Reviews of Murder à la Mod 1968
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BLACK DAHLIA came out 40 years after MURDER A LA MOD and has the same shot in it -- black-and-white audition, half-dressed actress playing an actress, directly addressing the viewfinder, with De Palma's own voice giving offscreen direction. It's those wormholes that keep you watching this debut feature, specifically how even then De Palma works to curdle exploitation. As a thriller, it doesn't hold up under the weight of self-referentiality (a charge I wouldn't levy against his later thrillers), although it gets away with Finley's silent comedy to a much greater degree than I expected. Only of interest to De Palma fans, but: of interest.
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Another strange piece of auteur juvenalia, this one giving the viewer an unfiltered view into what made Brian De Plama tick in the late sixties. All of the working parts of a De Palma film are present and accounted for; a little Hitchcock, a little Powell/Pressburger, and a whole lot of camera tricks. What this movie doesn't have, as a lot of first films do, is an editing job worth a lick. This would be a great sleaze-o B-thriller if…
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‘Murder A La Mod’ is a perfect example of how influential De Palma is on Tarantino’s work. Sporting a non-linear plot structure to slowly unravel the story’s mystery this experiential film is De Palma’s debut feature film. With its very own theme song this movie explores the connection with female sexuality and violence (pretty bold for 1967!) In a way it’s a reinvention of one of the first slasher films ‘Peeping Tom’ with the main murder tool being a sharp…
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There's a story somewhere in this film, but it will be awhile before you find it. It's pretty old and experimental though. If you have a really odd taste in low-budget psychotic thriller movies then this is perfect for you. Otherwise you can just avoid it.
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Rashoman meets Peeping Tom is the most 1967 high concept studio pitch there never was.
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DePalma’s first movie is an ambitious murder story that jumps around between viewpoints and times to tell the story of a woman who is killed by her film director boyfriend. It retains that sleazy 42nd street edge despite aiming higher than most exploitation features. It’s main problem is one of tone, specifically the “humorous” character of Otto who muddles several of the film’s attempts at suspense.