Includes:
Amazon.com Product Description:
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 plenty of timeless movie magic here. Eye-popping transfers and gorgeous sound make this set one of the must-have releases of the year.
Should the Hitchcock fan have the energy for more after imbibing on the movies themselves, a bonus disc provides additional documentaries. These include a revealing interview in which the master of suspense discusses, among other things, how much he dislikes working with method actors, going so far as to name names (we're talking about you, Jimmy Stewart and Montgomery Clift). In an American Film Institute lifetime achievement ceremony, the master of suspense is praised by the likes of Stewart and Ingrid Bergman, and seems to be suffering from severe boredom as celebrities pile on the flattery. Then Hitchcock opens his mouth to accept the award, delivering an endlessly witty stream of perfect bon mots that prove once again that he was a master of high comedy as well. Revealing documentaries about the making of Psycho and The Birds round out the feast of extras. The 36-page booklet, filled mostly with stills and poster art, provides little new information about the films.--Ryan Boudinot
Starring:
From Back Cover:
This riveting wartime thriller stars Robert Cummings as Barry Kane, a Los Angeles aircraft factory worker who witnesses a Nazi agent firebombing his planet. However, it is Barry who is accused of the fiery sabotage, and to clear his name he sets off on a desperate, action-packed cross country chase that takes him from Boulder Dam to New York's Radio City Music Hall to the top of the Statue of Liberty. Hitchcock's first film with an all-American cast moves with breakneck speed toward its final heart-pounding confrontation, and remains a suspense classic.
My Comments:
I haven't watched this movie yet.
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S
Rated PG(MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1940s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Hitchcock collaborated with renowned playwright Thornton Wilder (Our Town) to create this psychological tale of family drama, suspicion... and murder. Joseph Cotten shines as Uncle Charlie, a seemingly charming man visiting his relatives in their small and peaceful hometown. But hwne his namesake neice "Young Charlie" (Teresa Wright), suspects that he may in fact be the psychopathic Merry Widow Killer, Uncle Charlie must plot the death of his favorite relation in order to remain one step ahead of the law in this murderous game of cat-and-mouse.
My Comments:
I haven't watched this movie yet.
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S
Rated PG(MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1940s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
James Stewart, Farley Granger and John Dall star in this macabre spellbinder, which was inspired by a real-life case of murder. Two thrill-seeking friends (Granger and Dall) strangle a classmate and then hold a party for their victim's family and friends, serving refreshments on a buffet table fashioned from a trunk containing the lifeless body. When dinner conversation revolves around talk of "the perfect murder," their former teacher (Stewart) becomes increasingly suspicious that his protégés have turned his intellectual theories into brutal reality.
My Comments:
I haven't watched this movie yet.
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R
Not Rated (MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1940s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
It only takes a witness to spoil the perfect crime in one of the most acclaimed suspense films of all time. The legendary James Stewart stars as professional photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries, who becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors while confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg. When he suspects that a salesman may have murdered his nagging, invalid wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his stunning socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to investigate the suspicious chain of events. Rear Window is the gripping thriller that has kept generations of fans enthralled with one of the most nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat endings in all of film history.
My Comments:
Of the Hitchcock films I've seen, this is by far my favorite. There's a great feeling of dread and claustrophobia that makes for a taut viewing experience.
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R
Not Rated (MPAA)
4 Stars
1950s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Academy Award winner Edmumd Gwenn, John Forsythe, Mildred Natwick and Jerry Mathers star in this charming comedy mystery. The trouble with Harry is that he's dead, and while no one really minds, everyone feels responsible. Oscar winner Shirley MacClaine makes her screen debut in this New England romp that includes romance, humor... and several unearthings of a corpse. In The Trouble With Harry, the Master of Suspense proves the range of his genius with a decidedly different work.
My Comments:
I haven't watched this one yet.
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T
Rated PG(MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1950s
Comedy
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Hollywood icons James Stewart and Doris Day are Ben and Jo McKenna, an innocent American couple vacationing in Morocco with their young son. But their simple plans turn into a nightmare after a French spy dies in Ben's arms at a Marrakesh market, and their son is kidnapped and taken to another country. The classic "Que Sera, Sera," from the film's chilling climax in London's Royal Albert Hall, won the Academy Award for Best Song. See Doris Day in a rare dramatic role and James Stewart as The Man Who Knew Too Much in this thrilling tale of international espionage, assassinations and terror.
My Comments:
I haven't watched this one yet.
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M
Not Rated (MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1950s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
James Stewart and Kim Novack light up the screen in this spellbinding classic of deception and betrayal. Scottie Ferguson (Stewart), a recently retired detective, is hired to shadow a friend's tragically suicidal wife, Madeleine Elster (Novack). After he saves her from drowning in the San Francisco Bay, Scottie's interest in the beautiful but icy blonde shifts from business to romance. But when tragedy strikes again, Scottie must overcome the vertigo that haunts his dreams in order to unravel the secrets of the past and find the key to his future.
My Comments:
Not quite my favorite Hitchcock, but a damn good movie.
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V
Not Rated (MPAA)
4 Stars
1950s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Anthony Perkins stars as Norman Bates, the troubled son who believes "a boy's best friend is his mother" in Hitchcock's landmark masterpiece. Janet Leigh is Marion Crane, the ill-fated traveler who checks into the eerie Bates Motel wanting only a hot shower and a warm bed. Her journey ends sooner than she planned in the shocking scene that has haunted generations of movie-watchers. The tension and horror mount when a private detective and Marion's sister search for her, and the identity of the mysterious Psycho.
My Comments:
This is the movie that made me like Hitchcock, though it's not my favorite.
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P
Rated R (MPAA)
4 Stars
1960s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Tippi Hedren plays Melanie Daniels, a beautiful blonde who arrives in Bodega Bay in pursuit of the handsome and eligible Mitch Brenner, played by Rod Taylor. But love is not the only thing in the air when thousands of birds descend upon the town, attacking and terrorizing its residents. Soon Melanie and Mitch are fighting for their lives against a deadly, unexplainable force in this spine-tingling portrait of nature at its most powerful and ruthless.
My Comments:
This was the first Hitchcock movie I ever watched it was nearly the last. The film is really slow moving and lacks the tension I expect from a man called "The Master of Suspense." It also has one of the most anti-climactic and disappointing endings I've seen in any film.
Might I also say that I was extremely disappointed to discover that this "Masterpiece Collection" included this shitty movie but not North By Northwest, one of Hitchcock's true masterpieces. Dial M For Murder is another quality Hitch that would've been a better choice than this piece of crap.
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P
Rated PG-13 (MPAA)
1 Stars
1960s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Tippi Hedren is Marnie, a compulsive thief who attempts to rob her boss, Mark Rutland (Sean Connery), but instead ends up marrying him. Her obsessive behavior continues, but when she is pushed to the edge after a terrible accident, Marnie's groom urges her to confront the past in the shattering conclusion of this psychological thriller.
My Comments:
I haven't watched this yet.
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M
Not Rated (MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1960s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star in this edge-of-your-seat Cold War thriller set behind the Iron Curtain. Newman plays Michael Armstrong, a renowned scientist attending an international physics conference in Copenhagen with Sarah Sherman (Andrews), his fiancée/assistant. The heart-pounding action begins when Sarah picks up a message intended for Michael and discovers that he is defecting to East Germany... or is he?
My Comments:
I haven't watched this yet.
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T
PG (MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1960s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
The best-selling spy novel bursts onto the screen in this riveting story of adventure and international intrigue. John Forsythe stars as an American CIA agent who hires a French operative (Frederick Stafford) to travel to Cuba and investigate rumors of Russian missiles and Topaz, a NATO spy. The inquiry soon spins into a life-threatening escapade of espionage, betrayal and murder.
My Comments:
I haven't watched this yet.
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T
Not Rated (MPAA)
Not Yet Seen
1960s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
Jon Finch, Alec McCowen and Barry Foster star in this morbid blend of horror and wit - the first Hitchcock film to earn and "R" rating. The Necktie Murderer has the London police on red alert and an innocent man is on a desperate quest to find the real sex criminal and clear his name. Alternating heart-pounding tension with distinctive Hitchcock humor, Frenzy marked the Master of Suspense's return to his native England after almost 20 years.
My Comments:
Frenzy is a good film and definitely worth a watch, but I would not consider it among Hitchcock's masterpieces (though it's still far better than The Birds). Probably more 3.5 stars than 3.
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F
Rated R (MPAA)
3 Stars
1970s
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index
Starring:
From Back Cover:
In his final picture, Hitchcock weaves together suspense and humor in this tongue-in-cheek thriller about a wealthy woman who innocently hires a phony psychic to find her missing heir. The unforgettable all-star cast including Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, William Devane and Karen Black, contributes to an enthralling merry-go-round of mayhem, mystery and murder.
My Comments:
This movie is a bit silly and is among Hitchcock's weaker efforts.
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F
Rated PG (MPAA)
2 Stars
1970s
Comedy
Suspense/Thriller
Main Index