Like the Greenwich Village courtyard view from its titular portal, Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window is both confined and multileveled: both its story and visual perspective are dictated by its protagonist's imprisonment in his apartment, convalescing in a wheelchair, from which both he and the audience observe the lives of his neighbors. Cheerful voyeurism, as well as the behavior glimpsed among the various tenants, affords a droll comic atmosphere that gradually darkens when he sees clues to what may be a murder. Photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is, in fact, a voyeur by trade, a professional photographer sidelined by an accident while on assignment. His immersion in the human drama (and comedy) visible from his window is a by-product of boredom, underlined by the disapproval of his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), and a wisecracking visiting nurse (Thelma Ritter). Yet when the invalid wife of Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) disappears, Jeff enlists the two women to help him to determine whether she's really left town, as Thorwald insists, or been murdered. Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto convincingly argues that the crime at the center of this mystery is the MacGuffin--a mere pretext--in a film that's more interested in the implications of Jeff's sentinel perspective. We actually learn more about the lives of the other neighbors (given generic names by Jeff, even as he's drawn into their lives) he, and we, watch undetected than we do the putative murderer and his victim. Jeff's evident fear of intimacy and commitment with the elegant, adoring Lisa provides the other vital thread to the script, one woven not only into the couple's own relationship, but reflected and even commented upon through the various neighbours' lives. At minimum, Hitchcock's skill at making us accomplices to Jeff's spying, coupled with an ingenious escalation of suspense as the teasingly vague evidence coalesces into ominous proof, deliver a superb thriller spiked with droll humour, right up to its nail-biting, nightmarish climax. At deeper levels, however, Rear Window plumbs issues of moral responsibility and emotional honesty, while offering further proof (were any needed) of the director's brilliance as a visual storyteller. --Sam Sutherland
4 ESSENTIAL FILMS FROM THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE Universally recognized as the Master of Suspense, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock directed some of cinema's most thrilling and unforgettable classics. The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection features four iconic films from the acclaimed director's illustrious career including Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho and The Birds in stunning 4K resolution. Starring Hollywood favourites such as James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Tippi Hedren, Kim Novak and Rod Taylor, this essential collection features hours of bonus features as well as the original uncut version of Psycho for the first time ever. INCLUDES 2 VERSIONS OF PSYCHO PSYCHO UNCUT: The extended version of the movie as seen in theaters in 1960 is exactly as intended by Alfred Hitchcock and now available with additional footage for the first time ever PSYCHO: The most widely seen version of the movie was edited for content and subsequently used for TV broadcasts, theatrical re-releases and home entertainment over the last 60 years PLUS HOURS OF BONUS FEATURES
Like the Greenwich Village courtyard view from its titular portal, Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window is both confined and multileveled: its story and visual perspective are dictated by its protagonist's imprisonment in his apartment, convalescing in a wheelchair, from which both he and the audience observe the lives of his neighbours. Cheerful voyeurism, as well as the behaviour glimpsed among the various tenants, affords a droll comic atmosphere that gradually darkens when he sees clues to what may be a murder. Photographer LB "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is, in fact, a voyeur by trade, a professional photographer sidelined by an accident while on assignment. His immersion in the human drama (and comedy) visible from his window is a by-product of boredom, underlined by the disapproval of his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), and a wisecracking visiting nurse (Thelma Ritter). Yet when the invalid wife of Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) disappears, Jeff enlists the two women to help him to determine whether she's really left town, as Thorwald insists, or been murdered. Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto convincingly argues that the crime at the centre of this mystery is the MacGuffin--a mere pretext--in a film that's more interested in the implications of Jeff's sentinel perspective. We actually learn more about the lives of the other neighbours (given generic names by Jeff, even as he's drawn into their lives) he, and we, watch undetected than we do the putative murderer and his victim. Jeff's evident fear of intimacy and commitment with the elegant, adoring Lisa provides the other vital thread to the script, one woven not only into the couple's own relationship, but reflected and even commented upon through the various neighbours' lives. At a minimum, Hitchcock's skill at making us accomplices to Jeff's spying, coupled with an ingenious escalation of suspense as the teasingly vague evidence coalesces into ominous proof, deliver a superb thriller spiked with droll humour, right up to its nail-biting, nightmarish climax. At deeper levels, however, Rear Window plumbs issues of moral responsibility and emotional honesty, while offering further proof (were any needed) of the director's brilliance as a visual storyteller. -- Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com
From director Vincent Sherman (Affair in Trinidad) comes the classic drama Harriet Craig, starring Joan Crawford (Strait-Jacket) and Wendell Corey (Rear Window). Manipulative and possessive Harriet (Crawford) controls every aspect of the lives of her husband Walter (Corey) and cousin Clare (K T Stevens, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice), and schemes to destroy their chances of happiness. However, when they become aware of her treachery, her world begins to fall apart... Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Craig's Wife by George Kelly (The Show-Off), Harriet Craig boasts one of Joan Crawford's most devastating performances.
Alfred Hitchcock playfully explores the role of the voyeur in one of his best-loved suspense thrillers. After breaking his leg during a shoot, photo-journalist L.B. 'Jeff' Jeffries (James Stewart) is forced to spend a humid summer recuperating in his Greenwich Village apartment. The wheelchair-bound Jeff whiles away his time observing his neighbours through a telephoto lens, bestowing them with nicknames and growing familiar with their daily routines. However, his society girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) is exasperated and then alarmed when Jeff becomes obsessed with the notion that Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), who lives in the apartment opposite, has murdered his wife. A 53-minute making of feature, 'Rear Window Ethics', is also included. Special Features: 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 Rear Window Re-Release Trailer Narrated by James Stewart Feature Commentary with John Fawell Author of Hitchcock's Rear Window
Digitally re-mastered for superior sound and picture quality Lovin’ You is a genuine Elvis classic and an absolute “must have” for any true fan of the undisputed King of Rock’n’Roll from the days when he was lean mean and magnificent and had a hip wiggle that drove the girls crazy. Only Presley’s second ever feature film and his first in colour this rocking romance uncannily mirrors Elvis’s own explosion onto the music scene and rocket ride to fame and fortune. His raw animal prescence leaps sensationally from the screen in the all-singing all-dancing story of a humble delivery boy turned rock’n’roll star Deke Rivers – featuring the hit songs Teddy Bear Got A Lot Of Lovin’ To Do Hot Dog Mean Woman Blues Party and of course the tender ballad Lovin’ You. First released in the cinema in 1957 the movie showed Elvis had genuine acting talent with his gritty and emotional portrayal of a simple country boy catapulted to stardom. Interestingly two versions of the title song were recorded for the film and although two versions are on the Complete Fifties Masters both are shorter than the 2 minutes 12 seconds on-screen version here!
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 neighbours play out across the courtyard. When he suspects his neighbour 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. Honoured 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). Bonus features: 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 RE-RELEASE TRAILER NARRATED BY JAMES STEWART
Mere months after delivering one of the definitive examples of film noir with Kiss Me Deadly, Robert Aldrich brought a noir flavour to Hollywood with his classic adaptation of Clifford Odets stage play, The Big Knife. Charles Castle, one of Hollywood s biggest stars, looks like he has it all. But his marriage is falling apart and his wife is threatening to leave him if he renews his contract. Studio boss Stanley Shriner Hoff isn t taking the news too well, and he ll do anything he can to get his man to sign on the dotted line even if means exposing dark secrets... Winner of the Silver Lion at the 1955 Venice Film Festival, The Big Knife also boasts a remarkable cast list including Jack Palance (Shane) as Castle and Rod Steiger (On the Waterfront) as Hoff, plus Shelley Winters (The Night of the Hunter), Ida Lupino (On Dangerous Ground), Jean Hagen (Singin in the Rain) and Everett Sloane (Citizen Kane). SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS Brand-new 2K restoration from original film elements produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original uncompressed LPCM mono audio Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Commentary by film critics Glenn Kenny and Nick Pinkerton, recorded exclusively for this release Bass on Titles Saul Bass, responsible for The Big Knife s credit sequence, discusses some of his classic work in this self-directed documentary from 1972 Theatrical trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Nathalie Morris
Lovin' You is a genuine Elvis classic and an absolute ""must have"" for any true fan of the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll from the days when he was lean mean and magnificent and had a hip wiggle that drove the girls crazy. Only Presley's second ever feature film and his first in colour this rocking romance uncannily mirrors Elvis's own explosion onto the music scene and rocket ride to fame and fortune. His raw animal prescence leaps sensationally from the screen in the all-
A sales clerk wins the heart of a little boy and his widowed mother amidst the magic of Christmas in New York City. Jodie (Cynthia Gibb) is a widow with a six-year-old son. Her life is settled and comfortable until the day she goes shopping in the smart Manhattan store where Steve Mason (David James Elliott) works. A sales clerk working in the kids' toy department Steve instantly falls in love with Jodie. But she is only there to buy a train for her company to use in a commercial. She has no interest in the train or the magic of Christmas expecting to return the toy the next day. Her son Timmy changes everything. The train his mother brings home for Christmas is his dream come true. Like Steve young Timmy believes anything is possible and wishes with all his heart that the train is for him. And Steve is wishing for Jodie. But will their wishes come true? Will Jodie be won over by the power of Christmas magic?
This tremendous box set features a quartet of Jimmy Stewart's classic performances. Harvey (Dir. Henry Koster 1950): James Stewart stars as Elwood P. Dowd a wealthy alcoholic whose sunny disposition and drunken antics are tolerated by most of the citizens of his community. That is until Elwood begins to claim that he has a friend named Harvey who is an invisible six foot rabbit. Elwood's snooty socialite sister Veta determined to marry off her daughter Myrtle to a respec
The Big Knife
Rear Window (1954): Alfred Hitchcock amply demonstrates why he's been called ""The Master of Suspense"" with this both witty and macabre tale of voyeurism and murder starring two of cinema's all-time favourites James Stewart and Grace Kelly. L.B. Jeffries (Stewart) a photographer with a broken leg takes up the fine art of spying on his Greenwich Village neighbours during a summer heat wave. But things really hot up when he suspects one neighbour of murdering his invalid wife and burying the body in a flower garden. The Birds (1963): Wealthy reformed party girl Melanie Daniels enjoys a brief flirtation with lawyer Mitch Brenner in a San Francisco pet shop and decides to follow him to his Bodega Bay home. Bearing a gift of two lovebirds Melanie quickly strikes up a romance with Mitch while contending with his possessive mother and boarding at his ex-girlfriend's house.One day during a birthday party for Mitch's younger sister a flock of birds attacks the children in what seems to be a random incident. In fact it signals the beginning of a massive and organized avian assault on the residents of the town--a mysterious assault that no one can explain...and from which no one might come out alive. Vertigo (1958): Set in San Francisco James Stewart portrays and acrophobic detective hired to trail a friend's suicidal wife (Novak). After he successfully rescues her from a leap into the bay he finds himself becoming obsessed with the beautiful and troubled woman...
The Bold And The Brave
Photographer confined to apartment with broken leg passes time spying on neighbours with binoculars almost sees too much for his own good. Short story by Cornell Woolrich. Special Features: Limited Edition packaging featuring rarely seen film posters and design artwork The Making of Art Gallery Hitchcock Vertigo/The Man Who Knew Too Much/Rope/The Trouble With Harry/Rear Window Trailer Rear Window Theatrical Trailer
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy