Rec. #5: Rope

What: In Rope, Jimmy Stewart plays an of-the-moment character who realizes too late what cool, clinical cynicism can lead to. This Alfred Hitchcock film gives everyone involved a chance to show off. The story was a stage play first, and the single-room set reflects that, allowing the actors to showcase their Craft. Meanwhile, Hitchcock demonstrates his innovation and technical skill by shooting the entire film in just 10 takes. (Fun party game! Spot the cuts!)

Representative quote: "Good and evil, right and wrong were invented for the ordinary, average man, the inferior man, because he needs them."

You might not like it if: You're in a "been there, done that" place with Hitchcock. Alternately, you might believe this can't possibly be a Hitchcock movie because you don't see any blondes.

How to get it: Rent it or buy it --- after being unavailable for decades, the film is now pretty easy to find. You also have a good-ish chance of catching it on TCM sometime. When you're done watching the movie, check out the IMDb and Wikipedia entries on it. Trivia galore for film geeks!