This film was Hitch's first R rating (However, it was his first released under the new MPAA ratings system, which went into effect about 1968). Hitch, finally and completely released from the contraints of the old rating system (which he had severly stretched in 1960 with Psycho), included his first graphic violence and nudity (don't confuse this with Psycho in which he pulled out all the tricks to make the shower scene. In Frenzy, Hitch went for complete and utter realism.) It also allowed him to place tongue firmly in cheek (have you ever seen a more harrowing/comic scene than the one in the potato truck?).

Also, the final scene where the inspector catches the killer is a gem.

"Why Mr. so and so, you're not wearing your tie."

I think what made this film one of Hitch's latter good ones was that he went back to his roots of so many previous films, the theme of "the wrong man." Hitch did that so well in "NxNW", "The 39 Steps", "Saboteur" and so on.

Besides the graphic violence and nudity, and really, its overall unpleasant nature, FRENZY still manages to be an intriguing film, and as Greg mentioned, it was like Hitchcock "went back to his roots of so many previous films, the theme of 'the wrong man,'" even when the wrong man is no more a likable character than the right man.

*sigh*

I did enjoy this film, though the actors are a bit unremarkable. The film is highly regarded as a return to form for Hitchcock after a series of flops. All his usual ingredients are there.

By the way, this is the movie that Henry Mancini originally scored, only to have his score rejected by Hitchcock. In his "The Dark Side of Genius" bio of Hitchcock, Donald Spoto quotes Bernard Herrmann as saying: "Hitchcock came to the recording session, listened awhile and said [to Mancini], 'Look, if I want Herrmann, I'd ask Herrmann. Where's Mancini?' He wanted a pop score, and Mancini wrote what he thought was me."

At this point, Hitchcock turned to Goodwin, telling him he wanted "sparkling, early-morning music for the opening." Goodwin says that "if Hitchcock hadn't directed me, I would have written something with a macabre lilt to it. But he wanted no hint of the horror to come."

From what I remember, the identity of the necktie murderer was never in doubt….but I won’t mention his name just in case. Those mealtime scenes with McCowen were hilarious, as was the murderer’s desperate attempts to dispose of one of his victims in the back of a lorry….Hitchcock sustained this excellent comedy situation for a satisfying period of time. However, the most amusing scene of all was the ‘murder by necktie’ of the lady at the dating agency….we were in stitches.

By the way, where was all the nudity? A nipple here and a bottom there (which you have to use the freeze frame for) isn't my idea of a good skin flick.

As far as I remember, Ron Goodwin ironically portrayed the "majesty" of England's capital city. The rest seemed to be quite like his suspense cues from his other films, though effective.