DVDizzy Forum

OK, So my Grandpa got me the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection and North by Northwest (Separately, since it's owned by Warner Bros.) from Amazon about a week and a half ago brand new as an early birthday present (My birthday is on the 16th). Well, the other day I go to watch North by Northwest, and as soon as it gets to the Auction House scene (Which I believe is the layer change) it starts freezing up and theres no way to continue watching the movie, and I've tried it on all of my players.

Now I am aware that many people had experienced this problem way back when the DVD was first released in 2000, but I had no idea there were still copies like this being sold. I would have thought for sure they would have resolved this issue by now, especially since this was a recent edition. It was the 2004 repackaging in the plastic case. apparently all they did was repackage the old discs. Well, so I go on Amazon to exchange it, only to discover that it is apparently no longer in print even though we just ordered it less than 2 weeks ago brand new from them.

What should I do? I called every place in town and no one has it. I am so disappointed because it is my favorite Hitchcock and is the one I was most looking forward to watching.

are you sure you can't exchange it, or at least return it?

I can return it and get the money back, But I would somehow like to be able to get a working copy of it.

A (more expensive) alternative would be to purchase the still-in-print boxset Alfred Hitchcock: The Signature Collection, which was released by Warner Brothers. It's got North by Northwest along with the following films:

Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Mr. And Mrs. Smith (1941)
Suspicion (1941)
Stage Fright (1950)
Strangers On A Train (1951) - the UK Preview Version and the Final Release Version
I Confess (1953)
Dial M For Murder (1954)
The Wrong Man (1956)

Also, if you're *really* willing to wait, Warner will release a 50th Anniversary Edition DVD & Blu-Ray in 2009 with an Ultra-Resolution restoration.

Albert

I have North by Northwest on DVD and I don't think I had any trouble with it. Though, it's been a while since I watched it, but I know I got to see the whole film.

Try putting it in your computer.

Run something like DVD Decrypter and see if it gives you an I/O read error. If it does, your disc is damaged. If not, it's the player and you could burn yourself another copy