CORPORATE LINE: Containing 14 of the cinematic gems that earned Alfred Hitchcock his reputation as the Master of Suspense, ALFRED HITCHCOCK – THE MASTERPIECE COLLECTION is the ultimate collection for fans of the legendary director. Created across three major decades in filmmaking history, the films included here range from the witty, fashionable, and funny, to the truly terrifying and macabre. Showing Hitchcock’s great breadth as a director, these works star such screen icons as Grace Kelly, James Stewart, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, and Doris Day. Contents include SABOTEUR, SHADOW OF A DOUBT, ROPE, REAR WINDOW, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, VERTIGO, PSYCHO, THE BIRDS, MARNIE, TORN CURTAIN, TOPAZ, FRENZY, FAMILY PLOT, plus a special program featuring segments on the making of THE BIRDS and PSYCHO, and an American Film Institute tribute to the director himself. Each film included in the collection also features bonus materials such as director’s notes, trailers, extra and deleted scenes, storyboards, and extended/alternate endings.
THE MOVIES: There are no more words that can be said about Hitchcock that hasn’t been crafted already.
With fourteen classics $100 isn’t a bad price. The packaging is a very nice velvet box. Each DVD’s cover is a copy of the original movie poster. The real issue will come with each individual fan who will argue what is and isn’t a Hitchcock “Masterpiece.” There are so many good Hitchcock films that it’s nearly impossible to satisfy any fan without releasing them all in one monster box set. Calling this boxset the “Masterpiece” collection makes fans choose sides and draw lines however one plus for Universal is the fact that it will lead to a lot of discussion.
Personally, I would have liked to see Strangers On A Train. The real reason to buy is the digital transfers. They are fantastic. Even jaded fans will buy for that reason alone—that is if they haven’t already purchased the original remastered DVDs. As a side note: these remasters aren’t as good as the recently spruced up Wizard Of Oz.
THE EXTRAS: The most fascinating extras are the documentaries and the interview with Alfred Hitchcock. It’s great for the casual fan and the film connoisseur. His AFI ceremony is hilarious for a number of reasons. First and foremost Hitchcock’s ability to keep us in suspense—mostly so we can hang on every word that usually brings a laugh.
The documentaries that accompany the films are priceless. Some of the documentaries are as interesting as the films themselves. Particularly those found on the bonus disc: “The Making of Psycho” and “All About The Birds.”
Disc 1: Saboteur: Bonus Materials
# Saboteur: A Closer Look
# Storyboards
# Alfred Hitchcock’s Sketches
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 2: Shadow of a Doubt: Bonus Materials
# Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock’s Favorite Film
# Production Drawings by Art Director Robert Boyle
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 3: Rope: Bonus Materials
# Rope Unleashed
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 4: Rear Window: Bonus Materials
# Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary
# A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes
# Production Photographs
# Production Notes
# Re-Release Trailer Narrated by James Stewart
# Theatrical Trailer
Disc 5: The Trouble with Harry: Bonus Materials
# The Trouble With Harry Isn’t Over
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 6: The Man Who Knew Too Much: Bonus Materials
# The Making of The Man Who Knew Too Much
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 7: Vertigo: Bonus Materials
# Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock’s Masterpiece
# Feature Commentary with Associate Producer Herbert Coleman, Restoration Team Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz and Other Vertigo Participants
# Original Theatrical Trailer
# Restoration Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
# Foreign Censorship Ending
# The Vertigo Archives
Disc 8: Psycho: Bonus Materials
# Theatrical Trailer
# Re-Release Trailers
# Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho
# The Shower Scene
# The Psycho Archives
# Production Photographs
# Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
# The Shower Scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass
# Lobby Cards
# Posters and Psycho Ads
# Production Notes
Disc 9: The Birds: Bonus Materials
# Deleted Scene
# The Original Ending
# Storyboard Sequence
# Tippi Hedren’s Screen Test
# The Birds Is Coming (Universal International Newsreel)
# Suspense Story: National Press Club Hears Hitchcock (Universal International Newsreel)
# Production Photographs
# Production Notes
# Theatrical Trailer
Disc 10: Marnie: Bonus Materials
# The Trouble with Marnie
# The Marnie Archives
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 11: Torn Curtain: Bonus Materials
# Torn Curtain Rising
# Scenes Scored by Bernard Herrmann
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailers
# Production Notes
Disc 12: Topaz: Bonus Materials
# Topaz: An Appreciation by Film Historian and Critic Leonard Maltin
# Alternate Endings
# Storyboards: The Mendozas
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 13: Frenzy: Bonus Materials
# The Story of Frenzy
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailer
# Production Notes
Disc 14: Family Plot: Bonus Materials
# Plotting Family Plot
# Storyboards: The Chase Scene
# Production Photographs
# Theatrical Trailers
# Production Notes
Disc 15: Bonus Disc
# AFI Salute to Alfred Hitchcock
# Masters of Cinema
# The Making of Psycho
# All About the Birds
FRANKLY: There is a lifetime worth of movies that you will watch endlessly. Even if you watch them back to back now you’ll still want to see them again and again. These are true gems of the master.
+ Charlie Craine
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.