Thursday, September 15, 2005


Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt

Hitchock Masterpieces

Universal Studios Home Entertainment presents the definitive collection of classic films directed by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection, available on DVD on October 4, 2005. Fourteen brilliantly directed stories of crime and intrigue starring a Who's Who of Hollywood have been digitally re-mastered for this comprehensive 15-disc boxed set. An array of never-before-seen footage offers film lovers an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of some of Hitchcock's most elegantly suspenseful films, starring James Stewart, Paul Newman, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, Doris Day, Grace Kelly and an abundance of other screen legends. The arrival of this must-own collection is perfectly timed to the highly anticipated October 4, 2005 release of Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season One, which features all 39 television episodes of the Emmy Award-winning murder mystery series.

An extraordinary tribute to the achievements of one of Hollywood's most enduring talents, the Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection includes an original 36-page collectible book and an exclusive bonus disc showcasing materials never-before-available on DVD. Original production notes, photos, drawings, trailers, specially produced documentaries, alternate endings, additional scenes and a peek at some of the legendary storyboards on which Hitchcock meticulously plotted each shot of his films round out this distinguished collection. The set is priced at $119.98 SRP. Preorder close is September 30, 2005.

Turner Classic Movies Cross Promotion

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will honor one of the most iconic film directors of all time when it pays tribute to the legendary master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, this October. Twenty-five years after Hitchcock's passing, TCM's celebration includes an on-air, 39-film festival Oct. 24-30, original interstitial programming featuring Patricia Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren along with authors and Hitchcock fans Jeff Kraft and Aaron Leventhal throughout the month, and a unique sweepstakes: Footsteps in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock's San Francisco. Details will be available at TCM's website www.turnerclassicmovies.com.

A Hollywood Master

An acknowledged genius of the golden age of Hollywood, Hitchcock spiked his tales of murder and intrigue with repeated blasts of mistaken identity, espionage and a bevy of ice-cold blonde goddesses. One of the best known and most influential directors in the history of film, he was nominated for six Academy Awardsâ for Best Director and received the prestigious Irving B. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in honor of a body of work that has continued to influence directors for generations.

Disc 1: Saboteur
After Barry Kane (Robert Cummings) is falsely blamed for sabotaging an aircraft plant, he encounters a national network of unlikely spies as he flees cross-country to clear his name, ending in a final dramatic confrontation atop the Statue of Liberty. Disc also features: Saboteur: A Closer Look.

Disc 2: Shadow of a Doubt
Charlie Newton (Teresa Wright) refuses to believe that her namesake Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) is the "Merry Widow Murderer," a vicious serial killer pursued by two persistent detectives. Special features include: Beyond Doubt: Hitchcock's Favorite Film.

Disc 3: Rope
Two intellectually gifted but morally bankrupt young men strangle an acquaintance for a thrill and hide his body in their living room during a dinner party. James Stewart stars as the teacher who suspects their secret. Special features include: Rope Unleashed.

Disc 4: Rear Window
This film brings together two of Hitchcock's favorite performers in a twisted tale of voyeurism and murder. James Stewart stars as a wheelchair-bound photographer trying to convince glamorous girlfriend Grace Kelly that he saw a murder through his apartment window. Special features include Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary and A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes.

Disc 5: The Trouble with Harry
In Hitchcock's first comedy, everyone in a small, quiet New England town believes they have something to do with Harry's mysterious death. Disc also features: The Trouble with Harry Isn't Over.

Disc 6: The Man Who Knew Too Much
The McKennas (James Stewart and Doris Day) are vacationing in Morocco with their young son when they stumble across a plot to assassinate a foreign dignitary. The killers kidnap their son to ensure the McKennas' silence. Bonus features include The Making of the Man Who Knew Too Much.

Disc 7: Vertigo
A San Francisco cop (James Stewart) who retires after developing a fear of heights becomes obsessed with a mysterious woman (Kim Novak) who draws him into a bizarre conspiracy. Special features include Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock's Masterpieces, The Vertigo Archives, plus an alternate ending.

Disc 8: Psycho
In Hitchcock's most popular film, a woman trying to track down her missing sister stops at a motel run by seemingly mild-mannered Norman Bates and his domineering mother. Special features include The Psycho Archive, Newsreel Footage of the Release of Psycho and storyboards for the infamous Shower Scene.

Disc 9: The Birds
Hitchcock's knack for transforming normal into terrifying starts when Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) is attacked by a seagull. Special features include Hedren's screen test, the film's original ending and newsreel clip, "The Birds is Coming!"

Disc 10: Marnie
Tippi Hedren is Marnie, one of Hitchcock's trademark blonde princesses with a dark secret. She's a career thief, an amoral temptress who may just have been found out and will do what she needs to protect herself. Special features include The Trouble with Marnie and The Marnie Archives.

Disc 11: Torn Curtain
At the height of the Cold War, U.S. rocket scientist Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman) apparently tries to defect to the other side. His fiancée (Julie Andrews) follows him to East Germany to save him. Special features include Torn Curtain Rising and scenes scored by Bernard Herrmann

Disc 12: Topaz
When a high-ranking Russian defector claims that a French spy ring codenamed "Topaz" has been passing NATO secrets on to the Russians, American agent Michael Nordstrom must expose the spies. Special features include Topaz: An Appreciation by Film Historian and Critic Leonard Maltin, alternate endings and more.

Disc 13: Frenzy
A sadistic sex killer known as the "Neck Tie Murderer" is terrorizing London and the police have their eye on Richard Blaney, forcing him to go on the run in order to prove his innocence. Special features include The Story of Frenzy.

Disc 14: Family Plot
In Hitchcock's last film, a phony psychic and her hapless boyfriend (Barbara Harris and Bruce Dern) meet up with a couple of vicious kidnappers as they search for a wealthy woman's long lost nephew. Special features include Plotting Family Plot and Storyboards: The Chase Scene.

Disc 15: Bonus Disc
The final disc in this exceptional boxed set includes The American Film Institute's Salute to Alfred Hitchcock, a touching tribute to Hitchcock's lifetime of extraordinary work, and Masters of Cinema, an in-depth interview with the influential director, as well as special looks back at two of his most esteemed films in The Making of Psycho and All About the Birds.

For more information please visit: www.hitchcock-collection.com
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD
Street Date: October 4, 2005
Pre-Order Close: September 30, 2005
Copyright: 2005 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $119.98 SRP
Selection Number: 28346
Running Time: 27 hours, 10 minutes (not including bonus features)
Layers: Dual (Single Sided)
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen (1:66:1/1:85:1), Full Screen (1:33:1)
Ratings: Not Rated, PG, PG-13 and R
Technical Info: English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Posted by Picasa