Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Sorry, a blunt title, but that is how I reacted to this.From beginning to end I was either bored, not engaged with the characters, or irritated by any number of things (soft focus, music). Dickinson was too old for her role and the first part of her faffing around domestically, going to the art museum (Lord save us!) and in flagrante delicto in the taxi almost sent me to sleep.Maybe this film is just not right for me. I liked "Obsession", so I find De Palma's work OK.Not worth bothering with, in my opinion.

Many find this a hard movie to stomach due to its misogyny. I'll see you that and raise you that it's a misanthropic film that presents all of humanity, male and female, in negative terms. The men in this film are actually treated the way women normally are in films, as either silent sex objects seen (Warren Lockman), sexless enemies (Kate's husband), shrill harpies that need to be defeated (Detective Marino) or sexless best friends who provide the hero with the tools they need to save the day (Peter). Seriously, in another film, one would think Peter would have sexual interest in Liz, but despite her double entendres and come ons, he remains more concerned with schedules and numbers and evidence.

Dressed to Kill (1980)A nifty little thriller. The opening shower scene with Angie Dickinson showing all to the world was something of a sensation at the time, but I don't know that it makes much sense to the movie. It's all for the starved men in the audience, or maybe for the audaciousness of it, to let you know that this is going to be a stylized, almost fun, thriller.And it is fun! De Palma is a director who knows how to needle the viewer. His fans like being needled, I think (or like knowing that other people are being needled). Examples abound—"Carrie" and "Body Double" come to mind—where the sensational plot is partly an excuse to unleash some good old male voyeurism and sexism. Which is why the movies work so well for a certain audience.And they are well made, certainly, and edited with a clipped economy. "Dressed to Kill" has the advantage of Michael Caine in a leading role (though underused, for a two hour film). The rest of the cast is mediocre, frankly, holding up the character types needed for the main conflict.Oh, if you have any feelings for transgender issues, this movie will only reinforce the old stereotype that people with mixed or cross gender issues are sick and need help. Too bad, and shame on you, Mr. De Palma, for perpetuating that kind of thing. 35 years later, I know, but really.Final word—there are many brilliantly made sections of the movie, including a long stretch near the start in the museum that is a kind of hyped up Hitchcock style ("Vertigo"). Indeed, Hitchcock is being made love to all along here —"Psycho" with this movie's main character's double nature, and even "Rear Window" with the peering through windows. Which makes it a movie very much worth seeing. Caveats in place.

The 'Pure Cinema' approach deployed here also evokes the best work of Dario Argento, though De Palma clearly has his own agenda. His script attends the fall-out from a terrifying attack on a frustrated housewife (Angie Dickinson) by a razor-wielding maniac who then turns his/her attentions to the sole witness, a streetwise hooker (Nancy Allen) who teams up with Dickinson's teenage son (Keith Gordon) when she becomes a suspect in the case.After a slow first 25 minutes, Dressed to Kill is filled with unbearable suspense for the next 75 minutes. The last 3 minutes of the film are particularly nerve wracking. There are so many great suspense sequences that work throughout the entire film, all the way from the elevator scene to a chase into the subway. Those scenes should give any viewer a good scare. It's certainly what one would describe as edge-of-your seat suspense. I know those sequences freaked me out, and those last few minutes in the film is a true heart-pounding nerve jangler. This is what De Palma is good at and he should make more films like this.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.