Fox Collector's Edition DVDs (1 Viewer)

I swear my Alien CE has a number 10 on it. is yours a typo?

Abyss is # 1

Cast Away is #2

ID4 is #3 (I think)

I'm pretty sure my copy of 'The Commitments' is number 15.

1. The Abyss
2. Cast Away
3. Independence Day
4. Planet of the Apes (2001)
5. The Sound of Music
6. Moulin Rouge
7. Die Hard
8. ? ? ? ? ?
9. Fight Club
10. Alien
11. Aliens
12. Alien³
13. Alien: Resurrection
14. Planet of the Apes (1968)
15. The Commitments
16. Predator

-edit-

Didn't Fight Club come out BEFORE the Die Hard special editions? If so, how can it have a lower number??

Is M*A*S*H part of the list?

Edit: Ok, so I just looked at my Abyss, Fight Club and Die Hard Trilogy DVD's and I don't see ANY numbers on the spine?!???

John:

You have the older 2 disc version of The Abyss. The version with the number on it is white. See my DVD link below.

John

First of all you might want to check the following thread for more information on this "series":

Need help with Fox Collector's Edition list

I think it is rather clear that even the folks at Fox are a little confused over this new found series.

It didn't help any that they chose to abandon their Five Star Collection series and then after a couple years of being OOP they began to repackage some, but not all of them as their now numbered Collector's Edition series. Even then they have chosen to label them with different edition nomenclatures which have only further confused the consumer.

Also, there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason over their decision of which titles to now include as part of the series and which not to.

To top it all off Fox has chosen not to offer any kind of reasonable marketing support for this series.

All of this is rather strange as Fox also has another series which is a model for what a "numbered" collector's series should truly be:

20th Century Fox's 'Studio Classics' DVD Series

Each of the DVDs in their Studio Classics Series are very similar. They are all true classics. Each one has been given roughly the same kind of attention to restoration and presentation and include very similar special features. Fox has also been very deliberate in the marketing creating a special style of cover art that can be immediately recognized from all other DVDs. Naturally they also all use the same style keep case.

They have even put together an official website to promote the series, but in fairness, they do not do a very good job keeping it up to date. For instance right now it says that the most recent title released is The Diary of Anne Frank even though it came out almost three months ago! http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/images/smilies/headscratch.gif

Not only that, but the title they list as coming out next month is Peyton Place which was released almost two months ago. There is no mention of The Grapes of Wrath that came out last month, or any of the four titles that will be released next (Desk Set, The Snake Pit, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Zorba the Greek).

And finally their official site offers very little, and sometime no information about the details of each of the DVDs in the series.

On the other hand, Fox's so-called Collector's Edition numbered series is an example of how not to market and promote a collector's series.

This is pure conjecture, but I have a feeling that even the folks at Fox are confused about the way this numbered series is being handled and as such is pretty hush-hush regarding its future.

I was hoping that Fox would follow Warner's example with their 2-Disc Special Edition Series such that while the series is not limited to only classics, each title is given similar presentations and can be easily recognizable as part of a collection. Otherwise, what's the point of numbering them on their spines? Ironically Warner doesn't even number their series even though they all are presented in the same style and look like they all belong together when you have them on a shelf. In fact, Fox's own Studio Classics series is even more similar to each other - so it is rather baffling that they did not do the same for this "Collector's Edition" series.

Only time will tell whether this series continues for much longer, but if it does, I would also bet we will see a dramatic change in the way these DVDs are presented as well as which titles Fox chooses to be included in the series.

Ah! That explains it!

Well there's M*A*S*H, Speed and Cleopatra. Not to mention Die Hard 2 and 3 to fit in. A quick trip to Best Buy should clear this up!

John,

Die Hard 2 & 3, while given the same packaging, and same alpha double DVD case as all the Five Star Collection DVDs, they are both labeled only as Special Editions.

Frankly I am beginning to think Fox is trying to win the record for having the greatest number of different edition nomenclatures (Special Edition, Collector's Edition, Five Star Collection, Limited Edition, Studio Classics, War Classics, Film Noir Classics, etc) as well as being the studio that uses the greatest number of different style of DVD cases.

Ahhhh, I see. Well Fox don't like to make it easy!

Ok, so a question. (I freely admit to not having read most of the above posts, just a quick skim. So my answer might be there...)

Which version is the "best?" I own the Five Star Collection of Indepence Day and the two disc special edition of The Abyss. Also, I own the 2-disc Planet Of The Apes that is from when it first came out.

Not to mention the DTS Predator edition...

So, do I own the quote-unquote "best" editions of these? Or, are have the ones that have only recently been released the better ones?

Paul, I believe #8 in the series is actually There's Something (More) About Mary.

In fact as further evidence that this series is very oddly put together you will notice that Fox released many of these DVDs out of order until the Alien series. From that point on the number on the spine represents the order for which they have been released. Considering that #1-9 were released (re-released) out of order has added to the confusion.

These are certainly excellent DVDs, so let's hope all the confusion doesn't lead Fox into abandoning this type of DVD presentations, but let's also hope they get their act together and figure out exactly what direction they want to take with this series of DVDs.

My R4 copy of The Abyss: SE does not have the number 1 on the spine. It has the code 1988SDW printed on the spine.
I've owned the DVD for a long time, yet I haven't actually viewed the main feature -- I've only watched the documentaries 2 or 3 times...