Hitchcock on Blu-ray? (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

Clarity, sharpness, depth of color (or richness of grayscale for B&W films). Those four films I mentioned above certainly have those qualities.

An average older film? Well, if the film is properly mastered in high definition, yes, it should look noticeably more appealing.

I can tell you my first Blu-ray experience was THE SEARCHERS, and even the CREDITS knocked me out they were so super sharp. Often, the clarity is such that your eye is fooled that it's watching 3-D. (Of course, Vistavision is known for its uber-sharp picture.)

 

[Craig Beam]

Another great example is CASABLANCA. It has the benefit of some serious restoration, so it's probably not typical... but my god, it's stunning to behold.

 

[Stu Rosen]

Well, I bought The Searchers based on your say so, and now it appears I have to buy Casablanca. (sshhhh....don't tell my wife...)

Thanks for this info - very helpful.

 

[Gekkou]

You definitely won't regret buying The Searchers.

Sleeping Beauty is another knockout, and I'm quite impressed with the UK release of The Seventh Seal. While I'm at it I'll also put in a good word for The Sand Pebbles. There, that's three classic titles beginning with "S" that look great in HD.

 

[Frank Ha]

I thought Bullit looked really good. Don't know if it's worth an upgrade though. The same can be said for Rio Bravo and The Wild Bunch. What I can truly recommend as an upgrade are the early James Bond films Dr. No & From Russia with Love. These look very good.

Back on topic, Vertigo, 39 Steps, Lady Vanishes, & Psycho top my list of Hitchcock films I'd like to see on BD.

 

[Osato]

Is North By Northwest coming to blu ray in 2009? I saw that the Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind are coming from WB, however North By Northwest wasn't mentioned this time.

I will pick up North By Northwest on blu ray. I would also like to see Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, Vertigo and probably any other ones they do put out on blu ray.

 

[Scott Shanks]

Watching "To Catch A Thief" on HDNet Movies. I am certainly no expert on how films should look, but to my eyes, this looked FANTASTIC!

Can't wait for the BD.

 

[PaulDA]

Any and all Hitchcock would be welcome on Blu-ray, especially the 1950s James Stewart and Cary Grant films (and The Trouble with Harry). I'd like them all on BD, but I'd be happy to start with those.

 

[Johnny Angell]

It's not Hitchcock, but the original Day the Earth Stood Still is worth upgrading if you already have it. It is a good example of how good black and white can be. BTW, the upcoming release on BD of the remake includes the BD disc of the original. If it exposes more people to the original, than the remake was worth it.

 

[NetworkTV]

It depends on the source. A good print from a technicolor film can look spectacular in HD. In some cases, even better than the original theatrical presentation due to the more accurate registration process, a cleaner print and fewer intermediate prints. Since computers don't slip like sometimes occurred when optically combining the technicolor strips, it means sharper colors. You also see a more direct master than a theatrical release print and it will look like a day one, first show projection.

Sure, the theatrical print had more resolution, but it was also being blown up onto a bigger screen and often suffered from the issues above.

Aside from many of the Hitchcock films listed here, I'm anxious to eventually get "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" on BD. That's onather well done DVD that should end up an excellent BD.

The biggest issue with older movies is being able to pause and study the sets and special effects. You only have to take a look at "The Robe" to see how those things don't age well. Granted, Hitchcock was very good at making them convincing, but it's easy to spot the move to the sound stage on closeups verses the wider location shots.

 

[Brian Borst]

Just one note: North By Northwest is owned by Warner Bros. and it is being restored for a release later this year.

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm sure you mean TO CATCH A THIEF which is the one Hitchcock Paramount still retains rights to. NORTH BY NORTHWEST is an MGM film controlled now by Warners.

 

[NetworkTV]

Thanks for the correction. I'm not sure why I said Paramount. My DVD clearly has the WB logo on it.

 

[Brandon Conway]

North by Northwest officially on the way in November. C'mon, Universal!

 

[Matt Butler]

My Hitch wish list is:

Psycho
The Birds
Rear Window
Vertigo
Frenzy
Man Who Knew Too Much (James Stewart version)
and Trouble With Harry

And North by Northwest will be mine as well!

 

[TravisR]

Depending on how often they were released, I might pick them all up but the definite buys for me would be:

Shadow Of A Doubt
Lifeboat
Notorious
Rope
Strangers On A Train
Dial M For Murder
Rear Window
Vertigo
North By Northwest (coming soon)
Psycho
The Birds
Marnie
Frenzy

On a semi-related note, I'm going to see an HD presentation of Vertigo tonight at a local art theater

 

[Brian Borst]

Originally Posted by TravisR

Depending on how often they were released, I might pick them all up but the definite buys for me would be:

Shadow Of A Doubt
Lifeboat
Notorious
Rope
Strangers On A Train
Dial M For Murder
Rear Window
Vertigo
North By Northwest (coming soon)
Psycho
The Birds
Marnie
Frenzy

On a semi-related note, I'm going to see an HD presentation of Vertigo tonight at a local art theater

Universal could release the same Masterpiece Collection, but this time in Blu-ray and make the outer box blue instead of red. Not only because it's Blu-ray (and every cover apparently has to have something blue in it) but I think that would look classy .

 

[Jim_K]

I imagine Universal will someday in the mist shrouded future test the waters with one of the most popular titles first (probably Psycho or Vertigo). If they sell to their expectations, we'll probably get some more trickle out.

A Masterpiece collection is years away if ever and very probably a pipe-dream.

 

[Dale MA]

Well Universal are remaking The Birds (ugh!) so that may be a prime time to release some of Hitchcock's back catalogue on BD.

 

[Jim_K]

The Birds huh? Wasn't aware of that.

Now who said Hollywood was devoid of original ideas.