Product Details

• Actors: Sylvia Sidney, Oscar Homolka, Desmond Tester, John Loder, Ted Spencer
• Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
• Writers: Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Reville, Campbell Dixon
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: Spanish, Japanese, Chinese
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Cobra Entertainment LLC
• DVD Release Date: March 29, 2011
• Run Time: 159 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000JNVC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,729 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Sabotage / The Lodger" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great value, February 14, 2002

By 

Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sabotage / The Lodger (DVD)

(Please note that the DVD edition I am reviewing is the Lasterlight release double feature of Alfred Hitchcock's SABOTAGE and THE LODGER. It's the one with that groovy introduction by the collarless cardigan-wearing Tony Curtis, who does not wear his strange, black leather gloves in this particular Laserlight introduction.)

The viewing of this DVD was the first time that I had ever seen either Hitchcock's SABOTAGE or his silent feature, THE LODGER. Since this was an extremely inexpensive DVD purchase (as part of a three disc set), I assumed that there would be one fairly good film packaged with one forgettable dud. So, when I finished watching and enjoying SABOTAGE, I deduced that the second film on the disc would be the one that would be awful. Surprisingly, THE LODGER turned out to be almost as good as the first film. This is an excellent DVD to purchase if you are unfamiliar with either of these great movies. The picture and sound quality are not perfect, but for a budget release, they are quite acceptable.

SABOTAGE is a masterful piece of work. It has a straightforward, yet engaging plot that will keep you spellbound the entire way through. There is some genuinely surprising material contained here, and if anyone tells you that a film from the 1930s can't shock anyone in the 21st Century, you merely have to show them this film to demonstrate how wrong they are. Although the film seems predictable at times, there are moments that will surprise even the most cynical of viewers.

The action is fast and the tension is thick. The acting from the leads is quite excellent, with particular mention going to the main villain of the piece. Although the identity of the saboteur becomes obvious almost immediately, you'll be mesmerized watching the characters as they attempt to arrive at the same conclusion, and wondering if they can solve things before it's too late. Also of note are the family of foreign agents in the bird shop, and the wife who's torn between the truth and the man she married. This film is worth viewing even if just for the dangerously playful interaction between the main characters.

The picture quality on this film is certainly watchable. There may be better prints out there on more expensive discs, and I wouldn't claim that it's a particularly crisp picture; if you are fussy about the quality of your DVD, then you might want to give this disc a miss. But for what you pay, this is definitely a worthwhile purchase. On the other hand, the sound quality isn't terribly good either. This is unfortunate, as there are a few lines that are spoken quietly enough to be lost. This wouldn't be a problem, if the Laserlight people had put English subtitles on the disc. It's strange that English is not included, as they do have subtitles, in Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Of course, this problem only affects the first feature on this disc, since the second film is a silent movie.

THE LODGER is also a class film, and makes a great addition to this disc. Given the age of the film, it's not surprising that the picture isn't in terribly great shape. It's in much worse shape than the first movie, though at no point is it completely unwatchable. Laserlight has released worse looking DVDs before (stand up, MR. ARKADIN) but this is definitely not one of their clearer products.

While the image quality is relatively poor, the quality of the story itself shines through. It's a thrilling story that contains several more experimental sequences than I was expecting to see. The movie is slightly repetitive and at times it goes over the top, but this is merely to increase the tension. We know, more or less, what's going to happen (apart from the very silly conclusion), but our interest is piqued by how we get from step to step. It's a fascinating journey. It's just a pity that the ending to the film seems to come out of nowhere. Apparently, the studio management forced Hitchcock to end the film in the way it does which explains why it feels so out of place compared to the entire lead up. Despite the disappointment and let down of the ending, the beginning and middle sections are excellent and exciting, and they more than make up for relatively poor resolution.

Considering the low price, this DVD is a great buy. These are two great movies that belong in everyone's collection. There are some problems with the picture and sound, but for the price you pay, you definitely get value for your dollar.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspense, Suspicion,Conspiracy,Jealousy,Murder.....HITCH!, March 10, 2003

By 

L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (Huntington Beach,CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sabotage / The Lodger (DVD)

This review refers to the LaserLight Special Edition DVD of "Sabotage" and "The Lodger"......

Sylvia Sydney, who graced the screen for more than 70 years stars in "Sabotage". Younger viewers may remember Miss Sydney as "Juno" in Beetlejuice" or "Grandma" in "Mars Attacks". If you have never seen any of her earlier works(this one from 1936), you are in for a real treat. In this terrific thriller, she is Mrs. Verloc. A lovely woman who is slowly becoming suspicious of her husband's(Oscar Homolka) strange activites.And with good reason, he is involved in a deadly conspiracy.

It is the eve of WWII, and people in Britain are becoming aware of Nazi activity. Various occurences of Sabotage seem to be popping up around the cities. Small at first, a black out is the first sign, but when a bomb explodes and kills everyone on a bus, the evidence points to Mr. Verloc.Scotland Yard detective Ted Spencer(John Loder)is on the case and must catch the culprit before he kills again. And of course, along the way falls for the beautiful Mrs. Verloc. Hitch does a great job(as always) at keeping us involved with the characters, the story, and keeping the suspense going. You'll recognize his signature traits all through the film."Sabotage" is based on a novel by Joseph Conrad who also wrote "Heart of Darkness".

Where's Hitch....Sorry, the elusive Mr. Hitchcock does not seem to make an appearance in this one.

Next up is the film which was probably the first to firmly implant Hitch's style in his films as we know them. It is a Silent, made in 1927, the very scary "The Lodger".

A serial killer known only as "The Avenger" is loose on the streets. He is attacking beautiful young blonde women. Paranoia runs rampant through the city. When a mysterious stranger takes a room at the home of the Buntings, they begin to suspect his movements as being mighty similar to those of "The Avenger". The Lodger has taken quite a shine to Daisy, the beautiful blonde haired daughter of the Buntings. While Daisy's parents fear for her life, her boyfriend, who also happens to be a detective, is enraged with jealousy and is out to prove this mysterious stranger is in fact the killer. The city gets work up as well, and goes after the lodger with a vengance.

These wonderful great silent actors, bring us the fear and paranoia of these characters in all their wonderful actions. It's truley amazing how without words they can portray these feelings. Hitch's use of shadows and lights, camera angles, and his supberb direction really make this a great thriller. The added musical score for some reason is on the whimsical side, but somehow works for this film. The cast includes Ivor Novello as The Lodger, June as Daisy and Marie Ault and Arthur Cesny as The Buntings.

Looking for Hitch: A nose for news...in the first 5 minutes.(hard to spot but he's there.) He is also said to be in the mob scene near the end, it's possible but a little hard to tell in these dark scenes.

The LaserLight DVD is a good transfer of these old films. "Sabotage" looks excellent. The images are clear with barely of sign of age. No problem with the sound or dialouge. "The Lodger" is not in as good as shape though. The film shows the signs of it's age throughout, but none the less, is perfectcly viewable. I haven't viewed any other DVD's of this one, so I can't compare. Any Hitch fan would be delighted with these movies, and they make a great addition for collectors.

Have a thrilling time with Hitch......Laurie

more Hitch stuff:
Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized and Illustrated Look Inside the C
Secret Agent
Alfred Hitchcock Presents volume 2
39 Steps [VHS]

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars masterpiece, but poor dvd, March 8, 2000

By 

steven jacobs (Ghent, Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sabotage / The Lodger (DVD)

The Lodger is the first 'real' Hitchcock and a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the quality of this copy is even worse than the vhs-copy I played hundred times. Wait for the release of the restored version!