North by Northwest

(Note: This review refers to the Blu-ray version of the DVD.)

Cary Grant, long past his days as a matinee idol, is effortlessly suave and charming and convincing as a leading man opposite Eva Marie Saint, in her first and only blond sexpot role. Everything clicks and sly fox Alfred Hitchcock slides sexual innuendo and erotic flirtation under his most purely entertaining thriller. The set pieces are brilliant, the dialogue sparkles and the music is magnificent, and the Blu-ray debut, newly remastered from original VistaVision film elements, has a stunning richness and clarity.

New to this edition is the original hour-long documentary "The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style," a superb tour through famous Hitch moments via interviews with critics and directors (including Martin Scorsese and John Carpenter, who share the lessons they learned from the master) and, of course, a rich collection of clips from the breadth of his career. Five of those directors chime in on the 25-minute "North by Northwest: One for the Ages," which is more appreciation than making-of featurette. Previously released supplements include an engrossing commentary track by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, the smartly directed, 40-minute documentary "Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest" and the 2003 TCM documentary "Cary Grant: A Class Apart."