CLICK AND DOUBLE CLICK: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALFRED HITCHCOCK

Call me old-fashioned.

I like a good mystery that depends on the twists and turns of the plot -- not the blood and gore.

August would have been the 100th birthday of the late Alfred Hitchcock, who created some of the most spine-tingling movies of his time. As such, his movies are easy to find on cable this month. I enjoyed watching "The Man Who Knew Too Much" over the weekend. Perhaps that's why Hitch is so good. He takes ordinary people and puts them in extraordinary situations. And we follow along -- hook, line and sinker.

www.hitchcock100.com

Universal Studios celebrates the Hitchcock Centennial with a site called Hitchcock 100. This month the site takes a closer look at "Torn Curtain" and "Topaz." You can see rare production photos and movie posters from the films. You can watch film clips from both movies at the site.

You can also take a trivia quiz about the turbulent '60s, when these two featured films were made.

If you click on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," you can hear a funny clip from the mystery man himself. He addresses his remarks to those watching the show in the year 2000. "Please write in at once and tell us what life is like," he quips. "I'm quite curious."

Hitchcock made a point of appearing -- ever so briefly -- in his movies. You can watch the cameo clips from the featured films. In "Topaz," he's being pushed in a wheelchair in the airport. He then gets up and shakes hands with a man and walks off the screen. It's quick, but funny.

You can also play, "Mother's Maze," but you'll need Shockwave 7. I'm afraid my fate was the same as Janet Leigh. Turn down your volume, the scream was pretty loud.

Under back issues, you can take a closer look at "Psycho." Did you know Hitch changed American's movie-going habits by prohibiting late comers into the movie? Next month, the site features "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "Saboteur."

www.primenet.com/(tilde)mwc

This site isn't fancy looking, but it contains lots of information on the master of suspense. I wanted to learn more about his cameo appearances and this site lists them all.

Many times, his cameo is early on in the film -- sometimes even in the opening credits. Other times, it's well into the movie. That's the thing about Hitchcock, he has a wonderful ability to laugh at himself and others. His cameos are fleeting but funny.

In "Dial M for Murder," he's only seen in a class reunion photo -- 13 minutes into the film.

There's a comprehensive listing of all his films, which connects to the Internet Movie Database for more information.

What's your favorite Hitchcock film? Visitors to the site list "Rear Window" as their favorite, and I have to agree. Other top favorites include: "North by Northwest," "The Birds," "Psycho" and "Vertigo."

Sorry about this next address. It's long but worth the trouble.

nextdch.mty.itesm.mx/(tilde)plopezg/Kaplan/Hitchcock.html

If you're a Hitchcock novice, you can find out more in the FAQ section. The famous director died in April 1980, but the popularity of his films hasn't waned.

In addition to learning more about his films, you can study more about the anthology series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Hitchcock Hour." Of the 372 teleplays over the 10 years of the two series, Hitchcock directed only 20 of them.

Hitchcock's introductions of some of the episodes were priceless, especially the way he chided sponsors. That black humor is evident in such films as "The Trouble with Harry" and "Family Plot."

Another fun part of this site is quotes from Hitchcock's wit and wisdom. To a woman who complained that the shower scene in "Psycho" frightened her daughter so much that she would no longer shower, Hitchcock told her: "Then Madam, I suggest you have her dry cleaned."

There's about 20 photographs of his cameo appearances. In "Lifeboat," he was the "before and after" model in a newspaper ad for "Reduco Obesity Slayer."

You can also listen to long versions of the unmistakable "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" theme.

Another good site on the Hitchcock centennial can be found at

www.baylor.edu/(tilde)Hitchcock/Hitch.html

Apparently, many of the festivities begin in August and last through Halloween. An interesting part of this site was "A look back at Hitchcock." It quotes many of the authors and scholars who have written on this famous director. They speculate why his more than 50 films still intrigue audiences today.

There are links to other centennial events as well.

www.tdfilm.com

And if you can't get enough of Hitch, then try this site which bills itself as the "definitive link page" for Alfred Hitchcock. It includes an impressive 143 links to other Hitchcock sites.

It's divided into general sites, those that are film specific and those that deal with TV, magazines and other Hitch hype.

What's your favorite film site? E-mail me at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor of the Southeast Missourian.