The Lady Vanishes (1938)

[lkmg]

The Lady Vanishes Blu-ray

The Lady Vanishes Blu-ray Review


While the Criterion Collection will release their December 2011 Blu-ray slate tomorrow, the distributor has posted a still frame on their Facebook page hinting at a potential title. Criterion will not confirm what film the shot comes from until tomorrow, but most seem to think that the tease indicates a The Lady Vanishes Blu-ray.

Director Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller last received Criterion treatment back in 2007 and in 1998 (Spine #3) and would mark the master filmmaker's first Criterion Blu-ray title if selected for an upgrade.

Again, though, nothing has been confirmed. A full detailing of Criterion's December Blu-ray selections will be provided tomorrow.

Posted below are the image released on Criterion's Facebook page.

[HuggyBear73]

Originally Posted by lkmg

While the Criterion Collection will release their December 2011 Blu-ray slate tomorrow, the distributor has posted a still frame on their Facebook page hinting at a potential title. Criterion will not confirm what film the shot comes from until tomorrow, but most seem to think that the tease indicates a The Lady Vanishes Blu-ray.

Director Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller last received Criterion treatment back in 2007 and in 1998 (Spine #3) and would mark the master filmmaker's first Criterion Blu-ray title if selected for an upgrade.

Again, though, nothing has been confirmed. A full detailing of Criterion's December Blu-ray selections will be provided tomorrow.

Posted below are the image released on Criterion's Facebook page.

The Lady Vanishines? Day 1 for me! So The Lady Vanishes and Gojira are the only two titles teased at the moment for December?

[Crimson King]

Good to hear, but Criterion should also release The 39 Steps on blu too.

[larry47591]

Originally Posted by HuggyBear73

The Lady Vanishines? Day 1 for me! So The Lady Vanishes and Gojira are the only two titles teased at the moment for December?

Don't count on gojira till next year

[rafaelsalguero]

and what happen with "Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN" release ???

[Oblivion138]

How insane is it that, five years into BD's market existence, this will only be the third Hitchcock film released on the format (four if you count the highly disappointing Region B release of The 39 Steps)?

Anyway, this is great news. Hope that they'll get The 39 Steps out sometime next year.

[Clark Kent]

Awesome news, I just wish they could reissue their entire lineup of Hitchcock that is out of print on DVD.

[blufellas]

Day one for me.

[Deciazulado]

The Lady Vanishes Blu-ray

[Dislimb]

Fantastic news! Here's to hoping that both The 39 Steps and Rebecca will soon follow.

[Deciazulado]

The Lady Vanishes Blu-ray Review

[s2mikey]

What I dont get is the 4.5 star rating and the reviewer goes on to say the plot delves off into absurdity and that the ending is essentially unbelievable. Isnt the ending of a film like this one of the key elements to it being good?

Ive never seen it but I dont want to watch what seems like a solid film only to be robbed or cheated with an absurd/contrived/ruinous ending.

Im confused.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

What I dont get is the 4.5 star rating and the reviewer goes on to say the plot delves off into absurdity and that the ending is essentially unbelievable. Isnt the ending of a film like this one of the key elements to it being good?

Ive never seen it but I dont want to watch what seems like a solid film only to be robbed or cheated with an absurd/contrived/ruinous ending.

Im confused.

Absurd's not the wrong word per se, but the connotation is that something really crazy happens. What is meant is that the ending is not, in a real-world sense, believable.

But think about it: how many of Hitchcock's films are believable? Vertigo - what many consider his masterpiece - is beset with such real-world difficulties. North by Northwest? The Birds? Most all of Hitchcock's films have elements of the absurd in them. He was such a master of style and suspense though that these do not matter.

The Lady Vanishes is one of his best films, and in my opinion the best I've seen from his British period (I prefer it to The 39 Steps and it nudges The Man Who Knew Too Much by a little). It's a recommended masterpiece.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

Absurd's not the wrong word per se, but the connotation is that something really crazy happens. What is meant is that the ending is not, in a real-world sense, believable.

But think about it: how many of Hitchcock's films are believable? Vertigo - what many consider his masterpiece - is beset with such real-world difficulties. North by Northwest? The Birds? Most all of Hitchcock's films have elements of the absurd in them. He was such a master of style and suspense though that these do not matter.

The Lady Vanishes is one of his best films, and in my opinion the best I've seen from his British period (I prefer it to The 39 Steps and it nudges The Man Who Knew Too Much by a little). It's a recommended masterpiece.

OK - fair enough and I get what you are saying about some of his other films. It just would seem that a 4.5 star film would never get absurd at any point or it couldnt earn an almost perfect rating!

[chipgallo]

How does this restoration differ from the previous one? Is it that Criterion went to an even higher resolution scan, more capable cleanup software, what? A new print was found?

I'll get it no matter what but I am curious about the technical details.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

OK - fair enough and I get what you are saying about some of his other films. It just would seem that a 4.5 star film would never get absurd at any point or it couldnt earn an almost perfect rating!

Well, this film, for example, is utterly absurd (see below), but I thought that it was absolutely brilliant

Amer Blu-ray REVIEW



As far as The Lady Vanishes is concerned, Cinemach offered an excellent explanation. I can only add that perhaps the key reason why many of Hitchcock's films are so good is the terrific atmosphere they sustain. Which is also the case with The Lady Vanishes - the plot is flawed, but the atmosphere and especially the delicate humor are terrific.

I am sure you will enjoy the film

Pro-B

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Well, this film, for example, is utterly absurd (see below), but I thought that it was absolutely brilliant

Pro-B

Off-topic, but seeing that made me happy...it's one of the films I've enjoyed most from the last 3 years combined... (not surprising, of course...considering my avatar)

[easyblu]

Got this pre-ordered on Barnes and Noble. Looking forward to seeing it in full for the first time. The DVD I rented from the library several years ago stopped about half way through from scratches, and I never got around to watching the rest. I am happy to see that the video quality is good.

[Oblivion138]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

OK - fair enough and I get what you are saying about some of his other films. It just would seem that a 4.5 star film would never get absurd at any point or it couldnt earn an almost perfect rating!

I'd rate North by Northwest a perfect 5/5 as dramatic entertainment, and it quite willingly indulges in the absurd on more than one occasion.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

What I dont get is the 4.5 star rating and the reviewer goes on to say the plot delves off into absurdity and that the ending is essentially unbelievable. Isnt the ending of a film like this one of the key elements to it being good?

Ive never seen it but I dont want to watch what seems like a solid film only to be robbed or cheated with an absurd/contrived/ruinous ending.

Im confused.

Don't the LOTR movies regularly get 4.5-5 stars? How about Star Wars? The Matrix, Batman, etc etc... they ALL delve into the absurd countless times yet are given high ratings.

Why not read more than ONE review before making assumptions based on one reviewer? The film has been around and endured as a classic for 70 years, there's more than one write-up about it on the Internet.