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Five Decades Later

A shot of the opening titles off my LG flatscreen

I agree with Jeff, this is like watching a fresh print in first run. In a year of remarkable HD home video transfers, I didn't think I'd be as stunned as I was within the opening minutes of watching Warner's North by Northwest Blu-ray, which is out next Tuesday (3 Nov). This brand-new transfer from the original VistaVision negative is just sublime. I've never seen the film this clean and clear, and with little evidence of any Digital Noise Reduction at all. The red color-shift issues on the previous DVD edition are completely gone, and the level of detail is just jaw-droppingly good. Some of the best examples include the costumes and depth of field in interior locations, but above all the sequence in the cornfield, from the dust swirling to the dead stalks of corn is the best showcase.

From the book that's built into the case

The contrast level has been fixed from the previous edition also, so it's not as blown out. If you look at screen captures online, you may be inclined to say "oh God, why is the new edition so dark?" Since DVD works with such limited resolution compared to Blu-ray, a lot of weird adjustments would be made for the sake of it looking right on much lower quality, smaller, and non-HD screens. 1080 progressive pixels versus 480 interlaced ones vertical makes all the difference in the world. If they didn't over-do the brightness on the DVD, you wouldn't have been able to see Cary Grant in the long shot where's he's standing across the road from the guy who gets off the bus. They'd both just be silhouettes. This is why I don't implicitly trust screen capture comparisons like the DVD Beaver one linked here.

The art and content in the book are better than other releases of the type thus far. It's all efficiently-edited and laid out beautifully.

The extras are partly carried over from the paper snapper case 2000 DVD that was reissued in 2004. The commentary track is the same one with screenwriter Ernest Lehman going it solo. Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest [4x3 SD 39:25] is a reasonably substantive behind-the-scenes/making-of featurette hosted by Eva Marie Saint. The music-only audio track is preserved, as are the stills gallery and theatrical trailers and TV spot. I loved watching the feature with just the music, and I expect to watch it dialogue-free many more times to come.

The new extras include a pre-existing feature documentary and two 2009 vintage featurettes. Cary Grant: A Class Apart [4x3 SD 1:27:12] aired on TCM back in 2004 and can also be found on the recent 2-disc DVD of Bringing Up Baby. Narrated by Helen Mirren, it's a look at the whole of his life and career, from sad childhood to the vaudeville stage, and into the movies. Interview participants include colleagues like Martin Landau, critics like Elvis Mitchell, and even a couple of ex-wives. As with all of TCM's career profile pieces, it's meticulously put-together and worth your time.

The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style [16x9 HD & SD 57:32] is part Hitchcock style primer and part talking heads gushing about his style. Participants include Guillermo del Toro, William Friedkin, Martin Scorsese, Christopher McQuarrie, Camille Paglia, and a pile of others, all with something worthwhile to say. The video quality ranges from standard-def (archival interview footage) to full HD (the talking heads). The oft-repeated "baseball and a bomb" case study on suspense told by the great director is in there, along with plenty of little nuggets from the various directors, screenwriters, and Hitch experts.

I particularly like the back cover art. Whereas I'm not crazy about the cover, it's grown on me since it arrived. I realize, of course, that the spine art is what I'll see most often whilst browsing my top shelf.

The other brand-new bit, North by Northwest: One for the Ages [16x9 HD 25:29]) is culled from the same talking head interview footage used in The Master's Touch and focuses specifically on the craft and legacy of NXNW.

Amazon has this Blu-ray, which carries my highest recommendation, for $20.99. There is a DVD version for $12.49, but I have no idea why you'd buy a DVD of this title instead of Blu-ray at this point.