Dane Marvin

From the March 1st Rumor Mill Update at The Digital Bits:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html

We still have yet to hear any details about these rumored September releases. Can someone, anyone... please mine the darkest reaches of the internet and find some confirmation that these are coming? I never purchased either of these films (actually have never seen The Birds), but Legacy Series releases are just the excuse I need to get off my butt and buy them. I've been impressed with the Legacy Series since the initial wave of releases came out. Unfortunately, they seem to be all too infrequent.

MTRodaba2468

I don't have The Birds, so if it's true, I'd pick it up. I have Psycho already, but depending on the release, I might double-dip.

The Monkees

According to Bloody-Disgusting the Psycho Legacy Series isn't coming out until 2008

wilky61

The current Universal one-disc release of Psycho is non-anamorphic, right?
I'd be willing to double-dip on this one, great movie and the Legacy Series SE's are in my experience impressive releases.

Boba Fett

Yes, I believe Psycho and Vertigo are the only single discs that have yet to get an anamorphic re-release.

cranberries fan

I will wait for that Legacy Series it should be worth the wait.

Willh51

I suppose these will just be the discs from the box set with the documentaries on a second disc, since they are on a bonus disc in the set so I should be okay.

tylergfoster

Even Universal isn't THAT stingy. Expect a new doc (perhaps one for Hitch and one for the flick) and a historian commentary of some sort. Perhaps there's even more Universal has dredged up. Too bad, this being the 75th anniversary of The Mummy...I was sure, given that they come in waves of three (Mockingbird-Hunter-Sting/Indemnity-Dracula-Frankenstein) that Mummy-Psycho-Birds would be this year's batch.

DVD Josh

Hopefully Universal is holding back new transfers in anticipation of an HD-DVD release.

Mr. Cinema

16x9 versions of these 2 are part of the Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection set.

Dane Marvin

Universal tends to go all-out for these releases, which have been some of their best work [see "To Kill a Mockingbird"]. I would expect more features on the first disc (audio commentaries are a necessity - would love to see at leat two for a film with the stature of "Psycho") if not an improved transfer. There should be loads of bonus features available as well.

Someone mentioned before that these have come out in waves of three, so what would the third one be? Might as well make it a trio of Hitchcock pictures and give us a premium edition of "Rear Window" or "Vertigo", right? I'd also love to see one for "American Graffiti".

Johnny Zhivago

An easy counter to this would be [see "The Deer Hunter"]... The extras on that release are pathetic and there was no need at all for disc two. Just because it's a "Legacy" doesn't necessarily mean that these re-re-re-releases will be loaded.

MTRodaba2468

I'd go for a Legacy Series release for any of those.

Dane Marvin

While it's true that this is the least appealing of the series extras-wise, it boasts a much-improved transfer and an audio commentary -- there were a couple things originally listed that were to appear on disc two but those must have fallen through at the last minute (rights issues?). Nonetheless, it is the best version of The Deer Hunter (in R1 anyway -- can't speak for the other regions). As far as I'm concerned, they are still 6 for 6 in the series in terms of delivering a quality presentation of their best films.

ReduxGuy

If Psycho got a new 16x9 transfer and retained ALL of the features from the original DVD (the documentary, the trailers, the stills) and added some new stuff of worth, I'd be on it like flies on s * * t.

Julie Walker

I read that there was an audio mistake at one moment in Psycho on the 16.9 version. When Mother is first heard from the motel by Marion. Her voice I guess is muted at a lower volume level,than previous releases.

And I remember when viewing it,that this moment did seem different and less effective than before. So if this is true with the audio mistake. Hopefully that would be corrected on a new release.

PatrickMcCart

The Masterpiece Collection version has an excellent 16x9 remaster (avg. bitrate is over 7 MBS!) and the sound is the best I've heard for the film. I didn't notice the errors pointed out by others, though. So, Universal shouldn't change a thing for the a/v other than fixing those few spots if they need to be.

Although, for the Legacy Series edition, they can add a commentary or two, the music/effects track (on the SE laserdisc), and Universal has a 100 min. documentary "Shadow of a Genius" that was aired on Showtime, I think. So, they could put the same MC disc (with a new commentary and the m/e track) with the extras (the trailers/tv spots, newsreels, photo gallery, shower scene breakdown, etc) as disc 1, then put the making-of (90 min.) and the Shadow of a Genius doc on disc 2.

(At least I hope this is what they do)

tylergfoster

Compared to other regions, it's dismal. R2 got a commentary by the actual director, Michael Cimino, and a four-part documentary that seems to cover all the important bases. Had those features been included on top of the R1 features as is, then we'd be talking about a stellar DVD.

mdnitoil

Not to disparage the Legacy disks since I own a bunch, but I was under the impression that both Frankenstein and Dracula were less than stellar presentations. I seem to recall many reviews that suggested the original R1's of these disks were still superior to the Legacy releases. Extras are probably another story.

Regardless, Hitchcock Legacies would be welcome.

mikelowry

This would be must buy for me if it pushses through.

Dane Marvin

While The Digital Bits never did provide a specific release date in September for Psycho/The Birds in their Rumor Mill listing (linked in the OP), this site has them listed as being released on 9/25. Very interesting. I'd like to know!

http://crimespreecinema.blogspot.com...4_archive.html

nateman

Universal was a little rocky at releasing DVDs in the beginning but over the last couple of years they have really impressed me & are quicky becoming one of the better studio DVD releaser's.

Even through I have the 1 disc version of Psycho & The Birds, as ReduxGuy put it, I'd be on it like flies on sh*t.

It still amazes me that film critics never gave Hitchcock the respect he deserved & he was much more beloved by the audience then the critics.

Cameron

I'd be in for these or an HD release. I held on to my old box sets so this would be nice