Hitchcock delivers mystery classic

Though the murders are unusually nasty and explicit, humour is never far from a Hitchcock film.

The plot is quintessential Hitchcock - an innocent man, played by Jon Finch, is suspected of being a serial killer who is strangling women in and around Covent Garden in central London. As usual, Hitch isn`t interested in teasing us with whodunit; he reveals the killer`s identity early on, and this heightens the suspense. Though the murders are unusually nasty and explicit, humour is never far from a Hitchcock film, and Frenzy has plenty of grim jokes, notably the disgust with which the police inspector in charge of the case has for his wife`s earnest attempts at gourmet cooking. The fine cast also includes Anna Massey, Barrie Foster and Vivien Merchant.