The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), Downhill (1927) 2 x DVD9 and Blu-Ray Criterion Collection, download for free

Mar14

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), Downhill (1927) 2 x DVD9 and Blu-Ray Criterion Collection

by movieworld on March 14th, 2019 at 00:27

Posted In: .Other movies, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

All of London is in an uproar due to recent attacks by a Jack the Ripper-style serial killer known as "The Avenger" who targets blonde women. During this time, a pale, hypersensitive stranger arrives at a family-owned boarding house to take up lodging. He becomes attracted to the proprietor's pretty blonde daughter Daisy, who is already engaged to a policeman. Daisy, in spite of her parents' objections, returns the lodger's overtures. When the trail of the killer leads to the same district in which the boarding house is located, the lodger's strange behavior places him under suspicion by the family.

Also included on this release is a new restoration of Hitchcock's feature film Downhill (a.k.a. When Boys Leave Home). The film tells the story of a student (Novello) whose life spins out of control after he makes an impulsive decision.

BD50, 2xDVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:30:24, 01:50:59
45.4 Gb + 12.7 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English intertitles
Subtitles: none

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: June Tripp, Ivor Novello, Marie Ault, Malcolm Keen
Country: UK
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Extras:

• Downhill (1927) - presented here is a new 2K restoration of Alfred Hitchcock's film Downhill a.k.a. When Boys Leave Home, starring Ivor Novello, Ben Webster, and Norman McKinnel. The restoration was completed by the BFI National Archive in association with ITV Studios and Park Circus Films. The film tells the story of a student (Novello) whose life spins out of control after he makes an impulsive decision, and can be viewed with a brand new piano score composed by Neil Brand. (91 min, 1080p).

• William Rothman - in this new video interview, film scholar William Rothman discusses the exact period in which Alfred Hitchcock directed The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, the film's main thematic and stylistic qualities and how later on they evolved and shaped up the director's style (with great comments about what Hitchcock referred to as the Art of Pure Cinema), the personalities of the main characters, some of the erotic overtones that can be detected, etc. The interview was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (33 min, 1080p).

• The Bunting House - in this new video essay, art historian Steven Jacobs discusses the important roles space and architecture have in The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, and some of the unique ways in which Alfred Hitchcock uses them to enhance the film's dark atmosphere. There is also interesting information about the camera movement and the obvious influence German Expressionism had on the film's tone and appearance, as well as the evolution of the director's style during the years. The essay was created exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Neil Brand - in this new video interview, composer Neil Brand discusses the particular feel/vibe that he was looking for while creating the new orchestral score for The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, as well as how important it is for the music to be able to guide and coexist with the film's ever-changing moods. (There are some great comments about the type of harmonic changes that he was forced to make precisely so that he can manage these moods better, or at least as well as he interpreted them). The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut - presented here are archival excerpts from a 1962 interview in which Alfred Hitchcock discusses The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog and its structure with French filmmaker Francois Truiffaut (Day for Night). In English, not subtitled. (27 min, 1080p).

• Alfred Hitchcock and Peter Bogdanovich - presented here are two excerpts from archival interviews from 1963 and 1972 in which Alfred Hitchcock discusses his early career and the evolution of his style and work with Peter Bogdanovich. In English, not subtitled. (20 + 21 min, 1080p).

• The Lodger Radio Play - Alfred Hitchcock directed this thirty-minute radio adaptation of Marie Belloc Lowndes' novel The Lodger for the July 22, 1940, pilot episode of the CBS Radio series Suspense. The adaptation features Herbert Marshall as Mr. Sleuth and Edmund Gwenn as Robert Bunting. In English, not subtitled. (31 min, 1080p).