Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill is a 1980 American thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and starring Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson and Nancy Allen. It depicts the events leading up to the brutal murder of New York City housewife Kate Miller (Dickinson) before following Liz Blake (Allen), a prostitute who witnesses the crime, and her attempts to solve it with the help of the victim's son Peter (Keith Gordon). It contains several direct references to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho. While acknowledging similarities to Alfred Hitchcock films (particularly Psycho), De Palma claimed to get the idea from watching The Phil Donahue Show. The film was shot in New York City and Philadelphia, and Pino Donaggio composed the score. Released in July 1980, Dressed to Kill was a box office success in the United States, grossing over $31 million against a production budget of $6.5 million. The film polarized critics, but has since gained a cult following.