Hitchcock on Universal DVD and Blu-ray

[dx23]

Yesterday, my professor was about to show Vertigo in film class, and the disc wouldn't play. This is the latest release, 2-disc Legacy Series. I saw the disc and it had like a cloud-like coloring in the outer part of the disc. The professor told me that he had used the disc before without any problem. Was there something wrong with the pressing of this release?

[dx23]

From blu-ray.com

Psycho 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Announced

Posted May 10, 2010 05:55 AM by Juan Calonge

Universal StudiosUniversal Studios Home Entertainment has announced Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic Psycho for release on Blu-ray on October 19, in a "meticulously restored" 50th Anniversary Edition, with a new 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack (the original mono audio track will be included as well). It will be presented in a single-sided BD50. Psycho will also be honored during its landmark anniversary by the upcoming 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Special features include:

* Feature-length audio commentary with Stephen Rebello (Author of Alfred Hitchcock and the making of Psycho)
* The Making of Psycho: A feature-length documentary on Hitchcock's most shocking film
* In the Master's Shadow – Hitchcock's Legacy: Some of Hollywood's top filmmakers discuss Hitchcock's influence and why his movies continue to thrill audiences.
* Hitchcock/Truffaut Interviews: Excerpts from a 1962 audio interview with Alfred Hitchcock.
* Newsreel Footage: The Release of Psycho: Vintage newsreel on the unique policy Alfred Hitchcock insisted upon for the release of the film.
* The Shower Scene: A look at the impact of music on the infamous "shower scene."
* The Shower Scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass: Original storyboard design.
* Production Notes: Read an essay on the making of the film.
* The Psycho Archives: See the gallery of on-set photo stills from the film's production.
* Posters and Psycho Ads: See a gallery of original posters and ads from the theatrical campaign.
* Lobby Cards: View a gallery of promotional lobby cards from the film's theatrical campaign.
* Behind-The-Scenes Photographs: View rare photos showing the cast and crew at work.
* Psycho Sound: A never-before-seen piece that looks at the re-mastering process required to create a 5.1 mix from the original mono elements using Audionamix technology.
* Theatrical Trailer: Watch the original promotional trailer from the film's theatrical campaign.
* Re-Release Trailers: Watch the promotional trailer created for the re-release of the film.

The sound remastering process was started by Universal's in-house post production sound facility started the re-mastering process with the film's previously preserved and restored soundtrack to create a new 5.1 mix. BluWave then contracted Audionamix, a Paris-based audio technology company, to split the original mono music source into quasi-orchestral tracks. Audionamix, a leader in soundtrack separation, then applied their breakthrough proprietary technology enabling BluWave to create a discrete 5.1 split music mix. BluWave's creative talent gathered the original sound effects from the Studios' extensive effects library and, using these source materials, created a 5.1 up-mix to bring Psycho's soundtrack up to the expectations of contemporary audiences while maintaining the original integrity of the filmmaker's vision.

The mono audio track will also be available for viewers who want to experience the film in its original form.

[Finch]

We Brits and the French get it sooner, August and September respectively.

[unclehulot]

All of this talk about creating a 5.1 mix (ugh!), and STILL no mention of an isolated score track....this WAS included in the late, late LD box SE ONLY, and of course, none of the dvd releases! Somewhere I read that this BD will include all of the the special features from the dvds....well, I wish somebody there would back up one more generation! The reason it's so important, is that there is no official release of the original sound track recording of this film ever on lp or cd. Is there anyone here who could pass this request on to Universal??

[HistoryProf]

I still haven't gotten around to getting the Legacy Series Psycho off the bottom of my Kevyip....dammit all to hell. A pox on Universal!

[Svevan]

Re-releases of Psycho seem to occur every election. It's just not worth upgrading every time they re-encode their master. I'm sure the Blu will look better, but lookout for the Universal Masterpiece Blu set in 2012 with improved transfers.

[Jonathan S]

And I'm still waiting for a disc of the uncensored European cut of the film as I first saw it...

[HarryLong]

Re-releases of Psycho seem to occur every election. It's just not worth upgrading every time they re-encode their master. I'm sure the Blu will look better, but lookout for the Universal Masterpiece Blu set in 2012 with improved transfers.

Or maybe not.
I was working on a review of their new Legacy Series release of THE WOLF MAN andchecked it against the first DVD of it they released back in 199-something. The older one looks marginally better.

[perkizitore]

My Psycho Steelbook blu-ray has shipped

[Norbie]

My Psycho Steelbook blu-ray has shipped

[Finch]

Empire are usually terrible but their quip that the Psycho BD looks "as sharp as a mother's blade" gave me a chuckle.

edit: first review of the UK BD is online

Universal has a spotty history when it comes to catalogue releases, with titles such as Spartacus and Gladiator suffering from overzealous digital noise reduction that actually removes detailing from the image. As such, I approached this Blu-ray release of Psycho with no little trepidation.

I needn't have worried. Whether the company has learned its lesson from past mistakes, or just treated this particular title with kid gloves, the result is simply spectacular. The dense grain structure is completely intact throughout the VC-1 1.85:1 encode, blacks are deep and lush, and whites are sharp, resulting in a beautifully-nuanced image that belies the film's age – and which none of the previous DVD incarnations of the film can remotely compete with. You can see from our BD grabs below how stunning this disc looks.

The most recognisable score in motion picture history gets a dramatic update with this gorgeous re-mastering. Kudos must go to the audio boffins at French outfit Audionamix who reverse-engineered the original monophonic stem to create multiple tracks that could be mixed and steered to create a 5.1 soundscape – their work is surprisingly effective. Of course, purists can view the movie with its original audio presentation (in a two-channel mono DTS-HD MA) but more intriguing is the 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundmix.

For the most part, the retconned steerage is subtle. You need to pay attention during the shower scene to detect the left to right travel of the shower curtain. But, there's no doubt that the soundstage is more spacious, creating an authentically involving, modern ambiance. And naturally, Bernard Herrmann's suspenseful score has never sounded better. The double bass goes deep while his stabbing strings strip wax from deep within your ear canal.

[Jeff]

Those screen grabs are stunning. Hopefully Beaver will have some larger ones up soon. I like the artwork on the U.K. version much more than the U.S.. The sepia-toned house shot just feels played out, and there is text all over the U.S. version. Although, if that big "An Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece" logo at the bottom is a harbinger of more forthcoming blus, I guess I'll let it slide. Surely Vertigo and Rear Window with their fairly recent photochemical restorations aren't far down the pipeline.

[Matt]

It looks like they've pulled a Studio Canal / Warner Bros. and have created a single BD for all markets (those menus are the default Universal template, and the UK BD is region-free).

[Finch]

Got my copy today. The steelbook looks lovely and they've even included a booklet. Going to watch it tonight in a double-bill with Ida Lupino's The Hitchhiker (French Wild Side disc). Impressions to follow..

edit: Have to second the review linked above; the film looks like it was shot yesterday and the prospect of seeing Vertigo, Rear Window and other Hitch classics owned by Uni (Shadow of a Doubt in 1080p please?) in such pristine condition is just mouthwatering and it can't happen soon enough. More noteworthy than the image even was, for me, the new 5.1 remix they've done for this BD: I usually detest remixes but after the good word they put in in the review I thought I'd give it a try for a few scenes and then switch to the mono track but I stayed with the remix to the end. It's a subtle track and the effects (you now hear the cars going from left to right and vice versa rather than from the centre speaker on the mono track) are not distracting at all; it also brings out other sounds like the crickets in the night and swamp scenes more in the sense that I, for one, hadn't really picked up on them on previous VHS and DVD viewings. It doesn't replace the mono track but if one has to do a remix, then this is a textbook example of how to do it right.

As for the additional shots from the German TV screening discussed a few pages back, they are not present in this Blu-Ray but I personally don't consider this a dealbreaker.

[mfunk9786]

and Jerry Mathers as The Beaver.

Alright, that's it. Steelbook bought. How can I pass this up and wait until October? Those grabs are gorgeous.

[Michael]

and Jerry Mathers as The Beaver.

Alright, that's it. Steelbook bought. How can I pass this up and wait until October? Those grabs are gorgeous.

Double whoa. That's gorgeous. Look at the details of the Bates house!

[mfunk9786]

Who knows how long the steelbook will be in print, and just from eyeballing it, it looks to be the correct height for a BD case, which has been my gripe about a lot of US BD steelbooks. I can't not buy this right now.

[denti alligator]

So what's the difference between the UK steelbook and the US release other than that the former comes out two months before the latter?

[mfunk9786]

The case and the booklet aren't going to be released in the US. Aside from that, it's the same region free disc.

[Alphonse Doinel]

I've been regretting selling The Masterpiece Collection, but not now. I viewed the stills on my TV and was practically drooling.

Oh, and for anyone ordering this from amazon.co.uk, i noticed the Planet Earth blu was £17.99. By far the cheapest I've ever seen it.

[mfunk9786]

for anyone ordering this from amazon.co.uk, i noticed the Planet Earth blu was £17.99. By far the cheapest I've ever seen it.

It's also got an extra disc not in the US release and a nicer package.

[Person]

After over 12 years of Psycho on DVD and digital TV presentations, I am blown away at how good the BD has been rendered. Amazing. The previous transfers seemed quite good, though I always thought that they were soft, but this new transfer looks better than 35mm - VistaVision or 65mm even. This bodes VERY well for future Hitchcocks, especially Vertigo, but it's BD will surely lack the original mono of the Masterpiece box edition which I will hold on to (forever?). I can't stand that 5.1 remix - same goes for Jaws, whose BD will also no doubt drop the original mono.

[aox]

Absolutely remarkable. I had no intention of buying this, but that has all changed now. I hope Rear Window gets the same treatment, and hopefully sell well enough for lesser films like Rope and Dial M for Murder to follow.

[domino harvey]

I can't remember the last Blu-ray captures I saw that looked that amazing. Christ, if this release isn't enough to convert the last remaining stragglers, nothing ever will

[Jonathan S]

for anyone ordering this from amazon.co.uk, i noticed the Planet Earth blu was £17.99. By far the cheapest I've ever seen it.

It's also got an extra disc not in the US release and a nicer package.

This should probably go in another thread but it may be cheap because, according to an Amazon UK posting two weeks ago, the BBC have made this statement following complaints of the current Blu-ray edition of Planet Earth:

Planet Earth was filmed at 24 psf but it was encoded over three years ago when players and displays were not able to handle progressive images. Planet Earth was all encoded at 1080 59.94i for its original release. At some point in the future we are planning to re-release Planet Earth encoded in a similar fashion to Life where the main programme is progressive and the credit rollers interlaced.