The "Amiable" Family Plot Has Something Terrifying In It

When Family Plot came out in 1976, critics in their reviews and critics IN PERSON (at a mass press conference with Hitchcock himself) -- all pretty much said the same thing: after his last film, the ultra-violent rape-strangling psychopath movie Frenzy -- not to mention the bloody Psycho and The Birds, not to mention Torn Curtain with its brutal murder scene starring Paul Newman as the KILLER...here was this "amiable, non-violent" rather lightweight comedy from Hitchcock.

Hitchcock demurred to the critics who asked him why, but the feeling at the time -- particularly when Hitchcock never made another movie, retired in 1979 and died in 1980 -- may well have wanted to "leave as a prankster, not as a monster." Frenzy was "better" than Family Plot, but far more gruesome and sick. Better this way.

And yet, Family Plot still DOES have villain William Devane slapping and manhandling heroine Barbara Harris near the end(with intent to kill her later) and Devane's main criminal enterprise IS kidnapping dignaries(millionaires, bishops) against their will.

And that's where the terrifying part comes in.

We see that once Devane and his partner in love and crime, Fran, (played by Karen Black) kidnap and knock out their victims with a shot...each victim is moved to a "hidden room" in the garage of Devane's home.

And it is that ROOM that is terrifying to me.

No windows! One locked door. Small, with a small cot and a chemical toilet(that Devane dutifully cleans under Fran's nagging.)

If memory serves, one released victim reveals that he was allowed one "blindfold walk" a day, but I may be wrong and in any event...

...the older I got, the more I started to notice that these kidnappers(who at least implied death to their victims if the ransom wasn't met) were exceedingly heartless and cruel in their imprisoment of their victims.

Hitchocck, who so famously gave played up "the fear of heights" in Vertigo, here played up..claustrophobia.