Nicolas F. Costoglou Brian De Palma is one of my favourite directors. I like him since i saw Mission:Impossible as a little child (even though i didn't knew it was by him). I'm also a big Hitchcock-Fan, and so is De Palma obviously, because most of his greatest films are inspired by him, and this one is most notably no exception. It's a slightly different, more sleazy and sexually charged version of "Psycho" to say it simple. And in my opinion it's as good.The camera-work is marvellous, one of the best sequences in the movie is in a museum, where they cut between two long-takes. Then there is a split-screen sequence which grabs your attention, and let's you, the viewer, decide which one of the parallel stories is more interesting to you. And much, much more. There is rarely a movie where i had to smile as much as in this one, just because of the technical aspects and the incredible sense of suspense.Also the actors are all splendid, very natural, and fitting for their roles.The soundtrack is great, and it has to be, because most of the scenes work out without a single word of dialogue (visual storytelling at it's best).I could talk about every scene in this movie for hours, but to put it simple (again) this movie is a masterpiece of suspense, worthy of being called "hitchcokian" and one of De Palmas finest...

Leofwine_draca Brian De Palma here directs another above-average thriller dealing with his principal interests of sex and violence, in his own flamboyant and inimitable style. All of the things you expect from a good De Palma film are here, from the fluid and interesting use of the camera which gives the film a classy visual look, to the elegant music by Pina Donnagio, to the Hitchcock references. Here, it's PSYCHO, with supposed heroine Angie Dickinson, a middle-aged housewife with a problematic sex life, who becomes drawn into a storyline involving a killer.De Palma shows a total understanding of the elements required to make a gripping thriller in this movie and he does everything right. Not least of which is assembling a solid and proficient cast, highlighted by Michael Caine's twitchy turn as a psychiatrist with a dark secret of his own. Fine too, is Dickinson as the bored housewife, around whose sex life much of the film is centred. De Palma enjoys playing with Dickinson's character, twisting her around so that a moment of joy becomes a moment of horror as she learns that a man she has just slept with has a venereal disease. Nancy Allen turns up as the classy prostitute with a heart, who finds herself stalked by the killer in some suspenseful sequences (the best of which is at a train station - something about De Palma and train stations is just right). Smaller parts are taken by Keith Gordon as the young, brainy hero, and Dennis Franz, who adopts the cop-you-love-to-hate type role which he would recreate throughout much of his later career.Highlights in the film for me include an excellent cat-and-mouse game in an art gallery as Dickinson attempts to snag a prospective lover; the aforementioned train sequence in which Allen is chased by both a gang of thugs and the killer; and of course the taut lift sequence. The violence is bloody and brutal without being over the top, and a strong sexual undercurrent runs throughout the movie, occasionally erupting into the aforementioned violence with a lot of power. De Palma can't resist inserting one final shock/dream sequence at the end, either, which rounds things off nicely. Although his repeated camera tricks sometimes work against him (the split-screen, for instance, isn't as effective here as in CARRIE, making the screen muddled instead of exciting), DRESSED TO KILL still stands as a solid, powerful thriller made at the height of De Palma's career.

stonedraim **** May contain strong spoilers ****This is a review made by StoneDraim... and that means that if you want to read a probably different kind of review, keep reading....This is my personal experience, my personal point of view/perspective and my personal opinion... and my opinion is just one of like 7 billions in this world.Typical Brian De Palma movie magic, this movie begins like a blend of a romantic adult scene and a deeply psychological thriller with a little touch of "Psycho". Were I surprised and a little chocked over all the details that were shown during the woman's shower? Yes, I was.About 16 minutes into this one, there is an epic scene where the lady is at an art gallery. Her emotions and impressions is very effectively enhanced by the wonderful orchestra doing the music in a almost Italian sense of way. Her desperation is matched perfectly by the strings. Just the fact to give about 5 minutes of a movie describing a sexual frustrated woman's own inner war in chasing a man, then turning the back to the man, losing her glove to the man and chasing him in a subtle way is fantastic! These five minutes following the opening scene is showing what is going on inside of her. A successful lady bored of life and starting to walk the edge of experimental minds a little too much... to the edge of madness.Brian De Palmas usual technique of camera angles and zoomings blended together with close shots is all over the place and gives "Dressed to kill" that special Mr. De Palma touch.Amazing work on the script. Almost 35 minutes of the entire movie is spent to the woman and her life in more than one way. Then she is killed and the main character is suddenly all gone... the story turns around and continues with other characters following that. Piece of art! The killing is very intense and blood is floating everywhere. The razor is drawn along the woman's throat and in details I can witness the brutality. From a observation in psychology into this immediately and effective turn. Well done, Mr. De Palma!1 hour and 35 minutes... I am in awe! Like a psychological version of an insane asylum with the touch of....yes... Dracula.... with an escaping patient rounding it off in "Psycho" way!Over to the movie as a product: - The production : Brian De Palma. All through a great production from 1980. Pino Dinaggio's score lifts it up a great deal. - The actors : Michael Caine is.... Michael Caine; hooray! He delivers every time. Nancy Allen.... I saw Robocop and went crazy on her good skills. Now... well....... From 1980 to 1987 of Robocop, she made the major leap, let me tell you that. Besides that, good acting on the behalf of the other actors. Dennis Franz is making a hilarious portray of a little over the edge experienced civil "cop". - The story : Major twists makes this a solid top notch story. From a little intense drama to a combination of thriller, crime and detective mystery thing. - Entertainment : Hard to really appreciate it to the fullest 36 years later. Even so... more than good. - Age : 15. A good old slashing makes the age pop up more than 5 years.7,0 out of 10. (The final rate is based most on my own entertainment of the movie. Short elucidation of the rating: 7 Well made movie. Proper entertainment.)

jadavix I read somewhere that Hitchcock was reportedly unhappy with the extent to which De Palma's previous thriller, "Obsession" (1976), borrowed from his acknowledged masterpiece "Vertigo". If this is true, the master should have saved up his vitriol for the next de Palma work in the genre he made famous - "Dressed to Kill", which raises serious questions about the line between homage and rip off, if such a line exists at all.As a big fan of the movie, de Palma's best pure suspense work of all, I believe that its feet are firmly in the homage camp. De Palma had style of his own to spare; his movie doesn't rely on our familiarity with "Psycho" to carry itself along: rather it's a treat for fans of the 1960 classic as it wears its influence on its sleeve, but develops into a different beast."Dressed to Kill" - and this is not a slight on "Psycho" - goes further with some of the themes of the 1960 film. Transexuality was hinted at in Hitchcock's film; here it is actually explored. The killer's sexual motive is also more fully explored. A mere "rip off" would not bother trying to juggle these themes: it would give them a nod to make sure we caught them and leave it at that. Rip offs take laziness; proper homage takes dedication and research. We get them both here.It is also true that the movie uses another sublime Hitchcock touch which we also saw in his first thriller, "Sisters" - the character presumed to be the protagonist meets a surprising end and the movie abruptly shifts gear as a new, entirely different kind of main character is introduced.There are an infinite number of ways in which a filmmaker or storyteller can substitute one protagonist for another. The master did it particularly effectively, yes, but the technique is too broad in its applications for us to claim it as his own entirely.Lastly, a word about the casting, and its sexual implications. The surprisingly graphic opening scene, with an ageing Angie Dickinson in the shower, shows us perhaps more than we wanted to see. It is a blessing, then, when she is replaced by Nancy Allen's call girl, who has a few scenes that make this one of the sexiest movies ever made.