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I've just bought the Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection and the Masterpiece Collection DVD sets to celebrate getting a new job (Hooray!). There are still a lot of Hitchcock films not included on those two sets. Can anyone recomend other Hitchcock DVDs (or preferably DVD sets) that are in remastered DVD quality for the movies not included in the two sets I just bought?

Thanks in advance.

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Get the remastered ones! I just played a few minutes of the unrestored version of Taxi Driver (do you see the connection?) and the quality is quite sucky. Old films need to be remastered!

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Yes, my movies are getting the full blu-ray treatment and should be available mid 2009. Expect an amusing director's commentary on TORN CURTAIN.

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Does that include the early 20s/30s films? As far as I know those ones are only available in 10-movies-for-$10 sets in poor quality.

I didn't know about the new versions of his DVDs coming out. Damn! Oh well. They are worth buying twice :mrgreen: Hitchcock was probably the most influential film-maker of all time, so if I own 3 copies of Star Wars I can justify owning 2 copies of the Hitchcock filmography.

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When it comes to the British movies, you're going to be hard-pressed to find decent copies of them. Most of them are available, but the prints used for the DVDs are in lamentable condition in some of those cases. This is more true of the silent films than it is of the talkies, but only somewhat. There are good Criterion editions of The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, so those are definitely recommended. Otherwise, as far as I know, the other British films don't really have good releases.

Criterion also did several of the American films: Rebecca, Spellbound, and Notorious. All three are out of print, and expensive to find used ($50-75 at the cheapest); there are cheaper non-Criterion versions that seem to also be out of print, but I don't know anything about the quality on those.

Also out of print is The Paradine Case, but that one is fairly unpopular, and is much cheaper to find used.

That leaves the following:

Lifeboat -- there's only one DVD edition of this, and it's easy to find

Bon Voyage/Aventure Malgache -- this DVD contains two wartime propaganda films Hitchcock made (in French!); it's fairly easy to find, but the films themselves are nothing special; good for completists, though

Under Capricorn - -again, there's only been one version, and it's easy to find

Alfred Hitchcock Presents -- four volumes of the episodes Hitchcock directed were released, but they were only available in various box sets. The individual discs are all available used on Amazon, though. There have also been full-season releases of the first three seasons, all of which are worth getting.

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MGM are releasing a new box set in October containing:

Rebecca

The Lodger

The Paradine Case

Spellbound

Notorious

Young and Innocent

Sabotage

Lifeboat

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/alf...collection.html

Extras look very nice. Obviously don't know anything about the quality yet, but hopefully it'll be good. I'd wait until this set's out and been reviewed before making a decision on what to get. As mentioned above you're safe with the Criterion DVDs of The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, and the three Alfred Hitchcock Presents volumes from Universal.

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MGM are releasing a new box set in October containing:

Rebecca

The Lodger

The Paradine Case

Spellbound

Notorious

Young and Innocent

Sabotage

Lifeboat

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/alf...collection.html

Extras look very nice. Obviously don't know anything about the quality yet, but hopefully it'll be good. I'd wait until this set's out and been reviewed before making a decision on what to get. As mentioned above you're safe with the Criterion DVDs of The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, and the three Alfred Hitchcock Presents volumes from Universal.

Oh yes! Now THAT's what I'm looking for. I'm sure MGM won't skimp on image quality. Now if only there could be a companion set comprising:

To Catch A Thief

Under Capricorn

Jamaica Inn

The Lady Vanishes

Secret Agent

The 39 Steps

The Man Who Knew Too Much (original)

The Skin Game

Blackmail

Easy Virtue

I'd be very excited indeed! They could call it "The Classic Collection", as they seem to like finding catchy names for these sets.

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MGM are releasing a new box set in October containing:

Rebecca

The Lodger

The Paradine Case

Spellbound

Notorious

Young and Innocent

Sabotage

Lifeboat

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/alf...collection.html

Extras look very nice. Obviously don't know anything about the quality yet, but hopefully it'll be good. I'd wait until this set's out and been reviewed before making a decision on what to get. As mentioned above you're safe with the Criterion DVDs of The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, and the three Alfred Hitchcock Presents volumes from Universal.

Oh yes! Now THAT's what I'm looking for. I'm sure MGM won't skimp on image quality. Now if only there could be a companion set comprising:

To Catch A Thief

Under Capricorn

Jamaica Inn

The Lady Vanishes

Secret Agent

The 39 Steps

The Man Who Knew Too Much (original)

The Skin Game

Blackmail

Easy Virtue

I'd be very excited indeed! They could call it "The Classic Collection", as they seem to like finding catchy names for these sets.

My credit card just issued a little groan at the knowledge that it's got another Hitchockc set to purchase soon.

Otherwise, that looks like a great box set, and it's about g-damn time somebody took a little care with The Lodger.

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Can't comment on that one, Neil. It might be different. However, this edition of Psycho is both cropped and non-anamorphic. Black bars on all four sides. More info.

That's the old disc. It's been supplanted by the one included in the box set I linked to above. That set also have an anamorphic Vertigo and that one includes the original mono track as well.

Neil

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That's the old disc. It's been supplanted by the one included in the box set I linked to above. That set also have an anamorphic Vertigo and that one includes the original mono track as well.

Neil

Both of those are coming out separately (finally!) in October, as well (along with Rear Window).

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/vertigo.html

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/psycho.html

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/rear-window.html

After these are out, I think that only leaves the remastered Birds DVD that isn't available separately.

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Has anyone heard of this set?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Early-Hitchcock-Co...7327&sr=1-5

It's Region 2, but my player has mysteriously learned how to play any region of DVD so that doesn't worry me too much. It looks like these early films have been restored somewhat. Anyone? I hope the silent releases are presented with a score. I have heard of certain releases of Hitchcock's silent films that have been presented completely silently! What a waste of an opportunity for a new soundtrack!

Ok, I've just seen this page:

http://www.optimumreleasing.com/dvd.php?id=449

which shows the silent films all have soundtracks. Hmmm. Could be worth the purchase.

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My favourite Hitchcock film will always be The Birds.

I have the DVD as part of The Masterpiece Collection and it does look quite good, but I would love to see this get a Blu-ray release. Films like these are the reason I strongly appreciate the format.

It really is a truly great film. I won't discredit it by even given a remake the time of day either.

Psycho would be second, and believe me I've thought about awarding it the title I've already given, nope, just can't do it.

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My favourite Hitchcock film will always be The Birds.

The DVD I have looks quite good, but I would love to see this get a Blu-ray release. Films like these are the reason I strongly appreciate the format.

It really is a truly great film. I won't discredit it by even given a remake the time of day either.

Psycho would be second, and believe me I've thought about awarding it the title I've already given, nope, just can't do it.

Vertigo is my favorite, but The Birds is a strong second.

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Psycho is my fave, followed closely by Vertigo and Foreign Correspondant. I have favourites from all Hitch's eras. I love The Lodger, but I also love Frenzy. Frenzy is an incredibly underappreciated black comedy IMO.

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FYI:

Deepdiscount.com is offering a pretty nice deal on their Criterion DVDs. Buy one get one free. You pay for the most expensive of the two of course. I just ordered the Criterion editions of 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes for a total of $32.99, with free shipping! RESULT!!!

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I liked Hitchcock best when he wasn't "Hitchcock", but just a really good director, he a Spielberg suffer the same fate, their best stuff was earlier in their careers

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