Friends have recommended this movie to me for years, and I finally caught it on the newly-released DVD. Laura is great film noir from 1944, about a beautiful socialite done in by an obsessive would-be suitor. The excellent screenplay includes some twists that would make M. Night Shyamalan proud, and the cast is stellar. There’s no question why this movie is considered such a classic, and as I watched I could think of plenty of other stories that have been influenced by it. David Lynch must have been a big fan, as Twin Peaks lifts quite a bit: a central figure named Laura whose hypnotic sensuality magnetizes everyone in her world, especially the detective obsessed with solving her murder; a cast of quirky, moody characters with plenty of dark secrets and connections; a dreamy atmosphere and theme song. The DVD also has two very good commentaries (by film scholars and the film’s composer) and a couple of A&E Biography documentaries, including one on co-star Vincent Price.

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