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Rating: 
Summary: A walk on the dark side
Review: Alfred Hitchcock's directorial brilliance is undeniable, especially in these five taut thrillers. Full of classic great actors like Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck, "Wrong Men & Notorious Women" gives a glimpse not only into how good Hitchcock was, but how wide his cinematic range was."The 39 Steps" is the cryptic phrase that Richard Hannay (Robert Donay) gets, along with a map and a lot of people on his trail. A woman has been murdered in his apartment, and now he's on the run from police and spies alike. He ends up handcuffed together with another woman (Madeleine Carroll), on the lam, in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. "The Lady Vanishes" on a train, when elderly Mrs. Froy (Dame May Whitty) mysteriously vanishes. Iris (Margaret Lockwood) and music student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) must band together to unravel what happened, even though they have a back history of driving each other nuts. They must learn who Mrs. Froy was, why nobody wants to be involved -- and what happened to the military secrets she was hiding. "Spellbound" opens with the cool, professional Dr. Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman) as the new head of a psychiatric hospital arrives. She's immediately attracted to Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck), but his increasingly odd behavior leads her to think that he isn't who he says he is. She learns that he's an amnesiac, who is somehow linked to the real Dr. Edwardes. Taking the man under her wing, she leads him on a desperate search for the memory -- and sanity. "Rebecca" still haunts the vast manor of Manderly. When a timid young woman (Joan Fontaine) suddenly marries the moody, handsome Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), she finds herself in over her head. His late first wife -- beautiful, vibrant and mysterious -- still lingers in the minds of those who knew her, especially the icy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. When she learns the truth about what Rebecca was really like, and how she died, it might tear her away from Maxim forever. "Notorious" again stars Ingrid Bergman, here as Alicia, a young woman seeking to prove her patriotism after her dad turns out to be a spy. She's sent by agent Devlin (Cary Grant) into the thick of the Nazis, even to the point of marrying Alex (Claude Rains). Problem is, she's fallen for Devlin, but obeys him anyhow. Except that when Alex catches on to her plans, he plans to kill her... Hitchcock had a rare talent for making romantic and/or spy movies, without making anything in them seem silly. While three of the movies are spy-romance films, where two people fall for one another while embroiled in dangerous international schemes, it also includes two very different stories. One is an exploration of psychoanalysis and the human mind (and a romance), and the other is simply the unravelling of an unsupernatural haunting (and a romance too). These two aren't just different; they also show the range of what Hitchcock could do. The quality and the kind of writing varies from movie to movie (some are subtle and sophisticated, some are almost slapstick in places), since they came from different parts of his career. The acting is fantastic in almost every movie; at times some supporting characters can be slightly flat, but the leads are perfectly chosen. These are some of Hitchcock's best movies (although viewers should also check out stuff like "Rear Window"). Dark, funny, romantic, complicated and always suspenseful, these are well worth it. Amazing.
Rating:
Summary: A walk on the dark side
Review: Alfred Hitchcock's directorial brilliance is undeniable, especially in these five taut thrillers. Full of classic great actors like Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck, "Wrong Men & Notorious Women" gives a glimpse not only into how good Hitchcock was, but how wide his cinematic range was. "The 39 Steps" is the cryptic phrase that Richard Hannay (Robert Donay) gets, along with a map and a lot of people on his trail. A woman has been murdered in his apartment, and now he's on the run from police and spies alike. He ends up handcuffed together with another woman (Madeleine Carroll), on the lam, in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. "The Lady Vanishes" on a train, when elderly Mrs. Froy (Dame May Whitty) mysteriously vanishes. Iris (Margaret Lockwood) and music student Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) must band together to unravel what happened, even though they have a back history of driving each other nuts. They must learn who Mrs. Froy was, why nobody wants to be involved -- and what happened to the military secrets she was hiding. "Spellbound" opens with the cool, professional Dr. Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman) as the new head of a psychiatric hospital arrives. She's immediately attracted to Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck), but his increasingly odd behavior leads her to think that he isn't who he says he is. She learns that he's an amnesiac, who is somehow linked to the real Dr. Edwardes. Taking the man under her wing, she leads him on a desperate search for the memory -- and sanity. "Rebecca" still haunts the vast manor of Manderly. When a timid young woman (Joan Fontaine) suddenly marries the moody, handsome Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier), she finds herself in over her head. His late first wife -- beautiful, vibrant and mysterious -- still lingers in the minds of those who knew her, especially the icy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. When she learns the truth about what Rebecca was really like, and how she died, it might tear her away from Maxim forever. "Notorious" again stars Ingrid Bergman, here as Alicia, a young woman seeking to prove her patriotism after her dad turns out to be a spy. She's sent by agent Devlin (Cary Grant) into the thick of the Nazis, even to the point of marrying Alex (Claude Rains). Problem is, she's fallen for Devlin, but obeys him anyhow. Except that when Alex catches on to her plans, he plans to kill her... Hitchcock had a rare talent for making romantic and/or spy movies, without making anything in them seem silly. While three of the movies are spy-romance films, where two people fall for one another while embroiled in dangerous international schemes, it also includes two very different stories. One is an exploration of psychoanalysis and the human mind (and a romance), and the other is simply the unravelling of an unsupernatural haunting (and a romance too). These two aren't just different; they also show the range of what Hitchcock could do. The quality and the kind of writing varies from movie to movie (some are subtle and sophisticated, some are almost slapstick in places), since they came from different parts of his career. The acting is fantastic in almost every movie; at times some supporting characters can be slightly flat, but the leads are perfectly chosen. These are some of Hitchcock's best movies (although viewers should also check out stuff like "Rear Window"). Dark, funny, romantic, complicated and always suspenseful, these are well worth it. Amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Correction
Review: Amazon lists this as a five-disc set. Actually it includes six discs since Rebecca comes on two.
Rating:
Summary: What More Could You Really Ask For??!
Review: I already own each of the five films individually in this box set. I am a huge fan of cinema, and Mr. Hitchcock is probably my favorite director. This collection of his earlier works is excellent! Each film is, simply put, flat out brilliant. The set includes Rebecca (2 disc), The 39 Steps, Notorious, The Lady Vanishes, and Spellbound. The extra features on these movies are also outstanding (especially on the Rebecca 2 disc set). There's no need to go into the plots because they are above on this page. I had to pay top dollar for each of these dvds, but luckily, for some who do not own them yet, they are avalible in this handsome box at a reduced price. So save your pennies if that's what it takes to get this collection. It's worth it! Thanks for reading.
Rating:
Summary: What More Could You Really Ask For??!
Review: I already own each of the five films individually in this box set. I am a huge fan of cinema, and Mr. Hitchcock is probably my favorite director. This collection of his earlier works is excellent! Each film is, simply put, flat out brilliant. The set includes Rebecca (2 disc), The 39 Steps, Notorious, The Lady Vanishes, and Spellbound. The extra features on these movies are also outstanding (especially on the Rebecca 2 disc set). There's no need to go into the plots because they are above on this page. I had to pay top dollar for each of these dvds, but luckily, for some who do not own them yet, they are avalible in this handsome box at a reduced price. So save your pennies if that's what it takes to get this collection. It's worth it! Thanks for reading.
Rating:
Summary: About to go out of print...
Review: This collection of Hitchcock films will no longer be available from Criterion as of December 31st 2003 - their rights to the films have expired. In previous such instances the DVDs quickly become collectors' items and trade at horrendous prices. So order now if tempted by these titles.
*
Hope this helps a few film fans avoid frustration.
Rating:
Summary: About to go out of print...
Review: This collection of Hitchcock films will no longer be available from Criterion as of December 31st 2003 - their rights to the films have expired. In previous such instances the DVDs quickly become collectors' items and trade at horrendous prices. So order now if tempted by these titles.
*
Hope this helps a few film fans avoid frustration.
Rating:
Summary: Correction
Review: When I read the reviews and saw that Amazon no longer carried this, I was disappointed. Only disappointed until I purchased this item new from a different vendor. I don't know why Amazon does not carry it. In any event, when you get your opportunity pounce! The quality of these movies is amazing, the extras extraordinary and the price a steal. These movies are a feast for the eyes and ears. The images are beyond crisp and the sound is beyond clear. What more can be said. This set is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: IMMACULATE(AND STILL AVAILABLE)
Review: When I read the reviews and saw that Amazon no longer carried this, I was disappointed. Only disappointed until I purchased this item new from a different vendor. I don't know why Amazon does not carry it. In any event, when you get your opportunity pounce! The quality of these movies is amazing, the extras extraordinary and the price a steal. These movies are a feast for the eyes and ears. The images are beyond crisp and the sound is beyond clear. What more can be said. This set is a must have.
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