Product Details

• Actors: Sean Connery, Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Paul Newman, Julie Andrews
• Format: NTSC, Color
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Universal
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000M2LVGI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #220,970 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Four Disc Set Each disc contains bonus features for each film

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cold War and Fears of Nature and the Unnatural, April 4, 2007

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alfred Hitchcock The Masterpiece Collection - The Birds / Marnie / Torn Curtain / Topaz (DVD) (DVD)

MARNIE is one of Hitchcock's masterpieces. It has been highly underrated and misunderstood by viewers and many critics alike. It is not a straightforward narrative as it deals with the compulsive and obsessive nature of its two main characters (Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery). The viewer has to become absorbed and drawn into the film's sights and sounds. The viewer has to elicit from what is seen and heard to fathom the motivations of the film's two main characters. Some of its images are just unforgettable and disturbingly haunting. Sound too plays an important part in the viewer's experience. In accompaniment is Bernard Herrmann's low-key score. I watched this film again several times over. Herrmann's score is always present, yet never intrusive. I used to think this score was somewhat repetitive, but it is quite diverse. It complements the images in such a way that it almost evokes some hidden and suppressed experience from the viewer that creates an emotional bond with the main title character of the film. I found the DVD print to be of exceptional quality and most pleasing in the wide-screen presentation (a prerequisite in this format).
TORN CURTAIN was Alfred Hithcock's 50th motion picture. This film marked a departure from his most recent bulk of films at that time, not in directorial style, but in the absence of many of his close-knit artistic-technical company he had been utilizing. Distinctively missing is collaborator-composer Bernard Herrmann. However, John Addison does a commendable job in Herrmann's absence, as his score seems to fit this film very well with the passage of time. This was a cold war drama set behind the Iron Curtain. The hero of the story as portrayed by Paul Newman is motivated less by personal staunchness for democratic idealism, but rather by his inner confrontation coming to grips with his own failure as a scientist. This very suspenseful film is really about his own redemption for his perceived failure. This film is has been highly underrated.
1969's TOPAZ was Hitchock's second return in that decade to his earlier spy thriller films. Shot directly after 1966's TORN CURTAIN Hitchcock TOPAZ is a more matter-of-fact tale than a genuine thriller where real lives were at stake. Essentially an American intelligence head (John Forsythe) uses his friend in the French Intelligence (Frederick Stafford) to spy for the United States in Cuba and at the same time they try to ferret out a high French official passing on secrets to the Soviets. Roscoe Lee Browne as Philippe Dubois has the best scenes in the film as he has to get close to the Cubans visiting New York to photograph some secret papers from a high official (John Vernon as Rico Parra). These scenes were what Hitchcock called pure cinema. TOPAZ contains an interesting score by Parisian Maurice Jarre and the DVD contains the 3 alternate endings that Hitchcock filmed.
THE BIRDS metaphorically plays out the frailties of the human heart as befuddled humans' fears are visually juxtaposed against hoards of birds gone on a destructive rampage. Humans rebel against nature and each other as the birds represent nature in harmony turned against human progenitors who stand to disrupt harmony. Rod Taylor's solid performance, as the steadfast Mitch Brenner who gradually realizes (but cannot fathom why) that things are beyond even his control, is pivotal to the progression of the story. The importance of Taylor's performance has been long overlooked. This film is a masterpiece full of vivid histrionics running the gamut of human emotions.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good buy, February 6, 2010

By 

Analisa E. Degrave "rovingunit" (Eau Claire, WI) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alfred Hitchcock The Masterpiece Collection - The Birds / Marnie / Torn Curtain / Topaz (DVD) (DVD)

Good collection of Hitchcock. Interestingly, the ending on Topaz is different than the one I had originally seen. The bonus features include a number of different endings (who knew?) which was quite interesting. Recommended!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Alfred Hitchcock, April 12, 2011

By 

Carl Steffen - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alfred Hitchcock The Masterpiece Collection - The Birds / Marnie / Torn Curtain / Topaz (DVD) (DVD)

Unfortunately, as I indicated in a previous review to you, I did not receive in the collection the movie "The Birds". Rather, I received a different movie. I would like to receive the movie "The Birds." I was disappointed. I am still awaiting a correction to this problem. Can the correct movie of "The Birds" be mailed to me. If you have questions about this error, please contact me at [e-mail] - Carl Steffen. Thank you.