Cape Fear Box Set [1961 and 1991] [DVD] [1962]

The original 1962 version of Cape Fear is directed by J Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone) in a deliberately Hitchcockian manner, and stars Robert Mitchum as a creepy ex-con angry at the attorney (Gregory Peck) whom he believes is responsible for his incarceration. After Mitchum makes clear his plans to harm Peck's family, a fascinating game of crisscrossing ethics and morality takes place. Superior to Martin Scorsese's punishing 1991 remake, which seems trapped in its explicitness, Thompson's film accomplishes a lot with a more economical and telling use of violence. The result is a rich character study that explores the nature of guilt.

Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake dabbles a bit in some fascinating psychological crosscurrents between its characters, but it finally trades in all that rich material for extensive and gratuitous violence. Robert De Niro plays a serial rapist released from prison after 14 years. Angry because his appalled attorney (Nick Nolte) made it easy for him to be convicted, this monster is out to hurt Nolte's character through his wife (Jessica Lange) and daughter (Juliette Lewis). The themes of interlocking guilt and anger between these people suggests a smart film in the making. But the final act, set on a boat with De Niro's vengeful pervert attacking Nolte and the two women, takes a more unfortunate direction. The stars of the original film, Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, each make a cameo appearance. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

DVD Special Features:

1962 Cape Fear:
The Making of the 1962 Cape Fear
Production Photographs
Theatrical Trailer
Production Notes
Cast and Filmmakers' Biographies
DVD-ROM Features
DVD Newsletter

Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English, French, German, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
Ratio: 1.85:1

1991 Cape Fear:
The Making of the 1991 Cape Fear
Deleted Scenes
Behind the scenes of the Opening Credits/Fourth of July/Houseboat
Photograph Gallery
Matte Painting Montage
Theatrical Trailer
Production Notes
Cast and Filmmakers' Biographies
DVD-ROM Features

Languages: English Dolby 5.1; French, German, Italian, Spanish Dolby 2.0
Subtitles: English, French, German, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
Ratio: 2.35:1 anamorphic

1961 Cape Fear -- Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum star in Hollywood's classic tale of revenge and murder. Mitchum is unforgettable as Max Cady, an ex-con determined to exact a terrible revenge on Sam Bowden (Peck) and his family.

Sam is a small-town lawyer whose worst nightmare comes true when the criminal he helped put away returns to stalk his beautiful young wife (Polly Bergen) and teenage daughter (Lori Martin). Despite help from the local police chief (Martin Balsam) and a private detective (Telly Savalas), Sam is legally powerless to keep Max from playing his sadistic game of cat and mouse. Finally, Sam must put his family's lives at stake in a deadly trap that leads to one of the most suspenseful and heart-pounding confrontations ever committed to film.

Director J. Lee Thompson builds tension with each scene leading to a deadly showdown at Cape Fear. This is truly a masterpiece of shock and suspense.

1991 Cape Fear -- Master filmmaker Martin Scorcese brings heart-pounding suspense to one of the most acclaimed thrillers of all time.

Fourteen years after being imprisoned, vicious psycopath Maxy Cady (Robert DeNiro) emerges with a single-minded mission: to seek revenge on his attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte). Cady becomes a terrifying presence as he menacingly circles Bowden's increasingly unstable family. Realising he is legally powerless to protect his beautiful wife Leigh (Jessica Lange) and his troubled teenage daughter Danielle (Juliette Lewis), Sam resorts to unorthodox measures which lead to an unforgettable showdown on Cape Fear.

Visually stunning images and brilliant performances from a talented cast highlight this roller-coaster ride through relentless psychological torment.