Murnau, Borzage and Fox

[unclehulot]

The local Costco in Chicago had several copies of this set sitting on its shelves, but also with the $179.99 price tag. I grabbed a manager and asked if they could price match what the other national stores were doing (such as Seattle), and he claimed that the Midwest has a different pricing tier than the south, east and west - and said !

Cannot understand why a corporate chain like Costco (similar to Walmart) would have such a pricing variation (25% off vs. 50% off) in two bigger cities (Seattle/Chicago).

Even as tempting as this set is to own, coupled with the avoidance of discs getting loose during shipment from a place like Amazon, I still could not bring myself to pay $60 more for the convenience, not the way this economy is, and considering that I purchased the Ford Box set from the exact same Costco location exactly a year ago FOR HALF PRICE!

Did you just try and take it to a register and see what it rang up as? Probably that's where you see the discount. Meanwhile, I'm grousing because 2 different locations near me didn't have it, and the stock number is SHARED by two other sets, so you can't call and verify that it's IN stock. It's not offered online either. So screw you, Costco!

[GringoTex]

Saw my first Borzage last night- Street Angel. Glorious stuff. I was on the verge of scoffing at the suped-up melodrama until the very last, when the ending unexpectedly shook me deeply. My only complaint was that Borgaze could have used a good editor in a few scenes that went on too long.

[FilmFanSea]

Just a heads up to anybody who wants the set. I have been checking before and after this set came out for the best price. Today, Barnes and Noble lowered the price to 20% off for members. That plus their 15% off coupon and the 10% visa link, it came out to a total of a little over $157. The killer was the $10+ tax to Florida, but what the heck.

If Deep Discount runs the 25% or even 20% off, that should be the best price next year. But for the impatient ones...

Not a Barnes & Noble member, but used the 25% off emailed coupon [P4X8X3H]. Regular price $191.99; after discount $143.99 (would've been $130 if I were a B&N member). Free shipping (no sales tax to Oregon).

Today (December 18) is last day for coupon; it's good only on a single item.

Very excited to have this baby in my hot, sweaty hands (I think I'll wear gloves).

[kaujot]

So they aren't selling some titles individually?

[Se7en082]

Just a heads up to anybody who wants the set. I have been checking before and after this set came out for the best price. Today, Barnes and Noble lowered the price to 20% off for members. That plus their 15% off coupon and the 10% visa link, it came out to a total of a little over $157. The killer was the $10+ tax to Florida, but what the heck.

If Deep Discount runs the 25% or even 20% off, that should be the best price next year. But for the impatient ones...

Not a Barnes & Noble member, but used the 25% off emailed coupon [P4X8X3H]. Regular price $191.99; after discount $143.99 (would've been $130 if I were a B&N member). Free shipping (no sales tax to Oregon).

Today (December 18) is last day for coupon; it's good only on a single item.

Very excited to have this baby in my hot, sweaty hands (I think I'll wear gloves).

I hope your set arrives in good condition. Mine arrived with no scratched discs! Ironically, one of the discs somehow managed to get out of it's slipcase thingy and was in the middle of one of the pages. And again, no scratches! The only thing my set had was a slight dent at the bottom of the box. I would imagine someone dropped it or something and that sent the disc flying.

But no troubles on my end! Unlike having that Young Mr. Lincoln disc absolutely cracked on my Ford set.

[ola t]

Wow, today's mail was so big, we actually got it in a sack! What do you think is in it, Oskar?


Ooh, it's Daddy's Borzage & Murnau DVDs! Look at Daddy's silly smile -- he seems really happy. This is actually great stuff for an old-movie buff like you, Oskar. Remember when you and Daddy watched Red-Headed Woman and The Love Parade earlier this week? Well, this could be even better!


The cat looks happy too. What a nice box; the size is just perfect. Hey cat, it's not a litter box, OK?

[Scharphedin2]

I just placed an order for the set through DVDEmpire last night. I paid something like $190 for it, knowing full well that I could have purchased it much cheaper elsewhere. However, in my experience with vendors shipping to Scandinavia from the States, Empire has always consistently packaged things more carefully than anyone else. No price is too great for this set, as far as I am concerned, and I would like to do my best to receive it in as good condition as possible. That said, it looks like Barnes & Noble do a very nice job, eh Ola!? Sweet little photo-essay!

[Tom Hagen]

It's a criterionforum lolcat!!

[Matt]

[HerrSchreck]

Mrkgnaowwww.

We skratch dvdeez if you pleeez
We scratch dvdeez if you don't pleeez
We make Ola's happy household upside down
We scratch Seventh Heaven and then Ola Frown

Do you see what I see, by yonder Swede?
YES! Big dvd set, and he really NEED!
What say you and I go inside big box!
Scratch it up 'fore Ola scream "GO 'way kitties, Plox!"

[HerrSchreck]

Borflix Karflox!

Or is that Borzage Karloff?

Waiter!

[Se7en082]

Ola t is a brave man. A child and a cat that close to the set? Almost got a panic attack just by looking at the pictures.

[Mark Metcalf]

Now that I've watched all the discs, I'm disappointed that several of these films are forgettable trifles, like They Had to See Paris, and Young America.

[peerpee]

Boring shipping details warning.

Finally received my copy of MURNAU/BORZAGE here in the UK. Ordered from amazon.com -- took weeks. Received a card through the door today saying I owed £26.85 GBP in customs charges and I had to go and pick it up from the sorting office miles away. The charge was made up of £18.00 import duty, and £8.85 Royal Mail handling charge. This latter charge boggles my mind, especially as postage has already been paid for, and since they don't even bother attempting delivery. Such items are never delivered to the door anymore because posties have been stopped from accepting cash at the door. So folk have to drive miles to the sorting office to pick up items in person and pay for the privilege of doing so.

When a system is so transparently flawed, it endears nothing but resentment for the system and the 'service'.

The box arrived in perfect shape. It had been packed in a snug fitting hard cardboard box that was placed inside a less snug amazon.com box. The item itself is larger and heavier than any other DVD related item I own -- including my DVD player -- and I'm not really impressed by such packaging. Would have preferred Fox to have produced one large format book available separately, and to present all the films in thin Eclipse style cases for $80 or something.

Just glad to have it before Xmas...

Would be interested to hear stories from other UK folk regarding delivery/charges/damage, etc.

[reno dakota]

The charge was made up of £18.00 import duty, and £8.85 Royal Mail handling charge. This latter charge boggles my mind, especially as postage has already been paid for, and since they don't even bother attempting delivery.

Royal Mail charged you a "handling fee" because they payed the import duty on your behalf when your item arrived from Customs. See here. I worked out a trade with another UK forum member earlier in the year and he was charged the same fee.

[kaujot]

When I was studying in London a few years ago, I was really flummoxed by the massive amount that Royal Mail charged me for my DVD copy of the then new edition of The Big Lebowski. £15! That's way more than I paid for the item! I also was similarly gobsmacked by them not actually delivering packages.

And what's up with having to bag your own groceries?

[peerpee]

Royal Mail charged you a "handling fee" because they payed the import duty on your behalf when your item arrived from Customs. See here. I worked out a trade with another UK forum member earlier in the year and he was charged the same fee.

Yeah, I understand that. Must be a nice little earner for them -- seeing as there's no alternative. It's like a Corleone scheme.

[colinr0380]

And what's up with having to bag your own groceries?

That's nothing. These days you have to bring your own bag for them!

[Zazou dans le Metro]

The charge was made up of £18.00 import duty, and £8.85 Royal Mail handling charge. This latter charge boggles my mind, especially as postage has already been paid for, and since they don't even bother attempting delivery.

Royal Mail charged you a "handling fee" because they payed the import duty on your behalf when your item arrived from Customs. See here. I worked out a trade with another UK forum member earlier in the year and he was charged the same fee.

Well after torturing myself for the past weeks on how the Royal Mail was going to royally fuck up the box in transit I can now report that Santa does exist and delivered the box in pristine condition without any excess charges. I think that sometimes Amazon.com route via Deutsche Post (as in this case) and it fools someone somewhere in thinking it's a european affair and avoids duty.

Anyway I reckon it proves that what goes round comes round since I got a parcel last week (The Lynch Lime green set) which tells a different tale. Although miraculously avoiding customs duty it was delivered by a 'seasonal' worker instead of my usual Postie, who whenever I'm out normally leaves stuff in an accessible cellar for me. However his relief put a note through my door informing me that the large parcel too big for my letter box had been left in the large grey plastic bin out front. The bin in question was the water butt, which although empty in the morning filled after a full day's rain and I am now the proud owner of The David Lynch Lime Green Papier Maché set

[kaujot]

And what's up with having to bag your own groceries?

That's nothing. These days you have to bring your own bag for them!

Things have deteriorated so fast.

[domino harvey]

For anyone like me who didn't realize it, apparently all of these films are on Netflix, for those on the fence with packaging concerns or the films themselves

[Adam]

But if you wish to own, here's an update from my trip to Costco today.
I went to a Los Angeles Costco, on Los Feliz Blvd in Atwater Village. They had several copies of the box, labeled at $179.99.
After being depressed about teh price for a minute, I noticed that they had tags strung above with discounts on boxes that I saw weren't mentioned on the box. After carefully checking, I saw one that said something like "Fox TV Megaboxes, list $179,99, Mfg rebate at register 60.00, total at register $119.99, sales tax taken on price before rebate." The tag listed a Costco item number, which I checked against the Murnau box, and it matched! Took it to the register, sure enough $119.99, good until 12/31.

I picked up another one, the Fox/MGM Ultimate Westerns collection, listed at $99.99, $30 off, $69.99 total. The tag above said "Fox Western, Sci-Fi, list $99.99. Mfg rebate $30, total at register $69.99, sales tax on price before rebate." At the register, that one showed up first as $99.99. I asked him to check again, and it came up as $69.99. I haven't opened yet. I hope some of the special features from the Leone films & "Bonnie & Clyde" are in it. Spur-of-the-moment purchase, as it were.

Edit to add: This is reasonably nice. in a big box that won't fit on any shelf though, comes a spiral "book" with a page or two for each film, with a photo or two, then a cardboard page with slots for the DVDs. The Special Feature DVDs are included. Dances With Wolves is a flipper DVD for the film and a DVD for the features. The other films: The Big Trail, The Westerner, Red River, Broken Arrow, The Magnificent Seven, The Comancheros, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, Good Bad & Ugly, Hang 'Em High, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Missouri Breaks. Dances with Wolves.

So check those tags! And as I mentioned, there were 4 or 5 more at the Costco on Los Feliz.
I went to the Costco on Sepulveda about ten days ago, and they didn't have any copies of the Murnau-Borzage box there at that time.
Edit: My friend is calling me from the Culver City Costco where there are 4 copies of the Murnau box.

They also had the Fox/MGM Hitchcock collection at I think $60 after rebate, but I didn't buy it, as I have the Criterions of Notorious, Spellbound, and Rebecca, so I might be remembering that price incorrectly.

[HerrSchreck]

What an indispensable collection-- really just a labor of love on Bergstrom's part. When she hinted to me at the possibility of such a box coming out, I was in awe that Fox-- of all companies-- would put out such a thing, devoted almost exclusively to silent film. The Ford box was amazing enough... but this box just takes the cake. In my book it's the greatest box set from any major studio, and for its bravery perhaps exceeds even Unseen Cinema from Image & the Edison box from Kino.

One of the things that struck me was something that had never occured to me before: that both directors reeled in actors who resembled them. Farrell (this box really is, by default, the Charles Farrell show) resembles Borzage in his youth; and George O'Brien, I now realized, resembles Murnau quite a bit.

Some preliminary observations... the pre-Murnau Borzage in Lazybones was on the brink of a very unique kind of melodrama: extremely tightly edited, subtly acted, never giving way to the gesticulatory excesses of the Hollywood of that time... but-- and this is what I really loved-- what really stood out for me was the stellar blending and playing off one one another strong elements of comedy and pathos/drama. With each element deployed in complement to the other, the effect by contrast of each is very poignant.

Seeing City Girl for the first time in a clear full print in beautiful telecine, where all the light effects are fully rendered and experienced for total original effect (finally can toss those old dvd-rs of this titles), the film has moved for me from a minor work to a major one, despite the skewing of the melodrama's proper amping viz the studios interference (I wholeheartedly agree w Murnaus wish that Kate's slapping occur later; her angst peaks too early in the narrative and causes the melodrama to flatline in a constance of misery). The scenes in the city, and return to the country with his bride-- the running thru the wheat is utterly exquisite-- is among the best Murnau you'll see.

Also of note in this film-- in contrast to Borzage's use of the big lug-- is Murnau's handling of Farrell and his hokey lunkhead tendencies... which is far more tolerable and subtle vs Borzage's tendency to overdo it... or not realize he's overdoing it.

But of course Murnau is Murnau, and comparisons to him are unfair-- even for Borz.

[fdm]

Decided to go with a replacement from amazon. Night and day wrt the disks, the replacements are mostly clean, and pretty much scratch-free (a couple of them look a bit smudged here and there, but that's about it). (I think possibly overnight shipping (vs 2-day) may have helped to reduce some of the wear and tear on the disks (pretty good shape all in all) and on the book that holds the disks (still a little bit of wear on the booklet holder thingies, but not nearly so bad), so all in all looks like I have a reasonably clean set now.

(Not sure what the story was with the ones in the first set that were really scratched up (aka gouged).)

[denti alligator]

It's unbelievable, this box.

Hard to believe Fox did it. God bless Janet Bergstrom! I mean, I can't imagine this is going to be a big seller.

Everyone should go out of their way to get this set. It's worth about three years' of Criterions.

David, I haven't watched the European version of Sunrise yet, but judging by Gary's caps at the Beaver, it looks vastly better than the Movietone version. Isn't it shorter, though? What's missing? I'm glad to hear the framing isn't an issue. The one comparison cap Gary posted makes the 1.33 framing of the European version look off.