Alfred Hitchcock- Mystery Noir Classic
Both of Hitchcock's first movies had been silent films, and he longed for more. So, in 1929, he put his director's hat back on and produced, "Blackmail," Britain's first-ever highly successful speaking movie.
Hitchcock concentrated all his efforts on producing "thrillers." During the early 1930s, he directed 4 classic suspense films, including "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "The Thirty-nine Steps."
Hitchcock and his wife left England behind them in 1939, setting their sights on Hollywood, on the advice of "Gone With the Wind" producer, David Selznick. The United States was years ahead of London, offering advanced film making technology, which Hitchcock took immediate advantage of. During his first year in California, Alfred Hitchcock released "Rebecca," for which he would later win an Academy Award for best picture (more info at bottom of page)
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Description
The Signature Collection contains the DVD debut of 8 Hitchcock classics including "Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Special Edition," and the following 7 new single-disc DVDs: "Dial M For Murder," "Foreign Correspondent" "Suspicion," "The Wrong Man," "Stage Fright," "I Confess" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The previously released "North by Northwest" is also included in the 10-disc Signature Collection. Each of the 9 films in the collection shows why Hitchcock is regarded as one of Hollywood's most esteemed and important directors, and also brings legendary stars
Strangers on a Train - En route from Washington, D.C., champion tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets pushy playboy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). What begins as a chance encounter turns into a series of morbid confrontations, as Bruno manipulates his way into Guy's life. Bruno is eager to kill his father and knows Guy wants to marry a senator's daughter (Ruth Roman) but can't get a divorce from his wife. So Bruno suggests the men swap murders, which would leave no traceable clues or possible motives. Though Guy refuses, it won't be easy to rid himself of the psychopathic Bruno. Hitchcock's daughter Patricia appears in this film. The extra features included on the DVD are: Alternate 'preview' version of the film; Commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stephano, Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith and biographer Andrew Wilson; New making-of documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, film historian Richard Schickel, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and other Hitchcock family members and colleagues recalling the making of this suspense landmark; Three intriguing featurettes: The Hitchcocks on Hitch, Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V., Strangers on a Train by M. Night Shyamalan; Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting, a vintage newsreel.
Each DVD will be presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition and will include the original theatrical trailer, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Film Noir Classic Collection (The Asphalt Jungle/Gun Crazy/Murder My Sweet/Out of the Past/The Set-Up
Description
Some boxed sets claim to be definitive, but are haphazardly selected. Not this one. Four of the five titles here can legitimately lay claim to being essentials in the film noir canon, and the fifth, The Set-Up, is a terrific boxing picture with a strong noir atmosphere. If you're a fan of noir--or have no idea what it's all about--this collection is a treat.
Of course, none of these movies were made as "film noir." The term was coined later by French critics to describe the moody, anxious feel of postwar American movies, especially the genre that highlighted duplicitous dames and susceptible men lost in the criminal jungle. Indeed, the title The Asphalt Jungle conveys the edgy urban arena of these pictures. That film is John Huston's masterly 1950 account of a heist, with Sterling Hayden the disenchanted, noirish hero. Joseph H. Lewis's Gun Crazy (1949) is one of the most supercharged (and sexually perverse) of noir films, with John Dall and Peggy Cummins as young criminals in love. Murder, My Sweet (1944) is a straight adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel Farewell, My Lovely. Amid the film's shadowy chiaroscuro, former musical comedy star Dick Powell makes a career-changing transition as Chandler's private dick, Philip Marlowe. Out of the Past puts Robert Mitchum (perhaps the quintessential noir actor) in trouble with gangster Kirk Douglas, complicated by classic femme fatale Jane Greer. Jacques Tourneur provides the evocative direction. And The Set-Up plays out an ingenious boxing tale in "real time," superbly enacted by (former boxer) Robert Ryan
.
CONT....
Following his American debut, Hitchcock put out at least one film each year for the next three decades. According to those closest to him, Hitchcock's wife advised him on many of his movies and was his most trusted professional confidante. Hitchcock scored big with movie audiences, putting forth big budget suspense films, starring leading actors and actresses. Films like "Rear Window," "Psycho," and "The Birds" were hits in every theatre.
In the late 1940s, Hitchcock decided to participate in his own works, often walking into a scene, playing a wordless bit part, and existing. This subtle dry-wit move would become Hitchcock's signature in the movie making industry. In a simlar move, after receiving a standing ovation for winning the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his contributions as a producer in 1967, he leaned to microphone and uttered, "thank you," before slowly walking off the stage.
In the early 1970s, Hitchcock returned to his native England, where he produced "Frenzy." The 1972 film was well received in his homeland and the public cried for more. While living in England, Hitchcock was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Hitchcock began to suffer from severe arthritis pain in the late 1970s, and his health took a sudden turn for the worse when his kidneys began malfunctioning. The 80-year Hitchcock worked on, determined to finish his final film. Shortly after wrapping up production on the "Family Plot," Alfred Hitchcock went home to rest. He died of kidney failure April 29, 1980.
Since his death, Hitchcock has been recognized as one of the greatest film directors of all time. His methods of suspense and shock are studied at film schools around the world.
Hitchcock Film List
1925 The Pleasure Garden
1927 The Mountain Eagle
1927 The Lodger
1927 Downhill
1927 Easy Virtue
1927 The Ring
1928 Champagne
1928 The Farmer's Wife
1929 The Manxman
1929 Blackmail
1930 Juno and the Paycock
1930 Murder!
1931 The Skin Game
1932 Number Seventeen
1932 Rich and Strange
1934 The Man Who Knew Too Much
1934 Waltzes From Vienna
1935 The 39 Steps
1936 Sabotage
1936 Secret Agent
1937 Young and Innocent
1938 The Lady Vanishes
1939 Jamaica Inn
1940 Foreign Correspondent
1940 Rebecca
1941 Mr. and Mrs. Smith
1941 Suspicion
1942 Saboteur
1943 Shadow of a Doubt
1944 Lifeboat
1945 Spellbound
1946 Notorious
1948 The Paradine Case
1948 Rope
1949 Under Capricorn
1950 Stage Fright
1951 Strangers on a Train
1953 I Confess
1954 Dial "M" for Murder
1954 Rear Window
1955 To Catch a Thief
1955 The Trouble with Harry
1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much (remake)
1956 The Wrong Man
1958 Vertigo
1959 North by Northwest
1960 Psycho
1963 The Birds
1964 Marnie
1966 Torn Curtain
1969 Topaz
1972 Frenzy
1976 Family Plot
Hitchcock concentrated all his efforts on producing "thrillers." During the early 1930s, he directed 4 classic suspense films, including "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and "The Thirty-nine Steps."
Hitchcock and his wife left England behind them in 1939, setting their sights on Hollywood, on the advice of "Gone With the Wind" producer, David Selznick. The United States was years ahead of London, offering advanced film making technology, which Hitchcock took immediate advantage of. During his first year in California, Alfred Hitchcock released "Rebecca," for which he would later win an Academy Award for best picture (more info at bottom of page)
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Description
The Signature Collection contains the DVD debut of 8 Hitchcock classics including "Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Special Edition," and the following 7 new single-disc DVDs: "Dial M For Murder," "Foreign Correspondent" "Suspicion," "The Wrong Man," "Stage Fright," "I Confess" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The previously released "North by Northwest" is also included in the 10-disc Signature Collection. Each of the 9 films in the collection shows why Hitchcock is regarded as one of Hollywood's most esteemed and important directors, and also brings legendary stars
Strangers on a Train - En route from Washington, D.C., champion tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets pushy playboy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). What begins as a chance encounter turns into a series of morbid confrontations, as Bruno manipulates his way into Guy's life. Bruno is eager to kill his father and knows Guy wants to marry a senator's daughter (Ruth Roman) but can't get a divorce from his wife. So Bruno suggests the men swap murders, which would leave no traceable clues or possible motives. Though Guy refuses, it won't be easy to rid himself of the psychopathic Bruno. Hitchcock's daughter Patricia appears in this film. The extra features included on the DVD are: Alternate 'preview' version of the film; Commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stephano, Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith and biographer Andrew Wilson; New making-of documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, film historian Richard Schickel, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and other Hitchcock family members and colleagues recalling the making of this suspense landmark; Three intriguing featurettes: The Hitchcocks on Hitch, Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V., Strangers on a Train by M. Night Shyamalan; Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting, a vintage newsreel.
Each DVD will be presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition and will include the original theatrical trailer, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Film Noir Classic Collection (The Asphalt Jungle/Gun Crazy/Murder My Sweet/Out of the Past/The Set-Up
Description
Some boxed sets claim to be definitive, but are haphazardly selected. Not this one. Four of the five titles here can legitimately lay claim to being essentials in the film noir canon, and the fifth, The Set-Up, is a terrific boxing picture with a strong noir atmosphere. If you're a fan of noir--or have no idea what it's all about--this collection is a treat.
Of course, none of these movies were made as "film noir." The term was coined later by French critics to describe the moody, anxious feel of postwar American movies, especially the genre that highlighted duplicitous dames and susceptible men lost in the criminal jungle. Indeed, the title The Asphalt Jungle conveys the edgy urban arena of these pictures. That film is John Huston's masterly 1950 account of a heist, with Sterling Hayden the disenchanted, noirish hero. Joseph H. Lewis's Gun Crazy (1949) is one of the most supercharged (and sexually perverse) of noir films, with John Dall and Peggy Cummins as young criminals in love. Murder, My Sweet (1944) is a straight adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel Farewell, My Lovely. Amid the film's shadowy chiaroscuro, former musical comedy star Dick Powell makes a career-changing transition as Chandler's private dick, Philip Marlowe. Out of the Past puts Robert Mitchum (perhaps the quintessential noir actor) in trouble with gangster Kirk Douglas, complicated by classic femme fatale Jane Greer. Jacques Tourneur provides the evocative direction. And The Set-Up plays out an ingenious boxing tale in "real time," superbly enacted by (former boxer) Robert Ryan
.
CONT....
Following his American debut, Hitchcock put out at least one film each year for the next three decades. According to those closest to him, Hitchcock's wife advised him on many of his movies and was his most trusted professional confidante. Hitchcock scored big with movie audiences, putting forth big budget suspense films, starring leading actors and actresses. Films like "Rear Window," "Psycho," and "The Birds" were hits in every theatre.
In the late 1940s, Hitchcock decided to participate in his own works, often walking into a scene, playing a wordless bit part, and existing. This subtle dry-wit move would become Hitchcock's signature in the movie making industry. In a simlar move, after receiving a standing ovation for winning the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his contributions as a producer in 1967, he leaned to microphone and uttered, "thank you," before slowly walking off the stage.
In the early 1970s, Hitchcock returned to his native England, where he produced "Frenzy." The 1972 film was well received in his homeland and the public cried for more. While living in England, Hitchcock was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Hitchcock began to suffer from severe arthritis pain in the late 1970s, and his health took a sudden turn for the worse when his kidneys began malfunctioning. The 80-year Hitchcock worked on, determined to finish his final film. Shortly after wrapping up production on the "Family Plot," Alfred Hitchcock went home to rest. He died of kidney failure April 29, 1980.
Since his death, Hitchcock has been recognized as one of the greatest film directors of all time. His methods of suspense and shock are studied at film schools around the world.
Hitchcock Film List
1925 The Pleasure Garden
1927 The Mountain Eagle
1927 The Lodger
1927 Downhill
1927 Easy Virtue
1927 The Ring
1928 Champagne
1928 The Farmer's Wife
1929 The Manxman
1929 Blackmail
1930 Juno and the Paycock
1930 Murder!
1931 The Skin Game
1932 Number Seventeen
1932 Rich and Strange
1934 The Man Who Knew Too Much
1934 Waltzes From Vienna
1935 The 39 Steps
1936 Sabotage
1936 Secret Agent
1937 Young and Innocent
1938 The Lady Vanishes
1939 Jamaica Inn
1940 Foreign Correspondent
1940 Rebecca
1941 Mr. and Mrs. Smith
1941 Suspicion
1942 Saboteur
1943 Shadow of a Doubt
1944 Lifeboat
1945 Spellbound
1946 Notorious
1948 The Paradine Case
1948 Rope
1949 Under Capricorn
1950 Stage Fright
1951 Strangers on a Train
1953 I Confess
1954 Dial "M" for Murder
1954 Rear Window
1955 To Catch a Thief
1955 The Trouble with Harry
1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much (remake)
1956 The Wrong Man
1958 Vertigo
1959 North by Northwest
1960 Psycho
1963 The Birds
1964 Marnie
1966 Torn Curtain
1969 Topaz
1972 Frenzy
1976 Family Plot
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