The Alfred Hitchcock Collection The Best of Hitchcock Vol 2 Vertigo The Birds The Trouble with Harry Frenzy Marnie Saboteur Torn Curtain Alfred Hitchcock Presents Vol 3 DVD with James Stewart, Kim Novak, John Forsythe (R) +Movie Reviews

A Fine Sampling Of The Master At Work!

carol irvin | United States | 03/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The "A" films for me in this collection are "Marnie", "The Birds", "Frenzy" and "Vertigo", all of which I've seen multiple times. I never tire of seeing these Hitchcock classics. "Marnie" is a husband and wife story between Sean Connery and Tipi Hendren. Marnie, coerced into marrying Connery, has led a life of crime based on a past that Connery seeks to uncover. It took the public some years to warm up to this film but I loved it at once. "The Birds" is one of Hitchcock's instant hits where he literally has the birds in a coastal California community go on the attack against the populace. Just seeing the birds line up on the telephone wires, ready to attack the people, is chilling! "Frenzy" was made in the '70s, set in London, and involves two men, one who sets the other up to be the fall guy for the necktie stranglings that he himself is committing. There is a scene is a truckload of potatotes where the killer needs to get a piece of jewelry back from a corpse that is absolutely unforgettable. "Vertigo" showcases Jimmy Stewart, who is rendered powerless by heights by an earlier mishap, who falls in love with a mysterious woman, Kim Novak that he follows. She seems to be fatally drawn to the bell tower of a church on the California coast. The remaining films in the collection range from B- ("Torn Curtain") to B+ ("Saboteur"). I've viewed them all at least once, sometimes twice. Most movie directors would claim them as their "A" work but Hitchcock's "A" work was so fabulous that it is indeed his lesser work. In any event, once you've started watching Hitchcock's work, you've got to see all of it. It's as simple as that."

A mixed bag of Hitchcock classics and also rans

carol irvin | 01/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This second boxed set has a number of stunning works by Hitchcock; Vertigo and The Birds are stunning masterpieces from the Master of Suspense. The former film is his most personal while the latter his most expansive in scope and a radical departure from what had come before. These two films represent Hitchcock's brilliance at its best. Torn Curtain isn't a complete disaster but is far from a perfect film. Marnie is downright embarrassing. I know a number of Hitchcock scholars consider it his last great work; I'd argue that this misogynistic Freudian work of mumbo jumbo is among Hitchcock's worst films. Sure, it has a couple of stunning set pieces but the film script has clearly traveled through too many hands (although it was based on Hitchcock's concept of the film and Evan Hunter is the only screenwriter credited, Ernest Lehman, Joseph Stefano and a couple of other writers tried their hand at adapting this meandering mess). It suffers from flaws that Hitchcock had worked through earlier in his career (with the flawed but interesting Spellbound).The only other film that comes close to Vertigo and The Birds is the minor masterpiece Frenzy. Hitchcock was clearly energized by the competition of young upstarts following in his footsteps. Frenzy, again, demonstrates that Hitchcock could be at his best even this late in his long career. The Trouble with Harry is a fine dark comedy from Hitchcock and, although it hasn't aged all that well, still features sparkling dialogue (courtesy of writer John Michael Hayes)and strong performances. Saboteur is another minor masterpiece from Hitchcock that still manages to be engaging. The sequence set on the Statue of Liberty as Robert Cummings tries to save the foreign spy (played by Hitchcock regular Norman Lloyd)is still gripping and powerful today.The real reason to own this set is the episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents included on the bonus DVD. Hitchcock directed all these himself. They vary in quality from good to exceptional. Since they aren't available indivdually, it's a must have for fans of the director's work.If you want to purchase Hitchcock's best films, get them individually but if you need this bonus disc, this set is the expensive way to go."

GREAT COLLECTION OF THE MASTER'S WORK

carol irvin | 08/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I loved all the selections offered in this boxed set. I especially enjoyed the additional commentary offered by Pat Hitchcock (his daughter) - it provided a great perspective of Hitch's intentions for each of these films. I loved the bonus disc of 4 episodes from his TV show "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and wish more of these were made available in this format. I always enjoyed his television show especially his intros and summations at their beginnings and endings. Truly funny stuff!! My only dissatisfaction was with "Saboteur" - I have a Panasonic Portable DVD player and during playback there were times the picture broke up and pixilized - not always in the same place. That may be a problem with this particular player but since I didn't have another brand to test it on - I'm not sure. Anyway - a great collection!! A MUST HAVE FOR ALL HITCHCOCK FANS!"

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

knightwing2001 | Glendale, AZ United States | 03/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vol. 2 is just as great as Vol. 1! It has all of Hitchcock's best classics which include, "Torn Curtain","Marnie" "The Birds", "Vertigo", "Frenzy", "Sabotuer",and "The Trouble with Harry". Plus as a special BONUS DISC, three episodes from the original HITCHCOCK TV SHOW!! This is a great collection to own and anybody who is a major Hitchcock fan like me, must own this collection! No Hitchcock Collection is complete without it! So don't miss out! Buy it today! You will not regret it!!"

An impressive DVD box set showcases real talent

A. Ross | New Zealand | 06/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This impressive Hitchcock DVD collection has seven of the master's finest film masterpieces in the early 40s and 50s to solid entertainment in the 70s. Peter Viertel brings SABOTEUR (1942) to life with a razor-sharp screenplay, while Priscilla Lane and Robert Cummings bring their well-written roles to the fore, creating a luminous blend of action and depth that Hollywood rarely sees these days. THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY is the oddity of the bunch, with the quaint little townspeople trying to decide what to do with Harry, a young man who dies mysteriously. Shot against a dreamy small-town backdrop in America, the cinematography is warm and fuzzy, and the musical score sets a nice tone for the film's story. The pace is a little slow at the beginning for a comedy, but released in 1955, almost all films were of the familiar style. There are laughs to be had here, with some great comedic moments between the actors. Repetitive and slow at times, it nevertheless is a fun little film and an interesting introspective on Hitch's opinions on life and death.

Misunderstood on its release, VERTIGO (1958) was Hitch's precious gem, a marvelous tale of a man driven to obsession, played to perfection from movie legend James Stewart. Possibly his best film, this was eventually hailed as an amazing cinematic triumph that still thrills audiences today. The bell tower scene is revolutionary filmmaking, but every scene is fantastically weaved. Like Steven Spielberg, Hitchcock knew the importance of color to represent a mood (Danger, warmth, obsession) The film in certain parts is swathed in sickly green hues, connecting Stewart's beautiful acting to Hitch's well-played camera techniques while simultaneously showing Hollywood how masterpieces were made. Bernard Herrman's fantastic score sets the tone of a film that shines in every respect. Directors like Martin Scorsese are huge fans of VERTIGO, and it is one of my personal favorites, along with REAR WINDOW. The follow-up after PSYCHO, THE BIRDS is a very interesting notch in Hitch's belt, a curio of a film that has some amazing special effects and minimal music, instead concentrating the sounds of squawking seagulls to heighten the tension. Tippi Hedren's convincing performance (She really did freak out on set, having live birds attached to her clothes to maximize the realism) carries the film, and a young Rod Taylor gives a ripping presentation. Every step of the way, the tension grows, until its almost unbearable and the finale is genuinely frightening.

Hitch's last great film MARNIE shows a softer side to the director while ushering into the cinema world a new slant to filmmaking. Produced in 1964, this complex character study of a frigid lady thief (Tippi Hedren) and the mysterious man (Sean Connery) who tries to cure both her hang-ups is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most stunning films, thanks in great part to Hedren's magnificent performance in the title role. Hedren, who became a star a year earlier in Hitch's THE BIRDS, delivers her most accomplished performance to date. TORN CURTAIN is an exceptional Alfred Hitchcock film that is for the most part intriguing, suspenseful, and entertaining. Paul Newman stars as an American scientist who appears to be defecting to Germany. Julie Andrews plays Newman's associate and girlfriend who tags along for the ride. "Torn Curtain" isn't as good as "Psycho", "The Birds" and "North by Northwest" but even though the movie moves a little slow at times, it's still very interesting and sometimes funny addition to Hitch's immense list of films. The only disappointment in this formidable collection is FRENZY, a nasty little rape/murder story that failed to interest audiences in the 70s, and some scenes are shockingly graphic. A long way from the stylish shower-curtain masterstroke of PSYCHO. But the score is reasonably cool, and some action scenes do wrack up the tension. And finally "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" has 4 of the 17 fantastic TV episodes directed by Hitchcock: "Poison," "The Perfect Crime," "A Dip in the Pool" and "One More Mile to Go" This is an essential collection for Hitchcock fans and movie buffs alike."

Search - The Alfred Hitchcock Collection: The Best of Hitchcock, Vol. 2 (Vertigo / The Birds / The Trouble with Harry / Frenzy / Marnie / Saboteur / Torn Curtain / Alfred Hitchcock Presents Vol. 3) on DVD

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	The Alfred Hitchcock Collection The Best of Hitchcock Vol 2 Vertigo / The Birds / The Trouble with Harry / Frenzy / Marnie / Saboteur / Torn Curtain / Alfred Hitchcock Presents Vol. 3 Actors: James Stewart, Kim Novak, John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine, Edmund Gwenn Director: Alfred Hitchcock Genres: Comedy, Horror, Mystery & Suspense R 2001 15hr 22min
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