Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

The more Hitch, the merrier.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 5, 2017

Universal's 'Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection' replaces the well-received 'Masterpiece Collection' (which was actually released twice) in the studio's Hitchcock flagship lineup. This set is nearly identical. A few cosmetic changes and some content adds differentiate it from the previous release, but all of the core bits and pieces -- the included movies and their A/V presentations and supplemental content -- remain the same. Read on for more information and some packaging photographs.

The following films are included in the collection. Please click through each link below for a full film review.

• Psycho
• The Birds
• Vertigo
• Rear Window
• North by Northwest (Originally released by Warner Brothers)
• The Man Who Knew Too Much
• Marnie
• Saboteur
• Shadow of a Doubt
• Rope
• The Trouble with Harry
• Torn Curtain
• Topaz
• Frenzy
• Family Plot

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For full video reviews, please click through the links above.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For full audio reviews, please click through the links above.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For most of the core box and supplemental content review, please refer to the original Blu-ray.com review for the 2012 set. Not much has changed here; the box maintains the same height and depth but does add a little width to accommodate the added two discs. Disc artwork has been altered to remove color and pictures, instead offering a fairly simple, nondescript black disc with only basic distinct lettering for each movie's title. Coloring has been changed on some of the images inside the book as well, making it more white rather than a sepia-type (see the final screenshot image). Also identical in content is the included 59-page, full color, glossy book, The Master of Suspense. The book, however, does also alter some color tones along the way.

So beyond some minor cosmetic changes, the only difference here of note is the inclusion of seven episodes from the TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents, three episodes from The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and a pair of new corresponding bonus features. These are DVD discs, not Blu-rays, so expect the corresponding quality of a 480p, 4x3, Dolby Digital 2.0 audio presentation (the bonus features are in 480i). Each disc receives its own leaf in the book with design cues that perfectly mesh with the rest of the presentation. See below for a bit more on the new content.

Unfortunately, Universal did not include digital copy codes for the included films, which might have been enough to push many into the "repeat purchase" category, particularly factoring in a possible second-hand sale of their old 'Masterpiece Collection" set.

Bonus DVD Disc One: Alfred Hitchcock Presents

• "Revenge" (26:16): Season 1, Episode 1.
• "Mr. Blanchard's Secret" (26:11): Season 2, Episode 13.
• "Lamb to the Slaughter" (26:09): Season 3, Episode 28.
• "Poison" (26:03): Season 4, Episode 1.
• "Arthur" (26:07): Season 5, Episode 1.
• "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" (25:52): Season 6, Episode 1.
• "Bang! You're Dead!" (25:23): Season 7, Episode 2.
• Bonus Feature: 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents:' A Look Back (480i, 14:49): Agent Lew Wasserman's influence in getting the show off the ground, Joan Harrison's and Norman Lloyd's contributions and work with the acclaimed director, guiding the show's structural progression, Director Robert Stevens and additional director and writer credits on the show, cast and performances including Alfred's daughter Pat, writing and performing Hitch's lead-ins and lead-outs, the Hitchcock profile/silhouette, the show's music, anecdotes from "Lamb to the Slaughter," the show's popularity and legacy, and more.

Bonus DVD Disc Two: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

• "I Saw the Whole Thing" (50:28): Season 1, Episode 4.
• "Three Wives Too Many" (50:14): Season 2, Episode 12.
• "Death Scene" (50:21): Season 3, Episode 20.
• Bonus Feature: Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock (480i, 6:25): A number of top Hollywood filmmakers discuss Hitchcock's darker side, filmmaking excellence, and audience manipulation. The piece ends with a montage of clips from various Hitchcock films.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's no name that's more synonymous with "suspense" than Alfred Hitchcock, but there's no mystery here. This Universal boxed set presents 15 of the filmmaker's most beloved, frightening, dark, mysterious, and intense films on Blu-rays of varying, but generally good, qualities. Supplements are many and this attractive boxed set adds a handful of television episodes and two bonus features that were not available on the previous Blu-ray collection. Perhaps a UHD set is in the works, but until then, this is a must-own for Hitchcock aficionados and film fans in general, particularly those who have not purchased one of the previous sets. Highly recommended.