Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Blu-ray)This collection culls together 15 of Hitchcock’s most popular
films from his Hollywood era including “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” “North By
Northwest,” “Psycho,” “The Birds” and “The Rope.” The films are classics, the
majority of the new transfers are pleasing (we’ll try to look past the
atrocious “Family Plot”), the audio is solid and the selection of bonus
features will keep you busy for weeks.
The Ancient Egypt Collection (DVD)
HISTORY’s all encompassing collection of documentaries on
the Ancient Egyptian civilization. The collection includes episodes from
“Planet Egypt,” “Modern Marvels,” “In Search of History,” “Engineering an
Empire,” “Lost Worlds” and “Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids.” There is some overlap
here and there, but because the material is being approached from so many
different angles it never feels redundant. If you really want to confuse
history with speculation you could also pick up the “Ancient Aliens” box set that includes 4 seasons worth of
episodes and ample theories about how the Egyptians might have actually been
aliens.
The Ancient Rome Collection (DVD)
Like “The Ancient Egypt Collection,” this set pulls a
variety of episodes from HISTORY’s vast catalogue of series including “In
Search of History,” “Cities of the Underworld,” “Engineering an Empire,”
“Ancient Mysteries,” “Decisive Battles” and “Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire.”
Whereas ancient Egypt is known for its architecture and religion, Rome, which
has its share of beautiful buildings, was at the heart of many wars.
Consequently this collection divides its time mostly between buildings and
battles.
Blade Runner: 30th Anniversary (Blu-ray)
Yes, this “30th Anniversary” set is essentially a repackage
of the 5-disc collection that was released five years ago with the addition of
a 72-page book, a toy Concept Spinner and a 3D lenticular image, but that
doesn’t diminish the fact that it’s still one of finest collections in terms of
content and audio/video quality. Those who don’t own the previous Blu-ray
release will want to pick this, or its 3-disc Digibook version that lacks the
toy, lenticular image and includes only 36 pages of the book, up. Both sets
include five versions of the film and a wealth of bonus features.
Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection (DVD and Blu-ray)
James Bond celebrates 50 years of films with the bestselling
box set of 2012. This massive 22-film collection (9 titles appearing on Blu-ray
for the first time) is the first box set to contain all the official Bond
releases in one place and features a bonus disc with previously an hour of
previously unreleased footage on top of the previously available bonus
features. Of course complete in this case doesn’t include “Never Say Never
Again,” but it does leave a space for “Skyfall.”
Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Warner Brothers originally released “Casablanca” on Blu-ray
in 2008. The release was warmly received, but the studio thought they could
improve upon the image quality and the results of their work can be seen in the
“70th Anniversary Edition” of the film. The new transfer is a step above the
previous release and has been packaged with a coffee table book, coasters and a
re-print of a theatrical poster. Those who already own 2008’s “Ultimate
Edition” might have a hard time justifying the upgrade, but those who don’t own
the film in high definition yet shouldn’t hesitate to pick up this set.
The Dark Knight Trilogy (DVD and Blu-ray)
All three of Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Batman films packaged together with a 64-page excerpt from the book "The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy."
Entourage: The Complete Series (DVD and Blu-ray)
All eight seasons of HBO’s award winning series about
Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), a star on the rise, and his three friends who
are more than happy to bask in his fame. The Blu-ray box includes the first
five seasons in high definition for the very first time.
Forever Marilyn (Blu-ray)
This Marilyn Monroe collection includes “Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes,” “How to Marry a Millionaire,” “River of No Return,” “There’s No
Business Like Show Business,” “The Seven Year Itch,” “Some Like It Hot,” and
“The Misfits.” This set might be lacking in bonus material, but the films
themselves look and sound great. You’d be gravely mistaken to believe that
Monroe was all looks and no talent.
Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season – Collector’s
Edition (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
The award for most glamorous collection goes to HBO’s
“Collector’s Edition” of the first season of “Game of Thrones.” The set
includes the first season on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy as well as a finely
crafted Dragon Egg paperweight. It’s overkill for casual fans, but will hold
the diehard fans over until the second season comes out in February.
Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection (Blu-ray)
This mammoth set includes all eight Harry Potter films on
DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Copy, the bonus features from the “Ultimate Edition”
box sets an exclusive disc of exclusive material, a label collection, Blueprint
of Hogwarts Castle, a cloth map of Hogwarts, a Horocrux locket, all housed in a
box that looks like Professor Lupin’s traveling trunk. It’s definitely not
practical in any regard, but for obsessive fans it’s like owning a piece of the
Holy Grail.
Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures (Blu-ray)
The fact that this set includes “Raiders of the Last Ark,”
“Temple of Doom” and “Last Crusade” on Blu-ray for the first time is enough to
make this set a “must own.” Thankfully they’ve also done a nice job of bringing
the films to high definition (oddly enough “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,”
despite being the newest film, ends up looking the worst of the lot).
Lawrence of Arabia: Fiftieth Anniversary Collector’s Editon
(Blu-ray)
David Lean’s adaptation of T. E. Lawrence’s “Lawrence of
Arabia” starring Peter O’Toole makes its way to Blu-ray after a full
restoration and the results are simply breathtaking. The collector’s set
includes an 88-page book, a 70mm film frame as well as a CD featuring the
original score and two previously unreleased tracks. Those looking for a more
streamlined package should consider the 2-disc version.
Magic School Bus: The Complete Series (DVD)
Scholastic Studio’s cartoon adaptation of the educational
book series by Bruce Degen and Joanna Cole made its debut just as I was
entering college. So I missed out on “The Magic School Bus.” I had always heard
good things about it, but it wasn’t until this set was released that I was able
to sit down and see what all the hype was all about. Fortunately the series
lives up to its reputation as a fun way to learn about science and technology.
If you’re kids are going to be planted in front of a television they might as
well be educated as well as entertained.
Paradise Lost Trilogy: Collector’s Edition (DVD)
The landmark documentary films from Joe Berlinger and Bruce
Sinofsky about the West Memphis Three, a trio of teens that were charged and
convicted in connection with the murder of three young boys despite a complete
lack of evidence, make their way to DVD in this collector’s set that includes
bonus materials not included on the stand-alone editions.
Warner Bros. did a wonderful job of bringing 1952’s musical
masterpiece “Singin’ in the Rain” to Blu-ray. The Technicoclor presentation
really comes alive in high definition. Not only is there more detail to be
seen, but there is also a hefty boost in color. The box set version comes with
a 48-page book, an umbrella and a collection of theatrical posters. There’s also
plenty of bonus features ranging from a PBS program on producer Arthur Freed
and “What a Glorious Feeling,” a newly produced documentary on the making of
“Singin’ in the Rain.”
Tarantino XX (Blu-ray)
Considering the success of his latest film, “Django Unchained,”
I imagine there are quite a few people out there who would be interested in
picking up this 8-film collection that culls together the director/writer’s
most famous films and throws in two bonus discs of all-new bonus material.
Tim Burton Collection (Blu-ray)
This set features seven of Tim Burton’s films made for
Warner Bros. and a hardcover book. The included films are: “Pee Wee’s Big
Adventure,” “Beetlejuice,” “Batman,” “Batman Returns,” “Mars Attacks!,” “Corpse
Bride” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Universal Studios: 100th Anniversary Collection (DVD and
Blu-ray)
To celebrate their 100th anniversary Universal Pictures
released a plethora of classic titles in 2012. This set contains 25 of the
studios biggest releases including a bit of everything including “Jurassic
Park,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Scarface,” “Despicable Me,” “The Bourne
Identity” and “All Quiet on the Western Front.” It’s an eclectic mix of films,
but they’re all classics in their own genres so it’s hard to fault the variety.
Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection
(Blu-ray)
As a fan of classic horror films I was more than happy to
add this set to my collection. It features 8 of Universal’s most celebrated
horror films including “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “The Bride of Frankenstein,”
“The Wolf Man,” “The Mummy,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Invisible Man”
and “The Creature from the Black Lagoon.” The packaging is excellent, the bonus
features are extensive and the films look marvelous.
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