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Do IT this week: Layering
Popular movies, TV series are repackaged for devotees
By Rich Heldenfels
Beacon Journal popular culture writer
POSTED: 07:55 a.m. EST, Nov 29, 2009
With the holiday shopping season in full force, you are undoubtedly looking for some big, awe-inspiring items. And DVD distributors have more than a few suggestions.
This is the time of year for the megasets. Movie festivals in a box. Entire TV series, often with three-digit price tags, in a single package. Bundles urging you to upgrade — like the six Rocky movies or Star Trek big-screen adventures in a Blu-ray set. And at times it is all in a gigantic, decorative package, which will demand that you clear space on a shelf or a coffee table.
A 19-disc Futurama ''complete collection,'' for example, comes in a box a foot tall, 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep. Not that you would keep it in the box, since inside is the head of the series' robot Bender, which holds the DVDs in the set. It's definitely centerpiece material — if the person in charge of your home decorating is both understanding and a fan of animated sci-fi comedy. (I have also offered detailed looks at this and other boxes in my weekly video on Ohio.com.)
On the other hand, some boxes are meant to be more compact than previous releases. The complete-series box of Rome is about the size of one of the single-season packages from the show's two seasons. Homicide: Life on the Street has been reissued in a more compact container than its previous compilation, as well as being a little more user-friendly than the earlier, file-cabinet-style box. And it costs less.
Indeed, repackaging and complete-series sets can offer a price break compared to earlier releases or buying the individual seasons (although the single-season sets let you stretch your giving across multiple gift occasions).
A repackaging of the complete series of The Sopranos drops the three audio CDs of the show's soundtracks, but the compensation is a suggested retail price $100 lower than on the previous issue. (That said, you may want to do some browsing; I saw one online retailer selling both the original, 33-disc package and the newer, 30-disc one for the same discounted price.)
So happy shopping. And, to help you along, here are some of the big-box titles being offered this season. Titles are available now unless otherwise indicated. Prices are suggested list, and you may find sizable discounts from some retailers.
• Ally McBeal: The Complete Series. All 112 episodes covering the show's five seasons, on 31 discs, with a 32nd disc of 12 Vonda Shepard songs from the series. $199.98.
• Dawson's Creek: The Complete Series. Twenty-three discs of 127 episodes of the teen drama starring James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams. With a bonus disc of extras and a 25th containing six songs from the series. $119.95.
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series. Repackaged reissue of the Jane Seymour series, including all the episodes and two TV-movies. $149.95.
• Drawn Together: The Complete Series — Extended and Uncensored. Thirty-six episodes of the adult animated comedy. Let me say it again: ADULT animated comedy. $59.98.
• Farscape: The Complete Series. Eighty-eight episode set, on 26 discs, of the cult fantasy series. But not quite complete; there's a reunion movie you have to buy separately. $149.95.
• Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection. All 96 episodes of the beloved live-action children's series. $99.98. (The animated version comes to DVD in January.)
• Futurama: The Complete Collection ($199.98). All the episodes from four seasons, plus four movies and a storage case shaped like the robot Bender's head.
• G.I. Joe: The Complete Series. Collection of the '80s animated series, on 17 discs, in a footlocker-shaped box. $179.99.
• Hogan's Heroes: Kommandant's Kollection: The Komplete Series. Twenty-seven discs covering six seasons of the CBS comedy starring Bob Crane. $162.99.
• Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Series. Repackaging of the NBC drama, with all 122 episodes, three crossovers with Law & Order, and a reunion/wrap-up movie. $149.95.
• It's Garry Shandling's Show: The Complete Series. The groundbreaking comedy, which originally aired on Showtime, with bonus features. $159.99 for 72 episodes on 16 discs.
• The Complete ''Love Comes Softly'' Collection. In stores Tuesday. Eight films which originally aired on Hallmark, based on the novels by Janette Oke. Includes Love Comes Softly, Love's Enduring Promise, Love's Long Journey, Love's Abiding Joy, Love's Unending Legacy, Love's Unfolding Dream, Love Takes Wing and Love Finds a Home. $99.98.
• The Mel Brooks Collection. Blu-ray compilation, Dec. 15. Nine movies — The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World — Part I, To Be or Not To Be,Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights — and a companion book. $139.99.
• The Official Major League Baseball World Series Film Collection. Recaps of the fall classics, from 1943 to 2008, as prepared and presented shortly after each series. Twenty discs in a photo-illustrated, coffee-table-book-like case. $229.95.
• The Paul Newman Tribute Collection. Contains The Long Hot Summer, Rally 'Round the Flag Boys, From the Terrace, Exodus, The Hustler, Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, What a Way To Go!, Hombre, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Towering Inferno, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, Quintet and The Verdict, some in two-disc ''special editions.'' With a book containing some fine photos of Newman. $89.98. If you're feeling generous, or especially nostalgic about Newman, you could package this with 2006's Paul Newman Collection of films for Warner Bros.; it includes Harper, The Drowning Pool, The Left-Handed Gun, The Mackintosh Man, Pocket Money, Somebody Up There Likes Me and The Young Philadelphians, with a list price of $59.98.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Live. Nine-disc collection of highlights from rock hall induction ceremonies and its 1995 Cleveland concert, including musical performances, introductory speeches and inductees' remarks. Oddly organized but very watchable. $119.96 through TimeLife.com and RockHallDVDs.com. Smaller compilations are available through retailers.
• Rocky: The Undisputed Collection Blu-ray versions. The six Sylvester Stallone films, from Rocky through Rocky Balboa, and a seventh disc of previously released and new extras. $89.99.
• Rome: The Complete Series. Compact package of the two seasons of the HBO historical drama. $99.98.
• The Samuel Fuller Collection. Seven films from the legendary writer-director, two directed by him, the rest written or based on his writing. Includes The Crimson Kimono, Underworld USA, Power of the Press, Scandal Sheet, Adventure in Sahara, It Happened in Hollywood and Shockproof, along with tributes from Tim Robbins, Martin Scorsese and others. $79.95.
• The Shield: The Complete Series Collection. One of the best dramas in television history, as well as having one of the best series finales ever, on 29 discs, with book. $159.95.
• The Sopranos: The Complete Series. Reissue of the HBO series in a package containing all the original episodes, but dropping some extras from a previous DVD megaset. $299.98.
• SpongeBob Squarepants: The First 100 Episodes. Fourteen discs of the animated comedy. $99.99.
• Star Trek Original Motion Picture Collection. Blu-ray compilation of the first six big-screen Trek films (The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Voyage Home, Final Frontier, Undiscovered Country), at least three of which are good movies, and a Captains' Summit bonus disc. $139.99. You may also want to look for the Next Generation movie collection on Blu-ray: $79.99 for Generations, First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis.
• The Steve Coogan Collection. You may know him as the movie director at the beginning of Tropic Thunder, or from his supporting role in Night at the Museum. But he's a very funny writer-actor on his own, as this collection of his British TV projects demonstrates again and again. Thirteen discs, $129.98.
• The Transformers 25th Anniversary Matrix of Leadership Edition. Elaborately boxed, extras-laden package of 98 animated episodes from the series that led to the big-screen blockbusters. On 16 discs. $169.99.
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal, in the HeldenFiles Online blog at http://heldenfels.ohio.com, on Facebook and on Twitter. He can be reached at 330-996-3582 and rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.
With the holiday shopping season in full force, you are undoubtedly looking for some big, awe-inspiring items. And DVD distributors have more than a few suggestions.
This is the time of year for the megasets. Movie festivals in a box. Entire TV series, often with three-digit price tags, in a single package. Bundles urging you to upgrade — like the six Rocky movies or Star Trek big-screen adventures in a Blu-ray set. And at times it is all in a gigantic, decorative package, which will demand that you clear space on a shelf or a coffee table.
A 19-disc Futurama ''complete collection,'' for example, comes in a box a foot tall, 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep. Not that you would keep it in the box, since inside is the head of the series' robot Bender, which holds the DVDs in the set. It's definitely centerpiece material — if the person in charge of your home decorating is both understanding and a fan of animated sci-fi comedy. (I have also offered detailed looks at this and other boxes in my weekly video on Ohio.com.)
On the other hand, some boxes are meant to be more compact than previous releases. The complete-series box of Rome is about the size of one of the single-season packages from the show's two seasons. Homicide: Life on the Street has been reissued in a more compact container than its previous compilation, as well as being a little more user-friendly than the earlier, file-cabinet-style box. And it costs less.
Indeed, repackaging and complete-series sets can offer a price break compared to earlier releases or buying the individual seasons (although the single-season sets let you stretch your giving across multiple gift occasions).
A repackaging of the complete series of The Sopranos drops the three audio CDs of the show's soundtracks, but the compensation is a suggested retail price $100 lower than on the previous issue. (That said, you may want to do some browsing; I saw one online retailer selling both the original, 33-disc package and the newer, 30-disc one for the same discounted price.)
So happy shopping. And, to help you along, here are some of the big-box titles being offered this season. Titles are available now unless otherwise indicated. Prices are suggested list, and you may find sizable discounts from some retailers.
• Ally McBeal: The Complete Series. All 112 episodes covering the show's five seasons, on 31 discs, with a 32nd disc of 12 Vonda Shepard songs from the series. $199.98.
• Dawson's Creek: The Complete Series. Twenty-three discs of 127 episodes of the teen drama starring James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams. With a bonus disc of extras and a 25th containing six songs from the series. $119.95.
• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Complete Series. Repackaged reissue of the Jane Seymour series, including all the episodes and two TV-movies. $149.95.
• Drawn Together: The Complete Series — Extended and Uncensored. Thirty-six episodes of the adult animated comedy. Let me say it again: ADULT animated comedy. $59.98.
• Farscape: The Complete Series. Eighty-eight episode set, on 26 discs, of the cult fantasy series. But not quite complete; there's a reunion movie you have to buy separately. $149.95.
• Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Collection. All 96 episodes of the beloved live-action children's series. $99.98. (The animated version comes to DVD in January.)
• Futurama: The Complete Collection ($199.98). All the episodes from four seasons, plus four movies and a storage case shaped like the robot Bender's head.
• G.I. Joe: The Complete Series. Collection of the '80s animated series, on 17 discs, in a footlocker-shaped box. $179.99.
• Hogan's Heroes: Kommandant's Kollection: The Komplete Series. Twenty-seven discs covering six seasons of the CBS comedy starring Bob Crane. $162.99.
• Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Series. Repackaging of the NBC drama, with all 122 episodes, three crossovers with Law & Order, and a reunion/wrap-up movie. $149.95.
• It's Garry Shandling's Show: The Complete Series. The groundbreaking comedy, which originally aired on Showtime, with bonus features. $159.99 for 72 episodes on 16 discs.
• The Complete ''Love Comes Softly'' Collection. In stores Tuesday. Eight films which originally aired on Hallmark, based on the novels by Janette Oke. Includes Love Comes Softly, Love's Enduring Promise, Love's Long Journey, Love's Abiding Joy, Love's Unending Legacy, Love's Unfolding Dream, Love Takes Wing and Love Finds a Home. $99.98.
• The Mel Brooks Collection. Blu-ray compilation, Dec. 15. Nine movies — The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World — Part I, To Be or Not To Be,Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights — and a companion book. $139.99.
• The Official Major League Baseball World Series Film Collection. Recaps of the fall classics, from 1943 to 2008, as prepared and presented shortly after each series. Twenty discs in a photo-illustrated, coffee-table-book-like case. $229.95.
• The Paul Newman Tribute Collection. Contains The Long Hot Summer, Rally 'Round the Flag Boys, From the Terrace, Exodus, The Hustler, Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, What a Way To Go!, Hombre, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Towering Inferno, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, Quintet and The Verdict, some in two-disc ''special editions.'' With a book containing some fine photos of Newman. $89.98. If you're feeling generous, or especially nostalgic about Newman, you could package this with 2006's Paul Newman Collection of films for Warner Bros.; it includes Harper, The Drowning Pool, The Left-Handed Gun, The Mackintosh Man, Pocket Money, Somebody Up There Likes Me and The Young Philadelphians, with a list price of $59.98.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Live. Nine-disc collection of highlights from rock hall induction ceremonies and its 1995 Cleveland concert, including musical performances, introductory speeches and inductees' remarks. Oddly organized but very watchable. $119.96 through TimeLife.com and RockHallDVDs.com. Smaller compilations are available through retailers.
• Rocky: The Undisputed Collection Blu-ray versions. The six Sylvester Stallone films, from Rocky through Rocky Balboa, and a seventh disc of previously released and new extras. $89.99.
• Rome: The Complete Series. Compact package of the two seasons of the HBO historical drama. $99.98.
• The Samuel Fuller Collection. Seven films from the legendary writer-director, two directed by him, the rest written or based on his writing. Includes The Crimson Kimono, Underworld USA, Power of the Press, Scandal Sheet, Adventure in Sahara, It Happened in Hollywood and Shockproof, along with tributes from Tim Robbins, Martin Scorsese and others. $79.95.
• The Shield: The Complete Series Collection. One of the best dramas in television history, as well as having one of the best series finales ever, on 29 discs, with book. $159.95.
• The Sopranos: The Complete Series. Reissue of the HBO series in a package containing all the original episodes, but dropping some extras from a previous DVD megaset. $299.98.
• SpongeBob Squarepants: The First 100 Episodes. Fourteen discs of the animated comedy. $99.99.
• Star Trek Original Motion Picture Collection. Blu-ray compilation of the first six big-screen Trek films (The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Voyage Home, Final Frontier, Undiscovered Country), at least three of which are good movies, and a Captains' Summit bonus disc. $139.99. You may also want to look for the Next Generation movie collection on Blu-ray: $79.99 for Generations, First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis.
• The Steve Coogan Collection. You may know him as the movie director at the beginning of Tropic Thunder, or from his supporting role in Night at the Museum. But he's a very funny writer-actor on his own, as this collection of his British TV projects demonstrates again and again. Thirteen discs, $129.98.
• The Transformers 25th Anniversary Matrix of Leadership Edition. Elaborately boxed, extras-laden package of 98 animated episodes from the series that led to the big-screen blockbusters. On 16 discs. $169.99.
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal, in the HeldenFiles Online blog at http://heldenfels.ohio.com, on Facebook and on Twitter. He can be reached at 330-996-3582 and rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.
