A couple of the films in the set also make for some great double features. North by Northwest and Foreign Correspondent are two of Hitchcock's most rousing pictures, with stunning set pieces, sharp humor, and suspense that puts most of today's thrillers to shame.
North by Northwest, of course, needs no introduction. It's about as entertaining as thrillers get and is easily one of Hitchcock's four or five best films. The only downside is that almost everyone buying this collection will already have a copy of it, but given the low price of the set (about $70US) you can consider it a bonus.
In many ways, Foreign Correspondent laid the template for North by Northwest. It features some spectacular set pieces, including one of the best assassination scenes I've seen, and wonderful production design by the great William Cameron Menzies (director of one of my favorite 50s sci-fi classics, Invaders from Mars). The windmill scene in Foreign Correspondent is especially memorable, both for Menzies set design and Hitchcock's masterful direction. There are even echoes of the scene in North by Northwest when Cary Grant sneaks around the house of James Mason's character.
:: posted by Donald Melanson, 1/22/2005 | Comments (0) Links to this post |