DVD Verdict: Alfred Hitchcock

To Catch A Thief: Centennial Collection

2009-03-24

Reviewed by James A. Stewart
Quote: "If the name Hitchcock conjures up unwanted visions of birds pecking out eyeballs and madmen stabbing women in the shower, the romantic nature of To Catch a Thief will surprise you."

Psycho: Special Edition

2008-10-07

Reviewed by Tom Becker
Quote: "The new transfer and supplements make this set a worthwhile double dip. If Psycho is not part of your collection, this set is a must-own."

Rear Window: Special Edition

2008-10-07

Reviewed by Michael Rubino
Quote: "It's no secret that the film is just about perfect. Now, Universal's Legacy Series has given it the DVD treatment it deserves."

Vertigo: Special Edition

2008-10-07

Reviewed by Christopher Kulik
Quote: "It's the cinematic equivalent of a Swiss watch. The components and functions all work perfectly together, making the result timeless, chillingly ticking forever."

The Lady Vanishes: Criterion Collection

2007-11-20

Reviewed by Erich Asperschlager
Quote: "It's important not only for being the culmination of lessons learned from working in the British film industry, but for establishing theme, plot, and character ideas the director would use for the rest of his career. Film snobbery aside, it's also great fun."

To Catch a Thief: Special Collector's Edition

2007-05-18

Reviewed by Mike Pinsky
Quote: "This not one of the more essential Hitchcock films that needs to be in your collection. But for what its worth, To Catch a Thief is one of Hitchcock's more purely romantic films, with nothing to apologize for in its validation of the glamorous life."

Mr. And Mrs. Smith (1941)

2004-10-28

Reviewed by Diane Wild
Quote: "If you really look, you might see touches of classic Hitchcock. One almost-sinister scene shows Ann shaving David with straight razor while talking about trust. If you didn't know it was Hitchcock, you might get a mild chuckle out of the irony. As it is, you're almost disappointed that she doesn't slit his throat."

Dial M For Murder

2004-10-18

Reviewed by Dan Mancini
Quote: "Alfred Hitchcock's talents as a filmmaker were countless, but his ability to dictate -- almost at a moment's notice -- the character with whom his audience identifies, and his penchant for using that talent to express moral ambiguity by playing our emotional reactions to storytelling conventions against our ethical sensibilities, is perhaps the most singular and potent of them."

Foreign Correspondent

2004-10-11

Reviewed by Maurice Cobbs
Quote: "The absolute best part, though -- the thrill spectacle of the year, if you will -- is the terrifying plane crash that occurs at the end of the movie. It is astounding how well the special effects sequence holds up against the slicker but not always convincing computer work that is being done today."

Suspicion

2004-10-11

Reviewed by Paul Corupe
Quote: "Suspicion has the distinction of feeling like a Hitchcock of old, but with a better budget, star power, and solid visual imagery. Like several of his earlier British films, Suspicion is almost a pure exercise in tension, uncomplicated by political contexts and world events that would sometimes serve to draw the viewer away from the immediate action on screen."