Billy Wilder DVD Collection--what's the deal? (1 Viewer)

[Peter Canavese]

I'm sure there's a post on this buried somewhere, but the search function isn't working. Thus far, I've only found a review of Private Life of Sherlock Holmes--any reviews of the set? Like everyone else, I'm dying to know if all are anamorphic or if this is a slapped together set with only the new ones anamorphic...any new extras on the previously released ones?
I also read an article about the set (reviewed the movies but not the set) in the San Jose Mercury News which said the set includes Witness for the Prosecution, while one website I perused claimed that title had been excised from the set...so not sure...is it 8 or 9 discs now?

 

[Joel C]

It still includes nine discs, according to every retailer at least. As far as I know, the following are anamorphic:

-Kiss Me, Stupid (with trailer and alternate scene)
-Avanti! (with trailer)
-Private Life... Holmes (with documentary, trailer, ect)
-Apartment (same old disc)
-One, Two, Three (trailer)
-The Fortune Cookie (same old disc)
-Irma La Douce (same old disc)

The following (also reissues) are non-anamorphic because MGM doesn't do anamorphic for 1.66:1 titles:

-Some Like It Hot: SE
-Witness for the Prosecution

The transfers on all the re-issues are fairly good, save The Apartment, which suffers from some pretty serious edge enhancement and digital artifacting.

 

[RonWilson]

I heard that only the box set in Canada is missing "Witness For The Prosecution". Which totally doesn't make any sense.

 

[Peter Kline]

There's a major story on the set in USA Today. Go to here.

 

[Peter Canavese]

Right--I must've been reading a Canadian review site. It's hugely disappointing, but not particularly surprising, that MGM hasn't upgraded The Apartment, etc. *sigh* The print media tends to be a) oblivious or b) charitably "ignorant" to such things regarding the studios which "feed them" advance screeners. The movies deserve praise, but not always the sometimes shoddy box sets...still, based on a stellar online deal, I've suckered into voting with my dollars and against my conscience. I'll "repurpose" my old Apartment and Fortune Cookie and hope for a future rererelease of The Apartment *double sigh*

 

[Randy A Salas]

There's a major story on the set in USA Today.

The USA Today write-up erroneously states that five of the titles in the set are new to DVD. The number of new titles is actually four.

It also oddly states that the set begins with Witness for the Prosecution, when the movies are packaged in individual keepcases and you can watch them in any order you want. (And they're listed on the box and packaged in the case in alphabetical order.)

 

[Jeff Swindoll]

PLOSH DVD review at the Cinema Laser
For others, who might also want to read a review of Private life of Sherlock Holmes. Cheers.

 

[Joel C]

I ordered the set from DVDsoon (a Canadian e-tailer), and the site lists all nine titles. I won't be pleased if I miss out on one of them.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Well, for what it's worth, you can read my brief write-up, which focuses on the most worthy new title, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, by following the link in my sig.

 

[Jay W]

Same here Joel (I couldn't pass it up at that price), no luck trying to find out if the Canadian release is indeed missing one.

Thanks for the link Randy.

 

[Randy A Salas]

It also oddly states that the set begins with Witness for the Prosecution

Ah, I've figured out that the USA Today writer meant that Witness for the Prosecution is the first movie chronologically. My comments still stand.

 

[Joel C]

He did get the number of new titles wrong, but I thought the chronological order thing was fairly obvious, since the dates were next to each film description.

 

[Tom Tsai]

If you click on the coverart, it only lists 8 titles...sans Witness for the Prosecution.

 

[Seymour Uranowitz]

I received the set today from DVD Soon, and it in fact only includes 8 titles. When I heard that Witness for the Prosection was missing, I ordered it from DeepDiscountDVD for $9.12. The complete 9-disc set cost under $75, which I think is a pretty good deal. And all 9 arrived on the same day!

 

[Rain]

I heard that only the box set in Canada is missing "Witness For The Prosecution". Which totally doesn't make any sense.

That's not surprising as that title has never been available domestically in Canada.

I'm not sure why, but would guess it has something to do with distribution rights.

I had to get a copy sent up to me by an HTF member in the US (thanks, Patrick!) as I didn't have a credit card at the time.