MovieChat Forums > Blu-ray Disc Releases > Hitchcock Essentials Collection: Opinio...

Hitchcock Essentials Collection: Opinions?

posted 11 years ago by mikekuhlman-415-393642
7 replies | jump to latest

I happen to love it, because, while Hitch made many, many great movies, these 5 films (Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho and The Birds) are my favorites. They are the singular cinematic events where I feel Hitch reached his absolute peak, his zenith, the pinnacle of his artistic genius.

I'll collect his other movies individually later. Rope and Dial M for Murder are high on the list.

The transfers are gorgeous. The quality of the production design and cinematography come across immaculately, and Hitch's "cool platinum blondes" (Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint, Janet Leigh and Tippi Hedren) have never looked better.

I've read gripes on Amazon.com about this set, because users complain that Universal merely repackaged the 5 films from the previous, complete Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection that got the proper restoration (like that's a BAD thing?). The Masterpiece collection apparently contains ALL of Hitchcock's films.

[–] Struckworld7767 11 years ago

I bought the box set too, and loved it. The transfers do look spectacular.

The Masterpiece Collection isn't all of his films (that'd be a huge box set if there was though), it's like 15 of his most iconic films.

And if you own the Masterpiece Collection then the Essential Collection isn't worth double dipping for, so I don't know why someone is giving it a bad review.

The Essential Collection is a very solid box set, great packaging, each disc is packed with features and each film has great picture/sound quality.

I'm from Paris... TEXAS

[–] mikekuhlman-415-393642 11 years ago

"The Masterpiece Collection isn't all of his films (that'd be a huge box set if there was though), it's like 15 of his most iconic films."

Ah, thanks, Struckworld! Those bitchy users posting negative user reviews on Amazon are just pissed that they got f-cked on the price of the Masterpiece Collection when they could've spent way less money on the Essentials Collection and got, essentially, their favorite films.

Know just how many movies Hitch directed throughout his entire, illustrious career? I think it came out to 85 or something. Spielberg's nipping at his heels.

[–] ReelFanatic 11 years ago

I love the collection too. Those 5 films are such classics and they look amazing! I would buy it again without hesitation.

[–] Vega_Lyra 11 years ago

I was thinking of buying this as well, but I wish I could sub out North by Northwest for the Man Who Knew Too Much. I bought N by NW upon its original release on Blu Ray.

Conquer your fear, and I promise you, you will conquer death.

[–] mikekuhlman-415-393642 11 years ago

The Man Who Knew Too Much: Yeah, heard a lot of great things about this film, IN one of the behind the scenes documentaries in the Essentials Collection on Hitch's career. I guess that film was earlier in Hitch's career, before Rear Window and before Hitch's "VistaVision (Vertigo and North by Northwest) era".

The Man Who Knew Too Much is no doubt on the more beefy and expensive Hitchcock Complete Collection. Or, of course, it can be purchased separately.

[–] Vega_Lyra 11 years ago

Both the Lorre and Stewart versions of the film are really well done. The '56 version with Stewart was done in Vistavision but it seems to be one of the films that some critics didn't appreciate (some still don't) compared to the masterful Vertigo, Rear Window, etc. I admit it has a few weaknesses, and I guess that is why it wasn't considered "essential." I saw that the single release is available and Vertigo is finally being released here in the States as a single offering.

Conquer your fear, and I promise you, you will conquer death.

[–] vbel 10 years ago

I believe that Hitch directed 51 movies, as well as a few episodes of his TV series etc.