Volume 9, Issue 7 / July 2005

Ahead of a few thematic issues Offscreen presents a mixed bag ‘contained’ around British cinema. Two of the essays look at underappreciated British directors who were contemporaries, England’s Alan Clarke, and Scotland’s Bill Forsyth. The next three essays are works centered ‘around’ Alfred Hitchcock. A few years ago Offscreen published two pieces addressing what we felt was an unjustified attack on Gus Van Sant’s Psycho remake. In this issue we return to the issue of Van Sant’s Psycho, and remakes in principle, with James MacDowell’s theoretical analysis of Van Sant’s Psycho. Argento’s latest film, Ti Piace Hitchcock (Do You Like Hitchcock), will, unfortunately, only add fodder for those misguided people in Italy who continually refer to Argento as the “Italian Hitchcock.” This made-for-television feature is Argento’s own tribute/homage to a figure who has left his mark on all forms of cinematic murder-suspense genres (the thriller, the giallo, etc.). Stay tuned for upcoming thematic issues on the Fantasia International Film Festival and a special focus on Austrian experimental cinema centered around the DVD label Index.