Home :: DVD :: Mystery & Suspense :: Mystery & Suspense Masters  

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem
British Mystery Theater
Classics
Crime
Detectives
Film Noir
General
Mystery
Mystery & Suspense Masters

Neo-Noir
Series & Sequels
Suspense
Thrillers
Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $15.98
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 4 5 6 7 8 9 >>

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Hitchcock allright.
Review: Besides the most famous and well known titles of Hitchcock movies, "Strangers on a Train" is one of the best runner up's. Carefully Hitchcock does for which he is famous: building up suspense in this great and detailed thriller. One minor point is that the DVD contains two versions of the film but unfortunately not in the original aspect ratio.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Blueprint for All Movie Thrillers
Review: This is one of Hitchcock's best motion pictures, and it also serves as a blueprint for the screen thriller. The main reason I'm giving the video/DVD four stars is because it is released in pan and scan format and not widescreen. "Strangers..." is one of those rare breeds of movie thrillers: it combines suspense, wit, haunting images, first rate direction, and terrific performances by everyone involved (especially Robert Walker, who died the same year the movie was released). I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates great filmmaking, a good story, and suspense beyond compare.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Widescreen vs. 35mm for Strangers on a Train
Review: It's important to note two things about this edition of "Strangers on a Train." First off, the description on Amazon.com's page is incorrect. This DVD is not in widescreen. The second thing is, to you widescreen buffs out there (including myself) -- Relax! This film was never shot in widescreen. In fact, prior to 1953 (The Robe), there was never anything bigger than 35mm! This is why this film (and you'll be surprised to hear), many, many classic films will never be produced in widescreen. They don't exist. You should buy this DVD because of the video quality and the extra "goodies." Gone with the Wind in widescreen? Nope, never was, even though it was blown up to 70mm and cropped horribly in the 1968 re-issue. What's out there on DVD on Gone with the Wind is standard 35mm "TV semi-square" framing, because that's the way it was shot. Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Citizen Kane? Nope, never shot in anything greater than 35mm. It's a Wonderful Life? No again. Widescreen is limited to theatrical films issued for the most part, after 1953, when competition with television forced studios to come up with the "panoramic" gimmicks to bring people back into the theaters. This is period (1953-1963) when Cinemascope, Todd-AO, VistaVision, Super Panavision 70 and other widescreen formats were born -- and the most extreme example was Cinerama, which used three cameras and is used to best effect in the DVD version of How the West Was Won. So don't fret, this DVD is good, crisp and clean and formatted as Alfred Hitchcock intended! Tomorrow's movies will be in IMAX (see Fantasia 2000, in selected theaters now).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great edition of fine film
Review: Hitchcock was coming off a string of failures when he made this movie. His undertainty about commercial success (always a worry of his) caused him to make an uncharacteristic move: multiple edits and two different endings. If you've never seen the "British" version, this one is very revealing. Quality of the DVD is pretty good, but not perfect (still saw film flaws from time to time).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This movie was shot in 4:3 not widescreen
Review: This movie is great and the two versions on one disc is a great bonus. However they made a mistake on the description of this movie it is not and never will be a widescreen film. So relax SRGRANGER its okay you have the movie in it's original form.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best Hitchcock Ever
Review: I have seen nearly every Hitchcock movie and this is my favorite. Much like all of Hitch's films it features great cinematography, an excellent soundtrack, suspense, action, dark humor, and great directing. Despite not having an all-star cast like some of Hitch's other films, it still features terrific acting, especially by Farley Granger and Robert Walker. It also features a terrific story, a perfect vehicle for Hitchcock. An all-time great, I highly recommend it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Where is the widescreen?
Review: Both sides of this disc is formatted to fit television. I was really disappointed as I limit myself to movies showing their full frames. Lovely movie and decent version of it. But can someone explain why it's listed as widescreen? For pan and scan only 3 stars...if it were truely widescreen I'd give it 5.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My favorite Hitchcock movie.
Review: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie. I like it even more than VERTIGO, which is a movie that I love very much.

There are so many wonderful things about this movie. But the thing that I like most is Robert Walker's performance. Actually, when I first saw this movie about two years ago, his character reminded me of Kevin Spacey's character in THE USUAL SUSPECTS. The way that he is shify and cunning, and the way that he uses various facial expressions to communicate his fear, paranoia, and just general crazyness.

There are so many wonderful scenes in this movie. The opening scene where they show the shoes of the two main characters. The tennis match, where all pairs of eyes except one follow the moving tennis ball. The amazing climax at the merry-go-round. And so many others, too. All in all, this is a perfect movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great film
Review: Great film. Robert Walker does an incredible job of playing the psychopathic Bruno. Also a very funny performance from Hitchcock's daughter Pat in this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hitchcock's Best!
Review: "Strangers On A Train" should be rated as Hitchcock's absolute best.

To begin with, it features a perfect performance by Robert Walker, an actor who would be dead within a year after making this great movie.

Walker had previously played some wonderful roles, but he astounded the world with his acting ability once "Strangers On A Train" was released.

Aside from Walker's amazing performance, "Strangers On A Train" is full of half-hidden meanings which relate to the dual personality each of us possesses.

Hitchcock was a true genius, who not only understood both the dark and the bright sides of the human psyche, but who also knew how to depict that understanding by way of film.

I have watched "Strangers On A Train" a dozen or more times, and never tire of watching it yet again, each time finding something new that I had not noticed the time I watched it before.

But, the main reason I watch this film so often is to enjoy the exceptional , perfect performance by Robert Walker. Walker was only in his 30s when he died. He was a tragic figure in real life. He died much too soon, and we are very fortunate to be able to observe his wonderful talent, preserved in this movie, almost fifty years after his passing.


<< 1 .. 4 5 6 7 8 9 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates