About this episode

The episode discusses Alfred Hitchcock's first commercial talkie, 'Blackmail', exploring its themes and impact on future thrillers.

Hitch is back! His/England's/Europe's first commercial talkie sets the tone and themes for a lifetime of adult-themed psycho-sexual thrillers. Complicated protagonists, with questionable values, make questionable choices (all in good fun) until evil men force them to come to terms with their own sense of self-worth. Sounds like a recipe for… blackmail! *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our merch store . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you'd like to watch ahead for next week's film, we will be discussing and reviewing BOTH Jean Renoir's The Lower Depths (1936) and Akira Kurosawa's The Lower Depths (1957).

More episodes of Random Acts of Cinema

• 239 - The Lower Depths (1936) and The Lower Depths (1957) · July 21, 2026 · 1h 27m
• 779 - Blind Chance (1987) · July 13, 2026 · 1h 20m
• 1 - The Grand Illusion (1937) · July 4, 2026 · 1h 23m
• 99 - Gimme Shelter (1970) · June 29, 2026 · 1h 37m
• 52 - Yojimbo (1961) · June 15, 2026 · 1h 21m

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