Alfred Hitchcock ADDED

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Updated notes for Easy Virtue Blu-ray and DVD and Downhill Blu-ray

[Brent_Reid]

Cheers James. Would you mind adding those notes to The Lodger as well, please? I've just noticed the US MGM Lodger DVD is missing its full audio channel info: it's 2.0 mono. Lastly, "The Early Years" featurette still has its French title on the Easy Virtue DVD, while the BD has the original English.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Updated Easy Virtue and added a note to the Lodger BD page.

[Brent_Reid]

Alistair Kerr, commenting on this page featuring the French EV BD, claims the DVD subs are optional. Going by his comment history, he's a keen collector and very knowledgeable about film in general.

The Ring:
The comparison mostly needs each listing's different titles linking to their respective comparisons.

Add the new generic footnotes. The first paragraph of the current footnotes is incorrect. All three releases have the same restored transfer, though it isn't the latest one from 2012. They also all have the same Xavier Berthelot piano score. So it's actually a draw, although the French gets a demerit for the forced subs.

The French DVD is a twofer with Champagne. That film's details are already up; they both just need linking together.
The same disc was also issued separately (ASIN B0012V2YBY). This should now be the primary release, as the 2-DVD/4-film set is long-deleted.
It's also in the 6-DVD/10-film set AH: Premières oeuvres (ASIN B00KQ6ETQE).

The Farmer's Wife:
Again, link each listing's different titles to their respective comparisons.

Replace footnotes.

The French DVD is a twofer w/The Manxman and was also issued separately (ASIN: B0012V2YC8). As with The Ring/Champagne DVD, that should now be the primary release, with the two box sets' details copied over from The Ring.

The Manxman:
Link each listing's different titles to their respective comparisons.

Replace footnotes.

The French DVD is a twofer with The Farmer’s Wife, so use the reissue as the primary listing. Add the two sets from The Ring.

All releases have the same Xavier Berthelot 2.0 stereo piano score.

Blackmail:
Link each listing's different titles to their respective comparisons.

Replace footnotes.

The Wide Vision DVD is a bootleg.

All the sound versions have a 1.11:1 AR, whereas the silent is 1.33:1. The former was cropped for an optical soundtrack.

The French DVD's intro is 6:13 and the gallery runs for 00:59. The currently listed DVD set is deleted and expensive; better to make the single-disc reissue (B008B8EADG) the primary release and add the second set, as per The Ring.

The German DVD's runtimes are 81:45 (sound) and 81:49 (silent). It's been reissued twice and is also available in two box sets; they're all in my article.

The Spanish DVD is identical to the German, with the same runtimes. I'd advise removing the footnote about the silent version being an NTSC-PAL transfer. Presumably it's lifted from DVDBeaver. There is ghosting but I'm fairly certain that's not the reason for it. I'm still investigating this issue, but in the unlikely event of it being NTSC-PAL, I'll post again.

The UK DVD's intro is 6:12.

[Brent_Reid]

Hi James, can we get the Hitchcock updates completed please? Especially as a slew of early Hitches are about to be released in HD and I'm continuing with my Collectors' Guide series.

If you prefer, we can tackle them one at a time, to whit:

Easy Virtue DVD: the subs are optional, as claimed by Alistair Kerr, commenting here. Going by his comment history, he's reliable, as a keen collector and very knowledgeable about film in general.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

I apologize I didn't see the two posts above until now so they weren't done.

Someone else can take this over. Too busy with backed up reviews and just received the Derek Jarman Volume 2 set. Too swamped to do these Hitchcocks since all the linking and updating will take way too much time for my hands. (Linking is an absolute headache and timeconsuming to do, to let you know)

I did at least change the subtitles for Easy Virtue as "optional".

[Brent_Reid]

No worries, James. If no one else fancies the job, perhaps we can just do it without the linking? I know it's incredibly useful but a bit of a ball-ache!

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Unless it's a minor mistake that can be corrected quickly I'd rather not tackle these at the time being. I'll let someone else take this for now.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Since no one wanted to volunteer, I took some time out and did The Ring, Manxman, Farmer's Wife, and Blackmail. Those are done for now.

[Brent_Reid]

Nice work, James – thank you. Some other bits:

Footnotes: as I said in the OP, the linked Hitchcock Zone article is incomplete and incorrect. Replace:

• Information regarding the copyright status of Alfred Hitchcock films can be found at The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki.

With:

• Information regarding the copyright status of his films can be found at Brenton Film's "Alfred Hitchcock: Dial © for Copyright. Hitchcock's films and their many releases are also covered in detail here at Brenton Film's "Alfred Hitchcock Collectors' Guide.

The Ring:
The US DVD set’s titles need linking in all its five comparisons, if it’s not too much hassle.

Holland DVD soundtrack: Music Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (Xavier Berthelot piano score)

The Farmer's Wife:
Soundtrack on all three DVDs: Music Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (Xavier Berthelot piano score)

Footnotes: ditch the stuff about running times and the request for info. I've covered the reasons for the discrepancies in its dedicated article.

The Manxman:
Holland DVD soundtrack: Music Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (Xavier Berthelot piano score)

Blackmail:
Spanish and German DVDs' silent version: Music Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo (Xavier Berthelot piano score)

Lastly, I don't own The Farmer's Wife/The Manxman Dutch DVD but the listing seems to indicate it has four sets of forced subs - is this correct?

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Footnotes: as I said in the OP, the linked Hitchcock Zone article is incomplete and incorrect.

Added

The Ring:
The US DVD set’s titles need linking in all its five comparisons, if it’s not too much hassle.

I'll say it again. No. It's too much hassle and I have more important things to do. If you give me an easy copy/paste for linking I'd be willing to do that. If not, do not mention it again or I will abandon this thread. If anyone else wants to link those five go ahead. I'm going to make my own rule for this thread and will only link titles if it's a double feature.

Updated the scores.

Lastly, I don't own The Farmer's Wife/The Manxman Dutch DVD but the listing seems to indicate it has four sets of forced subs - is this correct?

Apparently.

[Brent_Reid]

So you definitely agree with me then, re it not being worth linking all of Chaplin's shorts, as per Lloyd and Keaton?

Title: Elstree Calling (1930)
Country: UK
Region: 2
Releasing Studio: Network
Case Type: Keep Case
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Anamorphic?: No
PAL or NTSC?: PAL
Soundtracks: Dolby Digital English 2.0 mono
Subtitles (are they optional?): None
Cuts: (and if you know it, precise run time) None (83:08)
Commentaries: None
Extras: Photo Gallery (8 images)
Notes: Only official release to date. Directed by Adrian Brunel and AH (Ever-undependable IMDb has it wrong and I'm in the process of trying to correct it).
Easter Eggs: None
Amazon ASIN (UK, French, German, USA releases only): B00I05PUIO
Source:* Own copy

Footnote:
Note that this film and other early Alfred Hitchcock titles have been released in many bootleg editions. Supposedly "public domain" releases by companies such as Avenue One, Brentwood, Diamond Entertainment, Digiview, Laserlight, Mill Creek, Passion Productions, St. Clair Vision, Sonart, Westlake, Whirlwind and others should be avoided. Information regarding the copyright status of his films can be found at Brenton Film's "Alfred Hitchcock: Dial © for Copyright. Hitchcock's films and their many releases are also covered in detail here at Brenton Film's "Alfred Hitchcock Collectors' Guide.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

So you definitely agree with me then, re it not being worth linking all of Chaplin's shorts, as per Lloyd and Keaton?

I'm just going to settle it here. The Keatons are individual films and treated as such. The Chaplins by studio are like TV seasons in which we do not need a separate entry for each episode. Hitchcocks are a completely different example of "linking". First of all, linking all those films in all those random boxes, they are a hassle. How long it took me to do it for the Universal Hitchcock boxes? I don't even want to remember considering how many mistakes I had linking 15 pages. Again, they might be helpful, but there are so many other tasks to be done and it's not worth my time (just as writing all this out for you). If someone else wants to do it, please be my guest. If you would list out here a simple copy and past of formulas of what you want linked, please do so and it would be very easy for me to do. If not, give it a rest and do not ask me. Moving on...

Elstree Calling updated.

[Brent_Reid]

Hi James, how's your Japanese? I want to add the JHV DVD of Downhill but can't figure out exact score details. I think they may be listed on the sleeve but can't decipher it. Here's a scan. There's plenty of blurb on the leaflet, but I think it's just about Hitchcock and Novello.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

The back cover and the leaflet do not list any credits for the music score. It might be possible that they are listed in the credits at the end of the film.

[Brent_Reid]

Ah, thanks for looking but not to worry: I know everything else, just not who the musicians are. I was thinking of picking it up, but according to SilentEra:

• "The film is accompanied with a predominantly up-tempo stereo jazz score by a small combo, which makes for something of a Jekyll-and-Hyde experience. For those with region-free DVD players, this disc is a good option for its visual quality to collect this hard-to-find Hitchcock silent, if you can ignore the stylistically inappropriate music."

I already have four great scores for this film on home video, so don't need a fifth that's probably not even that good!

Title: Downhill
Country: Japan
Region: 2
Releasing Studio: Japan Home Video
Case Type: Keep case
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Anamorphic?: No
PAL or NTSC?: NTSC
Soundtracks: Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo jazz score
Subtitles (are they optional?): Japanese (Yes)
Cuts: (and if you know it, precise run time) None (82:00)
Commentaries: None
Extras:
- "Hitchcock: The Early Years" documentary (1999, 24 minutes) w/optional Japanese subs
- Gallery (86 pics)
- Cast and crew text bios in Japanese
Notes: There is a second, completely silent audio track.
Easter Eggs: None
Amazon ASIN (UK, French, German, USA releases only):
Source:* Hitchcock Zone and Silent Era

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Added it, thanks

[Brent_Reid]

Thank you!

Some corrections:

Change Blackmail's DVD comparison Beaver link to: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

Mary, Rich and Strange and The Skin Game comparisons: the listing and runtime footnote mistakenly says the Optimum UK Early Hitchcock Collection comes from America.

The German Murder! DVD has optional German subtitles for the main film (only).

Murder! DVD and Mary BD comparisons need new Beaver link: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

The currently listed French Universal Waltzes from Vienna DVD (2007) should be ad-linked to ASIN B000M8NM8W.
It was reissued in 2012 (ASIN B00A4MXTVQ) with the sleeve claiming a different bonus film: Juno and the Paycock. But the disc is identical in every way to the previous one, save for changing to generic label art. Therefore, it still has Downhill as the bonus.
On the same disc, Waltzes actually runs for 76:45 and Downhill for 82:07, not quite as listed. Also, it has an orchestral score, not piano - my mistake!

Waltzes on the UK Network DVD actually runs for 76:44. Its photo gallery is 2:06 and has 39 images.

Juno and the Paycock, Murder!, Mary (both comparisons), The Skin Game, Rich and Strange, and Number Seventeen need the generic footnote adding:

Note that this film and other early Alfred Hitchcock titles have been released in many bootleg editions. Supposedly "public domain" releases by companies such as Avenue One, Brentwood, Diamond Entertainment, Digiview, Laserlight, Mill Creek, Passion Productions, St. Clair Vision, Sonart, Westlake, Whirlwind and others should be avoided. Information regarding the copyright status of his films can be found at Alfred Hitchcock: Dial © for Copyright.
Hitchcock's films and their many official releases are also covered in detail at Brenton Film's Alfred Hitchcock Collectors' Guide.

[Brent_Reid]

Don't forget the corrections in my previous post!

Title: Juno and the Paycock
Country: UK
Region: 0
Releasing Studio: Film First
Case Type: Keep case
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Anamorphic?: No
PAL or NTSC?: PAL
Soundtracks: Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
Subtitles (are they optional?): None
Cuts: (and if you know it, precise run time) None (91:00)
Commentaries: None
Extras: None
Notes:
Easter Eggs: None
Amazon ASIN (UK, French, German, USA releases only): B0042XLXW0
Source:* Own copy

The French Universal DVD is a poor quality, zoomed-in, NTSC-PAL transfer that's actually a bootleg print! It's all in my article: https://www.brentonfilm.com/articles/al ... ycock-1930

If you're reading this Eric, love your detailed Murder/Mary review and thanks for namechecking my article. You've made one error though: "Kino Lorber's 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 pillarboxed fullscreen transfer is derived from a 2012 British Film Institute restoration". Neither film was restored by the BFI in 2012: they only did Hitch's silents. The current transfer of Murder! and the rest of Studiocanal's Hitch talkies, including Blackmail, are preserved versions that have been kicking around for years.

[Eric_Cotenas]

If you're reading this Eric, love your detailed Murder/Mary review and thanks for namechecking my article. You've made one error though: "Kino Lorber's 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 pillarboxed fullscreen transfer is derived from a 2012 British Film Institute restoration". Neither film was restored by the BFI in 2012: they only did Hitch's silents. The current transfer of Murder! and the rest of Studiocanal's Hitch talkies, including Blackmail, are preserved versions that have been kicking around for years.

Fixed.