Best movies: Fadil Hadžić

I remember catching "Love for Deer" back when they ran a special series at the local cinema near Central Park. To me, it was a solid movie that tackled some pretty sensitive subjects, though I actually preferred "Two Sides of the Coin" when I saw that one during the same screening cycle.

Anyway, I had a colleague shoot me a quick DM to correct me on "The Alphabet of Fear"—turns out that one actually got a DVD release. He also mentioned that "Doctor of Madness" ended up getting a DVD release as well.

The alphabet of fear. The actresses are stunning—especially those villainous types. Megan Fox actually reminds me of her. You can feel this mounting anxiety building toward the end... I loved that nonchalant moment with the cigarette. It instantly pulls you into a spy thriller vibe, especially since we don't even see the mastermind behind it all. What annoyed me was her constant, mindless dusting. My impression is that the movie never really digs deep into any single aspect; it feels like it was made with one hand tied behind its back. We never truly understand the stakes of the mission, the terror isn't visceral enough 😉, and the action sequences lack polish. Plus, the whole Nazi atmosphere in a place like Chicago feels totally superficial. Well, since it’s a 1961 flick, we basically have these old-school, vampire-like fascists on one side and the hunters on the other—two sides of the coin. The way they drag out the mystery of the maid is a bit naive, but honestly, that's just classic Hitchcock. The camera work is suggestive and does a great job of creating that sense of danger. There you go. V.

Solid critique. I have to say, I don’t quite see eye to eye with you on this one—I actually think the movie holds up much better than your assessment suggests—but it remains an absolutely sharp piece of criticism regardless.

Does anyone recall the name of that fictional band from the movie Ambassador? It’s always on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't pull it up.