Life-long Alfred Hitchcock fan GILL OLIVER, of Witney, explains why she’s so excited about this year’s Oxford Film Festival.

Mention Alfred Hitchcock and most people think of the famous shower scene in Psycho but that’s only the tip of the British director’s genius.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Norman Bates creepy mummy’s boy storyline and the suspense is literally killing but he’s about so much more than that.

Hitch directed more than 30 feature films over four decades and it’s easy to see why he’s dubbed the Master of Suspense.

The Lady Vanishes, Suspicion, Dial M for Murder, North by Northwest, Vertigo, Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, The Birds and Marnie are a master class in how to craft a thriller.

Rebecca is a spell-binding visual of Daphne du Maurier’s book, To Catch a Thief is a witty gem and then there’s my absolute favourite – North By Northwest. It’s vintage Hitchcock with a hero on the run for a crime he didn’t commit, a will-they-won’t-they love interest and a plot that races along to reach its clever, twist-in-the tail conclusion.

Unlike many horror movie makers, Hitchcock never relies on blood and gore to shock. Instead, his cat-and-mouse camera angles and dramatic plot twists leave you feeling you’ve just stepped off a roller coaster.

Ice-cool blondes Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Tippi Hedren don’t just look amazing, they’re tough and resourceful.

But it’s the leading men who steal the show. Cary Grant, James Stewart and Gregory Peck are suave, sophisticated and cool in a crisis.

Just the kind of guy you want to sit next to when you’re on the edge of your seat watching a spine-tingling Hitchcock classic.

* The fifth annual Oxford Film Festival, sponsored by the Oxford Mail and Phoenix Picturehouse, starts on Sunday, May 8, at 1.30pm with a double bill of The Lodger and Strangers On A Train. This is followed by Vertigo (Monday, May 9, 9.00pm), Rear Window (Tuesday, May 10, 9.00pm), Psycho (Wednesday, May 11, 9.00pm), Frenzy (Thursday, May 12, 9pm) and North By Northwest (Friday, May 13, 9pm).

Tickets are HALF PRICE for anyone who presents a copy of that day’s Oxford Mail.

For further information, call Jeremy Smith on 01865 425435 or the Phoenix on 01865 316570. Or go to facebook.com/PhoenixPicturehouse and twitter.com/PhoenixPH