Rating: 
Summary: This DVD is an insult to Sir Alfred!!!
Review: Mr. Hitchcock made some excellent films. "Frenzy" is one of them. His technical hability and his talent for the black humor and, of course, the suspense was really remarkable. All was technique in his movies. Every shot was carefully drawn and filmed with great precision. That made his films to run like perfect machines, where every piece was in its place. And now, the bloody people of UNIVERSAL, with all his modern processes and his prepotence cut the shots of the film up and down to obtain an aspect ratio of 1,85:1 in which was not shot "Frenzy". All the work of Hitchcock has been sabotaged. What I mind if I bought a DVD called "Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy" more than any kind of extras, is to have "Frenzy" just as it was shot...
Rating: 
Summary: Hitchcock's best
Review: OK, to say that a film was Hitchcock's best is a major declaration, but I think "Frenzy" deserves that label. The plot is Hitchcock's classic suspense plot of an inoocent man thrown into a situation he has to prove his way out of, while avoiding those trying to catch him. So that may be cliche for Hitchcock, but it works. Its not the plot that matters here, its the way the plot is told. Very suspenseful, some very disturbing scenes (in that cool way), and the thing that makes this the best is the cinematography. Some of the shots and techniques used are just amazing. Speaking as someone involved with filmmaking, I have found myself obsessed over certain shots, watching them over and over for their brilliance. Maybe not accessible to the average viewer, I feel this is one for the seasoned macabre viewer, and possibly the epitome of what Hitchcock was trying to say with all his works.
Rating: 
Summary: A Strong Yet Suprisingly Brutal Film
Review: Something happened to Hitchcock in his later years. A certain, dare I say, sexual hostility seems to creep into his work from this period, something that I first noticed in "Marnie," though I suppose you could find traces of it even in "Shadow Of A Doubt." But with "Frenzy," one gets the feeling that there is a genuine bitterness behind some of the black humor. Much has been made of the rape-murder scene, and rightfully so. The self-restraint that had previously been one of Hitchcock's greatest strengths is all but thrown out the window here. The shot of the dead rape-murder victim, with tongue hanging cartoonishly out of her mouth (presumably to be funny?), is probably the most tasteless single moment of any Hitchcock movie. BUT...it is perhaps a testament to Hitchcock that such elements could come together in a movie that, in the final analysis, is actually very well made and suspenseful!! If it weren't for the "rape humor" and the gratuitous rape scene itself, this would actually be one of Hitchcock's very best...certainly every bit as suspenseful as "The Man Who Knew Too Much," and as darkly humorous as "The Trouble With Harry." Besides, considering the nihilistic standard that we have come to expect from "modern" films, many younger viewers will probably wonder what I'm going on about.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Great Hitchcock Thriller
Review: Think about this.The man was 70 when he directed it---6000 miles away from home.For someone who had enjoyed the comfort and routine of shuttling each day from Universal to Bellagio Road for the last twenty years,this was pretty radical---and it couldn't have been any picnic sitting all day on those wet,chilly London streets either. I never appreciated all of this at the age of 21 when I was running "Frenzy" as a 16mm college rental.At that time,I enjoyed a good,tense---maybe not top drawer,but certainly up to standard---Hitchcock thriller.Having seen it many times in the intervening years, I have modified my opinion---"Frenzy" is a GREAT Hitchcock thriller.I won't say "one of his best",because how much room do we have in a pantheon that includes "Shadow Of A Doubt","Notorious","Strangers On A Train" and so many others?Let's just say that "Frenzy" is utterly different from the rest----another bold stroke from a director who was always ahead of the cutting edge. It's also one of the wittiest pictures ever made---funnier than any one of a hundred celebrated comedies I can think of.Anthony Shaeffer had a lot to do with that---he was the writer---and it's a masterful job he turned in---if only these two could have done a whole series of thrillers together!Besides the well-known set-pieces(the potato truck,the back-tracking shot from Barry Foster's doorway,etc.),there are so many wonderful little throwaway moments to treasure---Jon Finch stepping on the grapes,Foster picking his teeth with the tie pin---so many priceless details.Hitchcock obviously loved being in that Covent Garden---it's teeming with moving crates of fruits and vegetables---people hiding out among the deliveries,casually picking samples and eating---it's all so relaxed and evocative---you feel as though you're right there in the bustle of a typical London day. It's great that Hitchcock was able to share such a vivid and colorful homecoming with us---the fact that it's such a marvellously grisly and twisted ride is like the icing on the cake.Yes,the first rape/murder scene is truly disturbing,and I wish he'd toned it down,but Hitchcock was clearly pushing the limits here---releasing a few of those demons that had been pent-up through so many of the code-compliant pictures he'd made for so many years.It's a lapse in taste,but I've forgiven it.There's so much to love in "Frenzy",it's hard not to---besides,you've all got fast-forward buttons.MCA should release this on DVD---truly a buried treasure among Hitchcock classics.
Rating:
Summary: very good!
Review: This is very good movie from greatest director ever lived.You have to see it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad at all
Review: This movie was quite good, but i think it lacks the overall quality that is seen in most other Hitchcock films. It is brilliant in parts, but very mediocre in others. Worth checking out if your a Hitchcock fan.
Rating:
Summary: Meanwhile...Back In Merry Old England...
Review: This review refers to the Universal Widescreen DVD (The Alfred Hitchcock Collection) of "Frenzy"...
After decades of filming American films with big name stars, Hitch returns to his roots and scares up some mayhem in Merry Old England once again. London is the setting for this great thriller, that will have you on the edge of your seat and happily recognizing the trademark touches, and the sly humor that is the master's signature.
There's a psychopathic killer on the loose in London. Pretty women are his target. He has his way with them and then strangles them with his neckties...thus dubbed "The Necktie Murderer". Naturally all the evidence points to an innocent man who at every turn finds himself looking more and more guilty. The hunt for him is on and the story intensifies as he tries to outrun the law and find the guilty party.
Filmed in 1972, this one is a bit more graphic(more violence and some nudity as well) than his earlier thrillers, but he has that way of drawing the audience into the story and the characters. Like in other Hitch films, you will find yourself wanting to warn the the characters of the impending danger. "Rear Window" is one that comes to mind with that same feeling.
The film has a wonderful English cast, including Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, Barry Foster, the wonderful Billie Whitelaw("Quills"/Madame LeClerc)and the fabulous Vivien Merchant adds her charms as Mrs. Oxford. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer is marvelous as well.
Looking for Hitch...A face in the crowd...you won't have to wait long to spy this dapper gent peeking out from under a bowler. In the opening scene, he's part of the crowd peering at a dead body that has washed ashore. By the way...he was originally slated to BE that dead body for his cameo!
On the Hitch o meter- I would go at least 4 stars on this wonderful thriller, but alas the DVD transfer is pitiful and I am taking a star off for the package. The picture is horrible. The film is full of dirt, and scratches, the color is way off(all the faces looked like they spent too much time in a tanning salon), and there were many times where the scenes were so dark, I could not make out what was happening. Shame on Universal...Any Hitch film, whether considered one of his masterpieces or not, is a treasure and should get the royal treatment. The sound in DD(Mono) could also use some improvement. I will say though, that there are some nice features included. "The Story of Frenzy" is an entertaining and informative look at the making of the film and has some great interviews with cast and crew members. There are also production notes, and trailers, and the widescreen format lets you take in all that Hitch wanted you to see. It may be viewed in English, Spanish and French and has English captions and Spanish subtitles.
A must have for Hitch fans, although, you might want to tape it or rent it until a better DVD print comes along.
Get the popcorn ready and enjoy.....Laurie
Rating:
Summary: This is a good movie..
Review: Typical Hitchcock style - an innocent man framed for murder with all the evidence against him and now he has to prove his innocence, even if he has to bend the law by escaping from the gaol. This formula made famous by Hitchcock would be copied countless times and made into numerous movies since this... This is an all British cast completely devoid of any Hollywood bigwigs who were ruling the roost at that time. This being made during the later years of his movie-making life (his penultimate film actually), Hitchcock also induced small amounts of nudity into this movie which of course blends well into the script and doesn't feel out of place. The fact that body doubles were used was clearly evident though. The parallel plot in the movie where Detective Oxford is being constantly tortured by his wife serving him delicacies like 'baked pig foot' was quite humorous. The DVD as usual like all the other Hitchcock movies in the series 'The Alfred Hitchcock Collection' has a documentary on the making of Frenzy and interviews with the surviving cast and support crew. I usually don't see much of the DVD extras but the ones in any Hitchcock DVD is a must since it fills in all the cracks and very informative too. All-in-all, an entertaining movie, quite out of the league of his earlier movies like 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' or 'North By Northwest', wherein while they all relied on suspense and storylines based on espionage in the times of the Cold War, as times changed, Mr. H did too by making the central thread of Frenzy rely mostly on brutal criminal behavior than anything else.
Rating:
Summary: Hitch's Final Masterpiece
Review: What can be said that has not already been noted? Hitchcocks penultimate film, FRENZY was a return to form after a rough period in the late 60's. It has it all- the familiar, yet still exciting premise, the mix of suspense and black humor so prevalent in his classic films. Yes, it is violent at times, but the remarkable thing is that restraint and taste ARE still excercised here- it may have received an R rating, but do not expect FRENZY to have anywhere near the nudity and violence we see in today's films. Hitch also chose to use a cast void of big names- he probably felt, after TORN CURTAIN, and considering the grisly subject matter, that having stars may hurt the credibility, and he was probably right. I don't know Jon Finch as anyone BUT his character, and that is a plus here. What is most impressive is that, even in his 70's, the Master had lost none of his imagination- the film is well-paced, and there are several incredible camera shots (including the long camera pull away from our murderers' apartment, just as he's invited his next victim in). Mildly underappreciated today, FRENZY is perhaps not in a league with NORTH BY NORTHWEST, but definitely deserves to be ranked with several of his best films: compared alongside FOREGIN CORRESPONDENT, ROPE, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, DIAL M FOR MURDER, THE BIRDS, MARNIE, etc. FRENZY holds up admirably...a different film, but an excellent one all the same...
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