ALFRED HITCHCOCK's CLASSIC COLLECTION

 

Jeri Jacquin

This week on 4K Ultra, Bluray and Digital from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the most stunning works in filmmaking with ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S CLASSIC COLLECTION.

Hitchcock would be known as the Master of Suspense in bringing to the big screen over 50 feature films. In his career he would achieve 46 Oscar nominations and 6 wins. His first film came by way of London in 1925 with THE PLEASURE GARDEN and in 1938, it would be David O. Selznick convinced him to give Hollywood a try.

Success after success brought some accolades including a BAFTA Fellowship, a Life Achievement Award from AFI and even a knighthood. The one thing that eluded him was an Oscar for Best Director. That has not stopped film lovers from continually embracing the mystery, frights and spine-chilling story telling that we love still today. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment put together the most amazing four films to visit once again.

In the 1954 film REAR WINDOW, Jimmy Stewart plays L.B. Jefferies, a photographer who is confined to his apartment in Manhattan in a wheelchair. During a heatwave, he spends his time watching the neighbors who have their windows open. In the middle of a thunderstorm, Jeff believes that he hears a woman scream and notices one of his neighbors is gone.

Now begins his theory of what really happened that night and proving it might be the death of him! The film also stars Grace Kelly, another Hollywood icon who would later become a Princess in her own right and Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr.

The Collection includes 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, Masters of Cinema and so much more!

The 1958 film VERTIGO brings Jimmy Stewart once again to Hitchcock's film playing John Ferguson, a retired cop who turns to being a private investigator to keep an eye on Madeleine played by Kim Novak. That can be difficult since Ferguson suffers from acrophobia and vertigo!

The film also stars Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore and Henry Jones. Bonus Features of the Collection are Obsessed with VERTIGHO: New Life for Hitchcock’s Masterpiece, Partners In Crime: Hitchcock’s Collaborators with Saul Bass, Edith Head, Bernard Herrmann and Alma, Foreign Censorship Ending, Hitchcock/Truffaut, Restoration of Theatrical Trailer and so much more!

Everyone has their favorite Hitchcock and for me its these last two. The first made people afraid of their own showers with Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins bringing us PSYCHO. Leigh plays Marion Crane, a woman who is on the run for reasons of her own and ends up at the Bates Motel run by Norman Bates played by Anthony Perkins.

Norman has problems as well when his mother is upset that he has asked a girl to dinner in their home. A home that sits up on the hill right behind the motel. That is when things go from bad to worse in a place that has frightening secrets of its own.

Additional cast include Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam and John McIntire. The Bonus Features on the Bluray include The Making of PSYCHO, PSYCHO Sound, In the Master’s Shadow: Hitchcock’s Legacy, Newsreel Footage: The Release of PSYCHO, The Shower Scene: With and Without Music, The PSYCHO Archives and so much more!

Finally, in 1963, we all got another fright from THE BIRDS. Tippi Hedren plays Melanie Daniels, a socialite who accidentally meets Mitch Brenner played by Rod Taylor. After they meet at a local bird store, Melanie takes it upon herself to take Brenner a pair of lovebirds for his sister’s birthday. The moment she steps foot in Bodega Bay, Daniels is attacked by a bird. It won’t be the last time as more and more birds take on the human race.

The film also stars Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette and Veronica Cartwright. The Collection also includes THE BIRDS: Hitchcock’s Monster Movie, All About THE BIRDS, Tippi Hedren’s Screen Test, Deleted Scenes, The Original Ending THE BIRDS is Coming and so much more!

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

This is an amazing four film collection that honesty has my four favorite Hitchcock films although I would not have minded the fifth with REBECCA, but I am hardly complaining. This is such a fantastic way to introduce family and friends to suspense, nail biting, jaw dropping and thrilling storytelling.

Hitchcock deserves the title of Master of Suspense and taught me how the right actor, the right setting and the right person behind the lens can create something that looks effortless and remains timeless.

In the end – he will show you frights you never knew existed!