Hitchcock DVDs: Best versions? - Page 2

Guest 5500 · 06-10-2002, 19:21

Hi Smithy20,

Thanks for the info. about the French releases of
Suspicion and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

I see them listed on www.alapage.com - Suspicion
with a release date of November 2002. Have you been
able to get Suspicion early from another retailer?

Any info. appreciated. Thanks.

smithy20 · 06-10-2002, 23:45

Elmpark80 wrote

Have you been able to get Suspicion early from another retailer?

Yes i bought it from a DVD shop in Tours whilst on holiday in France last month ( i actually bought it on the 8th september ) but www.cinestore.fr have it in stock online .

smithy20

smithy20 · 06-10-2002, 23:47

A more direct link is

http://www.cinestore.com/html/fiche_...age=1&id=10872

smithy20

smithy20 · 06-10-2002, 23:49

And Mr and Mrs Smith is here

http://www.cinestore.com/html/fiche_...age=1&id=10504

great service from cinestore ordered this on a sunday it arrived thursday morning

smithy20

smithy20 · 07-10-2002, 00:00

Screachingweasle asked

Has anyone picked up any of the French dvds of his oldest (or is it earlier work) pre 39? I'm forgetting titles right now, but the movies that seem to be Public Domain.

are these the titles that are available from www.hitch2001.com ?

i.e. DVD's

Foreign Correspondant
Stage Fright
Under Capricorn
I Confess
Lifeboat
Dial M For Murder
To Catch A Thief
The Wrong Man

as well as the VHS versions of

Downhill
Elstree Calling
The Pleasure Garden
Blackmail ( silent )
Waltzes From Vienna ( French version )

Has anybody bought any of them ? are they any good quality wise.

smithy20

smithy20 · 07-10-2002, 00:08

Hi it's me again

Don't forget ( as i nearly did ) that BOTH silent AND talkie versions of Blackmail are out on DVD in Germany.

see here:-

http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASI...262497-7859743

smithy20

Guest 5500 · 07-10-2002, 00:25

Hi Smithy20,

Thanks for the purchase info. on Suspicion DVD

I have now ordered it. It looks to be a very good Collector's Edition.

I have also ordered from www.hitch2001.com as you
appear to have done and recently picked up 'Stage Fright'
and 'Under Capricorn'

Also, Criterion have just released 'Spellbound' in the US.
This is the fifth title in their Hitchcock collection. I have
been very pleased with their other titles, even though
'Notorious' was a bit grainy in places.

elmpark80

KeyserSoze · 07-10-2002, 00:45

can someone find a direct link to the Vertigo comparison on DVDbeaver ?

i cant seem to find it.

Guest 17192 · 07-10-2002, 01:03

Quote:

Originally posted by KeyserSoze
can someone find a direct link to the Vertigo comparison on DVDbeaver ?

This one? - Vertigo

Guest 19908 · 07-10-2002, 07:46

The Paradine Case for GBP 5 delivered:

http://www.splashdvd.com/splash/sear...313&act=detail

Quite some extra's too....

KeyserSoze · 07-10-2002, 12:01

Quote:

Originally posted by karellen
This one? - Vertigo

thx

i think ill go for the R2, it is sharper, porbably why you can see more grain.

and the colours look too colourful in the R1, anyone else think so ?

smithy20 · 07-10-2002, 18:47

Quote:

Originally posted by elmpark80

I have also ordered from www.hitch2001.com as you
appear to have done and recently picked up 'Stage Fright'
and 'Under Capricorn'

elmpark80

hi Elmpark 80

Whats the quality like on these discs ?

smithy20

Guest 5500 · 07-10-2002, 20:12

Hi Smithy20,

The two I bought recently through www.hitch2001.com were:

Stage Fright & Under Capricorn

1.33:1 Ratio, Dolby 2 channel Stereo, Removable Chinese Subtitles, Picture Quality is better than VHS but with no restoration - looks its age - print damage is minimal as are the speckles - picture could be sharper. The colour on Under Capricorn is definitely faded / washed out, but the picture is
53 years old.

I also picked up the Chinese Versions, also available from www.hitch2001.com of:

Lifeboat & The Wrong Man

Lifeboat and The Wrong Man each have a Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio track and are presented in their original 1.33:1 Ratio. Again the picture quality is better than VHS with minimal speckles and print damage. Picture could be a bit sharper.

On the whole I think you will be quite pleased with these titles especially since Warner Bros. don't have any plans to release or restore any of there unreleased titles at the moment. Under Capricorn may not get a DVD release for years.

The only other Chinese release I have is:

Dial M For Murder

Colour faded / washed out. Audio track is Dolby Digital 4.
Picture presented in 1.33:1 ratio. No restoration - looks its age.
Looks awful in comparison with Warner's restored 'North By Northwest'. No sign of Warner releasing this though in the US or UK at the moment.

'Dial M For Murder' is also available from Asian VCD retailers, released by Warner Bros. - picture is better than the chinese DVD but again has had no restoration.

Don't by the chinese version of 'To Catch A Thief' at the moment. It is due to be released in the US in an Anamorphic 1.85:1 ratio with additional features in November, by Columbia TriStar. A UK release is also in the pipeline as the US additional features have already passed through the BBFC. Release date not anounced yet for the UK.

I do plan to pick up, 'Foreign Correspondent' and 'I Confess', both chinese releases, from www.hitch2001.com very soon.

Hope this helps.

elmpark80

smithy20 · 08-10-2002, 00:47

Thanks elmpark80

looks like the credit card will be taking a battering.

I have heard somewhere on he grapevine that Warners ARE doing a full restoration job on Dial M For Murder with a view to release in 2003 ( doesn't look like we'll be getting a 3D version though-- wouldn't that make a great double DVDrelease ? a 3D AND flat version of the same film in a double box set well we can dream )

smithy20

Guest 3460 · 08-10-2002, 09:47

Quote:

Originally posted by DeadKenny
The Birds - Universal R1 CE (1.85:1 Anamorphic. R2/4 is non-anamorphic 4:3, though supposedly open matt)

I thought the aspect ratio of the R2/4 was basically a cropped 4.3 P&S version, which is why I've been considering the R1 version? BUT the R2/4 maybe open matt? I dont mind this whatsoever as long as there is no picture loss at all compared to the R1 (and I do prefer PAL). I've checked DVDCompare, but thats pretty ambiguous - suggesting that PARTS of R2/4 maybe cropped, others open. So, can anyone confirm if R2/4 is def open matt? cheers.

Guest 993 · 08-10-2002, 12:07

Quote:

Originally posted by gooseUK
I thought the aspect ratio of the R2/4 was basically a cropped 4.3 P&S version, which is why I've been considering the R1 version? BUT the R2/4 maybe open matt? I dont mind this whatsoever as long as there is no picture loss at all compared to the R1 (and I do prefer PAL). I've checked DVDCompare, but thats pretty ambiguous - suggesting that PARTS of R2/4 maybe cropped, others open. So, can anyone confirm if R2/4 is def open matt? cheers.

That's where I got my info from too so I can say other than what they say. They've cut&pasted the same note for the other 4:3 R2/4 films (e.g. Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz). Makes you wonder if they've just generalised and don't know for certain that this is the case with all of them.

R1 is good though (thankfully anamorphic), and if it helps the original cinema ratio was 1.85:1.

Guest 3460 · 08-10-2002, 14:04

Quote:

Originally posted by DeadKenny

R1 is good though (thankfully anamorphic), and if it helps the original cinema ratio was 1.85:1.

That does help. I think I will go with the R1 - at least i know for definite what aspect ratio I'm getting all the way thru the film! cheers

Guest 5500 · 08-10-2002, 22:10

Hi Smithy20,

Thanks for the good news about Warner restoring
'Dial M For Murder' - lets hope this is really going on
as they did a wonderful job with 'North By Northwest'.

I have ordered the French DVD of 'Suspicion' that you
mentionned earlier from the French Amazon website.
It looks to be a very good special edition. There is a Chinese
DVD which is 'colourised', believe it or not, losing much of
the period in the process - a bit like 'Laurel & Hardy' in colour.
To be avoided by all.

The BIRDS (R2) DVD has never been classified in Widescreen
format by the BBFC: Full-screen version only. The R1 version is
Anamorphic Widescreen and is definitely the one to go for,
albeit NTSC.

Guest 5500 · 14-10-2002, 18:54

Hi Smithy20,

Just recieved the 'Special Edition' DVD of Suspicion
from France. Very pleased with it.

Can you let me know what the picture quality is like
on the French 'Mr & Mrs Smith DVD'. I currently have it
on on VHS released recently here in the UK and plan to
order the DVD you refer to soon.

Thanks,

elmpark80

Guest 5500 · 14-10-2002, 18:54

Hi Smithy20,

Just recieved the 'Special Edition' DVD of Suspicion
from France. Very pleased with it.

Can you let me know what the picture quality is like
on the French 'Mr & Mrs Smith DVD'. I currently have it
on on VHS released recently here in the UK and plan to
order the DVD you refer to soon.

Thanks,

elmpark80