, which I am thankful for.
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Rear Window is my favorite Hitchcock by a mile! Grace Kelly is simply stunning and I loved at the end when she saw he wasn’t paying attention and switched to the fashion magazine with a bit of a smirk. I’ll be really curious what you think of Dial M for Murder!
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This one was fantastic!!! It definitely made it to the top of my favorites list. And I loved that little bit too. I was a little bit irked that she was doing so much to show him she was not just a high society woman who couldn’t get dirty, and he didn’t have to change at all, so that little smirk was perfect.
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