Ep 178 Peeping Tom

Last episode we watched “The Red Shoes”, considered by many to be the masterpiece of directors Powell and Pressburger, by contrast we now turn to the film that practically ended Michael Powell’s career, as we discuss 1960’s “Peeping Tom”. A film in which we learn that a surprise lizard is an excellent substitute for a child’s alarm clock; that even a policeman involved in a serious investigation can become a slave to hot jazz rhythms; and that sometimes cold blooded murder is the only way to stop someone dancing around like a tit. A British counterpart to Hitchcock’s “Psycho” from the same year, “Peeping Tom” was released to near universal condemnation, for both its serial killer plot and portrayal of the seedy underbelly of ‘respectable’ England. It gradually experienced a renaissance; becoming an acknowledged early prototype of the slasher film, as well as taking its rightful place alongside the other jewels in Michael Powell’s crown. Watch (or re-watch) to avoid spoilers and join us.