Brian T

Just noticed these two on Amazon tonight, scheduled for Sept. 7. These appear to replace the previously announced TCM Gangsters set that included LITTLE CAESAR, WHITE HEAT, PUBLIC ENEMY and HIGH SIERRA, which is no longer being released. Looks like this handy series still has some life left in it after all.



I do have to wonder if HIGH SIERRA has been earmarked for a future TCM set?

Ash Ketchum

I think ROARING TWENTIES, HIGH SIERRA and WHITE HEAT make a better set because they're all directed by Raoul Walsh. Throw in THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, another Walsh/Bogart team-up and you've got a quartet.

CITY FOR CONQUEST is one of Cagney's best. I'd keep that on a set with G-MEN and EACH DAWN I DIE but add ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES.

BULLETS OR BALLOTS, with Robinson and Bogart, should be up there somewhere. One of the best of its type.

davidh777

I'm starting to get into this series. The two-sided discs are great for travel.

GoldenWheels

Don't forget their new Hammer 4 pack!

http://www.amazon.com/TCM-Greatest-C...8693913&sr=1-3

Horror of Dracula
Dracula Has Risen From His Grave
Curse of Frankenstein
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed

Brian T

I do hope it continues. While some previous sets push the "Greatest Classic Films" envelope a bit (MOGAMBO?), there are still plenty of top-tier Warner/MGM titles that would be worthy of inclusion in themed sets like these, especially now that their single-disc variants are more often turning up at Big Lots than anywhere else. And talk about space-saving . . .

davidh777

What's the difference between these and the 4 Film Favorites? These are expensive and the movies are old?

alamo21

I love the western sets tcm puts out.

Brian T

Depends on where and when you buy them. I've got about a dozen so far and never paid more than $12.83 (CDN, but still) for any of them. A few were $9.99, just like the 4 Film Favorites. And yes, the movies are old, but the 4 Film Favorites line has a much higher quotient of dud movies mixed into various sets, whereas these generally do not, except for maybe two or three sets. I also find the special features to be more rewarding on these classic sets. The 4-Film sets occasionally include older DVD versions of films rather than later special editions, while that seems to happen less often in the TCM sets.

davidh777

Thanks! I have nothing against old movies--love 'em--but it just strikes me as funny that these are pretty much the same concept--four movies on two discs--but the TCMs have a higher list price. I do agree that the TCMs seem to have a little bit more care put into them. And of course they have slipcovers.

Brian T

Noticed another new one, coming out November 2: Busby Berkeley Musicals (includes Gold Diggers of 1937, 42nd St., Footlight Parade and Dames)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00406UJWE/

nando820

What one do you guys recommend. I know probably they are all good but which ones should i get first from all these TCM sets?

pbishop69

The best one IMO is the ROARING TWENTIES/PUBLIC ENEMY/LITTLE CAESAR/SMART MONEY.

davidh777

Depends on what you like. These are all good

nando820

Thank you for the recommendations I think I'll start with the Sci-Fi colection since I been wanting to get a copy of "The Time Machine" for a while. Although that musical set is tempting too I saw "Easter Parade" and really enjoyed it and "Singing in the Rain" is supposed to be a great movie. Hmm... Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire in the same set is pretty tempting

Brian T

It's tough to go wrong with most of these sets, actually. I've picked up nearly all of them, soon after selling off any corresponding singles I might have had (used discs fetch decent prices on Amazon Canada, which kept losses to a minimum). The only set I find to be less-than-loaded with "classics" is the Marx Brothers set, which is top-heavy with below-average films.

Also, just discovered another one coming out Nov. 2:

TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Astaire & Rogers
(The Gay Divorcee / Top Hat / Swing Time / Shall We Dance)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00406UJZG/

.

davidh777

This set is how I finally saw both Soylent Green and Forbidden Planet!

And yeah, if you like musicals you have to see Singin' in the Rain. Gene and Fred--and these are two of Judy Garland's best as well. (Wait, was that an intentional eye roll?)

Brian T

Amazon has reduced nearly all of these to $11.99 as I write this (with one at $11.49 and a couple at $12.49). Good time to stock up!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...ilms&x=21&y=17

rmw650

You can never go wrong with Fred and Gene in any of their MGM films. Just a damn shame they only teamed up in one film together...the Zeigfeld Follies. Yeah, they did TE 2, but those guys rule!

Brian T

Three more coming on Feb. 1, apparently (listings at Amazon; no pictures yet):

TCM Greatest Classic Legends: John Ford Westerns
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Three Godfathers, Cheyenne Autumn and Wagon Master

TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Jean Harlow
Dinner at Eight, Libeled Lady, China Seas and Wife Versus Secretary

TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Errol Flynn
The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk and Adventures of Don Juan.

efuerst

Love the line-ups for the February sets. I'm a big fan of this series and it's great that they're branching out into less vague categories.

Brian T

Four more sets announced for April 5:

TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Bette Davis
Now, Voyager, Dark Victory, Old Acquaintance, Jezebel
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H83IFU/

TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Marlon Brando
A Street Car Named Desire: Original Director's Version, Julius Caesar, Teahouse of The August Moon, Reflections in a Golden Eye
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H83ILY/

TCM Greatest Classic Films: Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, Vol. 1
Tarzan the Ape Man, Tarzan Escapes, Tarzan and His Mate and Tarzan Finds a Son!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H83INM/

TCM Greatest Classic Films: Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, Vol. 2
Tarzan’s Secret Treasure, Tarzan’s New York Adventure, Tarzan and the Amazons and Tarzan and the Leopard Woman
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004H83IGY/

Ash Ketchum

I bought two of these at Entertainment Outlet in a 2 for $10 sale. They were the musical set (Band Wagon, Meet Me in St. Louis, Singin' in the Rain, Easter Parade) and the western set (Wild Bunch, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Jeremiah Johnson and the Train Robbers). 8 films ranging from good to great for $10 total. Can't go wrong there.

berigan

So far, these sets have all the extras that were on the original single DVD releases????

Brian T

Largely, yes. In instances where the original was a two-disc set, you get the first disc. I don't generally recall many (if any?) instances of the studio using these as an excuse to dump earlier, bare-bones editions on the market, a la Fox with stuff like Towering Inferno and Poseidon Adventure (among others) in their 75th Anniversary 4-film collections. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened, or won't (others are welcome to correct me), but so far these have turned out to be fantastic value for the money. Several were as low as $7.99 up here during the holidays.

davidh777

As far as I've seen, they have the same features as the single-disc editions, and as the first disc of the two-disc editions. Doesn't really seem like they could dump old stock, though, since they're two-sided. When Warner did their Essential Classics line before this, they did appear to use some of the same discs/labels as other editions because they would say "disc 1" when there was no corresponding disc 2. Not saying it was old stock--could have just been the same pressing/labels as they were running for the stand-alone discs.