You know when you have this grand idea, this huge research project, for years, and you finally set out to start it. You set up a timeline. Start talking about it. Start doing research, and then _________________________________________ nothing. the book doesn't exist, it existed at some point, and there is documentation that the director read the novel, but biographies of the author don't always list a publicationd date, and no copy is to be found anywhere. I was sure a few films wouldn't have novels or stories, but to not be able to find the first novel had not crossed my mind. Therefore, we will proceed without it.

The Pleasure Garden

This is the start of a new project/series. It has been in the back of my mind for years, maybe decades, and it is time.

Premise: I find literature to be so much "more" than it's cinematic counterparts, and for my personal taste, Alfred Hitchcock has the been the director that has provided the most striking resemblance to that "more." My preferences lean towards mystery and suspense, but not horror. I have other examples that I will get to, such as Val Lewton's Cat People (1942), The Uninvited (1944), and Portrait of Jennie (1948), but Hitchcock has such a broad and recognizable body of work, that it seemes a logical place to start.

In order of release, I will examine each of his still existing films at the rate of at least 1 a month. I will start each analysis by reading the original printed source material, then watching the movie. When no novel or story is available, the process will go faster. Then, as an artist whose mediums are primarily fabric, motion, and the naked human form, I will endeavor to also recreate a costume and possibly a burlesque piece for each film. This will also force me to document my work, which is not something I do well. A this progresses, I hope to add an auditory aspect, either thru a podcast or my panel show, The Naked Show (and Tell), and eventually, collaborate with other performers to produce a theatrical retrospective, in the burlesque style, of his works.

Shall we begin.....