Hitchcock DVDs -- Good vs. Bad (1 Viewer)

[Doug Miller]

Since the newest release of Notorious, I thought I would drop this out there. How many of Hitch's movies are out on DVD? And out of those, how many are REALLY good (picture quality wise and sound, I've seen the movies)? How many have something better coming out?
It's coming time to make the Christmas list, and I don't want a bunch of movies that look like crap or have a special or Criterion coming out out.
Already have:
Vertigo
Rear Window
Birds
Psycho
and am really happy with all of those. What I still really want is Rope (which I understand is out, but how is it and is there another one coming out?), Frenzy, the Lodger, Torn Curtain, North by Northwest, Strangers on a Train.
Well, you get the drift. What's good? What has specials coming out. Help me out!
Thanks!
Doug

 

[GlennH]

NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a must. Looks absolutely fabulous on DVD. Get it for sure.
I know some websites have list of all the Hitchcocks on DVD. Try a GOOGLE search with "Hitchcock DVD" and you should turn up some good stuff.

 

[Blu]

The Trouble with Harry is funny for a black comedy. But I dont' know if anyone could not want North by Northwest. I'm not sure but it seems to me that most of Hitch's stuff is out there on DVD. Not sure what else is slated for special editions.

 

[JJR512]

I don't mean to sound like a wet blanket here, but does "Hitch's" grate on anybody else's nerves besides mine? I remember a thread here recently about spelling directors' names right. Surely name shortening is just as disrespectful.
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[Carlo_M]

Justin,
Many friends of Hitchcock refer to him as such (Hitch) in documentaries and interviews. I know that HTF'ers weren't friends or contemporaries of Hitchcock's but I guess we watch so many documentaries on him that it "feels" right to call him by "Hitch."
I don't consider this disrespectful, nor a misspelling of his name.

 

[Michael Dueppen]

I can recommend the Frenzy, the man who knew too much and North by Northwest discs. They have all been restored and look good-great imo.
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- Michael
My DVD collection

 

[William DAnnucci]

I highly recommend both North By Northwest (almost a reference disc) and the Criterion Notorious. Even though I only rented it, the Criterion 39 Steps is amazing looking and full of nice extras.

 

[Patrick McCart]

All of the Criterion Hitchcock's are a must and North By Northwest is a superb DVD.
Most Hitchcock DVD's are very good...the only ones you need to avoid are the dismal public domain dvd's. Criterion DOES have some public domain Hitchcock's, but they're of very good quality.
Universal's are pretty good...their 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much isn't as good as it should be, but it's still pretty good.
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[Jim Rankin]

I have Criterion's The Lady Vanishes and thought that to be of very good quality - another one I have done by Warner Bros. and doesn't get enough play is Strangers on a Train - 2 different versions of the film, and this film has been ripped off so many different times it's ridiculous!!

 

[Robert Harris]

All of the Universal titles are very well done with the exception of Man Who Knew II, which is in need of a proper restoration.
RAH

 

[Joseph Goodman]

Since "The Man Who knew Too Much" is still in need of work, what was used for the transfer on the DVD? The same question goes for "The Trouble With Harry". Also, since the Paramount Hitchcocks were in such bad shape even by their 1983 re-issues, how were new prints made of them back in '83? Old dupes?
[Edited last by Joseph Goodman on October 20, 2001 at 08:51 PM]

 

[Randy_M]

I believe I have every one of the available Hitchcock films from the 1st Man Who Knew Too Much through Family Plot. As has been said, all the Universal (except for Man Who Knew II), and the Criterions are quite good.
I also have the Image version of Jamaica Inn, and LaserLight versions of the some of the early British stuff not on Criterion. I also have the Madacy (gasp!) of Secret Agent. All these public domain versions are perfectly watchable, and will do for me until better transfers are issued, if ever. They are certainly noticeably better than any VHS, IMHO.
I refuse to be without Young and Innocent and Secret Agent, so I'll take the public domains.
I also thought the Anchor Bay versions of the 40's stuff was also quite good, and will be hanging on to my Spellbound and Paradine Case until replaced by Criterion, or whoever.
Cheers

 

[george kaplan]

Hitchcock is actually pretty well represented on dvd. The main missing ones are:
To Catch a Thief
Dial M For Murder
Lifeboat
Foreign Correspondent
Suspicion
Stage Fright
and probably a few others.
But certainly most of his work, and almost all of his really good stuff is available. Get Criterion versions whenever possible (especially 39 Steps and Lady Vanishes) and avoid Madacy at all costs. You'd be safer getting into a shower with Norman Bates than subjecting your eyes to a Madacy disc.
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[Ken_McAlinden]

All of the Universal titles are very well done with the exception of Man Who Knew II, which is in need of a proper restoration.

I generally agree with this assessment for the ones I have seen, but I would probably have mentioned the audio track on Marnie as another anomaly among the overall good set of releases. There are some strange goings on with distortion on this track that can be very distracting. That being said, you won't find a better version of Marnie or The Man Who Knew Too Much remake anywhere else.
All of the titles that Doug listed are well represented on DVD except for The Lodger which looks pretty beat up and is available as a double feature with Sabotage from Laserlight.
Young and Innocent, the original Man Who Knew Too Much, Sabotage, and The Secret Agent as well as other early British efforts are all available in serviceable versions from Laserlight until something better comes along. At least they are cheap.
For the "Hollywood" Hitchock films, In addition to the ones that George listed explicitly, The Wrong Man, I Confess, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Under Capricorn are also yet to be released. Warner seems to control most of them except for Lifeboat (Fox), To Catch a Thief (Paramount), and Under Capricorn (???). Under Capricorn has not even been available on VHS for 9-10 years. It was independentrly produced after Hitchcock got out of his contract with Selznick. Rope was as well, but was more successful and found its way back to Universal with the "legacy" films in the mid-80s.
Regards,
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Ken McAlinden
Livonia, MI USA