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Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $15.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hitchcock at his best!
Review: One of my favorite Hitchcock flicks! I first saw this film in a theatre about 20 years ago- and I was astounded. The glorious black and white cinematography, Warner Brothers trademark bombastic bass sound, Tiompkin's thrilling soundtrack music- it just knocked my socks off. Upon successive viewings I found more and more nuggets of meaning buried in the movie. The theme of doubles is everywhere, represented as either opposites or "twins":

Bruno and Guy / Bruno's wife and girlfriend / Bruno's father and Guy's future father-in-law / Tennis racket and cigarette lighter / Guy's wife and look-alike Pat Hitchcock / The two pairs of shoes at the beginning / The sets of railroad tracks / The pairs of glasses / Guy's fiance and Bruno's mother /

There are so many different "romances"/fascinations presented in this movie that one wonders if any of the characters is truly well-adjusted (with the exception of Leo G. Carroll). Consider:

Bruno and his mother: Oedipal / Bruno and Guy: Love/hate / Bruno and "Dear old Dad": Definitely hate / Bruno and Pat Hitchcock: ? / Guy and his wife / Guy and his fiance: Masochistic (just kidding) / Bruno's short "courtship" of Guy's wife /

Dark humor lurks everwhere:

The lobster on Bruno's tie / The title's of the carousel songs playing in the background / The name on the side of Bruno's boat at the park / Constant references to the "appetite" Guy's wife has (on her "last night out") / Bruno's comments to the judge (at the party)

This is a film that should be required viewing for anyone who considers themself a serious student of the art of film. If you haven't seen "Strangers On A Train", do yourself a favor and rent it now! Be prepared to watch it several times to catch everything that's happening "behind the scenes". "Bruno is a very clever fellow." Indeed!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great to have both endings !
Review: Since I've read reviews on this movie, I had always wanted to see both endings, the original American and the British. By putting both versions on one disc, Warners has shown the genius and the experimentation Hitchcock showed in this case. One minor complaint I have is that there is no letterboxed version. Oh well. The black and white is incredible, and, as he demonstrates in Psycho, very nerve-wracking. This film would be more mundane if it was in color.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Nearly perfect
Review: Except for Notorious, I am not sure Hitchcock has made a better film. The slow building of suspense as one man stalks another; the reflection in a pair of eyeglasses of a murder; the dizzying carousel ride--it is a grand example of fine filmmaking.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Robert Walkers Steals Every Scene He's In....
Review: Casting baby-faced Robert Walker as the twisted Bruno Antony was inspired. Walker responded with an unforgettable performances, stealing every scene he's in. (Was he nominated for that year's Best Actor? I don't think so--which shows you how much Hollywood knows about knockout performances.) Bruno is both alluring and disconcerting because at times he's more of a victim than Guy Haines (Farley Granger), the young man with whom he intends swapping murders. And Marion Lorne as Bruno's mother is superb, too. Her scene with Anne Morton (Ruth Roman) is one of the film's highlights. If only Guy had known what Mrs. Antony told Anne--that "Sometimes Bruno goes a little too far"--he wouldn't have dismissed Bruno as a fruitcake. Alfred Hitchcock has directed many impressive films; and Strangers on a Train is, indeed, one of his best.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This is deffinitely one on Hitchock's most chilling thrillers. The suspense keeps you ready to explode at any moment. The cinematography in the strangling scene is incredibly powerful. A must-see for any Hitchcock fan.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hitchcock doesn't get much better than this! A winner!!
Review: "Strangers on a Train," based on the out-of-print novel by Patricia Highsmith, is terrific in every aspect. Robert Walker's acting performance, as the psychopathic Bruno, is worth the price of this film alone! Farley Granger does as fabulous job as well, playing the smooth yet unsuspecting tennis-pro, Guy Haines. Absolutely, positively one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest film achievements. From it's well-assembled film sequences and masterful editing techniques, to the film's riveting climax closer, "Stranger's on a Train" is a must-see. Highly recommended!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Hitchcocks most twisted plots...
Review: This is a fabulous film! If you love mysteries or Hitchcock, you will find this film an irreplaceable addition to your collection. It is worth every penny! END

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hitchcock at his best!!
Review: This is Hitchcock at his very best. The British version is better with respect to continuity of story line. Robert Walker is fantastic as Bruno: scary, extremely verbose, and weirdly hypnotic. The black and white transfer on this DVD is razor sharp. END

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Edge-of-your-seat Thriller!
Review: I only recently viewed this film on cable and was immediately caught up in the suspense. This is one of my all-time favorite Hitchcock films(of which there are many)and I only wish there were more directors out there like him but alas,Alfred Hitchcock was truly one of a kind. True film noir all the way.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Misinformed
Review: I recently purchased, yet , another copy of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN because the description of this edition read WIDESCREEN. Lured by that promise, I again spent the money, because the copy I already owned was not widescreen. To my great disappointment, I have learned (by watching my newly purchased DVD) that my new copy is, in fact, the exact same edition I already owned: STANDARD format and NOT WIDESCREEN. Beware the description for this issue: it misinforms. If it is WIDESCREEN you want, this is not it!


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