The Big Picture It's no secret the works of Alfred Hitchcock have heavily influenced the films of Brian De Palma. From Sisters to Obsession and Dressed to Kill to Blow Out, the prolific filmmaker has never been shy about pulling from the bag of cinematic techniques the master of suspense pioneered.
What Is 'Body Double' About? Set in Los Angeles, Body Double follows struggling, claustrophobic actor Jake Scully as he navigates a shady and mysterious underworld after losing an acting gig, his girlfriend, and his residence. After meeting Sam at an acting class, Scully accepts an invitation from his newfound acquaintance to house-sit a luxury Hollywood Hills home while the owner is out of town.
One of the most effective motifs De Palma uses is the film-within-a-film trope. The opening shot doesn't take place within the reality of Body Double, but rather in a scene from Vampire's Kiss, a small-budget horror film featuring Jake Scully as the titular blood-sucker who's interrupted by a bout of claustrophobia.