Dressed to Kill
1980
***½
Director: Brian De Palma
Cast: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Dennis Franz, David Margulies, Ken Baker, Susanna Clemm, Bill Randolph, Brandon Maggart
After a sexually frustrated New York housewife is brutally murdered by a mysterious blonde woman, the only witness becomes both a suspect and the next target. She teams up with the victim’s inventive teenage son to track down the killer. Brian De Palma has never tried to hide his Afred Hitchcock influences. If Obsession was his take on Vertigo, this thriller featuring cross-dressing and several shower scenes is his version of Psycho. The story may not be especially strong, but De Palma delivers beautifully composed shots and wonderfully orchestrated set pieces.
