Strangers on a Train, 1951

Not a review of the "Special Edition" (don't know how it's different really) but of previous releases: The problem with Hitchcock is that he has been so lionized, that critics thumbs-up everything he's done, and lets face it, even Hitch himself recognized that some of his films (particularly from the early part of his career) tended to be a bit loose, and drag even - one of the reasons behind the remake of 'The Man Who Knew Too Much.' But, that certainly isn't the case with 'Strangers on a Train'. This is easily one of the best films Hitchcock ever made. Never a dull moment, this thriller races along like... well, a speeding train. That's not to say that there isn't a lot of suspense. From the moment the protagonist, Guy Haines, meets the antagonist, Bruno Anthony, one of the cinema's most memorable villains, we know we're in for a tense ride. There's just something indescribably creepy about Bruno, as played by Robert Walker. A big chunk of the credit also needs to go to the writers, particularly Patricia Highsmith, one of America's greatest crime novelists, and those who adapted it (including Raymond Chandler). Other things worth checking out here include Hitch's requisite cameo (blink and you'll miss it), and Alfred's daughter Patricia Hitchcock as a crime-obsessed young lady. Both the American and British versions are good, the American version is shorter, but contains an extra scene at the end. The British version is longer, and gives more insight into the characters during their initial meeting. Between the two, I recommend the British version - not for content reasons, but because it is better preserved and makes for a cleaner transfer to DVD.

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