Notorious - Criterion Collection (1 Viewer)

[Jens Raethel]

Have you seen the Notorious - Criterion Collection DVD?
Is it worth buying?
Thanks,
Jens

 

[Quentin]

Yes, and yes!

 

[DonRoeber]

It's a fanstastic dvd. Pick it up without reservation.

 

[Jens Raethel]

I kind of hoped you would talk me out of buying this dvd, its abit expensive..

 

[RobertSing]

I would second the above.

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

I enthusiastically recommend this DVD. Great movie, great disc, nicely restored. The commentary is great too!

Plus, having Ingrid Bergman in the picture is almost like getting a bonus feature.

 

[Patrick McCart]

It's mildly expensive, but well worth it.

The audio and video are fully restored. Most of the restored version is from the camera negative (and the non-camera negative parts look pretty good) and it really shows. The sound is excellent and presented in the original 1.0 mono.

The extras are excellent and in great amounts. There's two commentary tracks (Rudy Behlmer and Marian Keane) and a music/sound effects track. There's plenty of production and publicity stuff as well.

The Anchor Bay version is cheaper, but has lousy video and audio...just for having some splices which ruin a few lines. No supplements, either.

Also check out their other Hitchcock DVD's...

 

[Craig S]

I kind of hoped you would talk me out of buying this dvd

Good one, Jens!!

 

[Jens Raethel]

What mor Criterion Hitchcock DVD's are there?

 

[Stephen Fagan]

Rebecca, The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, and Spellbound.

 

[Steven_J_H]

I own and love 'em all.

 

[BrianP]

You could purchase the Anchor Bay release of Notorious for a fraction of the cost of the Criterion. The transfer is very good and some preferred it to the Criterion transfer. But if you don't mind spending more money get the Criterion.

 

[Brian McHale]

You could purchase the Anchor Bay release of Notorious for a fraction of the cost of the Criterion. The transfer is very good and some preferred it to the Criterion transfer. But if you don't mind spending more money get the Criterion.

It would appear we have differeing opinions here. I really don't care about extras all that much. Is it worth the extra money for the Criterion if all you care about is the video/audio quality?

 

[Quentin]

DvdPlanet has great Criterion prices.

 

[Matt Pelham]

I bought this one sight unseen earlier this year, great movie, great transfer, great extras. A fine addition to any DVD library.

 

[Anthony Thorne]

Brian,
I haven't seen either disc, but some people definitely did prefer the Anchor Bay release. There was a thread on the topic some months back (plus even a link with comparative screenshots) and ultimately I think people decided that the Anchor Bay release had slightly less grain. The Criterion version had a touch more (which could indicate it's a more accurate representation of the source material) but this doesn't mean it's a lesser presentation, just a slightly different one. The Criterion version of course blows the Anchor Bay release out of the water if you take the extras into account.
DVD Savant Glenn Erickson did a good review of the Anchor Bay NOTORIOUS, and you can read it at this link.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s201notorious.html
I own the Criterion 39 STEPS and it's an absolute joy. It's my intention to grab all the Criterion Hitchcocks at some point, and I think most people will really enjoy them, but if anyone here is pointedly looking for a cheaper, bare-bones edition of NOTORIOUS, the Savant review above plus favourable word from a few here at HTF should indicate that the Anchor Bay release is a viable option.

 

[george kaplan]

When it comes to Hitchcock, get the Criterion by all means and get all of them, including the pseudo-Hitch Charade.

This isn't out yet is it?

 

[Stephen Fagan]

The Criteron website lists it as 'Coming Soon'
Criterionco.com: Spellbound

 

[William DAnnucci]

Criterion's DVD of NOTORIOUS is fantastic. Highly recommended. Bergman looks stunning, as does the rest of the film. The extras are a blast. It is probably the classiest old Hollywood DVD I own and I voted it as the top DVD of last year at MHVF.net, so obviously I feel it's worth every penny. Pounce.

 

[Craig S]

Criterion's Spellbound is due on 9/10, last I checked.