Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection

Of the collections available, I'd say this is the best, with many of his top movies. Of course, with only 14 movies in this collection, there's sure to be a couple favorites that aren't included, but if you could only get one collection, this is it. Even if you needed to get more than one collection, this should be one of them. With movies like Rope, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, Psycho, and The Birds, this collection is already worth it, and there's eight more. These films span 1942 through 1972, and include some notable stars. You'll find James Bond, Mary Poppins, Cool Hand Luke (the guy, not the movie), the very excellent Jimmy Stewart in a few, the girl from The Apartment, Perry Mason, Charlie's Angels' boss (that would be Charlie), the angel from It's a Wonderful Life, and even a guy named Ludwig. They come in a nice, felt-like box, which is a little bigger than it has to be, yet takes up much less space than buying the 14 films individually. I like this collection so much, I'm almost thinking of buying it again, but I really don't need it twice.

First of all, I want to thank Amazon for the fast delivery of my package, it arrived before the estimate dates (June 14-July 2) and in mint condition. Being a film student, my first Hitchcock movie was Psycho and I absolutely loved it. It's one of my all-time favorites. Then I saw the excellent The Birds and the good Rope. Watching only this three films, I realized I need to see more Hitchcock films including the best of him (Vertigo, Rear Window, etc.) My grandpa bought this set for me and has been the best birthday present ever!!! It has 14 films digitally remastered and a bonus disc. I read a lot of reviews complaining the quality of The Man that Knew Too Much but it look good to me (perhaps this is because I did not had the previous edition which is supposed to have a better transfer). I have yet to see all films and the bonus material (and that will take a while) and after that I will update this review with my personal thoughts of each film. For the moment, I have to recommend this set to everyone who loves Hitchcock or suspense. Excellent boxset with high quality transfers and lots of bonus material. 5 stars. Personal Thoughts on each film: First Box: Saboteur- 4 stars: This wartime suspense drama is really enjoyable but does not achieve great hights as other Hitchcock films. Packed with many of the director's trademarks (wrong man accused, etc.) there's plenty of thrills to find here. There's a great amount of suspense that unfortunately get overlooked sometimes because of long dialogues and speeches. Being made during WWII, patriotic values crowd the picture. Robert Cummings is not spectacular as Barry Kane but it's not terrible either. Pricilla Lane is more enjoyable as is the supporting cast on both sides. While the picture suffers for some unnecessary scenes, all is forgiven when the awesome third act comes. The spectacular Statue of Liberty scene is worth the whole picture. Thrilling and suspensful as any Hitchcock film. Saboteur is enjoyable and has some fantastic scenes (especially the at the end), but suffers from unnecessary dialogue and scenes that drag the picture too long. A good if unspectacular Hitchcock movie. Picture-3 Stars Picture is good and satisfying. Some minor grain and artifacts come and go throught the picture, but being a 60 plus year old film, it looks really good. Sound-3 Stars No complaints. Unspectacular but clear. Extras-5 Stars Terrific and insightful Documentary- Saboteur: A Closer Look. Storyboards (great) Trailers Production Notes Production Photographs Shadow of a Doubt- 5 stars Here is an example of a true Hitchcock Masterpiece. This underrated classic is the reason why Hitch is called "The Master of Suspense". A great movie packed with suspense, witty dialogue and great performances from all the cast, makes Shadow a really pleasant experience. Beginning in a simple, happy way, the film goes down taking us and our most horrible fears as it progresses, making us witnesses of the horror that can be inflicted in a little and quiet town. A fantastic nail-biter, no scene is gratious as each one adds to the film suspensful plot. Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten shine as the two leads making this film a must see for any Hitchcock fan. Definetively a masterpiece. Picture-3 Stars As with Saboteur, is satisfying but some grain and artifacts come and go thoroughout it. But, for a film this age it looks good. Sound-3 Stars No Complaints. Extras-5 Stars Excellent Documentary- Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcok's favorite film. Production notes Storyboards Trailers Production Photographs Rope- 4.5 Stars A "failed" experiment, like Hitchcock used to say, Rope nontheless is an enjoyable picture that delivers suspense with humor (as usual in a Hitchcok film). One of the highlights of the film is the cast. John Dall and Farley Granger are really effective as the two murderers and Jimmy Stewart is great as their suspicious professor. Again as with Saboteur, excess of dialogue prevents the film to be greater but you will find yourself completely taken by the suspensful plot. Another highlight is the limited environment in which the movie plays (an apartment- pretty much like Rear Window) because it concentrates all the drama and the suspense in one single spot which I found it very effective. Aside from the long takes experiment, Rope also was an experiment in the way that it delt with homosexuality in a sophisticated way, a way that censors of the time failed to see. Rope may not be an instant Hitchcock classic, but it sure will make yourself chop off your nails wondering how it will finish. Picture-4 Stars The first Hitchcock film in color, Rope looks great in this new transfer. Some minor grain comes and goes but that is not a distraction at all. Great picture quality. Sound-3 Stars No complaints. Unspectacular but fine. Extras-5 Stars Insightful and great documentary- Rope Unleashed Production Notes Trailers Production Photographs Rear Window- 5 Stars Here was the film I was looking forward to see since I receive this boxset. Rear Window is said to be one of Hitchcok's great masterpieces and is absolutely right. On the risk that I might sound repepitive, this picture is now one of my all-time favorites due to the great artistry in it. Masterfully directed by Hitch and wonderfully acted by Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly and the supporting cast, Rear Window shows vouyerism at its peak. Balancing (as always) humor with suspense, this picture delivers great performances with great dialogue and unforgettable moments. You'll be sweating and your heart will be pounding really hard throughout the film. But after it, you will be smiling because you know you just saw an excellent film. MASTERPIECE. Picture-4 Stars Rear Window looks really good here but still is not a complete clean transfer. Some grain comes and goes but that will be the least of your problems while you're watching it. Sound- 3 Stars Unimpressive but again not a problem. Extras-5 Stars Wonderful Documentary-Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary. An interview with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes (great interview) Production Notes Trailers Production Photographs Second Box: The Trouble with Harry- 4.5 Stars Here is a picture that seems completely different from a Hitchcock movie. Harry is a comedy (dark) that somewhat feels light in comparison to other Hitch films. So, if you expect tons of suspense and action, don't expect too much. Harry is one of the most relaxing Hitchcock films where you can sit and enjoy without having a heart attack. The cast does not have big names (Shirley MacLaine was not a big name at that time) but serves the film's purpose well and everyone do a fine performance. Vermont scenery is really beautiful and really adds to the film value. What you can expect, is tons of dark humor that is delivered in a very sophisticated and subtle way. I assure you, you will be smiling throughout the film. A nice lighthearted film. Picture-4.5 Stars Harry looks impressive in its vistavision remasterized transfer. Almost no artifacts or grain. Excellent quality. Sound- 3.5 Stars Unimpressive but Bernard Herrmann score is really cool and adds a bit to the overall quality. No issues. Extras-5 Stars Great Documentary- The Trouble with Harry isn't over Trailers Production Notes Production Photographs The Man Who Knew Too Much- 5 Stars Another Hithchcock classic. I've never seen the 1934 version but this remake is a wonderful picture. I have to say that is an epic movie filmed in many countries and you can see the big budget it had. Again, a wonderful James Stewart is the lead sharing the screen this time with Doris Day. It's the first time I've seen her acting and I must tell you, she is wonderful here. The sceneries are beautiful and the plot will make you be at the edge of your seat all the time. The wonderful song Que sera, sera is an excellent addition to the film and Doris delivered it in a masterful performance. Following the footsteps of Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much is Hitchcock at his best. Picture-4 Stars I think this transfer was pretty solid. Many complaints about the quality of the picture can be seen in this site, claiming that the previous DVD had a better transfer. While I do not have the previous DVD, I can say that mine looked pretty good, just some minor grain and even less artifacts. I think is a solid transfer overall. Sound-3.5 Stars Unspectacular as with the other ones. Herrmann score is excellent nontheless. No complaints. Extras-5 Stars Excellent Documentary- The Making of The Man Who Knew Too Much Trailers Production Photographs Production Notes Vertigo- 5 Stars Mixed response greeted Vertigo in 1958. Since then, the film has crawled its way to the top and now its being considered Hitchcock masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made. Watching the film for the first time, I can truly said that all the praise is not unfounded. Vertigo is a masterful work that shows Hitch's potential in a 100%. Its plot is much heavier than previous films and is filmed in a grim tone, almost depressing. That really adds to the film's meaning. James Stewart gives here what I consider now, his finest performance as an investigador consumed by obsession. Kim Novak is absolutely stunning in a complex dual role. I don't think Vera Miles could achieve this type of performance. Novak is brilliant. Locations are fantastic as are the details in every single thing in the picture. The score by Bernard Herrmann is so powerful and engulfing, you will be remembering it after the movie ended. I think is his second best score (Psycho will always be first). Vertigo is not a grand scale film like The Man Who Knew Too Much but it is much more powerful and personal that you will want it to see it several times. A crowning achievement and a masterful film. Picture-4 Stars Excellent quality transfer with minor grain and artifacts. Sound-5 Stars Presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound, Vertigo is a joy to hear especially with an excellent Herrmann score in it. It has also the original 2.0 monotrack. Extras-5 Stars Excellent although a little dated documentary- Obsessed with Vertigo Audio Comentary with the Restoration Team and Producer (I'm not into audiocomentaries, but for the ones that are, it will be a thrill) Trailers Production Notes The Vertigo Archives Psycho- 5 Stars What can I say about Psycho that haven't been said before? It's a landmark, fantastic, horrifying film. It's my Hitchcock favorite and seeing recently again it has been a plesure in this new remasterized transfer. Psycho is pure Hitchcock but at the same time is a departure from his usual themes and trademarks that has caracterized his previous films. Here we don't have a passionate story filled with glamour and big budget chases. No, Psycho is a low budget wonderful film that explores the complex layers of the human mind. It's a very unsettling story of love, murder, madness and more. Prepare to be chilled to the bone. The cast is terrific particularly Anthony Perkins as the serious transtornated Norman Bates. Herrmann's score is his best and one of the best of all time. This movie shows how some of the finest crew in the world was at the peak of its game and delivered a masterpiece. Hitchcock's best. Video- 3.5 Stars When I first saw Psycho, was in a very old fulscreen transfer. Watching it again in this anamorphic transfer with rematerized quality, it's like seeing it for the very first time. It's a pretty solid transfer despite some minor grain and artifacts. Sound- 4 Stars Though is a 2.0 monotrack, Herrmann powerful score sound terrific here. Dialogue is also crisp and clear. Extras- 5 Stars Fantastic Documentary- The Making of Psycho (this documentary is in the Bonus Material Disc) Production Photographs The Psycho Archives The Shower Scene Lobby Cards Trailers Psycho Release: Newsreel Footage Third Box: The Birds- 5 Stars This chilling story about nature's revenge is still one of the best horror films of all time. Similar to Psycho's tone, The birds is one of the most (if not the most) unsettling Hitchcock film. The clever story is presented as a romantic comedy when, without explanation, it turns to be a dark, scary one. The technical achievement that Hitch and its crew achieve in this film is superb. Dealing with real live birds and lacking the modern technology that we enjoy, they had to figure out how to do a believable plot. And they succeed in every ground. The lack of a score is really effective in setting the dark mood. The birds in the film are not mere animals, they are fully embodied characters that can think and prepare a full scale attack against humanity. The cast is nothing extraordinary but they serve the film's purpose. The Birds is one of Hitchcock's finest and most scary films. Alongside with Psycho, is a movie that will make you jump off your seat several times. Once you see this film, you will never see birds the same way. Video- 4.5 Stars The Birds looks spectacular in this new transfer. Some minor grain appears occassionally. Sound- 4.5 It's a 2.0 monotrack but the birds cries sound really real. Dialogue is crisp and clear. Extras- 5 Stars Fantastic Documentary- All About the Birds (located in the Bonus Disc) Production Photographs Production Notes Tippi Hedren Screen Tests Trailers Alternate Ending Deleted Scene The Birds is Coming-featurette Universal Promotional Newsreel Marnie- 4 Stars Marnie reunites Hitchock with his Birds star and discovery Tippi Hedren. She does a really good performance as the sexually repressed and traumatized Marnie. It's a far more complex character than Melanie Daniels and she acts it brilliantly. Sean Connery is also good as Mark, his caring but somewaht obsessed husband. Marnie offers you suspense, romance but at the end is a psychological thriller and is a really good one. Herrmann score as in very Hitchcock film is brilliant. What prevents it to be greater, I think is the excess of explanation in the plot and that does not offer shocking moments like Vertigo, Psycho and The Birds. Still is a really good Hitchcock film and it's worth a look. Video- 4.5 Stars Excellent transfer with minor grain and some artifacts. Sound- 4 Stars 2.0 monotrack, unimpressive but crystal clear. Extras- 5 Stars Nice and (surprinsingly) lengthy documentary- The Trouble with Marnie The Marnie Archives Trailers Production Notes Torn Curtain- 3 Stars Torn Curtain has the reputation for being one of the lesser efforts by Hitchcock. After watching it, I have to say that is not completely true. Sure, Curtain is nothing compared to previous Hitchcock classics such as Rear Window, Vertigo or Psycho. But still, it manages to offer mild entertainment and suspense. Unfortunately many problems plague the picture. First, in this film Hitchcock lost many men of his usual crew with whom he delivered masterpieces. His cameraman and editor died and Bernard Herrmann was fired because Universal and Hitch wanted a more "comercial" soundtrack. I think that was a huge mistake. Herrmann had proven himself as one of the greatest composers and he had delivered excellent scores in all his Hitchcock film (The Trouble with Harry-Marnie). Firing him was the first of many mistakes with the movie. Other flaws are the characters and plot. The movie begins very slow and little suspense is shown. The first and second acts are rather dull (the murder scene is the only standout here) and makes you lost interest in the film. The third act is by far the best and here you can see that this film is pure Hitchcock. With suspense all over and chases thoughout Europe, here is where the film really rewards the viewers. I think Paul Newman and Julie Andrews are both wonderful actors but here is like they weren't trying too hard. That or the characters were very flat that they couldn't work with. Gone is the chemistry between the two leads that has been a characteristic in many Hitchcock film (Grace Kelly-James Stewart, Doris Day-James Stewart, and more). Andrews and Newman are not able to project chemistry with their performances and they seem uncomfortable between them. Nevertheless, putting aside all this negative aspects, Torn Curtain is not a completely terrible film. In fact, is rather enjoyable if you see past this shortcomings. At least is better than many other films out there and you should be pleased. But not as pleased as watching other Hitchcock films. Video-4.5 Stars Torn Curtain looks impresive in this transfer. Only minor grain is noticeable in some scenes. Great picture quality. Sound-3.5 Stars 2.0 unimpressive monotrack. John Addison score is not terrible but it's not Herrmann. Nontheless dialogue is always crisp and clear without any background noises. Extras- 5 Stars Informartive Documentary- Torn Curtain Rising Herrmann's Score in some scenes (great) Production Photographs Production Notes Trailer Topaz- 3.5 Stars The 60's saw the peak and the "decline" of the Master of Suspense. Although his so called "decline" was merely from Outstanding and Excellent to Very Good. Since Marnie (which I actually enjoyed), Hitch wasn't able to connect with critics and audiences. Topaz came after the good but not great Torn Curtain and unfortunately followed that pattern (although I enjoyed this one slightly more than Curtain). Topaz is a spy thriller and the premise is a good one. Unfortunately the movie has some problems. First, the length. Running for almost 2 and a half hours, the film is too long for its own good. Many unecessary scenes and dialogue is present here. Another (minor) issue is the lack of well-known stars (many which worked with Hitch before) and that makes it more difficult to root for unknown actors. The overall acting is good but nothing extraordinary. Many loose ends plague the film, like both the husband and wife infidelities and how they happily return to each other at the end. That takes credibility from the film as does that all the "cuban" speak always in perfect english and not only with foreigners but between them when Spanish is their official language . Still, with this shortcomings, the picture has a lot of Hitchcock trademarks and many beautifully elaborate scenes (the best from Cuba). Suspense comes and goes but it will entertain you the whole picture. The ending is the most troubling issue. Filming three endings for the film, I have to say that after watching all three, none of them are completely satisfactory in wrapping up the whole picture. Still as Leonard Maltin says, second-rate Hitchcock is better than first-rate of almost everything out there. Topaz is not an instant Hitchcock classic but like every single picture of him it will entertain you (just don't expect great entertainment). Video- 4 Stars Topaz looks great in this transfer although some grain and artifacts are noticeable in some scenes. Sound- 3.5 Stars Unimpressive but clean and clear Extras- 5 Stars Informative Documentary- Topaz: An appreciation by Film Critic Leonard Maltin Alternate Endings Production Photographs Storyboard- The Mendozas Production Notes Fourth Box: Frenzy- 5 Stars Here is where Hitch demonstrated everyone that he was still at the top of his game. Frenzy came after the good but slighlty dissapointings Torn Curtain and Topaz. Set in London, Frenzy is a return to the macabre that Hitchcock knew so well and that he did not applied in any feature film since The Birds. But if the Birds was unsettling and graphic, Frenzy is much more graphic than any Hitchcock movie. Here you will find an explicit rape and strangling scene, corpes, nudity and more. No wonder is rated R, but this does not mean is lots of fun. Full of suspense and dark humor, Frenzy is a perfectly balanced story where you will laugh, horrorized and be at the edge of your seat. Here we also have lack of stars but the actors perform their roles extraordinarily well. Frenzy is one instant Hitch classic that deserve to be up there where his classic films are. Excellent film. Video- 4 Stars Great transfer with minor grain and artifacts Sound- 3. Stars Unimpressive but clear Extras- 5 Stars Excellent Documentary- The Story of Frenzy Production Photographs Trailer Production Notes Family Plot- 4.5 Stars Family plot is the last film Hitchcock directed and I must say is a really good one. It centers the story in four characters, all of them schemers but two of them use more extreme methods than the others to accomplish what they want. Family Plot is related to The Trouble with Harry, not in plot or characters but because maybe it uses dark comedy in an excellent way, pretty much like Harry. Suspense is present (as always) but it does not overflows the picture like previous entries. As Harry, Family Plot is lighthearted with some scenes that show peril. Performances here are brilliant, specially Barbara Harris as the delightful fake medium Blanche Tyler. She is the star of the film and makes it a fully enjoyable experience. Family Plot is a nice farewell from the Master of Suspense. Great film. Video- 3.5 Stars Surprinsigly for Hitchcok's last film, Plot look a lot more grainier than the other films , still most of the time is clean and the grain is not a distraction. Sound- 3.5 Stars Unimpressive but clear Extras- 5 Stars Excellent Documentary- Plotting Family Plot Storyboard: The Chase Scene Trailer Production Photographs Production Notes Bonus Disc- 5 Stars Aside of the two great documentaries of Psycho and The Birds (Listed above), you have the AFI salute to Hitchcock and an interview with him called Masters of Cinema. Everything is great. The velvet box is beautiful as are the four boxes that hold the discs (though they might be a little delicate). A collective book giving information about each film (it has little new information) is also included. Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Rope and the Bonus Disc are presented in their original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 Fullscreen Rear Window is presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen enhanced for 16x9 TVs All the others are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt and Psycho are in B&W The rest is in color. As you can see this Masterpiece Collection include great films and good films. Nonetheless all of them will entertain you and the new transfers and bonus material will please everyone. If you love Hitch, this is a fully recommended set. 5 Stars.

First of all, I'm not going to review the movies themselves. They are classic's, and flat out worth seeing/owning. This review is about the Box Set itself, the packaging, etc. Well, masterful is a good word to describe this "Masterpiece" of a Collection. The makers of this must of had extreme respect for these movies, because this is the coolest DVD Box I've ever seen. Velvet outside, imprinted Alfred Hitchcock silouette as you can see in the picture. And to unveil where the actual dvd cases are, you open the side and slide it back into the box. Stylish and slick! There are about 4 disks to a case, opening up both ways, 2 disks on one side and 2 on the other, half on top of each other. I could see how some might complain about this, but really not a big deal, it's not going to scratch the disks. Picture quality is great, menu's slick and easy to navigate. Nice deaf and hard of hearing option too. This probably goes unnoticed by most, by this is nice for those who don't won't to lose how the original portrays the story. Basically, unless you already own all the other movies individually (in which case wow!), you need to get this. A must-own for any Alfred Hitchcock fan and DVD collection. I'm just greatly impressed about how nice this box is, other makes really need make dvd box sets nicer for the people who are buying them. Really adds a lot to the value and life of the dvds themselves.

For anybody who has not brought these films at the individual list price of $29.95, then this box set has to be considered (at under $6.00 a film) the deal (or steal) of the century. The problem is that probably every Hitchcock fan has already purchased all or most of these films - as I did, at those advanced prices, and doesn't want to lay out any more cash. But anyone living in a major city should easily be able to get at least $6.00 a disc for their old Hitchcock DVD's at any used DVD store, and in the process they would actually be saving money and be getting a beautifully packaged box set in the process, along with a nice booklet, and the bonus of an extra disc. Unfortunately, the extra disc, only includes (to Universal's disgrace) a mere 15 minute excerpt from the AFI life acheivement award to Hitchcock - that includes comments from Ingrid Bergman and Jimmy Stewart, as well as Hitchcock's complete acceptance speech. But missing are all the other speakers, like Janet Leigh, Francois Truffaut, John Forsythe, Anthony Perkins, etc. This is my biggest complaint, because the entire 105 minute program was easily one of the best AFI shows ever produced. So why couldn't they include the entire program on the bonus disc? However, that aside, the bonus disc is offset by the incredible interview segements with Mr. Hitchcock, which only runs about 33 minutes, but includes comments from the master that have never been heard before. For a director like Hitchcock, who had been endlessly interviewed, I expected this to be a repeat of comments Hitchcock had made many times elsewhere. But guess what? These 33 minutes of interview are almost entirely new material! Most of Hitchcock's comments are entirely fresh, and not in the Truffaut interview book, or anywhere else, for that matter, making them very valuable indeed. Kudos go the two interviewers, Pia Lindstrom (Ingrid Bergman's daughter) and the esteemed film collector William K. Everson for not following the same old paths and asking Hitch the kinds of questions (as Richard Schickel did in his documentary on Hitchcock for the PBS series, "The Men who Made the Movies" which basically repeated everything about Hitchcock that everyone was already familiar with who had read the Truffaut/Hitchcock book).

I wanted to wait until I had viewed all of the DVDs before I wrote this review. I'm not going into any deep detail about the plots or anything like that as many other reviewers do. I don't see the need for this since these films are already so well known. First of all, I believe that most knowledgeable film lovers will agree that 'Psycho', 'Rear Window' and 'Vertigo' are true masterpieces. Many people would add 'The Birds' to this list, although I thought that one falls a little short. Don't get me wrong, I liked 'The Birds' a lot and it is excellent, but I don't think it is in quite the same catagory as the other three. One of my favorites was 'Shadow of a Doubt'. Hitchcock named this as his personal favorite, and it is excellent. Joseph Cotton is very convincing as the serial killer known as the merry widow murderer. This film was made in the early 1940s and many people haven't seen it because they have some aversion to films that are made in black and white. These people need to get past this silly issue because they are missing some of the best films ever made. If you haven't seen 'Shadow of a Doubt' you really need to. Altogether, this makes five films in the collection that, in my opinion, are truly excellent or better. There are several other films that I also liked a lot including 'Frenzy' (another serial killer), 'Rope', (very under rated) 'The Trouble with Harry', 'Saboteur' and 'Family Plot'. 'Family Plot' was Hitchcock's last film and although it certainly will never be considered among his best works, Bruce Dern and Barbara Harris are great, and the ending really made me smile. There are a couple of films in this collection that I think are just so-so. I know many will disagree, but 'The Man who knew too much', and 'Marnie' just didn't do much for me. Lastly, this set contains what I feel are two real clunkers. I thought 'Topaz' was a total bore, and 'Torn Curtain' wasn't much better. Both are cold war/spy films that just don't make the grade. Hitch would have been better off letting 'North by Northwest' (NOT INCLUDED in this set) serve as his lone cold war representative. ('North by Northwest' is my personal Hitchcock favorite. Too bad it isn't included.) Don't let my opinion stop you from watching 'Topaz' and 'Torn Curtain' at least once. Both do have some interesting scenes and many folks like them much better than I did. In 'Torn Curtain', I thought Paul Newman did a great job of looking terrified throughout the entire film, and there is one scene that is absolutely riviting. This one scene alone makes the film worth viewing at least once. The bonus DVD contains very interesting and informative features on the making of 'Psycho' and 'The Birds'. The other DVDs also contain interesting bonus material. As for the quality of the DVDs; I thought overall the quality was pretty good. I did notice a couple of minor glitches and just a little fading in color and contrast from time to time. These are hardly worth mentioning and it only happened a few times, but I thought I'd better mention it anyway. I have a very cheap and simple DVD player and I really didn't have any problems. Many people complain about widescreen clipping off a lot of the picture, but this can be adjusted on all DVD players with the zoom function. You clip a little of what would normally be seen off of the sides, but people who want to fill the screen can do so. Most of these films are formatted to clip a little off the top and bottom of the screen and that's how I viewed them. I don't know if this counts as widescreen, but the picture size can be adjusted on all DVD players. I was not overly pleased with the packaging. The DVDs do not have individual sleeves, rather, they come in little booklets, with four DVDs each. I knew this when I bought the set, and this alone should not stop anyone from buying the set. I would have perfered individual sleeves, but at least this packaging makes the set very compact. THE BOTTOM LINE: I'm giving this set 4-stars because of the packaging and the marginal and clunker films that it contains. I would never pay the list price for this set, and I would not even pay the normal Amazon price of $98.99. This set goes on sale from time to time, and I bought mine from Amazon in late July for $63. At this price it's a great buy, so be patient... it will go on sale again. If you are interested in this set, wait until it goes on sale again, buy it and enjoy!

For those first building a Hitchcock collection this is the one to buy. Bound beautifully in a velvet box, the contents within are the gems of his mid 1950s efforts all the way to his final outing. (The only 2 missing after 1954's Rear Window are To Catch A Thief and North By Northwest). That's 11 of his modern classics and then add 3 others from the 40s and you have a substantial period covered. Also included are 14 documentaries and 9 featurettes. At $69 for Amazon Prime it is well worth it and it forms the cornerstone of my own Hitchcock library. You can read the list of the titles in the product description but, suffice it to say, the best of the 50s and 60s are included, all in tip top restored shape, roughly $5 a film not counting the extras. The surprises to me are his last two; Frenzy and Family Plot. Even though I owned all of his talkies I had never seen these two from the 70s, assuming he had lost steam by the end. Hard to believe he could be going strong into his 5th decade of fimmaking. Yet Frenzy is a taught and modern suspense thriller (and maybe too dark for even Hitchcock), extremely well cast and executed. Family Plot is quirky, charming and entertaining, almost a throwback to his British days, and makes a fitting swan song to his prolific career. The point is, this box set not only includes many of his most well known but others one might not buy individually. I advocate strongly for this late period Hitchcock box set then building your collection backwards.

The new ALFRED HITCHCOCK: THE MASTERPIECE COLLECTION is one of the most expensive DVD boxed sets I have ever bought--$90 from Amazon.com. (It retails elsewhere for a whopping $120.) But if you have that much to spend on a boxed set, have a Hitchcock scholar in your family, and want the ultimate Christmas gift, you will not top this one. You get FOURTEEN digitally remastered and widescreen (where applicable) studio print masterworks by Sir Alfred on fifteen disks. This averages out to only $6 a movie! The movies are all classics; several are full-fledged cinema masterpieces, spanning The Master's entire Amereican career until his death in the late 1970's: SABOTEUR, SHADOW OF A DOUBT, ROPE, REAR WINDOW, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, VERTIGO, PSYCHO, THE BIRDS, MARNIE, TOPAZ, TORN CURTAIN, FRENZY. and FAMILY PLOT. The movies come as four disks in a beautifully designed series of boxes inside an elegant larger maroon velvet box. You don't just get the movies here. Each one has a small filmmaking documentary (REAR WINDOW and VERTIGO have longer ones), some wonderfully sly and inspired theatrical trailers, publicity material, and other behind the scenes bonuses. The bonus 15th disk has (unfortunately) only excerpts from the AFI Tribute banquet, the making of PSYCHO and the making of THE BIRDS (why aren't they on those individual film disks?), and another documentary called MASTERS OF CINEMA: ALFRED HITCHCOCK. Finally (!), you get a 36 page labor of love collectible booklet with a couple of pages devoted to each movie here. If you love Alfred Hitchcock the way I do, you simply must find a way to afford the admittedly very expensive ALFRED HITCHCOCK: THE MASTERPIECE COLLECTION boxed set from maligned Universal, even if you have to give up every other DVD purchase for the month or even the rest of the year. It is one of the crown jewels of my DVD collection.

BOX DESIGN: a thin slipover cardboard outer part fits tightly over the main felt heavy cardboard disk case housing. The slipover contains interesting information on the disks and should be saved. However, it is troublesome to slip it off each time to remove a disk set from the main housing. The main housing is opened by a nylon pullstrap that opens the housing side. Four disk cases containing 3-4 DVDs are held TOO FIRMLY by internal plastic slides that are glued to the inner top and inner bottom of the housing. A book is literally crammed between the spaces and for my case, some pages were folded even as a new item! The housing is TOO BULKY and I was tempted to throw it away..... it's tough to remove and put back the DVD cases .... it's impossible to remove and put back the book without damaging it... Did anyone try the design before manufacturing 1000's of these??? MODIFIED BOX DESIGN: to make the housing box usable, do the following: (1) remove the inside top and bottom plastic slides by folding one of the holders over a little bit and pulling it-- the glue is not so strong and it will peel off-- this will allow the FULL internal contents of the box to be used. NOW, the housing can hold the 4 DVD disk set cases PLUS the book comfortably AND 2 more DVD cases -- I chose a couple of previously owned Hitchcock movies-- North by Northwest, etc. ALSO, cut the thin slipover cardboard (back part only) and make it about the size of the book-- it can be put in the housing also. With this modification, the housing (very attractive) can hold the full 15 DVD set + book + 2 of your favorite Hitchcock movies in DVD cases and the back cover information. Try it, you'll like it! PRICE: This set is well worth the $51 (USD) or 58 % off price that it sold for as a one-day sale item. DVD cases and DVDs: these are the overlapping disk type made of hard polystyrene with the push-center to release type. Not my favorite, but these seem to work. Users generally prefer polypropylene slim-line cases as these are soft and allow the disks to be easily removed. DVDs are labeled and SINGLE-SIDED the way that they should be. BOOK: some good information/trivia but it could be so much better. The printing is cheap and the pictures do not match where the book folds. An introduction to such a fine set of movies deserves better