NO one would have appreciated the irony of the 100th anniversary of his birth occurring on Friday the 13th more than Alfred Hitchcock, who, nearly 20 years after his death, is still regarded as the unrivalled master of cinematic terror. In conjunction with its exhibit celebrating the date, the US Museum of Modern Art has given space on its website to the director and his work at www.moma.org /filmvideo/hitchcock.
It includes director Peter Bogdanovich's famous 1963 interview in which he asked whether, by not seeing his films with an audience, Hitchcock missed hearing them scream. "No," Hitchcock replied. "I can hear them when I'm making the picture."
The site links to the US Museum of Television and Radio's site at www.mtr.org where a concurrent exhibit devoted to Hitchcock's television work is featured. Hitchcock made quirky cameo appearances in many of his films, and spotting the rotund, bald director has long challenged and delighted film buffs. Mark W. Claunch makes it easy with a complete list, part of his extensive Hitchcock page at www.primenet.com/mwc.
Those who know what the term "The MacGuffin" refers to are prime candidates for Ken Mogg's "The MacGuffin" page at www.labyrinth.net.au/muffin. John Couke knows. He has pulled together a collection of hundreds of links to Hitchcock-related sites at www.tdfilm.com.
