UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Columbia Classics Volume 4 -- in 4k UHD (6 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

Granted that unless one is seriously seeking more half, it’s expensive. But only the first volume has grown in value. Others were discounted within months.

I was able to purchase each of the first three volumes for around $90 on their release dates. The reason is the MSRP for each of those previous three volumes was $165.00, not $215.00 that it is for this fourth volume. Furthermore, Amazon and Target discounted that $165.00 MSRP for those previous three volumes by 25-30% on release date. By using accumulated Target or Amazon gift cards I was able to reduce my final sales price to $90 or less. This fourth volume's MSRP of $215.00 is not being discounted at all on Amazon. Sony and Amazon can pound sand at that price point. I can afford to buy this box at that price point, but I'm not because of the principle of the matter along with being lukewarm on three of those six movies while only loving two of the other three movies with Guess Who's Coming to Dinner being a movie that I liked more in my youth than I do now as a senior citizen.

 

[Bryan^H]

I'm just going to buy my favorites in this set -- 'Starman', and 'Punch Drunk Love' on E-Bay. Should be a little over $40.

 

[David Weicker]

Granted that unless one is seriously seeking more half, it’s expensive. But only the first volume has grown in value. Others were discounted within months.

how did the first volume 'grow in value'?

Did they add additional films?

Or are you referring to scalpers who charge more than the original cost
Or are you referring to idiots who don't care about film and only buy it as an 'investment' that they can re-sell?

 

[Kyle_D]

Demand for Lawrence of Arabia propped up the price of Volume 1 for a long time. None of the subsequent volumes included titles as in-demand as Lawrence, so the prices dropped precipitously after release. I was able to snag Volume 3 last year for under $75. I’ll consider Volume 4 once it drops under $100. I already own perfectly good blu-rays of the films I like in this collection.

 

[David Norman]

I'm sure when DeepDiscount/Movies Unlimited/etc get their 2nd batch of stock their price will drop back to at least the $130 level they were until Tuesday when they went on backorder. It may not drop to the 60-70 range like Vol 3, but I certainly expect some slow drop in price over the next several weeks/months. Amazing how Amazon's 'we only lower out price to Pricematch a few people' is now coming to bite

 

[sbjork]

At $169.00 plus shipping with your Zavvi link, I'm not spending $80.00+ more for this volume 4 than I previously spent for the other three volumes which I purchased on release date. Not for a volume in which I only love two of the six movies. It's an easy decision for me because over the years, I purchased the iTunes digital for all six movies. Five of the six have upgraded to 4K/Dolby Vision free of charge. I've only watched His Girl Friday in its entirety in 4K/Dolby Vision. A great looking 4K digital!

Still beats the $215 from Amazon. I was hesitating, but I finally pulled the trigger thanks to the Zavvi link. Am I happy about that price compared to the other ones? No. But I want to keep the collection going, and that's going to be my best deal.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Still beats the $215 from Amazon. I was hesitating, but I finally pulled the trigger thanks to the Zavvi link. Am I happy about that price compared to the other ones? No. But I want to keep the collection going, and that's going to be my best deal.

I'm going to keep the collection going too but it's going to be less than that Zavvi pricing because I don't think it's going to be my best deal.

 

[sbjork]

I'm going to keep the collection going too but it's going to be less than that Zavvi pricing because I don't think it's going to be my best deal.

I'm sure that you're right. These days, I'm just hesitant about waiting because I don't want to miss out on something if it sells out and they don't repress it. Granted, that's not likely with an astronomical $215 MSRP, but I still decided not to chance it. I'm sure that you're likely going to be fine on that score, though. I'm just a nervous Nellie.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm sure that you're right. These days, I'm just hesitant about waiting because I don't want to miss out on something if it sells out and they don't repress it. Granted, that's not likely with an astronomical $215 MSRP, but I still decided not to chance it. I'm sure that you're likely going to be fine on that score, though. I'm just a nervous Nellie.

If this box contained more movies that I love like The Professionals, On the Waterfront, The Caine Mutiny to name a few then perhaps I would be a nervous Nellie too. However, the only two movies I really love in this box are His Girl Friday and Starman. I also have a genuine fondness for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, though it's short of those other two titles.

I'm lukewarm on Sleepless in Seattle, Kramer vs. Kramer and Punch-Drunk Love. Good movies, but not among my favorite films.

 

[B-ROLL]

While we're at it, I suspect there was no 1928 version of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", and if there were, the subject of an interracial marriage would have REALLY been controversial.

We point these out because we love.

There was a musical ... called Showboat ....

 

[Dave H]

I hate this strategy of Sony. I would love to have Kramer vs Kramer, Taxi Driver, A League of their Own, but I don't want a number of the other titles in these boxsets. Yeah, I'll even pay almost $30 for each in a steelbook as I did with Lawrence of Arabia. What happened to customer options? I'm glad most studios don't follow this.

 

[bujaki]

There was a musical ... called Showboat ....

Just to be clear, the musical Show Boat (2 words) premiered on Broadway 27 December 1927. The first part-talkie version was produced in 1929.

 

[cineMANIAC]

I paid $139 at Deep Discount for my copy. There was a coupon that lowered it even further. DD's sister company, Movies Unlimited, was selling it for $179. Amazon hasn't lowered their price because they no longer compete with Best Buy. AFAIK, BB is the only retailer Amazon price matches so there's little hope of a lower price via Amazon. This is my first Columbia Classics purchase. I decided not to wait because I believe this may actually sell out quicker and be harder to find. It's hard to find right now, according to reports. Based off of my impressions of the set I decided to grab Vol. 3. Not really interested in the first two.

 

[owen35]

Wow!

It's true. Watched it last night. It looks incredible!

 

[SimonTC]

Please note that the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is also Dolby Atmos.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Please not that the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is also Dolby Atmos.

Apparently the non-Dolby Atmos is His Girl Friday.

 

[verneaux]

I have had some issues with each of the four collections. I have a 65” Sony Bravia OLED monitor model A90J. I have all motion control and motion smoothing turned off. On all of the films, if there is a panning shot accross vertical lines such as a fence or even buildings there is a kind of strobe. Maybe it’s just me.

 

[JediFonger]

howdy Robert, when you get 4k+blu-ray disc combos, are you also spinning the 1080p blu-ray disc to check it out?
these columbia classics should be creating new blu-rays based on the 4k restorations (at least based on the previous volumes).
so the blu-rays should also be upgraded from any previous releases if they exist.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

I agree with others on here. Only 1 or 2 if any interest for me in this set and especially since there isn’t IMHO a visual masterpiece included like the other sets had to warrant that price or a 4K upgrade. And how Funny Girl wasn’t chosen instead of GWCTD to represent the sixties is beyond me and also in that To Sir With Love was included in Vol 3 and is a better film about race relations IMO. GWCTD always seems rather gimmicky to me and hasn’t aged all that well except for the star performances even though I get that it’s very important as inter- racial marriage was “illegal” back then.
Besides that I already own GWCTD and Starman (both Twilight Time w special features) and Punch-Drunk Love and His Girl Friday (both Criterions w special features) on Blu-ray and Kramer on iTunes which upgraded. So no need for multiple ownership for any of these titles for moi.

 

[dpippel]

My set was supposed to be delivered today, but was delayed by the USPS. Ah well, that'll make tomorrow even better.