USHE Announcement: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Blu-ray) (2 Viewers)

[Robert Harris]

Pretty red writing! Thanks for clarifying thought, because the way his post was worded made it seem like The Sting looked great.

It used to.

 

[David Weicker]

I take it no one on this site has review copies yet? 

There has been ONE and only ONE review . All the whining, complaining, tar-and-feathering, is based on one person's account of his pre-release copy.
I don't if his copy accurately reflects what the final consumer release will look and sound like.

 

[TravisR]

There has been ONE and only ONE review . All the whining, complaining, tar-and-feathering, is based on one person's account of his pre-release copy.
I don't if his copy accurately reflects what the final consumer release will look and sound like.

I may be reading too much into his posts but it seems like RAH is less than enthused and I'm guessing that he's not basing his opinion on someone else's review.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

There has been ONE and only ONE review . All the whining, complaining, tar-and-feathering, is based on one person's account of his pre-release copy.
I don't if his copy accurately reflects what the final consumer release will look and sound like.

Are you saying you doubt? From the persons credentials and what has been shown from those discs its not as if there is doubt as to what has happened. If RAH vouches for the integrity of a reviewer that is certainly enough for me...
And considering these were sent for review, they would seem to be what Uni intended to release, at least before they were caught with their pants half off.

 

[MatS]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/09/13/hitchcock_frenzy_blu_ray_new_typo_filled_restoration_botches_its_copy_editing_.html

 

[mikeyhitchfan]

Day 7. Just seen SABOTEUR in full. A very fine Blu-ray - frequently breathtaking.
Here's my rough tally so far:
PRETTY BLOODY GOOD:
REAR WINDOW (seen in full) 8.5/10 http://enthusiasm.org/post/31183475187
SHADOW OF A DOUBT (seen in full) 7/10 http://enthusiasm.org/post/31153014639
ROPE (seen in full) 7.5/10 http://enthusiasm.org/post/31250496642
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (seen in full) 7/10
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (seen in full) 7/10
SABOTEUR (seen in full) 8.5/10
TOPAZ (seen half an hour) no score yet
NOT GOOD:
FRENZY 3/10 http://enthusiasm.org/post/31285985246
FAMILY PLOT 4/10
MARNIE 3/10
TORN CURTAIN 4/10
----
Still working on VERTIGO. First impression: very, very good resolution. Detail looks absolutely incredible. Nice encoding. No original mono track though (UK BD). There are lots of folk strongly murmuring about the colour scheme. I'm having difficulty knowing one way or the other what the colours ought to be. Jimmy's suit looks dark aubergine when it's supposed to be "brown" apparently. There's a rumour that the 5.1 is actually a new 5.1 that is a bit more toned down than the old 5.1.
Not seen THE BIRDS properly. Had a look, looks impressive, some strangeness though. Strangeness not related to the strangeness spotted on any other discs.
---
What *really* needs fixing so far?
1.) The credits on FRENZY http://enthusiasm.org/post/31104514441 and if at all possible a new FRENZY encode without DVNR (it's the only film in the entire box that has this level of paralyzing DVNR, and it's lazy). If they're redoing the credits they'll have to do a new encode anyway. Turn the DVNR box off.
2.) MARNIE and TORN CURTAIN have really fuzzy, crap encodes. The films look like DVDs playing through a 1080p fuzz filter. I'd redo both encodes.
3.) FAMILY PLOT is a bit of a mess. Don't really know what's happened to this one. Parts look awful, parts look okay. Look into this and try and redo?
Issues with VERTIGO's colour? I'm not qualified to judge that, but would take much longer to fix than the 3 points above. Need to finish watching TOPAZ, and then watch THE BIRDS in full now. Phew.
---
DISCLAIMER: I'm not making any claims about the colour fidelity on any of these Blu-rays. I'm not qualified. All I can do is describe what I see, whether it's faded colours, or strong colours, or whether there are colour temperature fluctuations, etc. There are tons of issues to do with VistaVision negs, direct positives, optically reduced 35mm dye transfer prints, etc - It's a rat's nest.

I have read all your reviews and tweets and appreciate your efforts. As you are the only one reviewing this set so far you have the attention of many and the interwebs are ablaze with comments and cancellations. However, I am keeping my pre-order and I will judge for myself the films that you gave lower scores for. Perhaps my eyes are more forgiving than yours and my monitor smaller but a bigger Hitchcock fan you will not find. Hopefully, a replacement program will happen if corrections are needed. I do find it strange that you have not given full reviews to the two titles that should have been at the top of your list, IMHO...
Vertigo, which is arguably THE most wanted title, according to you looks stunning as far as color and resolution, although some question as to color balance and the sound mix. Your U.K. copy does not have the mono mix, but does the 5.1 sound closer to the original mono than the DVD did? Have there been changes made?
The Birds, which is THE only film in the set to undergo a frame by frame restoration. You mentioned some kind of digital noise but I don't know what you might be seeing or if it's an issue or not. It's screening next week and I will attend to judge for myself on the big screen.

 

[Reed Grele]

The FRENZY that this debacle is causing has aggravated my VERTIGO.
I keep reading that many of these transfers are for THE BIRDS.
Why has only one person been given review copies? Is it that Universal was afraid that THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH would tell everyone about these faulty discs?
I would like to find out who the SABOTEUR was and hang him from a REAR WINDOW with a good strong ROPE or TORN CURTAIN.
I'm convinced, beyond a SHADOW OF A DOUBT, that after this PSYCHO is buried in the NORTH BY NORTHWEST FAMILY PLOT, it will serve as a lesson to others who would dare to defile the master's works.
Alright, perhaps murder will not solve THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, but at the very least he should get a good swift kick in the TOPAZ!
Damn! I wish I knew what to do with MARNIE.

 

[JohnS]

Very much agreed. Even Hitchcock's "lesser" films like Torn Curtain are still very good and highly entertaining. I'd hate to buy the set only to receive ANY of the films in an unwatchable condition. All these films deserve a quality transfer.
I see people are spreading the word on the set's Amazon page. It could very ugly for Universal...

I left my comments about the not so stellar set(from reviews) on Amazon when I cancelled my pre-order

 

[haineshisway]

I left my comments about the not so stellar set(from reviews) on Amazon when I cancelled my pre-order

How can you leave "your" comments on a not so stellar set that you haven't seen? If anything, you should credit the comments to Nick. No one else anywhere has commented on the transfers. I now have reason to be afraid, be very afraid, but I cannot and will not post comments until I've actually seen it and I will keep a completely open mind until that time.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by haineshisway /t/321703/ushe-announcement-alfred-hitchcock-the-masterpiece-collection-blu-ray/540#post_3974975
How can you leave "your" comments on a not so stellar set that you haven't seen? If anything, you should credit the comments to Nick. No one else anywhere has commented on the transfers. I now have reason to be afraid, be very afraid, but I cannot and will not post comments until I've actually seen it and I will keep a completely open mind until that time.

Same here. I have some concerns, but I will get this boxset and watch it myself to formulate my own opinion based on my actual viewing experiences with these discs.






Crawdaddy

 

[dpippel]

At the pricepoint of this release I'll wait for the dust to settle before I pony up my hard-earned dollars. I'm cautious concerning ANYTHING that USHE releases on Blu-ray, and rightfully so.

 

[brento]

The FRENZY that this debacle is causing has aggravated my VERTIGO.
I keep reading that many of these transfers are for THE BIRDS.
Why has only one person been given review copies? Is it that Universal was afraid that THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH would tell everyone about these faulty discs?
I would like to find out who the SABOTEUR was and hang him from a REAR WINDOW with a good strong ROPE or TORN CURTAIN.
I'm convinced, beyond a SHADOW OF A DOUBT, that after this PSYCHO is buried in the NORTH BY NORTHWEST FAMILY PLOT, it will serve as a lesson to others who would dare to defile the master's works.
Alright, perhaps murder will not solve THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, but at the very least he should get a good swift kick in the TOPAZ!
Damn! I wish I knew what to do with MARNIE.

You sir, deserve a roaring round of applause

 

[JohnS]

At the pricepoint of this release, I'll wait for the dust to settle before I pony up my hard-earned dollars.

EXACTLY! This is too much money to spend as a blind buy or as a crap shoot.
Especially since this is a big time right now for other big bluray releases,video games coming out and a certain HTF trip coming up.
I can wait until there's 100% confirmation from other sources or reviewers.
After all that's what reviewers are for.

 

[Patrick Donahue]

I personally am not going to let a few spelling errors dissuade me from buying the set. I personally love Albert Hitchcock and am happy giving Universal $225 for their hard work.

 

[Reed Grele]

I personally am not going to let a few spelling errors dissuade me from buying the set. I personally love Albert Hitchcock and am happy giving Universal $225 for their hard work.

Doesn't one of the films in this set have a critical scene that takes place in the Royal Alfred Hall?

 

[Moe Dickstein]

Doesn't one of the films in this set have a critical scene that takes place in the Royal Alfred Hall?

ROFL!!! I cant tell if he was witty or it was an ironic mistake, but you win Reed

 

[Persianimmortal]

 Same here.  I have some concerns, but I will get this boxset and watch it myself to formulate my own opinion based on my actual viewing experiences with these discs.

The problem is that many of us are not going to purchase the set just to find out if it's good or bad. It's the same reason I won't jump off a cliff just to find out for myself what it's like. Sure, I can't tell the exact extent of the problem based on a single review, but I think Nick/peerpee has raised enough doubts to indicate that at least in a few cases (I'm thinking of Marnie and Frenzy in particular), there may be serious problems.
I think the strategy of raising concerns in Amazon reviews can be silly at times when taken to extremes by fanboys (e.g. the Star Wars boxed set). But in this case, it's a good idea. Lots of cancelled pre-orders, combined with lots of negative reviews, will be noticed by Amazon, which in turn will be passed on as queries to Universal. I know for a fact that other problematic products have been temporarily removed from sale by Amazon due to numerous complaints or returns, so it's a valid strategy.
At the moment there are four possible scenarios that I can see, in order of desirability:
1. Universal delays the set and fixes the most prominent issues, mainly the aggressive DNR, the Frenzy titles, the processing on Marnie, and hopefully the color on Vertigo (if necessary).
2. Universal plows ahead with the announced release dates, and then starts a disc replacement program for those who notice and complain.
3. Universal plows ahead with the announced release dates, and then quietly puts out a revised set or revised individual releases at some point, effectively forcing a double-dip on some titles for those who bought the set.
4. Universal plows ahead with the announced release dates, and ignores all complaints.
The upshot is that the average buyer right now (like me) really doesn't know what to do if the set comes out on time. Is it worth buying the set upon release given the potential for scenarios 3 and 4? Is it worth waiting, given there may be no announcement and no idea when or if they will ever address these issues?
What we really need right now is an insider from Universal to clarify what, if anything, will be done, and when.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Persianimmortal /t/321703/ushe-announcement-alfred-hitchcock-the-masterpiece-collection-blu-ray/570#post_3975019
The problem is that many of us are not going to purchase the set just to find out if it's good or bad. It's the same reason I won't jump off a cliff just to find out for myself what it's like.

What you do with your monies is your own business and I have no problem with anybody not buying this boxset. I'm just stating my plans for purchasing this boxset will not change based on one review or even a couple of them.

 

[Yorkshire]

Some people with glowing 'pro' views here, and lots more others who want to hang everyone at Universal.
I've tried to be a little scientific and measured about my decision (which is still pending).
I don't buy (or not buy) releases to send messages to studios. I buy releases to watch and enjoy the films.
I'm in full agreement with RAH's previous comments about tacky, needless boxed set gimmicks, but the UK limited edition is something I like the look of. Decent book, art cards, I want some of that. But only if the films on the discs are good enough.
I've say down with pen and paper, and here's what I've come up with. The films I really love are:
Rear Window
Saboteur
Frenzy
Vertigo
The Birds
Psycho
Rope
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The films I'm not such a big fan of, and may watch only once:
Shadow of a Doubt
Trouble with Harry
Marnie
Torn Curtain
Topaz
Family Plot
If these were in the sale bins for £4 each I might buy them, even with a poor transfer. Sorry if my tastes don't chime with yours, but there you go. That's 6 films x £4 = £24
The UK set costs £100, so £100 - £24 = £76.
£76 for 8 films that I love. But hold on, Frenzy looks botched. So, unless it's corrected, that's £76 for 7 films, or about £11 each. Would I buy them individually for that? Definitely.
Indeed, I'd pay £15 each for those 7 (with good transfers), which accounts for the £100, and I get the rest for free!
So, unless something else comes up, I'm buying. Currently.
Back to Frenzy, I'm hoping they re-call this due to the titles. I'm guessing they'll replace discs. I'm also hoping they fix the terrible DNR.
What I'm not going to do is sacrifice my viewing please of great transfers of great films that I love on the alter of having a good moan. And that's despite the fact that I like a good moan!
I really appreciate Peerpee's excellent research and comments. But from some replies on here, it seems some people have only read his negative comments and are completely ignoring the positive. From some posts you'd think he'd said every disc was a complete balls up.
Steve W

 

[ShellOilJunior]

How can you leave "your" comments on a not so stellar set that you haven't seen? If anything, you should credit the comments to Nick. No one else anywhere has commented on the transfers. I now have reason to be afraid, be very afraid, but I cannot and will not post comments until I've actually seen it and I will keep a completely open mind until that time.

So do the 11 5-star reviews for the set based solely on the merits of the film upset you? Those are more misleading than anything.
Also, people are giving Nick credit on Amazon.