A few words about...™ To Catch a Thief -- in Blu-ray - Page 2

Thanks Robert.

I'm on the bubble a bit as I do have the SE DVD of this one..

I'll most likely cave on it...

: )

I'm going to have to get this one. For some reason I've never warmed up to this Hitchcock film, but I've never seen an ideal presentation of it. Both 35mm prints I ran (printings created in the early 2000's) just did not look great and pretty much every other video version has had issues. Thanks for the 15 buck Amazon tip!

I caved. Was coming back here to post that I had done so and saw your comments about it.

Yes. Plus it's Hitchcock. Have too.

The Lady Vanishes is out there. Hoping to pick that one up when Barnes and Nobles does their 50% off sale..

: )

Hopefully The Birds comes in October. Perhaps with the other Universal monster films as well?

At the $15 price point, I bit.

I've got all these Hitchcock blu-rays, so this is a no brainer for me. I eagerly await this based on the RAH review!!

The 39 Steps - ITV U.K.
The Lady Vanishes - Criterion
Rebecca - MGM
Spellbound - MGM
Lifeboat - Masters of Cinema U.K. (coming 04/2012)
Notorious - MGM
To Catch a Thief - Paramount
North By Northwest - Warner
Psycho - Universal (U.K. preferred)
The Birds - Universal (coming 2012)

and hopefully this year...

Rear Window
Vertigo
The Trouble With Harry

There has also been talk of Dial 'M' for Murder in 3D this year.

Why do you prefer the U.K. edition of Psycho over the Universal?

The cover art is much better on the region free U.K. version. The transfer and content is the same. Personal preference. It was also released a few months before the U.S.

Yes, I heard Dial M For Murder was being 'redone' in the newer 3D format for release, instead of the older blue/red glasses type. I really don't care as long as they release it flat, as well.

I also read that the British Film Institute is restoring his 9 silent films with newly recorded soundtracks for re-release and a probable blu-ray box set release this year.

More Hitchcock on blu-ray is a wonderful thing.

Yes it is.

Thanks for your reply.
The U.K. cover art is usually better, especially when it draws on the original poster art.

You can say that again.
Where did you hear about a silent films collection from the BFI? That's wonderful news. And long, long overdue. Do keep us informed if you hear anything new.

The BFI are restoring the films, but they currently do not hold the home video rights; should they come on Blu, they'll likely have to come from another source.

Couldn't Criterion just get the rights to these BFI restorations?

While there are probably Anaglyph prints of "Dial M For Murder" out there, the movie was originally released in full color two-strip polarized 3D. I saw a print at a 3D film festival, and while it was pretty beat, the color was beautiful. Other than removing the dust and scratches, it seems like it would be a pretty easy port to any of the modern 3D systems.

Of the 50 domestic 3-D features released from 1952-1955, none were originally shown via red/blue anaglyph. They were all Polaroid and the quality was excellent.

A few titles were converted to anaglyph in the 1970's for re-issue or television.

Bob

I didn't know that about 3D. I bought a Japanese bootleg DVD of the 3D Dial M and it came with the red/blue glasses. Pretty awful video quality but I could get the idea.

See below from the BFI website...no mention of blu-ray here but I read somewhere else that they might release them. BFI does sell blu-rays but who knows.

Rescue the Hitchcock 9

Alfred Hitchcock: pioneer, legend and master of suspense

The BFI National Archive looks after our nation's film heritage. It is the largest and most important film and TV collection in the world.

'Rescue the Hitchcock 9' is the BFI's major campaign to restore all nine surviving silent films by one of the greatest directors of all time, Alfred Hitchcock.

Film is a fragile medium, and Hitchcock's silents are no exception in their vulnerability to natural degradation. We need to ensure the best possible prints can be preserved, using the latest in photochemical and digital restoration technologies.

Our expert team of archivists and technicians have the olympian task of restoring the films concurrently over two years, ready to reveal to the public in London 2012 when the world will be watching. The countdown has begun. As a charity, the BFI relies on the support of film-lovers to enable us to undertake work of this scale. Hitchcock has given us masterpieces - entertaining, intriguing and provoking audiences around the world. So, please join us in showing our appreciation for our hero, Hitchcock - and help us to Rescue the Hitchcock 9.'

Amanda Nevill
BFI Director



Alfred Hitchcock made ten silent films. Nine of them survive. The BFI needs £2 million to achieve its ambition to restore, preserve and present them to the nation in 2012, with brand new musical scores.

The Hitchcock 9

The Pleasure Garden (1925)
The Lodger (1926)
The Ring (1927)
Downhill (1927)
Easy Virtue (1927)
The Farmers Wife (1927)
Champagne (1928)
The Manxman (1929)
Blackmail (1929)

'I love cinema and the thought of these amazing films deteriorating to the point at which they couldn't be fully enjoyed seemed tragic to me. Visiting the lab to see how the painstaking work is progressing was an eye-opener. I can't wait to eventually be sitting in that audience and seeing the restored films screened for the first time. I think it's a moment when we'll all feel very proud.'

Simon Hessel, Rescue the Hitchcock 9 supporter

Sight & Sound

March issue: A Dangerous Method, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Mulholland Dr.

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Last Updated: 17 Jun 2011

A pale imitation of the real thing.

Bob

There were some over/under Spacevision prints of Dial M made in the 80s, weren't there, Bob?

The Hitchcock silents should be split as follows:

iTV Studios:
The Pleasure Garden (some US rights may be with Cohen Film Collection via Raymond Rohauer's estate)
The Lodger
Downhill
Easy Virtue

StudioCanal:
The Ring
The Farmer's Wife
Champagne
The Manxman
Blackmail

http://www.hitchcockwiki.com/wiki/Copyright_status_of_Hitchcock_films

Yes TV always does this with stripes. I can't wait been on pre-order. Saw this in DC @ "The GeorgeTown theatre' around the late 1970's. They had a Hitchcock festival. Also saw Dial M in 3d , we had to sit on the floor!!!

They made squeezed anamorphic side by side Stereovision prints in the early 1980's. They were Polaroid but not very good quality.

Bob

I thought that they were all in the public domain since they have been released on many labels in several countries. The new restorations and music scores may be a new copyright.

There's a review up over at dvdbeaver, they confirm it's multi-region (good, as I can't play region A discs) & the graps look spot on to my eyes.

Thanks for the tip!!

Here's the review for others as well..

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdreview/tocatchathief.htm

Another very positive review here...

http://www.hidefninja.com/2012/02/22/to-catch-a-thief-blu-ray-review/

Good news. Thanks for this link. Like your avatar!++

Hmm. I see Paramount is releasing the film's extras in 480. Is there a reason (cost?) most studios don't upgrade extras to 1080p? I guess I'm spoiled by Criterion.