“It was all a ridiculous mistake. There was no body.”

Okay, if you’re still looking for the right movie to get you in the mood for Halloween, here’s an old favorite of mine from director Brian De Palma. You know his later movies: CARRIE, DRESSED TO KILL, BLOW OUT, SCARFACE, BODY DOUBLE, THE UNTOUCHABLES, MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE. He also directed THE PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, which I recommended a few days ago. SISTERS is one of his early films, a loving homage to Hitchcock psycho-thrillers. It’s wicked, sharp, suspenseful, funny, and, like the best of the De Palma thrillers, delicious enough for multiple screenings. De Palma is crafting his wonderful style here — inventive camera set-ups; split screen storytelling; murder and mirth in equal measures; women who are more compelling than the men; and a pointedly funny ending.

SISTERS boasts two fantastic performances: Margot Kidder as a formerly conjoined (“Siamese”) twin, and Jennifer Salt as a witness to a murder nobody else believes has occurred. And perhaps most importantly, the movie is enhanced by a frightening music score from Bernard Herrmann, the maestro behind Hitchcock’s classics. (And look for Olympia Dukakis in a very small, early role!)

SISTERS is a class act!

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