Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Two

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Two
by Alfred Hitchcock, Francis M. Cockrell, Herschel Daugherty, James Neilson, John Meredyth Lucas

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DVD details

Actor: Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Davis, Rhys Williams, Theodore Bikel, Torin Thatcher
Director: Alfred Hitchcock, Francis M. Cockrell, Herschel Daugherty, James Neilson, John Meredyth Lucas
Brand: Universal
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled)
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 1012 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-10-17
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios

DVD Reviews of Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Two

DVD Review: The start of something gigantic?
Summary: 5 Stars

Just what did I mean by that? Well, both good news and bad, sort of.
Yesterday, I looked up this series on the Wilkipedia web site and I believe it stated that the series went on for 14 seasons! That's great of course, but what that also means is that some lucky individuals (who have the patience to wait years for the most likely inevitable gigantic box-set), will probably save a couple hundred dollars! Oh well, I'm sure most of us don't have that much patience!
I have Season 1, and I recieved season's 2 and 3 from Amazon over a month ago, but only opened no. 2 just last night. Yes, so far it's great. I've thus far only watched about 4 episodes and the only problem was a sparodic loud "snapping" sound that happened for about a minute (off and on), during the show about a brother and sister trying to collect insurance money by tricking a hobo, while setting their house on fire, etc. I don't remember the title off hand, but hopefully I won't encounter any more of these flaws because it's too late to send this back. Other than that, one thing I'm very happy about, is that I haven't seen any of these shows before, since I was too young (a toddler?) at the time, and probably wasn't allowed to watch it until I was some years older (no doubt, because it was too "scary"), and therefore, hadn't started watching it until sometime after it had turned into "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour". What I'm getting at, is that all these shows (and many of the seasons to come) are all brand new to me, and having not seen a single one, makes watching these even more fun!
Interestingly, I was talking to a friend of mine on the phone yesterday, who recently left a very famous American heavy-metal band (as lead guitarist) who also lives here in Mississauga/Toronto, and he also loves and prefers the classic old t.v. shows, over the more recent "crap", that's out now. I shouldn't mention his name, or the famous legendary band, but I will say that he's a "Mega" fan of such classic television! I'm a guitarist, (and guitar teacher as well), and seeing as how many of my young students are into classic rock, the Beatles, and getting into older movies and television, it gives one some sort of sense of hope for the future, in so far as future generatons insisting on "quality" over "quantity".

DVD Review: Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season 2
Summary: 5 Stars

We have really enjoyed these episodes. The quality is excellent, and the programs are great.

DVD Review: Hitchcock
Summary: 5 Stars

Typical TV shows from one of the best Mystery and Suspence Directors.
Good for teen to adults.

DVD Review: alfred hitchcock present(ed)
Summary: 5 Stars

i love alfred hitchcock present's and his movie's. i find them very relaxing and spirited. his uplifting theme's on how he write's his stories are really cool. this is worth every penny ?

DVD Review: awesome!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars

I've almost quit watching regular TV. The Hitchcock series is a thousand times better than anything you'll see on television today. For mature audiences but without having to put up with the offensive sex scenes and gruesome violence. Every video I've ordered has arrived quickly and in terrific condition. These are wonderfully written, intelligent teleplays. Thank goodness they're on DVD since I was too young to have enjoyed them when they were first aired. The whole series is a treat!! And the intros by Mr. Hitchcock are PRICELESS!! :)

Description of Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Two

With dramatic flourish, Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock used these simple words to introduce all of his 39 timeless episodes of horror, mystery and intrigue in Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Two, now available in a 5-disc collection. Not only loved by millions of TV viewers around the world, this legendary season also received three Emmy awards as well as a Golden Globe for Television Achievement. Loaded with twists, turns, and things that go "bump" in the night, these classic half-hour tales of menace and mayhem feature such iconic stars as Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Rip Torn, Vic Morrow, and many more. It's time to tune in once more to the master storyteller as he delights viewers with some of the most deliciously wicked and chilling television ever aired!

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" appears to be the guiding philosophy behind season 2 of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Like season 1, these 39 episodes (totaling 16 hours, 52 minutes, and originally broadcast from September 30, 1956 to June 23, 1957) follow the established formula that made the series so popular, with self-contained tales of murder, suspense, and intrigue (mostly running about 26 minutes each) based on short stories from a variety of new and established writers in the mystery genre. (Many of these stories also found their way into Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.) By latter-day standards of intensity, most of these episodes play like tame, parlor-trick mysteries or single-room chamber pieces that accommodated the show's emphasis on budget-friendly production values. Still, modern-day viewers can readily appreciate the consistently high quality of writing, direction, and performance, along with the droll, playful introductions by Hitchcock himself, now fully established as a TV celebrity in addition to his global acclaim as "the master of suspense." (Ironically, Hitchcock's first-season jokes at the expense of series sponsors are mostly missing here; apparently Hitchcock agreed to aim his humor elsewhere.) With the release of season 2, Universal has upgraded their disc format to appease fans who complained about double-sided discs in season 1; these five discs (eight episodes each, with seven on disc 5) are single-sided, double-layered, and neatly presented with no-frills menus and easy access to episodes. (Unfortunately, cast and credits are not listed on the packaging, which includes brief plot synopses on the inside slip-case.) Picture quality is uniformly crisp and clean, and sound quality is mostly excellent, allowing for somewhat lower volume on a few episodes (so turn 'em up). Another improvement on these DVDs is the inclusion of four chapter stops for each episode.

As with season 1, the season premiere ("Wet Saturday") was directed by Hitchcock, who also helmed "Mr. Blanchard's Secret," the season highlight thriller "One More Mile to Go," and "The Three Dreams of Mr. Findlater." It's no accident that these rank among the finest episodes (Hitchcock enjoyed the speed and economy of TV directing), but while there are a few misfires along the way, most of these episodes adhere to the smart, literate standard of the series. They're also an impressive showcase for new and established actors from the twilight of Hollywood's golden age: Seasoned veterans like Cedric Hardwicke, Mildred Dunnock, Henry Jones, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Edmund Gwenn, and Albert Salmi do fine work here, and the relative newcomers include Rip Torn, William Shatner, Dick York, and Robert Culp, among others. Of course, no crime could go unpunished in '50 TV-land, so Hitchcock (in closing each episode) assures us that all criminals were eventually brought to justice. All in a day's work for Alfred Hitchcock Presents! --Jeff Shannon

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