zoid

A Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection box Set is coming out September 7 it includes Dial M for Murder, Foreign Correspondant, Suspicion, Wrong Man, Stage Fright, I Confess, Mr and Mrs Smith, Strangers on a Train remastered [2 DVDs] & North by Northwest.
Strangers on a Train is remastered is North by Northwest remastered also?

speedy1961

Probably not. This is probably the first pressing of this title that was released earlier and already had extensive work done to it. It is absolutely stunning and one I am proud to have in my collection.


http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...ighlight=North

http://www.thebigpicturedvd.com/cgi-...h_By_Northwest

http://www.dvdreview.com/fullreviews...orthwest.shtml

FilmFanSea

In a word: No.

From DVD Times:
And before you (or anyone else) asks all of the discs in this set (including the existing North by Northwest) will be housed in keepcases (not snappers).

Flave

IMO, North by Northwest has one of the best DVD video transfers I have ever seen -- it is absolutely superb. It even exceeds most modern movie transfers in quality.

Can't imagine how or why they would remaster this DVD.

natevines

Yeah, it's the same disc, just a better case.

bboisvert

As others have said, there's no reason to 'remaster' this DVD. NbNW is one of the most stunning DVDs ever released.

Geofferson

Since we have the NbNW conundrum out of the way...how about Strangers on a Train? Anyone know what the new DVD will have?

Richard Malloy

I may be wrong, but I thought there was to be a different documentary on the new NxNW disc (but otherwise same transfer)...?

chanster

I believe there are new special features on North.

I also believe Strangers on a Train has been remastered. I am not sure if it includes both cuts of the film though (as the previous WB disc does)

ThatGuamGuy

If I had time, I'd toss up a link to one of the threads ... long story short, 'Strangers' is said to have two different cuts, yes, but it doesn't specifically describe them the same way. The old disc said "US cut" and "UK cut". The new disc says "theatrical cut" and "preview cut" (or "preview length" or somesuch). I don't remember, off-hand, if there are lengths listed yet.

I believe they'll be the same, but that's not the same as being sure.

FilmFanSea

You are absolutely correct.
The current (snapper) release contains the 2000 documentary, Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest by Peter Fitzgerald.
The upcoming release will instead contain the Oscar-nominated 2000 documentary by Daniel Raim, The Man On Lincoln's Nose: The Making of North by Northwest

The rest of the specs appear to be the same:

*Feature-length commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman
*Television commercial from the film's original theatrical release
*Production stills gallery, production notes and filmography of principal talent
*A music only track in Dolby stereo of Bernard Herrmann's classic score

Here are the extras for Strangers on a Train:

*Alternate 'preview' version of the film
*Commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stephano, Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith and biographer Andrew Wilson
*New making-of documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, film historian Richard Schickel, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and other Hitchcock family members and colleagues recalling the making of this suspense landmark
Three intriguing featurettes:
*The Hitchcocks on Hitch
*Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V.
*Strangers on a Train by M. Night Shyamalan
*Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting, a vintage newsreel

The current release contains both versions of the film, but the only extra they share is teh newsreel footage.

bboisvert

Ah, crap. So NbNW is losing the existing documentary? (Being replaced by another)? And the wording of Strangers ('preview' vs. UK) doesn't make me confident about that one either...

Well, the good news is that my DVDs didn't go to eBay yet. I think I'll hold back until I actually get the Warner set to be sure. Wow, glad I read this thread!

chanster

That issue has been talked about before. The preview version is the UK version. The question I had is whether bot versions are still available - I am not so sure about that question.

I don't think you are losing much by one documentary being replaced by the other one.

ThatGuamGuy

If you're sure they're the same version, then I don't understand what the question is. When it was first announced, WB made a big deal about saying "There will be two cuts on this disc", though, I admit, the specs quoted above are iffy.

I agree, plus the other doc sounds better anyway. I'll probably update this one but, suckily, I can't sell off my old one because the snapper case broke. I mean, I could try to sell it anyway, but I doubt it'd be worth it. Maybe I'll keep it "just for the doc"

bboisvert

Well, I'm a bit of a Hitch completist. I think I'll wait and see the new doc before I decide.

speedy1961

According to the ad in Video Store Magazine, the other 7 films in this set have been remastered.

Johnny Zhivago

September 7th can't get here fast enough...

I'm with bboisvert, I was going to trade off the snapper version of NXNW but I think I may just hang on to it for the documentary... I'll just toss it into a double amaray with the new DVD.

And yeah, like everyone has said, the current transfer is stunning, no need to ever remaster this title.

cineman

Great idea, I didn't think of using a double amaray. I can keep my "Strangers on a Train" and "N b NW" discs, just to be safe, and get rid of the snappers. Thanks.

unclehulot

Is it definitely a different documentary in the new North by Northwest disc?

darkside

Nope, looks like the same documentary hosted by Eva Marie Saint. This disc looks exactly the same as the snapper version.

This is a great box set by the way. Puts the Universal ones to shame. I usually don't care a whole lot about packaging, but I have to admit the movie poster style cases look a hell of a lot better than the lame cover art on the Universal releases. Every film has a documentary and they are all excellent so far.

So far I have watched Strangers on a Train, Foreign Correspondent, Suspicion and they all look excellent. I noticed a few flaws, splices, etc in Suspicion and Foreign Correspondent, but nothing that ruins the films in any way. The new remaster of Strangers on a Train is obviously the best looking of all the B/W films.

I can't believe I am now so close to completing my Hitchcock film collection.

ProfessorEcho

Did you get the IMAGE copy of UNDER CAPRICORN? I'm wondering how that was, both as a movie and DVD. It's the only American Hitchcock I've never seen and I've been waiting to see it on the big screen here in L.A. I waited years for I CONFESS and it finally played here a couple of years ago. Anyway, the CAPRICORN DVD is getting harder to find and I was just wondering if it's worth it. I'm surprised CRITERION didn't do it, but maybe it's just not a Hitchcock with a lot of market value.

There's still some great British Hitch that needs to be released with quality transfers and, of course, LIFEBOAT.

darkside

No, I haven't picked up that one or To Catch a Thief yet. I'm going to get them soon though.

I would also love to see some remasters of the old British ones. The versions I have now are decent, but could be so much better. Also waiting on Lifeboat to finally get released.

My ultimate wish is for a real 3D release of Dial M, but that is doubtful to ever happen.

Kolchak

So Lifeboat is the only one left to be released, then we have all his films from 1940 to 1976...I own all his flicks that are out on dvd except for Juno and the Paycock.MGM will release Sabotage and Young & Innocent soon and that will leave like 16-18 more films left (I'm including all those cheapo laser light releases because they really suck) to release from a real company that will restore them.Since these films are public domain and no one owns them can't a real company like Warner release these films restored as much as they can do to fix them?

dhs122

I recently got Under Capricorn from Columbia House.....

Cameron

i have under capricorn as well...If you are a fan you should see it...but i am sure there will be a better version in the future (always seems to happen) if you can find it cheap get it