Spellbound Blu-ray - Ingrid Bergman

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The House of Dr. Edwardes" - working title)

USA 1945

Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) is a psychiatrist with a firm understanding of human nature—or so she thinks. When the mysterious Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck) becomes the new chief of staff at her institution, the bookish and detached Constance plummets into a whirlwind of tangled identities and feverish psychoanalysis, where the greatest risk is to fall in love. A transcendent love story replete with taut excitement and startling imagery, Spellbound is classic Hitchcock, featuring stunning performances, an Academy Award®-winning score by Miklos Rozsa, and a captivating dream sequence by Surrealist icon Salvador Dalí.

***

"One of Hitchcock's more scintillating tales with wonderful performances from Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. Filmed in the era where psychology was still looked upon as a crock by not only the medical profession, but the world at large, SPELLBOUND centers on the mind and its power for denial. The film gets a little heavy-handed in the middle with all the psycho-babble, but Bergman and Peck keep it entertaining. Like most of Hitchcock's films you're never quite sure what's truly going on until the last frame. It's pretty clear from the beginning that the most obvious suspect is not the actual killer, but it's fun to watch Bergman figure everything out. SPELLBOUND gives her the chance to break out of her usual simpering, "save-me", kind of roles, by playing a strong, intelligent, unrelenting woman. She still needs to be saved and has many a "love-sick" scene, however, it's a part that allows her to take center stage and run with it."

Excerpt from Crazy4Cinema.com review found HERE

Posters + Lobby Cards (Click to enlarge)

Theatrical Release Date: December 28, 1945

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Comparison:

Anchor Bay - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray

All DVD screenshots courtesy by Ashirg

1) Anchor Bay Region 0 - NTSC LEFT

2) Criterion Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	Anchor Bay Region 0 - NTSC	Criterion Collection Spine # 136 Region 1 - NTSC	MGM Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:50:56	1:58:04	1:58:09.373
Video	4:3 Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Average Bitrate: 5.6 mb/s NTSC 720X540 29.97 f/s	4:3 Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Average Bitrate: 7.31 NTSC 720x540 29.97 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 41,819,487,414 bytes Feature: 37,501,200,384 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.87 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate: Anchor Bay
Bitrate: Criterion
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 2076 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2076 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit / DN -4dB) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB
Subtitles	None	English and none	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Discographic Information: DVD Encoding: All Regions Layers: Single Edition Details: • All Regions • Black & White • 4.5" x 7" original theatrical poster replica DVD Release Date: September 7, 1999 Keep Case Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Discographic Information: DVD Encoding: Region 1 Edition Details: • Theatrical trailer(s) • Spectacular new digital transfer with film and sound restoration, including rare theater entrance and exit music cues by composer Miklos Rozsa • Commentary by Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane • Definitive, illustrated essay on the Salvador Dali dream sequence by James Bigwood • Complete 1948 Lux Radio Theatre adaption starring Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli • Essays by noted Hitchcock scholars • Excerpts from 1973 interview with composer Miklos Rozsa • Hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos and documents chronicling the film's production • The Fisko Files: A WNYC/New York public radio piece on the theremi DVD Release Date: September 24th, 2002 Keep Case Chapters 24	Release Information: Studio: MGM 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 41,819,487,414 bytes Feature: 37,501,200,384 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.87 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio commentary by Film Professors Thomas Schatz and Ramirez Berg • Dreaming with Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali (16:31) • Guilt by Association: Psychoanalyzing Spellbound (19:39) • 1948 radio version with Joseph Cotton (59:47) • Peter Bogdanovich interviewing Hitchcock (15:22) • A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming (10:10) • Theatrical trailer (2:07) Blu-ray Release Date: January 24th, 2012 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 28

Comments:

NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray (January 12'): I like the look of Spellbound on Blu-ray. It has a very consistent texture supporting the grain structure extremely well. Most attributes of the dual-layered 1080P are evident from the screen captures. Contrast adds a few more layers, detail improves and there is a tiny amount of depth exported. Personally, I think this looks to have benefited more then Notorious from the HD-treatment but not quite at Rebecca levels. I thought MGM's Blu-ray gave a strong, film-like presentation.

The DTS-HD Master in 2.0 channel at 2076 kbps is stable and supportive of Miklós Rózsa's dynamic score. There is some depth and string movements have a buoyant high-end. There are optional English subtitles and the Blu-ray disc has been determined to be region free.

Like the simultaneously released Hitchcock Blu-ray (Rebecca, Notorious) we get the same supplements as from the Premiere SD release - minus the galleries. There is a wonderful audio commentary by film professors Thomas Schatz and Ramirez Berg, a half-hour's worth of featurettes; Dreaming with Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali and Guilt by Association: Psychoanalyzing Spellbound, plus another hour-long radio version with Joseph Cotton (1948), Peter Bogdanovich interviewing Hitchcock and A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming about the actress. There is also a theatrical trailer.

The film is often considered an also-ran in the director's iconic oeuvre but I have always enjoyed it - marveling at Ben Hecht's screenplay and the lead performances. Once again the a/v quality and extras are enticing for the price - an unusual $3 premium on the other two Hitch Blu-rays. Recommended!

Gary W. Tooze

***

ON THE DVDs: Easy yet again, Criterion wins on all fronts. Better image, better extras, better menu's etc. Pay the extra dough and get the Criterion, it is money well spent.

Note: Anchor Bay initially omitted the "Money Shot" of red tint (capture #5), but it was present in the second printing. Both Criterion and Anchor Bay second printing include 4-minute reinstated Miklos Rosza overture. I couldn't confirm if the first printing AB has it. Unlike previous Hitchcocks, both Anchor Bay and Criterion have the same Selznick Studio opening and windowboxed titles. I'm not sure why Criterion disc runs a little faster (notice 6 second difference in the beginning and the same time stamp on the "Money Shot"). But Criterion quality is much better (see 0.58 for artifacts between Peck and Bergman on Anchor Bay disc).

Gregory Meshman

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(Anchor Bay R0 - NTSC LEFT vs. Criterion R1- RIGHT)