Which of these Hitchcock boxsets features the best films?

Soldato
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I'm going to buy one of these for my step brother and he's a film maker. So from a more arty point of view, would anybody mind telling me which of these two boxsets have the better films for that kind of person? :)

The first box set contains:


The Birds, Family Plot, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much, "Marnie", Rear, Window, Saboteur, Shadow Of A Doubt, Topaz, Torn Curtain, The Trouble With Harry, Rope, Vertigo and Psycho.

Each has loads of extras as well, making of documentaries, production drawings amongst other things.

The other box set is called 'The Early Hitchcock Collection' and features:

Blackmail, Champagne, Murder!, The Ring, The Farmer's Wife, Rich and Strange, The Skin Game, The Manxman and Number Seventeen.

This box set also has extras, including a documentary on Hitchcock himself.

Both cost ~£20, so price doesn't come into it. I know there are more films in the first box, but as they do both cost the same, I thought the second set of films maybe considered better. I'm wondering which would give a budding young film maker the most enjoyment and the most knowledge.

Thank you! :)
 
I've never heard of any of the films in the second boxset whereas at least four in the first are household names.

Edit: Oh right, sorry didn't read the thread! If he's a filmmaker he may have seen all the famous ones so I dunno.
 
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not seen any from the second box set, the first one has some of the best movies ever made (Vertigo alone would sell me on the first box set if I was choosing), just a shame it hasn't got Strangers on a train on it, one of my fav's
 
Ive only seen a couple of the films from his early early early career and Murder! was an enjoyable deep who-done-it in which you fully immerse yourself into the investigation and trial taking part, but Ive also seen The Skin Game which just didn't get going at all and was badly acted and didn't seem to do the play on which it was based on any justice. Also because of the era they where filmed in the audio is scratchy and the visuals are poor to average so this may affect the overall feel of his early works, well I noticed it in The Skin Game but I got so engrossed in Murder that it didn't taint it. Pretty much all of us on here would have seen some to most of the first boxset so no need to talk of the quality of that, as these films are his most famous for a reason.

I would say if your step-brother is a real die-hard avid fan of Hitchcock then you might as well get him the second boxset as chances are he has seen the first boxset of films to death and would appreciate his early work more than your average Joe. If he has more of a casual interest in Hitchcock then it would be the first boxset by a mile as the second boxset will be heavy going and you do need a love of Hitchcock to really get the most out of the second boxset. This is of course only my opinion.

In edition keep an eye out on TCM as they usually have an early Hitchcock film on during the day once or twice a month so you can judge for yourself.
 
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I would go with the first one, many famous films, ones you will go back to and watch again. Someone suggested both, now that would bring a huge smile on any film fan’s face.
 
I would go with the first one if he doesn't already own most of the movies on the list. Looks to be way better value than the 2nd box set.
 
Both cost ~£20, so price doesn't come into it.
Both!

If not, then I'd go for the first.

davethe11 said:
just a shame it hasn't got Strangers on a train on it, one of my fav's
Definitely! Complete madness that from two boxsets this film isn't on either.
 
If made to choose, it would definitely be the first one.
It's a bit of a no-brainer really :p

Can I ask where the box sets are available for sub £20?
 
Both a good collection of classic films.

If you're struggling, either buy both and watch them over a while (not all in one sitting)

Or buy the first and then after you've finished, get the second.
 
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