Rating: 
Summary: Great image quality, lame extra features
Review: The transfer is great. The film looks terrific. But the alternate audio track of E. Lehman (the writer) was a big dissapointment. This is my favorite movie and was looking forward to insights that only a writer could provide. But instead we are given 136 minutes of thoughtless chatter, when he's not talking about himself he's silent (at times for more than 10 minutes). Some of the voice over is taken directly from the "making of" documentary that is included on the DVD. One wishes that M. Landau would have done it.... Order this one for the film not the features.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant film making.
Review: With this film, Alfred Hitchcock set out to top himself and get back on top after the failure of VERTIGO; he did just that. NORTH BY NORTHWEST is automatically a classic with the acting by Cary Grant (his fourth and final film with Hitchcock), Eva Maria Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll (another one of Hithcock's favorites), and young Martin Landau (in his film debut), the amazing set pieces (the UN murder, the cropduster sequence, and the climax atop Mt. Rushmore), Bernard Hermann's music score, and the classic work of the camera by the Master of Suspense. But this DVD's extras really add to the film. It includes a documentary hosted by Saint ("Destination Hitchcock," not "The Man in Lincoln's Nose" as listed on this site), an audio commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, two theatrical trailers (a standard trailer and one featuring Hitchcock), a TV Spot, an isolated music audio track and the film itself remastered in Dolby 5.1 Audio and 1.66:1 widescreen anamorphic format. The only problem is it comes in a snap case like all Warners DVDs, not allowing a booklet with production notes. But this DVD is a must buy, especially if you're a fan of Hitch. It's also a note of interest for 007 fans (like myself). This film brought about spy thrillers and you should compare the cropduster sequence in this film to the helicopter sequence in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.
Rating:
Summary: DVD Looks Great, Classic Hitchcock
Review: NORTH BY NORTHWEST was my favorite Hitchcock film for many years. I was a teenager and much preferred Hitch's classy, sexy man-on-the-run film to any of the films of the 80's (besides STAR WARS!) The just-released DVD of this 1959 film looks excellent. The colors and crispness of the picture are truly extraordinary. Again, I praise the benefits of DVD! And this disc is such a great example of how to do it right, especially with our older films.The documentary that accompanies the film is hosted by Eva Marie Saint (who is still a handsome and classy lady). Although not as thorough as the documentaries on recent Hitch DVD releases (MARNIE, THE BIRDS...) this one will do. There are some nice behind the scenes photos and info. The documentary director seems to skim over everything, however. My favorite thing about NORTH BY NORTHWEST (besides all the obvious Hitch directing embelishments...) is the script by Ernest Lehman. This is a GREAT script. And no one writes sexy leading man and leading lady dialogue like Lehman: "I'm a big girl," coos Eva Marie Saint. "Yes, and in all the right places," responds suave Cary Grant. This is just perfect! And the sex is implied. I am not a prude -- it is just so smart the way Lehman "hooks up" Grant and Saint in the train scene. You don't need to show them having sex. And when we get to the auction scene later in the film, Saint gives such an emotional performance that you know is rooted in the train scene. And the chase at Mt. Rushmore in the final reel is very exciting and stylistic all at once. Hitch is a genius. Welcome, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, to the modern world! You've never looked better.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME ON A GOOD DVD
Review: No introduction required for this one: Alfred Hitchcock's is one of the most popular classic of all time, and it certainly deserves to be so. Watching NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a pure joy of cinema. It's thrilling, exciting and hilarious. You just get carried away with the master's perfect art of storytelling. Many critics tried to "decode" the deeper meaning of this film in a vain effort to "intellectualize" Hitch's art. But the point is: there are really no serious message or psychological which understanding is vital to understand the film (which is quite the contrary from VERTIGO, his previous film, and PSYCHO, the one he made right after this one). The best way to understand this particular film is to just enjoy it. And boy, how enjoyable this movie is! The new deluxe collector's edition DVD offers, first of all, a solid good transfer. I must congratulate MGM for keeping such a good care of the original elements. Unlike VERTIGO for which a lot of restoration works was required (and the end result still has some unrepairable deteriorations, even though it generally looks far better than how VERTIGO used to look for the last 17 years or so), NORTH BY NORTHWEST is preserved very well. This DVD represents the magnificence of the original VISTAVISON/IB-TECHNICOLOR images quite faithfully. The images are crisp-sharp (one great virtue of this now almost extinct process) and the colors are vibrant, deeply saturated and very rich. However, some of the rear-projection process shots (for examples, exteriors seen through a moving car window) look a bit faded and need a little work to be done. But don't worry, the final Mount Rushmore is transfered superbly, with all the miniature works, back-drop paintings, matpaintings and process shots are intact and are so effective. In fact, when properly done, the old techniques look as good as the recent digital CGI effects, maybe better. I'm not quite sure about the Dolby 5-1 stereo because the film must have been made originally with a Mono soundtrack (or 3 channels Perspecta stereo), but at least it doesn't have the awful redone foley job which sounded quite ugly on the restored VERTIGO, so we can say it stays more faithful to what Hitch intended. Plus, I have to admit the new soundtrack REALLY brings out the magnificent orchestration of Bernard Herrmann's beautifully composed score! Herrmann was one of the very few film composer who did his own orchestration. He was an uncompromised artist. By the way, you can enjoy the richness of the score with the music-only track as well. An added enjoyment is the original theatrical trailer featuring Mr.Hitchcock himself, which was not on the previous LD release. The DVD also features a good documentary about the making of the film which, unlike a conventional featurette where the filmmakers and the actors are just glorified in a phony promotional manner, really tells you about how a movie was made in those days. It even tells you how Cary Grant charged 15 cents to every autograph he gave to the fans! Unfortunately, Hitch himself is no longer with us to give a commentary for DVD fans, but the writer Ernest Lehman (also known for the screen adaptations of WEST SIDE STORY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC) tells about how he wrote this original screenplay and cleverly points out the subtle intelligence in Hitch's masterful direction. Critics and scholars (including myself, I must admit) often talk only about big scenes and flashy camera works which catch your eyes at the first moment you see them, but Lehman made me think how subtle a director's genius is, and that makes the whole difference from all the poorly made films that we see so often in the thriller genre today.
Rating:
Summary: A fabulous transfer of a great movie
Review: This DVD looks superb and does full justice to Hitchcock's vision. Even Criterion couldn't have done a better job! Cary Grant looks as suave as ever and the rest of the cast gel perfectly.
Rating:
Summary: Classic film still in need of classy restoration
Review: Judging from the look of the revamping of this Hitchcock classic at its premiere Aug. 24, 2000, on Turner Classic Movies, I have say it's a great shame this classic film hasn't been truly and loving restored, as were Hitch's "Rear Window" and, more especially, "Vertigo." The widescreen letterboxing technique used here still seems to cut off some of the original VistaVision side images (particularly on the right side), the music tracks (recorded and available in full stereo) haven't been fully incorporated into the film and, worst of all, the original color in this redo seems to lack brilliance and depth and contrast. I was hoping for a first-class job here and a 70mm revival of this one in theaters before the video and DVD re-release. But I guess the marketing boys decided it wasn't worth it. Too bad, too bad.
Rating:
Summary: Overall 5, Extras 4
Review: NORTH BY NORTHWEST is about the best film Alfred Hitchcock ever made. This DVD presents the film in it's best quality yet. The original master recordings of the score were recorded in stereo and have been mixed nicely along with the foley tracks to create the first true stereo version of this film. The picture is sharp and clean and is formatted correctly. A huge improvement of the previous widescreen laserdisc release. This time the ratio is correct in all scenes. In the former it would vary from scene to scene. Try watching the two versions in sync side by side and you'll be appalled at the differences.Only the documentary is a let down, as it is little more than a highly brief run down of the order of events of making the film with little meat.On the plus side, there is an isolated music track in which all foley and dialogue is eliminated and you can enjoy the great Bernard Herrmann score. It becomes a silent movie of sorts.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless masterpiece! Even GenX can enjoy --Bond before Bond
Review: This is a magnificent film beautifully restored and presented digitally on DVD in Dolby Digital 5.1 -- The photography and sound are superb. The restored footage has vibrant colors and the dolby surround enables the famous airplane scene make you feel like you are right there next to Cary Grant. Truly a Hitchcock masterpiece. I saw this film on the big-screen (1980's re-release)as a teenager at the famous Tennessee Theater and it has been one of my favorites ever since. Movies like this don't seem to be made anymore. This movie deserves to be higher on the AFI Top 100 list.
Rating:
Summary: "Paging George Kaplan"
Review: Sir Alfred Hitchcock was known to be the master of suspense and with the release of "North By Northwest" the studios are able to allow audiances to see this again as well as a new generation! Cary Grant was known to of said that with two thirds of the motion picture filmed, "North By Northwest" made no sense and why should it. Here Sir Alfred is able to keep the audiance off balance with the fact that Mr. Grants character Roger Thornhill, is mistaken for American Intelligance Spy George Kaplin and taken hostage by James Masons (Van Damme) hench men. If that is not enough to start the ball rolling, just when Thornehill is about to clear his name he is seen murdering a delagate inside the United Nations! Martin Landeu's character of Masons secretary Leonard plays the jeolous but respectful right hand man that throws a few suprises Van Dammes way as he takes his mistress Eve Kendall across the country with him. Confused? Don't be! With the supurb musical score that leaves you clinging to your armchair and the finale that is one of the best Sir Alfred ever filmed in cinematic history with supurb cameos from great '50s character actors ie Leo G. Carroll there is no reason not to watch this more than once. Truse me... I have seen it three times in three days and have enjoyed every moment of it!
Rating:
Summary: The Culmination of All Hitchcock Chase Films
Review: By the time this film was released in 1959, Alfred Hitchcock had been honing his classic "innocent man on the run" theme for 33 years, begining with "The Lodger" in 1926 and continuing through such landmarks as "The 39 Steps," "The Lady Vanishes" and "Saboteur." Representing the culmination of this fascination with innocents on the run, this film is one of the finest comic adventure films of all time, one with the pace of a juggernaught. The cast is one for the ages. Cary Grant (along with Jimmy Stewart, THE great Hitchcock hero) is superb, especially in his exasperated comic reactions to his rediculous predicaments (catch his drunken reaction as the wheels of his car slide off the side of the road!). Eva Marie Saint is wonderful as this film's Hitchcock ice princess and James Mason virtually defines the classic urbane villian. This is an eye-popping DVD. As someone who has owned the earlier VHS and Laserdisc releases of this classic, I can reasonably state that this film hasn't looked better in forty-one years. The images are sharp and clean; the colors are warm and rich. Bernard Hermann's great score has never sounded better. The "making of" documentary is fascinating, especially for those of us who are Hitchcock fanatics. Hosted by Eva Marie Saint, it features appearances by Martin Landau and writer Ernest Lehman, who provide backround on the making of the film. Interestingly, the first actor considered for the lead was Jimmy Stewart. One can only wonder what kind of film might have resulted from his casting! Simply said, this film is a must have for anyone who cares about film.
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