Thursday, April 7, 2022

1980 Mystery 'Dressed to Kill' with Brian De Palma who pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock

DRESSED TO KILL from FILMWAYS PICTURES (1980). It was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine and Nancy Allen. The production budget climbed to $6.5 million. It grabbed $31.9 million at the U.S. box office and was considered a hit. 

Angie Dickinson claimed that she was hesitant at first to play Kate Miller. She just came off of the successful TV series, "Police Woman" (1974-78). Millions of Americans knew her as Sgt. "Pepper" Anderson. She was also afraid to do the full body nude scenes in the film. The director hired a body-double who was a Penthouse (nude) magazine "Pet" of the month. Dickinson relented because she also wanted to portray Kate who is so different from herself. 

"Dressed to Kill" tells the story of a house-wife named Kate Miller. She's sexually frustrated because her husband is "boring" in the bedroom. In a night dream - she is raped by a strange man in front of her husband - in the shower. 

Then one day... She flirts with a male stranger at an art museum. Without knowing his name. She gets into a taxi-cab with him. The man gives her what she had always fantasized about. Her screams of pleasure are explosive.

What Kate doesn't know is that she is being followed by a mysterious woman.

I won't give anything away.... Brian De Palma is influenced by Alfred Hitchcok. He copies Hitchcock's camera-style and suspense in this movie. It also involves a brutal murder. 

The film received the "X-Rating" by the MPAA. De Palma trimmed off the full frontal of Kate Miller in the shower to get an "R-Rating." The Director's cut adds it back in.

You can watch DRESSED TO KILL for free. You may have to sign-in with your Facebook account.

("Dressed to Kill" 1980. A scene from the movie.).

("Dressed to Kill" from 1980. Shower scene from movie.).

("Dressed to Kill" from 1980. A dream sequence from movie.).

Below is the original movie trailer from 1980.

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