all of this is pure guess work. We can't prove a thing

Two literary classics—by Thomas Hardy and Anthony Trollope—and an Alfred Hitchcock suspense, along with a Western.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008) - "The story of Tess Durbeyfield, a low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: my knowledge of Thomas Hardy is sketchy, and though I'd heard the title I knew nothing of the story
IMDB: 7.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%

notable quote: "And by and by, you feel you're falling into the sky, miles and miles from your body—which you don't seem to need at all."
story: poor girl finds out she's part of a forgotten arm of an aristocratic family. It doesn't help her, as her life seems to involve making poor decisions, getting 'preyed upon' by dastardly folk, and seeing the bad in everything. 
acting: Hans Matheson (Alec D'Urberville) makes a realistic villain

intangibles: just too morose and depressing
overall: not recommended

Dial M for Murder (1954) - "A former tennis player tries to arrange his wife's murder after learning of her affair."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it's a good 'un
IMDB: 8.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 92%
AFI: 100 Years...100 Thrills (2001) #48

10 Top 10 (2008): Mystery #9

notable quote: "May the saints protect us from the gifted amateur."
story: so well done
visuals: quite good, under the limitations of black and white
acting: this time around, I was drawn to the performances of Robert Cummings, as the almost angelic 'other man' Mark Halliday, and John Williams as the brilliant and informative Chief Inspector Hubbard

intangibles: this is a very complex mystery, gripping and incisive
overall: recommended

Horizons West (1952) - "Two brothers end up on opposite sides of the law in post-Civil War Texas."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: look at that cover art. Wouldn't you want to see what this is about??
IMDB: 6.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 43%

notable quote: "'What kind of people do you want to know?'

'The rich ones.'"
story: Cain and Abel, Texas style
visuals: starkly beautiful
acting: James Arness (Tiny McGilligan) is wonderful and quite hunky; Rock Hudson (Neil Hammond) is at his best here, innocent and a little dense but capable of and motivated to do the right thing

intangibles: really violent, even considering the genre. A little tough to watch at times.
overall: recommended

The Way We Live Now (2001) - "At the center of the story is Augustus Melmotte, a European-born city financier, whose origins are as mysterious as his business dealings. Trollope describes him as 'something in the city', but the 'something' part is not always clear. Within weeks of arriving in London, he announces a new company and promises instant fortune to those who join him in this scheme. Melmotte is surrounded by a circle of decadent aristos, scheming widows and nouveau riche businessmen, all trying to get a piece of the financial pie."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I don't know anything about Anthony Trollope's writing
IMDB: 7.6/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%

notable quote: "What brutes men are!"
story: pyramid schemes, womanizers, bastards (in all senses of the word), spoiled brats, blackmail, drunken fools—there is nothing good going on here...
visuals: ...except the styling. Very dashing.
costumes, hair & makeup: And the clothing, much of which is fantastically beautiful. The hair, on the other hand, is hideous.
acting: good heavens, don't get me started

intangibles: only as a farce
overall: not recommended

[the title quotation is from Dial M for Murder]

NOTE: 

The last couple of weeks have been extremely rough. My brother was exposed to COVID by someone in his household, my best friend from grade school has been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, I've had an interview and gotten 3 rejections out of hand for jobs I've applied to, and my car goes in tomorrow for some repairs. I have managed to keep up with the blog pretty well, but that may not continue for much longer.                                                                                                                                                     

Hug your loved ones, don't take things for granted, and keep your fingers crossed. xo