Hitchcock's Rebecca Notorious and Spellbound on Blu-ray in January 24! Reviews

[frightism]

MGM has announced that these Alfred Hitchcock classics will be arriving on BD early next year!
ANNOUNCEMENT:
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=7820



Rebecca Blu-ray

Rebecca Blu-ray Review



Notorious Blu-ray

Notorious Blu-ray Review

The Silver Screen - Notorious article



Spellbound Blu-ray

Spellbound Blu-ray Review

[ACMutd]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/blu-ray-mo...re-orders.html


Can't wait for the Allen movies, never seen the hitchcocks.

[frightism]

Originally Posted by ACMutd

https://forum.blu-ray.com/blu-ray-mo...re-orders.html

Yeah, haha. I just saw that, my bad!

[filmmusic]

Can't wait for the Hitchcock ones!!!

[Banned User]

Why do I get the feeling these will use old masters and have few if any special features. None of which are new. These films deserve more. Atleast do like Universal and after selling a few license them back to Criterion!

[benbess]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Why do I get the feeling these will use old masters and have few if any special features. None of which are new. These films deserve more. Atleast do like Universal and after selling a few license them back to Criterion!

Yes, my guess is that Criterion made some hd masters about 8 years ago for the DVDs. Probably they'll use those. Hope they are good! The DVDs are excellent, and so even though the masters may be old, they might still be good ones.

[jaaguir]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Why do I get the feeling these will use old masters and have few if any special features. None of which are new. These films deserve more. Atleast do like Universal and after selling a few license them back to Criterion!

I used to think that. But MGM released these movies on dvd in 2008 with nice extras. Someone listed the extras in the comments on the news page of this MGM wave. The master could be from that year too, I don't know. But anywasy,m look at "Some like it hot", "The misfits"... pretty much every MGM catalog title has looked splendid.

Originally Posted by benbess

Yes, my guess is that Criterion made some hd masters about 8 years ago for the DVDs. Probably they'll use those. Hope they are good! The DVDs are excellent, and so even though the masters may be old, they might still be good ones.

That's insane. They're not going to use Criterion's master. That would be something like licencing from their past licencees. MGM has released these on dvd before.

[wilky61]

Fantastic news! Two of my favorite Hitchcocks! Still waiting desperately for Vertigo...

The final shot of Notorious has always struck me as a possible inspiration for the final shot of The Killing.

[benbess]

Originally Posted by jaaguir

I used to think that. But MGM released these movies on dvd in 2008 with nice extras. Someone listed the extras in the comments on the news page of this MGM wave. The master could be from that year too, I don't know. But anywasy,m look at "Some like it hot", "The misfits"... pretty much every MGM catalog title has looked splendid.

That's insane. They're not going to use Criterion's master. That would be something like licencing from their past licencees. MGM has released these on dvd before.

Not insane. No. Criterion never owns the films or the masters they make. I think that's how they sell some studios on letting them do big titles. In others words, "We'll just have a 3 year (or whatever) license to use the new master that we make, and then it can go back to you to sell." Or something like that.

Of course, most of the time Criterion doesn't make their own masters, they just use the ones that the studio has or makes. But sometimes C does their own restoration and mastering work....and in those cases the master belongs to the studio when Criterion's deal runs out.

[Unfrozen]

While that's great news about Notorious, I'm still surprised/a little mad Vertigo and Rear Window haven't been released yet. How is that possible?

[benbess]

Originally Posted by Unfrozen

While that's great news about Notorious, I'm still surprised/a little mad Vertigo and Rear Window haven't been released yet. How is that possible?

They are both owned by Universal, which doesn't seem to care much for catalog titles, even by the Master of Suspense. Hitchcock was even one of U's biggest stockholders when he was alive. Go figure. Sometimes I wish Universal would just sell parts of their catalog to someone else if they're not doing anything with it...

[Unfrozen]

I didn't even make that connection of Universal owning Paramount.

That sucks, and of course, Universal is garbage.

[benbess]

Originally Posted by Unfrozen

I didn't even make that connection of Universal owning Paramount.

That sucks, and of course, Universal is garbage.

Hitchcock was so in demand by the early 50s that starting with Read Window he owned his own films after a few years. And so when he left Paramount for Universal he took those P films with him. He eventually gave them to Universal in exchange for stock in the company....

[jaaguir]

Originally Posted by benbess

Not insane. No. Criterion never owns the films or the masters they make. I think that's how they sell some studios on letting them do big titles. In others words, "We'll just have a 3 year (or whatever) license to use the new master that we make, and then it can go back to you to sell." Or something like that.

Of course, most of the time Criterion doesn't make their own masters, they just use the ones that the studio has or makes. But sometimes C does their own restoration and mastering work....and in those cases the master belongs to the studio when Criterion's deal runs out.

Actually I would say most of the time they do their own masters. And I believe they own them. Of course the rights to release the movie expire according to the licencing deal they make with the studio. But studios using Criterion's masters, I've never heard of that.

Originally Posted by benbess

They are both owned by Universal, which doesn't seem to care much for catalog titles, even by the Master of Suspense. Hitchcock was even one of U's biggest stockholders when he was alive. Go figure. Sometimes I wish Universal would just sell parts of their catalog to someone else if they're not doing anything with it...

I felt that way too, until now. Universal promised to make some of their classics available in 2012 due to their 100th anniversary, and they've already announced "All quiet on the western front" and "To kill a mockingbird" for February. I'm sure we'll see some more Hitchcock in 2012. Maybe the titles you mentioned.

[benbess]

Originally Posted by jaaguir

Actually I would say most of the time they do their own masters. And I believe they own them. Of course the rights to release the movie expire according to the licencing deal they make with the studio. But studios using Criterion's masters, I've never heard of that.

I felt that way too, until now. Universal promised to make some of their classics available in 2012 due to their 100th anniversary, and they've already announced "All quiet on the western front" and "To kill a mockingbird" for February. I'm sure we'll see some more Hitchcock in 2012. Maybe the titles you mentioned.

Hope you're right about the 100th anniversary.

I believe the current DVD of Rebecca uses the master that Criterion used for its release several years earlier. I think there are other examples of this as well...

http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Lauren...3106204&sr=1-1

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by benbess

Hope you're right about the 100th anniversary.

I believe the current DVD of Rebecca uses the master that Criterion used for its release several years earlier. I think there are other examples of this as well...

http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Lauren...3106204&sr=1-1

The Master MGM used was touted as 'remastered' & 'restored'. Of course the word 'master' and 'remastered' are thrown around so much its hard to decipher the terms use. Being the Criterion release was in 2001 and the MGM one in 2008 I tend to think MGM did a new scan resulting in a new master. Possibly in anticipation of a Bluray release which might use the same master for the transfer.

[MikeyHitchFan]

Amazon Canada has it listed as blu-ray, the U.S. as DVD. I sent a correction and they are going to change this to blu-ray! Which means the 3 Hitchcock and 2 Woody titles listed in Canada will all be released here as well. Buy U.S.!

[benbess]

Originally Posted by Banned User

The Master MGM used was touted as 'remastered' & 'restored'. Of course the word 'master' and 'remastered' are thrown around so much its hard to decipher the terms use. Being the Criterion release was in 2001 and the MGM one in 2008 I tend to think MGM did a new scan resulting in a new master. Possibly in anticipation of a Bluray release which might use the same master for the transfer.

doubt it. Given mgms financial problems I bet they used what Criterion had on the shelf. Criterion's notes for the 2001 DVD show that there was a lot of work put into restoration for that remaster. The question is did they make an HD master at the same time? Hard to tell. It would make sense for them to do that, but....?

[Deciazulado]

Spellbound Blu-ray

[RipleyLV426]

Amazon dropped Rebecca to $16.99! Think I will lock in the price