Alfred Hitchcock The Masterpiece Collection (Blu-ray set)

[Solidus]

In the fall, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection to Blu-ray. This limited edition box set compiles fifteen titles from the legendary filmmaker's career, thirteen of which make their respective U.S. Blu-ray debut through this package.

The films include (* denotes new-to-Blu-ray):
Saboteur (1942)*
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)*
Rope (1948)*
Rear Window (1954)*
The Trouble with Harry (1955)*
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)*
Vertigo (1958)*
North by Northwest (1959)
Psycho (1960)
The Birds (1963)*
Marnie (1964)*
Torn Curtain (1966)*
Topaz (1969)*
Frenzy (1972)*
Family Plot (1976)*


While the exact technical specifications are still unknown for the individual discs, Universal's press release notes that the fifteen pictures have been "digitally restored from high-quality film elements." The set also includes over fifteen hours of bonus supplements, such as:

Saboteur -
Saboteur: A Closer Look behind-the-scenes featurette
Storyboards for the "Statue of Liberty" setpiece
Alfred Hitchcock's sketches
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
Shadow of a Doubt -
Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock's Favorite Film behind-the-scenes featurette
Production drawings by art director Robert Boyle
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
Rope -
Rope Unleashed behind-the-scenes featurette
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
Rear Window -
Commentary with Hitchcock's Rear Window: The Well-Made Film author John Fawell
Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
Masters of Cinema
Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary
A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes
Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of The Master
Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock
Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts
Production photographs
Theatrical trailers
Re-release trailer narrated by James Stewart
Blu-ray exclusive BD Live and Pocket Blu functionalities
The Trouble with Harry -
The Trouble with Harry Isn't Over behind-the-scenes featurette
Production photographs
Theatrical trailers
The Man Who Knew Too Much -
The Making of The Man Who Knew Too Much behind-the-scenes featurette
Production photographs
Trailers
Vertigo -
Two audio commentaries:
Associate producer Herbert Coleman, restoration team Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz, and other Vertigo participants
Filmmaker William Friedkin
Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock's Masterpiece
Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators
The Vertigo Archives feature
Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts
Foreign censorship Ending
100 Years of Universal featurette: The Lew Wasserman Era
Theatrical trailer
Restoration theatrical trailer
Blu-ray exclusive BD Live and Pocket Blu functionalities
North by Northwest -
Commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman
Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest
North by Northwest: One for the Ages
The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
Cary Grant: A Class Apart
Music-only audio track
Stills gallery
Theatrical trailers and TV spot
Psycho -
Commentary with Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho author Stephen Rebello
Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
The Making of Psycho
Psycho Sound
In The Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
Breakdowns of the "Shower Scene" setpiece:
With and without music
Storyboards by Saul Bass
The Psycho Archives feature
Vintage newsreel: The Release of Psycho
Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts
Posters and Psycho ads
Lobby cards
Behind-the-scenes photographs
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
Re-release trailers
The Birds -
Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
Blu-ray exclusive The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie
All About The Birds
Vintage Universal International newsreels:
The Birds Is Coming
Suspense Story: National Press Club Hears Hitchcock
Tippi Hedren's screen test
Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts
Deleted scene
Original ending
Storyboards
Production photographs
100 Years of Universal featurettes:
Restoring the Classics
The Lot
Theatrical trailer
Blu-ray exclusive BD Live and Pocket Blu functionalities
Marnie -
The Trouble with Marnie behind-the-scenes featurette
The Marnie Archives feature
Theatrical trailer
Torn Curtain -
Torn Curtain Rising behind-the-scenes featurette
Selected scenes scored by Bernard Herrmann
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
Topaz -
Alternate endings
Topaz: An Appreciation with film historian and critic Leonard Maltin
Storyboards for "The Mendozas" setpiece
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
Frenzy -
The Story of Frenzy behind-the-scenes featurette
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
Family Plot -
Plotting Family Plot behind-the-scenes featurette
Storyboards for the chase scene
Production photographs
Theatrical trailer
In addition, the collection comes with a fifty-page book featuring storyboards, costume sketches, correspondence, and rare photographs.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection streets on September 25th.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8987

A day one buy for me. I figured a set this big, and a director this legendary could use it's own thread.

 

[Figs]

God damn it. I was hoping there would be more on there. I already have two really big box sets on DVD. I guess I'll get this one and just watch the other films on DVD if I feel like it. Too much of a Blu-ray ****e to pass this up.

 

[Wolfwood]

Well I only own a couple of those and they're on DVD still, so I can totally justify buying this.

 

[Laderlappen]

No Rebecca?

 

[CGHulk]

This set looks like the films that were made for Universal. I just looked up that Rebecca was made by United Artist, which the film library is owned by Warners. This is the collection of films that Hitchcock made at Universal. So no 39 Steps. The Lady Vanishes was released under United Artists. To Catch a Thief was made at Paramount and Dial M for Murder was made at Warners.

 

[Blue Sugar]

A given buy for me. I have half of the films on DVD but the extra-material and the blu-ray experience more than makes up for that.

 

[QBComics]

Kinda surprised they ignored Rebecca or 39 Steps. Then again, Criterion just released 39 Steps, so maybe they couldn't.

Either way, I'll probably get this. That's too many good movies for the first time on Blu-Ray.

 

[xwolverine2]

they should just call it the Alfred Hitchcock Universal Collection then..

 

[Doctor Jones]

Oh, snaaaaap.

Damn, no Rope??

 

[CGHulk]

Oh, snaaaaap.

Damn, no Rope??

Rope is there, the third one down on the list.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Oh. I can't believe I missed that.