Alfred Hitchcock – The Masterpiece Collection

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Rating:

Saboteur – PG

Shadow of a Doubt – PG

Rope – PG

Rear Window – PG

The Trouble with Harry – PG

The Man Who Knew Too Much – PG

Vertigo – PG

Psycho – R

The Birds – PG-13

Marnie – PG

Torn Curtain – PG

Topaz – Not Rated

Frenzy – R

Family Plot – PG

Special Features:

Ultra-premium velvet packaging

36-page collectible book

Saboteur

Saboteur: A Closer Look

Storyboards

Alfred Hitchcock’s Sketches

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

Shadow of a Doubt

Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock’s Favorite Film

Production Drawings by Art Director Robert Boyle

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

Rope

Rope Unleashed

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

Rear Window

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

The Trouble with Harry

The Trouble With Harry Isn’t Over

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Making of The Man Who Knew Too Much

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

Vertigo

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

Psycho

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

The Birds

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

Marnie

The Trouble with Marnie

The Marnie Archives

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

Torn Curtain

Torn Curtain Rising

Scenes Scored by Bernard Herrmann

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailers

Production Notes

Topaz

Topaz: An Appreciation by Film Historian and Critic Leonard Maltin

Alternate Endings

Storyboards: The Mendozas

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

Frenzy

The Story of Frenzy

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailer

Production Notes

Family Plot

Plotting Family Plot

Storyboards: The Chase Scene

Production Photographs

Theatrical Trailers

Production Notes

Bonus Disc

AFI Salute to Alfred Hitchcock

Masters of Cinema

The Making of Psycho

All About the Birds

Other Info:

Full Frame (1.33:1) – Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Rope

Widescreen (1.66:1) – Rear Window

Widescreen (1.85:1) – The Trouble With Harry, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Frenzy, Family Plot

Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono – All Films

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound – Vertigo

Saboteur – Run Time: 1 Hour 49 Minutes

Shadow of a Doubt – Run Time: 1 Hour 48 Minutes

Rope – Run Time: 1 Hour 21 Minutes

Rear Window – Run Time: 1 Hour 55 Minutes

The Trouble with Harry – Run Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes

The Man Who Knew Too Much – Not Listed

Vertigo – Run Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes

Psycho – Run Time: 1 Hour 49 Minutes

The Birds – Not Listed

Marnie – Run Time: 2 Hours 11 Minutes

Torn Curtain – Run Time: 2 Hours 8 Minutes

Topaz – Run Time: 2 Hours 23 Minutes

Frenzy – Run Time: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

Family Plot – Not Listed

Synopsis:

You’ll find the following movies contained in this collection:

Saboteur (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), The Trouble With Harry (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963), Marnie (1964), Torn Curtain (1966), Topaz (1969), Frenzy (1972), Family Plot (1976)

The following is the text from the DVD cover:

“14 of the finest works from the universally acclaimed Master of Suspense come together for the first time in one collection. These captivating landmark films boast three decades of Hollywood legends, including James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Anthony Perkins, Sean Connery and Doris Day. The premium packaging and collectible book make Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection the must-own, definitive anthology of gripping works by a true genius.”

The Movies:

Typically I view all of a movie and all of the bonus features before reviewing a DVD, but it’s next to impossible to do with the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection. There are just too many movies and too many bonus features to do it before the end of the year. And how do I go about reviewing such classics as Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, and more? They’re classics for a reason and it’s more than likely you’ve already seen them and know if you want to add them to your collection.

This set is perfect for those who are building up their DVD collection. It contains a great selection of movies, it has an incredible cast of stars, and at $120 it comes out to $8 per DVD (assuming you pay full price, otherwise it’s even less). You can’t ask for much better than that. It is also a great set for younger movie fans that may not be familiar with Hitchcock’s classics. Though I had seen Psycho and The Birds in the past, I had forgotten a lot about them. I also forgot just how many films Jimmy Stewart starred in for Hitchcock. I certainly didn’t know Sean Connery was in Marnie. Yes, my Hitchcock ignorance is out there for the world to see, but now I have this Masterpiece Collection to help educate me.

The Extras:

There are hours and hours worth of bonus features included on this DVD. First off you have 14 featurettes for the individual films including Frenzy, Family Plot, The Trouble With Harry, Rear Window, Rope, and more. Each of these takes a closer look at the respective movies. Then there are in-depth documentaries on The Birds and Psycho. Each interviews most of the surviving cast members and they feature production photos, behind the scenes footage, and more. They also address myths about the movies. To round things out you have two documentaries on Alfred Hitchcock himself, “AFI Salute to Alfred Hitchcock” and “Masters of Cinema: Alfred Hitchcock”. Finally, there are your standard production notes, storyboards, production photographs, trailers, poster galleries, and more. It’s worth noting that Vertigo includes an alternate ending required by foreign censorship and the only commentary included in this set while The Birds includes Tippi Hedren’s original screen test.

The Bottom Line:

This is really a perfect gift for film lovers and a great addition to the collection of film students, suspense fans, and anyone learning to love Alfred Hitchcock’s films.

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