Harry Potter: The Complete 8 Film Collection [Blu-ray]

I'm actually very pleased with this product! It's very cheap, and very good quality. There are, however, a couple of things that I feel I should point out.

First, the case that it comes in is a standard mass production case that most multi-disc sets use. Don't expect a lavish collectable case, especially for the price. The case is still very durable, and allows all of the movies to be stored in a small amount of space.

Second, the films in this set ARE NOT THE SPECIAL EDITIONS. They are standard edition, as if the first disc from each movie was put in here. While there are some special features, there are not a lot.

Next, the discs themselves appear to be great quality. All of mine worked extremely well, and there were no defects whatsoever, save one thing. The disc that I received for Deathly Hallows Part 1 is missing a cover. The disc is all black, and the title and copyright information are on there, but there is not picture. This, however does not in any way affect the viewing of the movie, and is only an aesthetic concern.

Also, the box that the DVDs come in is not the absolute best quality, but it is sturdy. It serves it's purpose, and it looks very nice!

Please note, if you want something that's collectible, DO NOT BUY THIS SET. There are others out there that will better suit your needs. However, this set satisfies all of the casual viewers' needs. It presents the movies in an accessible, affordable manner, and is absolutely a great buy! I recommend this to all Harry Potter fans who wish to have all of the movies!

Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

I usually don't review an item before the product is released, but there has been so much discussion about this series, I figured I'd try to approach it a bit differently. I expect the blu ray discs will be fine, but if they aren't, I will update this review.

The first thing I noticed is that the casting was just about perfect. The actors were all well chosen for their roles. No Hollywood cuties here. To theirs and the directors' credit, there was no "over-acting". Everyone stayed true to character. Some characters gave you an instant impression of where they were on the spectrum of good and bad, while others had a bit more subtle...just as they were in the book. The sets were superb as were the locations. Each region had its own feel and nothing was laid on too heavily. You got the feeling you were looking at a "real" place.

To be fair, the series doesn't cover everything in the book. If it did, it would have to have 50 episodes, rather than 10. But it does keep the storyline intact and understandable. Besides, we don't absolutely need to know all the things they wore and ate, or just how frequently they had sex. Yes, there is sex in the series. I didn't feel it was gratuitous. some of it was absolutely necessary for the plot and the rest gave an insight into the mores and habits of the different peoples. Were there differences between the book and series? There were a few, but when they occurred, it was to make the series more understandable without some of the details contained in the book.

There are two questions I'll try to address. If you haven't read the book, will you enjoy the series? Yes, if you lake a well told story that is fantasy, but not the kinds that kids like. Will you like the book if you see the series first? Absolutely. If you like stories where everyone lives happily ever after and the good guys always win, this isn't for you. But if you like a well told, well acted story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you coming back for more, this is it! 

James Bond Complete 22 Film Collection [Blu-ray]

This review is about the item and its value. To put it simply, if you are going to buy the entire series of James Bond movies and you have a Blu-ray player, this is the bargain to buy. I have been picking the movies up individually from Amazon for between $9.49 to $9.99 each. A great deal. However, if I had known about this offer, I would have gone for the entire collection. 22 movies for $200.00 comes to about $9.10 each!

Each of the individual movies I have seen so far makes the Blu-Ray upgrade well worth it. The video quality of each is un-surpassed. Details, only guessed at, are impressive. The audio of each is, also, incredible. Each has the DTS HD Master 5.1 plus the original Mono or Dolby Surround soundtrack (there is a depth to Shirley Bassey's "Moonraker" openning that I found almost...moving).

I have about a dozen of the individually released movies. If you can't wait, maybe Amazon will have the others for the price mentioned above. If you CAN wait, this set is the best deal and well worth it.