Vertigo at the Tennessee

I was able to escape the heat, the humidity, celebrity news and commercials for “Wanted” this weekend in the cool, beautifully restored Tennessee Theatre to take in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”. I’ve seen “Vertigo” who knows how many times, and I always see something new, something I’ve never noticed before. Its a film that I liked the first time I saw it, and have grown to love. As perfect a film about obssesion that could ever be, it’d be easy to become obssessed with in and of itself. Wanna nice obssession-themed double feature. Watch “Vertigo” back to back with “Raging Bull”. Good times.

One of the great things about watching an old movie at the Tennessee is the crowd isn’t the normal mix of film watchers and “hey, aren’t I at home? Good, I’ll talk on my phone and ask questions about the movie and make everyone around my miserable.” that you would find at the ole’ multiplex. At least it never was before. Usually you can bet on a mix of film geeks and their friends and older people, which is what appeared to be in line for “Vertigo”. No such luck. People were conversing with one another, on phones, and laughing at points that no sane person would. Hitcock flicks are full of dark and sometimes even silly humor, but Jimmy Stewart begging Kim Novack to change her hair color because “It can’t matter to you Judy!” isn’t one of them.  Maybe people thought since it was an old movie it didn’t matter, I dunno. Even with all the talking, laughing, and even a Kim Novack directed catcall, it was worth not watching on DVD again for two reasons. One: My living room is not nearly as nice or ornate as the Tennessee Theatre, and Two: My living room doesn’t have a guy that rises out of the floor playing a Wurlitzer organ before the movie starts.