This short appreciation of Hitchcock's late-career spy thriller was eye-opening. Yes, it is obvious than Maltin is a big Hitchcock fan. Yes, I raised my eyebrow when he said it might be "ungrateful" to ever criticize a Hitchcock movie just because he made so many classics (yeah, Hitch made VERTIGO and PSYCHO-- doesn't mean I'm morally forbidden from saying I think TORN CURTAIN is an absolute misfire); however, I found Maltin's defense of TOPAZ admirable. He brings up a lot of good points and even admits when he thinks something doesn't work. He also goes over the film's troubled histroy, which in some ways might be more fascinating than the finished film itself. Overall, his enthusiasm and knowledge of Hitchcock's career makes this featurette worth a watch.
