DVD Movie Guide @ dvdmg.com
.
Review Archive:  # | A-C | D-F | G-I | J-L | M-O | P-R | S-U | V-Z | Viewer Ratings | Main
SONY

MOVIE INFO

Director:
Various
Cast:
Various
Writing Credits:
Various

Synopsis:
Six of Columbia Pictures' most popular and acclaimed films on 4K UHD.

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio:
English Dolby 2.0
Subtitles:
None
Closed-captioned


See individual reviews for additional specs on the collection.


Price: $164.98

Available Only as Part of “Columbia Classics” 6-Movie Collection
Release Date: 6/16/2020

Bonus:
• Excerpts from Columbia Pictures 50th Anniversary” TV Special
• “Mr. Attenborough and Mr. Gandhi” Documentary
• Hardcover Book


PURCHASE @ AMAZON.COM

EQUIPMENT
-LG OLED65C6P 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV
-Marantz SR7010 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD AV Surround Receiver
-Sony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Dolby Vision Blu-ray Player
-Chane A2.4 Speakers
-SVS SB12-NSD 12" 400-watt Sealed Box Subwoofer


RELATED REVIEWS


Columbia Classics Collection: Bonus Disc [4K UHD] (1939-1996)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (July 19, 2020)

COLUMBIA CLASSICS COLLECTION

MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON: “Though not without flaws, Mr, Smith Goes to Washington offers a stirring look at one man's battle against corruption. Charming and rousing, it deserves its lofty status among classic pictures.”

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA: “The plaudits Lawrence of Arabia has received over the years are completely appropriate, as this stunning epic fully deserves as much praise as can be heaped upon it. Lawrence is an amazing piece of work that never fails to entertain and delight.”

DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB: “Dr. Strangelove works,, but mainly because of some highly-entertaining performances from the actors. Otherwise, too much of the movie comes across as smug and arrogant, so it feels much too self-congratulatory for my liking. The picture mocks its subjects but offers no better ideas of its own.”

GANDHI: “Gandhi provides a noble but dull examination of its lead character. While well-meaning, the film lacks substance and fails to find much insight or drama.”

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: “A League Of Their Own works tremendously well as both comedic and dramatic fare. It’s a movie that both men and women can enjoy and it charms from (almost) start to finish.”

JERRY MAGUIRE: “Outside of its bloated running time, I can’t find much to fault in Jerry Maguire. The film may sputter at times due to its length, but it offers enough comedy and romance to succeed.”


The Disc Grades: Picture NA/ Audio NA/ Bonus NA

The Bonus Disc:

With this “Columbia Classics Collection” 4K UHD package, we get six of the studio’s most acclaimed movies. These span nearly 60 years from 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to 1996’s Jerry Maguire.

Five of the six received nominations for the Best Picture Academy Award, and two – 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia and 1982’s Gandhi - took home the big prize.

Four of the six also won at least one Oscar. 1964’s Dr. Strangelove got three nominations but went home empty, while 1992’s A League of Their Own received zero Oscar love despite the presence of a popular Madonna song on the soundtrack.

Though this article covers the set as a whole, I want to concentrate mainly on the package’s final platter. Called “Bonus Disc”, this standard DVD includes two added programs.

From 1975, we get excerpts from Columbia Pictures 50th Anniversary TV Special. Narrated by Orson Welles, it runs 44 minutes, 45 seconds and features comments from filmmaker Frank Capra and actors Ernest Borgnine, Rosalind Russell, Glenn Ford and Phil Silvers.

Though we do get a smattering of notes from the subjects mentioned above and see some prominent locations, “Anniversary” exists more as a repository for movie clips. It’s watchable for archival reasons but that’s about it, as it brings few actual informative nuggets to the table.

With Mr. Attenborough and Mr. Gandhi, we find a 50-minute, 45-second documentary from 1983. It delivers comments from director Richard Attenborough, co-producer Rani Dube, production designer Stuart Craig, Gandhi Museum’s Usha Metha, Gandhi’s secretary Pyarelal, assistant to the director Michael White, assistant director Steve Lanning, and actors John Mills, Candice Bergen, Ben Kingsley, Martin Sheen, Alyque Padamsee, and Geraldine James.

Most of this documentary mixes shots from the set with film snippets. Interview material appears somewhat infrequently and fails to tell us much of use, though we do get a handful of notes that relate to the historical Gandhi.

The behind the scenes material works fine, though the awful quality of the videotape makes it less than appealing. This documentary fares better than the dull “Anniversary” but it never becomes especially compelling, as we don’t learn enough about the production.

Finally, the “Columbia Classics” package includes a hardcover book. It mixes photos, archival materials and essays. This becomes a nice addition to the set.

With six well-regarded movies, “Columbia Classics” offers a little something for everyone. Of course, some of the films fare better than others, but this nonetheless becomes a nice collection of films. The 4K UHDs present all six well, with high-caliber picture and audio as well as useful supplements. This bonus DVD doesn’t add much value to the package, but it does no harm.

With a list price of almost $165, viewers will need to enjoy most of the movies to make a purchase worthwhile. If you fit that bill, you’ll find this package well worth the money.

Viewer Film Ratings: 4 Stars Number of Votes: 1
05:
14:
0 3:
02:
01:
View Averages for all rated titles.

.
Review Archive:  # | A-C | D-F | G-I | J-L | M-O | P-R | S-U | V-Z | Viewer Ratings | Main