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TWO Greta Garbo Collections from Warners in September! (1 Viewer)

Mario Gauci

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I don't know but sometimes I can't help but roll my eyes at the reactions of other people here (and elsewhere) over an announcement like this.

Maybe it's because I've watched most of them so many years ago (mid-80s to early 90s) but it kinda makes me feel old (even though I KNOW I'm not being only 28:)) when people say something along the lines of (with no offence intended to whoever posted them): "Hmm, I've never seen any of these, I might be tempted", "I have only seen Ninotchka of all of these" or "I've become very interested in Garbo's work, so, as with the Errol Flynn box, these will be enthusiastic blind buys for me."

Besides, I'm even more at a loss reading statements like the following (again, with apologies to the posters concerned): "I won't be getting either box set, but QUEEN CHRISTINA is one of my favorite films of all time", "There's only one of these films I want, but boy do I want it badly: Ninotchka" and "GREAT NEWS!!!! I'll be only getting Ninotchka which had been on my wish list as long as Top Hat and Swing Time!!!"

It's obvious that buying the 1 or 2 titles one is really interested in out of a 6-Disc Box Set is cheaper but wouldn't it be more sensible to buy the entire set during a sale or from an online retailer which is known for its low prices? How do you know that you won't be enjoying the rest of them unless you give them a chance? Sure, I may not have given the Joan Crawford, Bette Davis and Greta Garbo titles I had on VHS a regular workout over the years but it's good to know they're there (or will be in the case of their upcoming DVDs), isn't it? Then again, maybe that's why I have amassed 840 discs in almost 5 years with (at the moment) 279 still unwatched and 317 merely watched once:frowning:!!

To counter all this, however, I must say that I am relieved when I watch other people get worked up about something I have no interest in whatsoever (practically all contemporary theatrical releases, season-by-season TV Series Box Sets, etc.:)).

I know life isn't only made up of movies and DVDs but, as Stanley Kubrick used to say, "There's nothing that gives you the same amount of satisfaction"! And, deep down, I think we all agree with this because, otherwise, we wouldn't dedicate a sizable portion of our salaries on our expensive hobby...or a sizable portion of the day lurking and posting around these here parts:)!
 

george kaplan

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Well I don't know about desired, but it's certainly not a taste that I've acquired as a general rule. There probably are some films that I like that would be classified as melodramas, but certainly not many. Would you consider any of the following films to be melodramas?

Random Harvest
City of Angels
The Graduate
An Officer & a Gentleman
An Affair to Remember
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
Somewhere in Time
Casablanca
The Shop Around the Corner
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Citizen Kane
The Winds of War
War & Remembrance
The Homecoming
It's a Wonderful Life

Those are the closest things to melodramas in my collection.
 

Rob_Ray

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Would you consider any of the following films to be melodramas?

Random Harvest
City of Angels
The Graduate
An Officer & a Gentleman
An Affair to Remember
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
Somewhere in Time
Casablanca
The Shop Around the Corner
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Citizen Kane
The Winds of War
War & Remembrance
The Homecoming
It's a Wonderful Life
I love melodramas. They are one of my favorite genres. And I must point out that I can't think of any titles in Hollywood history MORE melodramatic than the James Hilton titles you mentioned: Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Random Harvest. Also Somewhere in Time. Casablanca is also very melodramatic, as are the most of the other titles you mention, a few of which I haven't seen.
 

Ruz-El

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Mario,

The reason I stated that I might be tempted to pick these up is because I can't think of one Garbo picture that I've actually seen, I'm sure I haven't seen any of the titles in either collection. But based on the enthusiastic response to others on the forum, and the fact the Warners classic sets are typically top notch affairs at a good value, I might be tempted to pick these up. If they announce some decent special features on top of the movies themselves, I'll probably get both. As it stands, I'm sure I'll grab the Silent set.

I don't know why this would cause eye rolling?
 

Mario Gauci

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Quote (originally posted by Russell G):

"As it stands, I'm sure I'll grab the Silent set."



Russell,


You can rest assured that, as some posters have already mentioned, the 6 titles included in the Garbo Talkie set are her best so, if you are interested at all in pursuing her work, you won't have a better chance.

Likewise, FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926) is her most highly-thought of Hollywood Silent so it was a natural inclusion for the "TCM Archives" set. By the way, I'm glad to meet another fan of Silent movies.


Quote (originally posted by Russell G):

"But those unwanted films (such as Stage Door) sit, unwatched, on my shelf, and serve no purpose. There are even some films I haven't bought because they are only availble in a box set with other films I don't want. Case in point, It's A Gift. Hopefully someday it'll be released on it's own."


If any one can make sense out of such behavior is welcome to enlighten me. I surely cannot see how someone would love IT'S A GIFT (1934) and not care at all for the rest of the W.C. Fields films in Universal's Box Set...or have STAGE DOOR (1937) lying around the house unopened and unwatched. Now that you have it, give it a spin - at worst, you'd have wasted 2 hours of your time. After all, what's 2 puny little hours against the 7 of LES VAMPIRES (1915-16):)!
 

Art_AD

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I am guessing that the talk of Kevin Brownlow doing two documenteries for Warner, one will be about Garbo and probably be on the TCM archive set. I would also bet the only known footage of "The Divine Woman" will also be on the TCM set. If all the listed titles are released that would mean two titles "The Temptress" & the German language version of "Anna Christie" will make their home video debut as all the other Garbo MGM titles have been released in some format (excluding one lost silent where she made a cameo "A Man's Man").
 

george kaplan

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It's a Gift is a funny, entertaining movie. The others in the set had some nice moments, but overall were nothing I'd want to watch again. Simple as that.
 

Jim_K

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FWIW - I've seen the same 3 films (Camille, Anna Karenina & Ninotchka) I'll also just be getting Ninotchka.

FYI - for George or anyone else who hasn't seen them yet - Queen Christina, Anna Christie & Mata Hari are all playing on TCM the end of this month (31st) if you're interested in recording them, which I am, Tivo is all set. :D
 

Paul_Scott

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:laugh:
hey, Warners sets are great buys, but i'm running into a couple obstacles- time to watch them and space to store them, and neither is as flexible as i would like.
besides, i started using Netflix more often, and that has helped cut down on my 'collecting for the sake of collecting' impulses.
i will more than likely be seeing all the Garbo movies in that set in my HT at some point-i just don't feel the need to own all of them.
 

Robert Harris

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Queen Christina alone will be worth the price of admission to the Garbo set.

RAH
 

Mario Gauci

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Quote (originally posted by George Kaplan):

"You misunderstood. I've seen the film. I have zero desire to see it again. Certainly if I had bought the box with films I hadn't seen, I'd watch those. I'm talking about buying a box with films I've seen, and don't want to see again. I've already wasted those 2 hours of my time."


Well, that makes much more sense to me now:). However, even though I really love only 2 of the 6 films included in the "Classic Comedies Collection" - BRINGING UP BABY (1938) and TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942) - I've watched all the rest along the years and wouldn't mind doing so again in the future, despite having yet to purchase the Box Set myself:frowning: But that's just me, of course...


Quote (originally posted by George Kaplan):

"It's a Gift is a funny, entertaining movie. The others in the set had some nice moments, but overall were nothing I'd want to watch again. Simple as that."


I wish it were so simple for me:).

Although I concede that W.C. Fields' unique comic persona and style isn't the easiest to warm up to, I've immediately taken him to heart myself and am perfectly happy with Universal's Box Set. If only they'd release a second set sooner rather than later:)...

By the way, you seem to be a fan of Jacques Tati. Now, there's a comic "genius" I've never been able to "get"! I've watched all 6 feature films of his once each and have been scratching my head ever since:). From this distance, I'd say that the one I found most satisfactory was MON ONCLE (1958) but, man, PLAYTIME (1967) was one interminable endurance test:)! I don't think it's a coincidence therefore that, while I was viewing IT'S A GIFT (1934) on DVD on New Year's Eve, I was reminded of Tati and MON ONCLE in particular and, what'd you know, I actually started entertaining the notion of adding the exisiting Tati Criterion DVDs to my collection! For the record, I have his first 4 films on VHS but am not in any particular rush to give them another spin:) but, wouldn't you say I'd be missing out if I decided not to give them a second chance in the future?


Quote (originally posted by Jim_K):

"I'm really perplexed by this. I'll never understand the need to buy every release just because it exists. Must be my age. 37 To each his own though."


Maybe, I'll start thinking the way you do when I get to be your age but, luckily for me, it's still a few years away:)...


Quote (originally posted by Jim_K):

"Seriously though what's with all the peer pressure? I'm with George on this one. If it's films he's seen & really didn't care much for why should he buy the box? I'm also not much into the blind-buy habit unless it's an almost sure thing. Especially when there are other avenues to see classic films for the first time, TCM being a major help."


I don't know where you got the impression that I was exercising "peer pressure" on George or anybody else around here. As I said earlier, I didn't know that he was already familiar with STAGE DOOR, etc. However, you did manage to give an answer to your own perplexity i.e. never understanding the need to buy every release just because it exists. While I certainly don't buy everything, unlike most of you I guess, I don't have the commodity of Netflix and TCM so, if there's a particular film I wish to watch, I have no other choice but to go out and buy it. That's one of the main reasons why my collection has ballooned to 800+ discs. Have I had bum blind buys along the way? Sure, but I've yet to dispose of any of them and probably won't either:).


Quote (originally posted by Jim_K):

"There are many times when I'm perplexed with one of George's posts but this isn't one of them."


Me too...but that's what makes his "controversial" posts such fun to read:)!


Now that the official specs are out, I'm glad that I haven't purchased the GRAND HOTEL (1932) DVD yet, that another Kevin Brownlow feature-length Documentary has been prepared especially for this occasion, that the German-language version of ANNA CHRISTIE (1930) will indeed be included, as well as the 1921 Silent version of CAMILLE (unless Warners do an abrupt roundabout similar to the disappearance of the 1929 version of THE LETTER on their disc of its Bette Davis remake:frowning:).

I'm not too pleased about the lack of supplements on MATA HARI (1931), QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933; for cryin' out loud:frowning:!) and ANNA KARENINA (1935) but you can't always get what you want:frowning:!
 

Jim_K

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I'm approaching 700 myself with only 2-3 titles unwatched mostly because I'd seen them recently before hitting DVD.

I was mostly poking fun at your unwatched pile. This is not a criticism of you, just pointing out a major difference between our collecting habits. :)

Though I do understand and sympathize with your inaccessibility issue i.e. no rental avenues or premium classic film channels.
 

Steve...O

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Glorious cover art and full details can be found at DVD TIMES

Price is quite a bit steeper than the normal Signature Collection, but then, this is not your normal Signature Collection :)

Thanks Warners.

Steve
 

Patrick McCart

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It's no worse than the Alfred Hitchcock box set, which was the exact same MSRP.

It was only about $70 by the time it came to Amazon.com*

(Considering that the silents collection will be $33 on most sites, you're actually saving money if you get the box set if you just want the silents plus three of the talkies)
 

Steve...O

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Quite true Patrick. I'm not complaining about the price (which still works out to be under $10 per DVD). However having just paid $30 to $40 for the Flynn, Grant, Noir, Looney Tunes, etc. sets it's easy to see how one can get spoiled by the incredible value offered by many of the Warner boxes. The $70 I spent for Hitch was the most I've had to pay for any WB box (and it was well worth it). It will be interesting to see how this one sells. Garbo is a famous name, but her films are probably unknown to most of the public. I haven't seen most of this films myself.

By the way, my apologies to TimJS. I overlooked his post #32 which was the first to include the DVD Times link.

Steve
 

Roger Rollins

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This boxed set is really a marvel.

You get Garbo's greatest pictures from the sound era, and 3 impressive silent films, plus a new Kevin Brownlow documentary for what will ultimtately be about $70 online.

Amazing.

As soon as I am able, I will place my pre-order for the box.

Sweet.
 

Jack Theakston

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Not to rain on the parade, but no doubt FLESH AND THE DEVIL will be the Brownlow edition. Will they PLEASE reinstate the original ending? I find it obnoxious that it was taken out in the first place because of an interview with the director 50 years after the fact.

Other than that, I highly endorse this overdue set.
 

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