Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection

Not all of the 15 films in this Blu-ray boxed set are masterpieces, but because they hail from the Master of Suspense, all have their merits (and 13 are making their high-def debuts here). Along with the previously available North by Northwest and Psycho, these are some of Hitchcock's greatest films: Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Hitch's personal favorite, with Joseph Cotten as the charming “Merry Widow” killer; Rope (1948), Hitch's bold long-take experiment, starring James Stewart; Rear Window (1954), starring Stewart and Grace Kelly; Vertigo (1958), recently anointed by the Sight and Sound poll as the Greatest Film Ever Made, pairing Stewart with Kim Novak; The Birds (1963), his memorable contribution to the “animal attack” genre, starring Tippi Hedren; Marnie (1964), featuring Hedren and Sean Connery in a chilly vision of psychosis and domination; and Frenzy (1972), his first and only film featuring nudity, with a largely British cast that includes Alec McCowen. The remaining entries are Saboteur (1942), The Trouble with Harry (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Torn Curtain (1966), Topaz (1969), and Hitchcock's amusing final work, Family Plot (1976). This set has been criticized for mastering problems on some of the entries (notably The Man Who Knew Too Much, Marnie, Frenzy, and Family Plot), but the worst offer better images than the previous DVD releases, and the best (such as Vertigo) are superb. The generous extras (with a new featurette on the legacy of The Birds) include audio commentaries, retrospective and archival behind-the-scenes documentaries and featurettes, interviews, storyboards, stills galleries, a 58-page booklet, and more. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)