'The MacGuffin' is a film journal, in newsletter format, whose main subject is the films of Alfred Hitchcock. You'll find it indexed by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), Brussels, and in 'Film Literature Index', New York.  However, currently it's published only on an irregular basis - we'll make announcements about new issues when the time comes.

The journal is named after Hitchcock's/ Angus MacPhail's name for a diversionary plot device. (So perhaps our 'MacGuffin' is just a pleasant diversion from the films themselves!) Every Hitchcock buff knows the concept of the MacGuffin. In our first issue (November, 1990), we compared it to T.S. Eliot's definition of 'meaning' in poetry: how it's like the bone thrown by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind - while the poem, the burglar, goes about its real business.

You may be wondering about back-issues.  Many of these are out of print.  (However, a lot of the content of past issues has found its way into Ken Mogg's 1999 book, 'The Alfred Hitchcock Story', and into other work by him, such as his 2005 profile of Hitchcock published on the 'Senses of Cinema' website.)  But if you have a specific request, by all means contact us.

For the record, our basic overseas subscription rate is $24 Australian ($17 US, including processing) for 4 air-posted issues.  For Australian subscribers, the rate is $16 for 4 issues. Australian and US residents, in particular, may simply send us a cheque/draft drawn on their own bank. Or anyone may now pay by PayPal.  Simply join PayPal at their website (PayPal - Welcome) and then tell them how much you wish to pay us and quote our email address, which is <muffin@labyrinth.net.au>.  Best to also send us an email with your details (mailing address, etc.) at the same time.

Our postal address for monies, etc., is:

'The MacGuffin'
18 Twyford Street
Box Hill North
Victoria 3129
Australia

Make cheques/drafts payable to 'The MacGuffin'.

• Note.  Would-be subscribers outside the US and Australia (e.g., in the UK, or in New Zealand), may be understandably appalled to find that their bank wants to charge them a cheque fee that is more than the subscription fee itself!  That's why a few moments spent joining PayPal (see above) would probably be time well spent.

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