I have been a fan of Marilyn Monroe since seeing clips of her in the music video for Elton John's live version of Candle in the Wind. This is far from a complete collection but includes seven of her very well-known movies. The movies included are 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. For me, the best movies on the set are The Misfits and Some Like it Hot. The Misfits (and River of No Return) really showed her acting range, and that she could play more than just a ditzy blonde, a gold-digging blonde, or a gold-digging ditzy blonde. Obviously, being a gorgeous blonde in the 1950s and 1960s limited the roles she could get (especially early in her career), but the variety of movies do at least give you some idea of her range as an actress.
As many have noted, the packaging is pretty bad. The collection comes in a very thin cardboard slip case that's only thicker than a standard Blu-ray jewel case. Inside, you'll find two fold-out "books," with the discs. There are four in the first book, and three in the second book. The discs are inserted into scalloped slits in each book. None of my discs slipped out of the slits during shipping, but it is very easy for them to do so. The movies did get very good A/V transfers, and the extras vary from disc to disc. Most of them have trailers for the movie you are watching and some of her other movies. The Seven Year itch has a commentary track on the film by a biographer and a picture-in-picture version of the movie that pops up information and video clips that are basically about how the movie got around the censors of the time. Then there are a few featurettes, an interactive timeline of Marilyn's career, and a stills gallery. Some Like it Hot also has a commentary track, a making-of feature that included interviews with Director Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis, an interview between Leonard Maltin and Tony Curtis, and a couple of other featurettes. There are no extras specific to this set, however, just what was included with the individual movie releases.
Overall, it is a good set if you are a fan of Marilyn. Some of the films hold up very well even years down the line from their release. Others would definitely not be made today the way they were back in the 50s. The extras on Some Like it Hot and The Seven Year Itch are great, but sparse (to say the least) for the other movies, and the packaging could be a lot better. That said, it is still a great set that is worth picking up.
As many have noted, the packaging is pretty bad. The collection comes in a very thin cardboard slip case that's only thicker than a standard Blu-ray jewel case. Inside, you'll find two fold-out "books," with the discs. There are four in the first book, and three in the second book. The discs are inserted into scalloped slits in each book. None of my discs slipped out of the slits during shipping, but it is very easy for them to do so. The movies did get very good A/V transfers, and the extras vary from disc to disc. Most of them have trailers for the movie you are watching and some of her other movies. The Seven Year itch has a commentary track on the film by a biographer and a picture-in-picture version of the movie that pops up information and video clips that are basically about how the movie got around the censors of the time. Then there are a few featurettes, an interactive timeline of Marilyn's career, and a stills gallery. Some Like it Hot also has a commentary track, a making-of feature that included interviews with Director Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis, an interview between Leonard Maltin and Tony Curtis, and a couple of other featurettes. There are no extras specific to this set, however, just what was included with the individual movie releases.
Overall, it is a good set if you are a fan of Marilyn. Some of the films hold up very well even years down the line from their release. Others would definitely not be made today the way they were back in the 50s. The extras on Some Like it Hot and The Seven Year Itch are great, but sparse (to say the least) for the other movies, and the packaging could be a lot better. That said, it is still a great set that is worth picking up.
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