Looks Like Now's A Good Time To Jump-Start Your Hitchcock DVD Collections! (1 Viewer)

[Alistair_M]

I wouldn't wait for an anamorphic transfer of Psycho - the current release has a good picture.

See how it compares to the anamorphic region2 transfer - the region 1 is miles better.

http://207.136.67.23/film/dvdcompare/psycho.htm

 

[Joe_Pinney]

This is excellent news. I've been wanting to pick up all of these titles for some time now, but the price has kept me back. Now I can finally indulge with all of them!

 

[rich_d]

The reason those four are getting discount pricing is probably because they'll be able to sell more of those titles to a general market than Hitch's other Universal catalog titles. The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo and Rear Window all made at least one of the AFI lists if I remember correctly. I doubt that Rope, Torn Curtain, Topaz or Family Plot would be as high sellers as these four. I'm kind of confused why the James Stewart "Man Who Knew Too Much" remake wasn't in the price drops, though.

I think you could make an equally good case for keeping one's prices high on the best sellers and lower on the rest - couldn't you?

My guess is that they are keeping the prices higher on the other titles as collectors fill out their collections (most people start with the heavy hitters and then the rest). They will probably give these titles some more time and then discount them as well. That's o.k. - I can wait on the ones I still need (Topaz, Family Plot and Torn Curtain).

 

[Jack_TN]

Columbia House has the following titles available as enrollment choices if you want to pick up a few that way.

The Birds 1963 Widescreen • Collectors Edition
The Man Who Knew Too Much 1955 Widescreen
Marnie 1964 Widescreen • Collectors Edition
North by Northwest : Special Edition 1959 Widescreen
Psycho 1960 Widescreen • Collectors Edition
Rear Window 1954 Widescreen • Collectors Edition
Saboteur 1942
Strangers on a Train(Usuk) 1951
To Catch A Thief 1955 Widescreen
Vertigo 1958 Widescreen • Collectors Edition

Jack

 

[David Von Pein]

Columbia House has the following titles...

Does C.H. re-package DVDs (to reflect their own "Columbia House" logos, etc.)? Or do you get the exact same product through them as you would Wal-Mart, BB, et al?

(PS -- I always very much liked the C.H. "Collector's Edition" packaging on its VHS releases. Very classy-looking.)

 

[jonathan_little]

From Columbia House I've always received the exact same stuff I would get at the store. Some packages don't have those pesky "Security Device Enclosed" stickers, though. I picked up Vertigo and Rear Window during their crazy 5 for $25 deal earlier this year.

 

[Jack_TN]

From Columbia House I've always received the exact same stuff I would get at the store

Same here

Jack

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Even though the region 1 Psycho is better than the anamorphic region 2, I still think that there should be a all-new, high-def, high bitrate anamorphic 2-disc edition with all the extras on disc 2.

It would be a big seller, I'm sure.


Gordy

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I have picked up a rather large collection of Hitchcock titles through Columbia House. It was much cheaper this way, considering the high price placed on them by Universal.

 

[David Von Pein]

I just discovered something that I consider rather startling!

Ronald Epstein's "DVD Profiler" collection does not show either Psycho (1960) or Vertigo.

E-gads! Can this be true? Our resident HTF guru doesn't own either of these "must-have" Hitch titles??

I'm aghast with shock & horror at the thought.

Granted, neither is in an anamorphic state (:frowning...but still, both transfers look pretty decent to yours truly. And the documentaries are quite interesting on both DVDs.

To each his own, quite obviously, but I was just surprised at not seeing these in Ron's collection.

Should Ron be taken out by the shed and thrashed till he adds these staples?

(Psycho with an Anamorphic transfer DOES sound tempting, doesn't it?)

 

[richardWI]

I went to 2 Best Buys and Rear Window still has a sticker of 24.99. Couldn't find any of the other titles.

 

[Ric Easton]

Unfortunately, I already have those four. There are plenty of others like The Trouble with Harry, Shadow of a Doubt, The Man who Knew too Much, etc... that I would like to get. But I haven't even seen them on the shelves lately, at any price.

Ric

 

[DaveyM]

I found Psycho and The Birds at Wal-mart for $14.44 each.

 

[jonathan_little]

Yeah, I was surprised to see Psycho and The Birds at Wal-Mart and I decided to pick up Psycho. Before I bought it I examined the box to make sure that Universal did not trick me by putting out a "FULLSCREEN COLORIZED EDITION for valued Wal-Mart customers" or something silly like that.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Ronald Epstein's "DVD Profiler" collection does not show either Psycho (1960) or Vertigo.

...of course, if he already had Vertigo on laserdisc, there are no additional features on the DVD. There was also a DTS laserdisc of Vertigo with less extras. If he owns the Psycho laserdisc, he has all of the significant extras on the DVD with the addition of an isolated score.

Regards,

 

[David Von Pein]

Good point(s), Ken. Hadn't thought of the LD angle. *blush*

Speaking of that Psycho LaserDisc....How does the non-enhanced DVD stack up next to the LD version?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Psycho Collector's Edition DVD versus Laserdisc:

DVD - slightly better picture, slightly worse sound, great extras, no isolated score

Laserdisc - slightly worse picture, slightly better sound, great extras, isolated score

I have both, but if I could only have one, I would probably go with the laserdisc, mainly for the score. The film fits on two-sides, so there isn't even a disc-swap with the laser, just one side change.

Regards,

 

[David Von Pein]

Thanks Ken, for the info.

BTW....How do you think this CD measures up against the "real deal"?

I think the McNeely CD does a pretty good job of coming as close as possible to B. Herrmann's original music.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Finally, cheap Hitchcock. I was holding off on Rear Window for a long time.