How Brian DePalma Scared Me Into Being A Director.

by Jeff Fisher

I was in fifth grade when Brian DePalma's "Dressed to Kill" scared the hell out of me.

I had relentlessly pestered my older siblings to take me see it and they finally caved just to shut me up.

Big mistake! I literally ran out of the theater like the Road Runner during that elevator scene with Angie Dickinson. Determined, I foolishly went back in and watched the subway and shower scenes, which kept me awake at night for months. My Mom had to deal with a kid who was suddenly terrified of elevators and treated every shower like it might be his last, while my siblings basically said "Hell, No!" to taking their little brother to any more R-rated movies.

The irony is that Brian DePalma's filmmaking - all those split screens and his signature way of following characters from behind - scared the hell out of me but also completely hooked me on movies. Decades later, I found myself stealing some of his techniques for "The Stranger in My Home," proving that sometimes the movies that traumatize you as a kid end up teaching you how to "borrow" from the best.

Angie Dickinson in the elevator scene of "DRESSED TO KILL."

The Difference Between Terror and Technique

Here's the thing though - "Dressed to Kill" didn't make me want to be a director. Not immediately, anyway. At ten years old, I wasn't thinking "how did they DO that?"  It was more like "will I ever feel safe in an elevator again?" Footnote: It was actually the original "The Poseidon Adventure" that ignited the "how was this made?" curiosity in me and made me start dreaming of making movies.

But what "Dressed to Kill" showed me was something equally important: the emotion that movies could elicit. The FEELING. In this case, as a scared ten-year-old, that feeling was pure terror. DePalma had taken something that clearly affected him - I'm guessing the shower scene in Hitchcock's "Psycho" - and reimagined it for a new generation. He understood that movies weren't just about technical mastery; they were about creating shared emotions.

Brian DePalma on the set of DRESSED TO KILL

Homage/Borrow/Steal

Fast forward to directing "The Stranger in My Home" for Paramount and Republic Pictures years later, and I found myself, uh, paying homage to Mr. DePalma. But here's what struck me: I wasn't just trying to recreate the scares. I was borrowing from the way DePalma elevated the genre.

His thrillers felt upscale. You were glimpsing into the lives of these New Yorkers who led exciting lives, often lives of great wealth. There was an elegance to his storytelling and a visual style that felt like you were being granted admission into this exclusive world. He also had such interesting visual ways of telling the story - not to mention those incredible scores he worked with.

I remember wanting the opening shot of Stranger with Sophia (Bush) entering her house to feel like the museum scene in "Dressed to Kill," where the camera chases Angie Dickinson's character through the museum. I shared the link to that specific scene with Nathan Wilson, our DP, and the rest of the department heads.

What I learned is that when you ape, homage, or rip-off (pick your favorite), you somehow have to make it your own. I loved that we see Sophia’s character Ali almost walk into her own POV. When it was married to the score, it had that voyeuristic quality I was hoping for, but made it specific to our story.

An early concept for the Key Art for STRANGER was definitely going for some DRESSED TO KILL vibes.

The Sound of Suspense

Speaking of the score - DePalma famously worked with composer Pino Donaggio on multiple films, including "Dressed to Kill" and "Blow Out" (another DePalma film that had a huge influence on me). Our fantastic composer Matthew Rogers and I definitely talked about how score was used in DePalma's films. Matt, being such a creative force, brought his own nuances and interpretations to the music.

I'd learned early on in my short films - especially the short musical comedy "Angels, Baby!" - how to use a leitmotif one way early in a film and transform it later. Those were awesome conversations to have with Matt, and he did a great job making this score shine.

"The Stranger in My Home" had a unique three-act structure. While Act 1 plays like a family drama, Act 2 fast-pedals into thriller mode, and Act 3 almost descends into horror. Matt's score did a brilliant job helping us navigate those three distinct feelings.

Musically, I think I wrote about eight letters to Paul Russell - the talented artist - and his label about using his great song "Lil' Boo Thang" for our opening cheerleading sequence for the money we had in the music budget. Starting with that high-energy, life-positive song helped establish the world that Ali (and Katie and Jeff, played so beautifully by Amiah Miller and Chris Johnson) was about to have shattered by an insane curveball in the form of Chris Carmack's awesomely twisted Tom character.

Don't get me wrong, the main goal for "Stranger" is for the audience to have a FUN ride. But the hope is always to elicit some genuine empathy and emotions from the viewer.

With Sophia Bush, Chris Carmack and our great crew on "The Stranger in My Home." I'm sure I was ripping off some great director with whatever I'm pitching here.

Coming Full Circle

Here's the kicker: it was decades into adulthood - and after I made my first feature, "Killer Movie" - that I white-knuckled it through another viewing of "Dressed to Kill."

Crazy, right?

And that elevator scene STILL scared me.

Turns out Angie Dickinson was just fine after the elevator scene--which is more than can be said about 10 year-old me.

But making thrillers, I've loved getting to really break down DePalma's movies and other masters and see the techniques they used. One of my best friends ended up sending me a link to these interviews Noah Baumbach did with Brian DePalma that are available on The Criterion Channel. I loved watching these two filmmakers talk about technique. It let me rewatch these movies with a whole new lens and deconstruct them in a way that I found fascinating.

I can finally watch "Dressed to Kill” and not run for the theater exit like the Road Runner (Hey, I was only 10). I understand now what DePalma was doing - the slow build of tension, the voyeuristic camera movements, the way he uses silence and score to trigger our nervous systems.

And honestly? That's the best kind of education a filmmaker can get - the kind that scares you first and teaches you later.

At least now I'm running to get out of the shot, not to get out of the theater.

Jeff Fisher is a director and writer whose credits include Paramount Pictures' "The Stranger in My Home" and "The Image of You," Hallmark's highest-rated film of the year "My Christmas Love," and reality hits spanning from "The Simple Life" to "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." Visit www.jefffisherdirector.com to see his work and www.reeltalkwithjeff.com for more industry insights.

Nancy Allen and "friend" in a still from DRESSED TO KILL. I'd love to name check the friend, but it's a big spoiler if you haven't seen the movie.

🎬 What’s a movie that scared you into loving cinema? Drop it in the comments. And if you're chasing your own storytelling dreams — whether as an actor, screenwriter, or indie filmmaker — let's connect. Visit ReelTalkWithJeff.com and let’s turn your inspiration into action.

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