Posted Mon Mar 24, 2014 at 07:40 AM PDT by Steven Cohen
Separate releases for 'Vertigo,' 'Rear Window,' and 'The Birds' are heading to Blu-ray in June.
In an early announcement to retailers, Universal is preparing 'Vertigo,' 'Rear Window,' and 'The Birds' for Blu-ray on June 3. All three films were previously released as part of the 'Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection.'
'Vertigo' - Considered one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest cinematic achievements, 'Vertigo' is a dreamlike thriller from the Master of Suspense. Set in San Francisco, the film creates a dizzying web of mistaken identity, passion and murder after an acrophobic detective (James Stewart) rescues a mysterious blonde (Kim Novak) from the bay and must unravel the secrets of the past to find the key to his future. Recognized for excellence in AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies, 'Vertigo' is a "great motion picture that demands multiple viewings" (Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide).
The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock's Masterpiece; Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators; Hitchcock / Truffaut; Foreign Censorship Ending; The Vertigo Archives; Restoration Theatrical Trailer; Feature Commentary with Film Director William Friedkin; Theatrical Trailer; and 100 Years of Universal: The Lew Wasserman Era.
'Rear Window' - Directed by the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' is an edge-of-your-seat classic starring two of Hollywood's most popular stars. When a professional photographer (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. When he suspects his neighbor of murdering his nagging wife, he enlists his socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to help investigate the suspicious chain of events, leading to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history. Honored in AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies for excellence in film, 'Rear Window' has also been hailed as "one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most stylish thrillers" (Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide).
The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary; A Conversation with Screenwriter John Michael Hayes; Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Master; Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock; Hitchcock / Truffaut Interview Excerpts; Masters of Cinema; Feature Commentary with John Fawell, Author of Hitchcock’s Rear Window: The Well-Made Film; Production Photographs; Theatrical Trailer; and Re-Release Trailer Narrated by James Stewart.
'The Birds' - Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds' is an unforgettable masterpiece that is considered one of the most terrifying films from the Master of Suspense. When beautiful, blonde Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) travels to Bodega Bay in pursuit of eligible bachelor Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), she is inexplicably attacked by a seagull. Suddenly, thousands of birds begin to flock into town, preying on schoolchildren and residents in a terrifying series of attacks. Mitch and Melanie must fight for their lives against a deadly force that cannot be explained or stopped in this film that makes you want to "hold onto something and watch!" (Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide).
The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie; All About The Birds Documentary; Hitchcock Interview Excerpts from Filmmaker Francois Truffaut's 1962 Sessions; Deleted Scene and Original Ending; Tippi Hedren's Screen Test; Suspense Story: National Press Club Hears Hitchcock; 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics; 100 Years of Universal: The Lot; The Birds is Coming; Storyboards; Production Photographs; and Theatrical Trailer.
Suggested list price for each Blu-ray/UltraViolet combo pack is $19.98.
You can find the latest specs for 'Vertigo,' 'Rear Window,' and 'The Birds' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under June 3.
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