DVD The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith):
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Category: Gift Set - Movie - Mystery / Suspense - Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
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DVD The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Review(s): DVD The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Great Value
Not even 9 bucks a film you can't go wrong. I only wanted 3-4 titles, but each individually would be more than the value of this set - Dial M, North by Northwest, Strangers on a Train, and The Wrong Man are must have themselves and would cost about $80 individually, so this set's a GREAT VALUE - it's like saving a few bucks on a few classic Hitchcocks you want to buy and getting 5-6 other films for free almost - never even knew of some of these until buying this set, great way to spend a rainy/boring night.
Excellent value!!
Hey, it's Hitchcock. What else do you need to know? But buying these movies in a set for only $70 is fantastic compared to $15-$20 individually. If you love Hitch, then pick up this set today!
A wonderful assortment of some of his best along with some lesser known works
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection includes 9 different movies. These are not his nine best, but several are, and most rank near the top of his legendary career. Here are the reviews for the each movie:
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
North by Northwest is a timeless classic involving action, adventure, drama, suspense and even some well-timed comedy, all rooted from a simple case of mistaken identity. Cary Grant stars as Roger Thornhill, a Madison Avenue executive, who is accidentally mistaken for a secret government agent named George Kaplan. Thornhill's main adversary is a spy for a foreign government named Phillip Vandamm (James Mason). Along the way, Thornhill meets a beautiful blond named Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) who adds a lot of sex appeal along with several surprises to this wild and wonderful plot.
The movie is masterpiece for numerous reasons. The first reason is because of the some of the unforgettable action shots including Grant being attacked by a crop dusting plane in a remote cornfield and then being chased across the face of Mount Rushmore. But beyond just the action, there many brilliant scenes where Grant either alludes the people tracking him or simply just outsmarts them and does some impressive detective work on his own. The script oozes with witty and clever lines with many visually memorable scenes as well. Another strength of the movie is a powerful music score that accentuates every crucial moment in the film. Furthermore, Grant and Mason give outstanding performances, perhaps their best. The movie also breaks out of the old Hollywood overly restrained romance situations with some very forward dialogue and some sexually suggestive scenes between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint (but still extremely tame by today's standards). Finally, the widescreen color presentation is nothing short of spectacular. Not only is this Hitchcock's best, but from my personal viewpoint, it ranks #4 on my list of the greatest movies ever made behind Casablanca and The Godfather I & II. I have watched this movie at least six times over the past 25 years (now for the first time on DVD) and it still hasn't lost its edge.
As mentioned, the DVD quality is utterly fantastic for a film this old. The widescreen color transfer is completely immaculate, and rich in color and sharpness - rivaling movies made today. The sound is also outstanding for a film this old. There many bonuses, but the best is the making of the film with a cross the country diary of how and where the movie was shot. There is also a very good commentary by the Earnest Lehman who wrote the screenplay.
Movie: A+
DVD Quality: A+
SUSPICION
The movie opens on train where Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant) sits down in a private first class compartment with a frumpy young woman named Lina (Joan Fontaine). Johnnie makes an excuse that he was in another first class car but couldn't stand the smoke. When the conductor collects the tickets, he finds that Johnnie doesn't have a first class ticket or enough money to cover the difference in fare. With some slick salesmanship, Johnnie gets Lina to pay the additional fare. This is a foreshadowing of things to come. They meet again and have a whirlwind romance and get married. Lida quickly finds out that Johnnie has champaign tastes on a beer drinker's budget and uses a lot of charm and shrewd chicanery to obtain money without doing an honest day's work. As time goes on, Lida losses trust in Johnnie but later develops legitimate fears that he may go as far as committing murder for financial gain. This sets up the remainder of the film with plenty of suspense and drama finding out who the real Johnnie is and how far he'll go with his money scheming shenanigans.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie for many reasons, but mainly because of the two leading actors: Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. Not only were their individual performances terrific, but also the chemistry between the two was astounding. The Johnnie Aysgarth character was a spellbinding enigma throughout the entire film. Alfred Hitchcock masterfully directed the acting so that it was hard to tell if Johnnie was a charming, but irresponsible child in a man's body or deadly sociopath. Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for her performance as the emotionally tortured wife. Nigel Bruce also did a great job in a supporting role as Johnnie's old friend 'Beaky'. Another wonderful thing about this movie is that there is a clear comical element to the film - especially when Johnnie assumes that his newly wedded wife has lots of money but finds out she doesn't. The way Johnnie wiggles his way out several tight spots is a fascinating display of his creative and spontaneous ingenuity. All in all, it's a terrific suspense film with virtually no wasted moments in the entire movie. The ending is slightly controversial only because we find out in the commentary that the ending was change at the last minute. Some people would have undoubtedly preferred the original ending. I'm fine with the released version.
The DVD picture quality is nearly perfect for a movie this old. The transfer is sharp and blemish-free, with only a few grainy scenes. The sound was fine and DVD includes a bonus commentary segment about "Suspicion".
Movie: A
DVD Quality: A
STAGE FRIGHT
The movie 'Stage Fright' opens with Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd) and Eve Gill (Jane Wyman) fleeing London in a car. As they are driving off eluding the police, Jonathon tells Eve of the mess that he's in. His story in a nutshell is that a famous actress named Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich) killed her husband in their home and splattered blood on her dress and came to Jonathon's apartment for help. Jonathon explains that he ended up going back to the murder scene to get Charlotte a clean dress but was seen, thus making him the primary suspect. From this point on Eve does a number of things to protect and exonerate him including working as an operative so that she can find evidence to convict Charlotte of the murder.
The film uses some shameless chicanery to misdirect the audience. To avoid spoiling the plot, my problem wasn't so much that a subterfuge was used, but that it carried on this charade for just about the entire movie (until the final few minutes of the film). But that wasn't the biggest flaw for me. My bigger problem with the film is that its obvious that Jonathan is grossly infatuated or in love with Charlotte, and this becomes crystal clear to Eve, yet she still does everything possible to help him get out of this mess. Another significant problem is that Eve, who lives in London and has British parents speaks with an American accent except when she's a spy.
But in spite of these problems, Marlene Dietrich gives a mesmerizing performance that's truly Oscar-worthy. Even beyond her radiant beauty, she exudes confidence and poise in every scene she's in. Alastair Sim, who plays Eve's father in a supporting role, gives a very witty and extremely entertaining performance. If you get past the American accent, Jane Wyman does a decent job too. The movie is still very entertaining and fun to watch - again mainly due to Marlene Dietrich.
The B&W picture quality of this DVD is sharp but the presentation is marred by specs of film deterioration throughout the film. Sadly, a severe vertical scratch appearing for at least 6 or 7 seconds severely distracts the final scene of the movie. The sound was good for a film this old. The only worthwhile bonus on the DVD is a short commentary about the film `Stage Fright'.
Movie: B+
DVD Quality: B
DIAL M FOR MURDER
The movie 'Dial "M" for Murder' is film adapted from a successful play. Alfred Hitchcock directed this picture and since almost all of the movie takes place in one setting, it really does have the look of a play put on film. But that does not in anyway denegrate the quality nor entertainment value of this movie. On the contrary, because of a brilliantly conceived story, coupled with superb acting, the film is terrific.
The story is set in London and involves a love triangle between a retired tennis pro Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), his wealthy and beautiful wife Margot (Grace Kelly), and an American novelist Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Halliday returns to London after an extended absence and Tony knows about this affair and concocts a brilliant plot to murder his wife. He develops what seems like a perfect murder plan by blackmailing an old college friend Charles Swann (Anthony Dawson), into committing the murder so that Tony has a perfect alibi. This sets up the remainder of the film where a death occurs and an investigation is opened by the police, and Tony, Halliday and the police detectives match wits figuring out what really happened.
The film is rather simple in format and even though there are several twists, the real magic of the movie is how well Tony Wendice, Halliday and the police intellectually involve themselves in the murder plot. Another major strength of the movie is the performance of Ray Milland, who plays a smooth, charming and very cunning mastermind of what seems like the perfect murder. His cool compsure from beginning to end in all sorts of troubled spots is an amazing sight to watch. When he confronts Swann with his plan, Swann seems like a trapped animal and appears to have no choice to commit the crime since Wendice has him between a rock and a hard spot. But the murder seems so well thought out that the risks appear to be minimal. Once the police are involved, Chief Inspector Hubbard played by John Williams shines as well with superb detective work figuring out how and why this killing really occurred. Grace Kelly also does a fine acting job in this film. Overall, its a great movie, but clearly a lesser challenging film for Hitchcock's cinematic brilliance. This was originally filmed in 3-D, so the movie exploits a lot of foreground/background subjects instead of showing characters and props mostly equal distant to the camera.
The DVD transfer is top notch. There is virtually no film deterioration present and the full-screen color is vibrant. The sharpness is very good, but not great and there were a few times some of the subjects seems out of focus, but that's probably attributed to the 3-D technology of that era. Overall, its still an excellent visual presentation of the movie. The sound was fine also. The extras include a short documentary analysis of the film plus a very short segment on the history of 3-D.
Movie: A
DVD Quality: A
I CONFESS
I've been a big fan of Hitchcock since I saw the movie "The Birds" in the late 1960's and since then I thought I'd seen all of his movies on either video, TV or the big screen at some movie festivals. I recently bought the nine DVD "Signature Collection" and had seen all but two movies, one of which was "I Confess". I really didn't know what to expect and was a bit disturbed with the artwork which shows a priest holding a beautiful woman.
The storyline involves an immigrant named Otto Keller (O.E. Hasse) who works as a maintenance man in a Catholic Church in Quebec. One night Otto comes into the cathedral and sees a priest named Father Logan (Montgomery Clift) and asks the priest hear his confessions. Otto confesses to Father Logan that he killed someone earlier that night. Father Logan goes to that house of the murdered man the following morning, but the police have already arrived and Logan also runs into Ruth Grandfort (Ann Baxter), a woman he knows. The police have only one lead and it appears that some witnesses saw a priest leave the scene of the crime. The plot thickens intensely as Father Logan becomes a primary suspect, and his credibility is challenged since he appears to be involved with a married woman yet because of his oath as a priest, he cannot divulge the confessions of the killer. This sets up the rest of the movie for plenty drama and suspense.
This was one of those movies that sticks with you long after you watch it and gives you a lot to think about. There could be many parallels made to the life of Jesus who served and sacrificed his life for the sake of the sinners of the world (although Father Logan is in no way a Messiah). Other allegories include being ridiculed and scorned for acts he never committed or for being compassionate and forgiving for those who've harmed him. In all, its a story of compassion, sacrifice and love, but perhaps most of all staying true to your oath and calling, even in the face of death. The acting was nothing extra special, but I would say Karl Maldon was the best of the bunch. The script was superb and the picture certainly had that "Hitchcock look", especially in the opening segment at night. In case anyone cares, I'm not a Roman Catholic, but a Christian who attends a protestant church, yet I found this movie very inspiring. It was also refreshing to see a movie that wasn't trying to viciously scandalize the church as many movies do today. This film may be more for acquired tastes, but for myself, I was thoroughly pleased with the story, and was more challenged than entertained.
The DVD quality is nearly perfect for a movie this old. The transfer is sharp and blemish-free, but seemed a tad grainy in some scenes. The sound was fine and there were a few bonus features including a commentary segment about "I Confess".
Movie: A
DVD Quality: A-
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
The story takes place in the late 1930's where an American newspaper reporter named Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) is assigned to go to Europe to report on the possibility of a pending global war. His editor emphasizes that he doesn't want correspondence - he wants news. So Jones goes first to England and later to Holland where he witnesses an apparent assassination of a Dutch diplomat. This starts the beginning of a wild and dangerous investigation where Jones tries to uncover all the details and people responsible for this incident.
There are several things that I liked about this movie. The settings in Europe, especially the windmills in Holland, made a great backdrop to a very good plot. The underlying theme of foreign espionage with several surprising twists was also a major asset to the film. The acting was excellent and so was the cinematography. My only minor turnoff with the film was the noticeable complacency of the characters in very life threatening situations. Overall, it was an extremely relevant film, especially considering it was released shortly before America entered World War II. For me it was a very good movie but not a great one.
The B&W picture quality of this DVD is sharp and crisp but the film was clearly un-restored due to tiny specs of film deterioration showing up sporadically throughout the movie. The sound was very satisfactory. The only bonuses on the DVD include a trailer and a short feature entitled "Foreign Hitchcock".
Movie: B+
DVD Quality: B
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
'Strangers on a Train' is Alfred Hitchcock's first American movie and certainly one of his better ones. The storyline involves a young tennis player named Guy Haines (Farley Granger), who sits with another man named Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a several hour train ride. Guy is somewhat of a celebrity and Bruno seems to know a lot about his turbulent personal life. At one point Bruno proposes a scheme where he could murder Guy's estranged wife in exchange for murdering Bruno's tyrannical and wealthy father. The plot appears foolproof since the each murderer in theory would be nearly impossible to track down. Guy is greatly disturbed by this proposal, yet through Bruno's distorted perspective, he seems convinced that the agreement to this devious plot is mutual. Not too long after this meeting, Bruno tracks down Guy's separated wife and murders her and reveals his so called end of the bargain to Guy. This sets up the remainder of the movie where Guy is put in a very precarious position by not only the police who view him as the primary suspect, but from Bruno who expects Guy to perform his end of the deal.
This movie is a lot of fun, mainly because Robert Walker does such an outstanding job as this devious sociopathic killer. His performance as the cool and calculated murderer masked by his wealthy, refined and well-educated appearance is extraordinary. His persistence of involving himself by in effect blackmailing and stalking his pseudo partner is also well done. Another fine performance is by Marion Lorne who plays Bruno's mother. Her naivetý and constant denial of her son's clear psychological problems is a real treasure to watch. There is also some terrific camera work in this movie, clearly due to the creative genius of Alfred Hitchcock. I was slightly unimpressed with the ending, but overall, its a very entertaining movie.
The DVD quality is a pristine full screen B&W transfer. The contrast and sharpness are superb for a movie this old. The DVD comes with plenty of bonuses including a second "preview" version of the film and lots of commentaries and documentaries.
Movie: A-
DVD Quality: A
THE WRONG MAN
This movie is in effect a real life documentary of man being arrested and tried for crimes he did not commit. Henry Fonda stars as Manny Balestrero, a New York nightclub bass player who is arrested for a series of armed robberies. Balestrero has a wife named Rose (Vera Miles) and two sons, so his surprise arrest puts a huge financial and emotional burden on this family. The movie is very detailed as it goes through the entire legal process of his interrogation, arrest, arraignment, legal counseling and finally his trial.
This is a very serious movie and it's a clear departure from other mid-50's Hitchcock American films. The movie is shot in full-screen black and white, and has a very noir-type look. The soundtrack also doesn't sound like it's from a studio orchestra but rather a jazz band with it's very prominent score as opposed to being just background music. I liked the movie, but didn't love it. It seemed like Hitchcock went through the motions on this one but it does have a very strong ending. Overall, the film is emotionally draining and uses very little artistic creativity, but it's obvious that Hitchcock did not intend to entertain his audience but rather send a sobering message regarding how fragile life is. To it's credit, the film also reveals a message of divine intervention when we turn to God in our time of deepest pain.
The DVD transfer very sharp but some tiny deterioration was noticeable periodically throughout the film. The sound is excellent as the music soundtrack sets an important tone to the movie. The extras include a short documentary analysis of the film.
Movie: B
DVD Quality: B+
MR. & MRS. SMITH
This was Hitchcock's first and last attempt of directing a comedy. 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' is a comical farce about a married couple named Anne (Carole Lombard) and David Smith (Robert Montgomery) who clearly have some relationship issues since Anne has an established pattern of spending days at a time in bed anytime she has a disagreement with her husband. After making up from their latest tiff, Anne asks David, "If given the chance to go back in time would you marry me again"? His instant response is "No", but then realizes he's made a terrible gaff and unsuccessfully tries to cover his tracks, but at least does enough damage control to keep them together. Shortly after David learns that through a legal snafu, their marriage is void. When Anne learns about this legal wrinkle, she separates and this sets up a cat and mouse game between the two seeing if they can salvage their relationship.
As much as I like Hitchcock and Carole Lombard, both Hollywood legends in their own right, I can't say this movie worked magic for me. I do know that films like this were very popular in their day, but I didn't find any of it laugh-out-loud funny, although some of scenes put a smile on my face. I did like the slice of life look of the film as it showed many interesting backdrops including several original interior shots plus scenes at an amusement park and a ski resort. If you like screwball comedies from this era, you will probably be very entertained with the film. If you don't like that type of humor, or hope to find lots of Hitchcock's creative artistry and cinematic brilliance, you will probably be disappointed with the film.
The B&W picture quality of this DVD is sharp and crisp but tiny specs of film deterioration showed up sporadically throughout the movie. The sound was very satisfactory for a film this old. The only bonus on the DVD is a short commentary about the film.
Movie: C
DVD Quality: B+
Related DVD's The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Masterpiece indeed. With 14 films, each supplemented with numerous documentaries, commentaries, and other bonus materials, Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection will be the cornerstone for any serious DVD library. Packaged in a beautiful, conversation-starting velvet box, the individual discs inside come four to a case, decorated with original poster art.
No doubt opinionated fans will argue about what should fall under the rubric of "masterpiece" in Hitchcock's body of work, but with the bona fide classics Vertigo, Psycho, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, there's... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 04 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Some boxed sets claim to be definitive, but are haphazardly selected. Not this one. Four of the five titles here can legitimately lay claim to being essentials in the film noir canon, and the fifth, The Set-Up, is a terrific boxing picture with a strong noir atmosphere. If you're a fan of noir--or have no idea what it's all about--this collection is a treat.
Of course, none of these movies were made as "film noir." The term was coined later by French critics to describe the moody, anxious feel of postwar American movies, especially the genre that highlighted duplicitous dames and susceptible men lost in the criminal jungle. Indeed, the title The Asphalt Jungle conveys the edgy urban arena of these pictures. That film is John Huston's masterly 1950 account of a heist,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): James Whitmore DVD Release Date: Released the 06 July 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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"The love impulse in man," says a psychiatrist in Bringing Up Baby, "frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict." That's for sure. For a primer on the rules and regulations of the classic screwball comedy, which throws love and conflict into close proximity, look no further. A straight-laced paleontologist (Cary Grant) loses a dinosaur bone to a dog belonging to free-spirited heiress Katharine Hepburn. In trying to retrieve said bone, Grant is drawn into the vortex surrounding the delicious Hepburn, which becomes a flirtatious pas de deux that will transform both of them. Director Howard Hawks plays the complications as a breathless escalation of their "love impulse," yet the movie is nonetheless romantic for all its speed. (Hawks's His Girl Friday, also with Grant, goes... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): William Powell DVD Release Date: Released the 01 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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For a knock-out combination of timeless entertainment and vintage studio history, you can't do much better than The Warner Brothers Gangsters Collection. In the 1930s and '40s, Paramount specialized in glossy comedies, MGM popularized lavish musicals, Universal produced signature horror classics, and Fox scored hits with sophisticated dramas. But it was Warner Bros. that generated controversy--if not always box-office profits--with so-called "social problem" films, and that meant gangsters. When viewed in their pre- and post-Prohibition context and in chronological order (Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, 1931; The Petrified Forest, 1936; Angels With Dirty Faces, 1938; The Roaring Twenties, 1939; White Heat, 1949), these six films... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): James Cagney - Humphrey Bogart - Edward G. Robinson DVD Release Date: Released the 25 January 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This minor 1955 work by Alfred Hitchcock, one of the lighter entries of his creative peak in the 1950s, is still imbued with the master's stock themes of shared guilt and romantic ambivalence. It is also hardly lacking in Hitchcockian cinematic inventiveness, such as a famous, often-imitated sequence in which some smooching between stars Cary Grant and Grace Kelly is intercut with a fireworks show that just happens to be going on outside in a Riviera setting. Grant plays a reformed cat burglar who is suspected of reviving his trade, though he knows someone else is using his old methods. A very enjoyable experience, but don't get this confused with Hitchcock's other Cary Grant film of that decade, which was a masterpiece: North by Northwest.--Tom KeoghMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Cary Grant - Grace Kelly DVD Release Date: Released the 05 November 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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