Click above to purchase "Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond
Collection" at amazon.com
Marilyn Monroe
The Diamond Collection
review by Zach B.
Marilyn Monroe film reviews by Zach B. and Anthony D.
(For Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days)
Not Rated
Studio: Fox
Running Time: 117 minutes
Narrated by James Coburn
Written by Monica Bider
Directed by Patty Inins
Set Retail Price: $99.98
Features: "There's No Business Like Show Business",
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "Bus Stop", "The Seven Year
Itch", "How To Marry A Millionare", "Marilyn Monroe: The
Final Days"
"Final Days" Features: Movietone Newsreel:
Cinemascope, Cleopatra Promotional Trailer
"Final Days" Specs: 1.33:1 Full Frame, English Stereo,
English subtitles, Scene Selection (16 Chapters)
To read reviews of the films in the Marilyn Monroe
Diamond Collection set, simply click on the box covers
below. Enjoy!
    
Now, as far as "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days" go, it's
a pretty intriguing documentary about the screen legend.
It's exclusive to this set you can't get it anywhere else.
Her films will live forever and her legend will never die,
and this documentary exposes her in interesting lights. This
documentary, narrated by James Coburn (yay!), talks about
her last film that was never finished and even offers an
edited reconstruction of it. The documentary features
footage from it, outtakes, clips from other Marilyn films
and has interviews (such as with write Walter Bernstein)
that bring light on to the subject. Also shown is some cool
stock footage, stills of articles, pictures, assorted notes
and other stuff. This is a really well made documentary that
not only features a wealth of information on Marilyn,
"Something Got's To Give" and other stuff, it doesn't bore
and gets more interesting and interesting as it goes along.
It's nearly two hours put goes at a good pace and doesn't
focus on one particular subject or area for too long, which
I was glad to see. If you're a Marilyn fan, you owe yourself
to watch this documentary and own it. It's quite detailed
and the rare footage is priceless.
The transfer for "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days" is in
full frame. The film portions looks its age as it should and
even has shimmering, while the video portions are decent
enough. Nothing mind-blowing but it's not shoddy and looks
as good as it should be.
The audio for the documentary is decent as it should be.
It won't blow your speakers, but it's not supposed to be.
There's some nice music in the background that doesn't
overlap with the dialogue. The dialogue is crisp, clear and
sounds perfectly fine. Sounds are nice and easy to hear, and
those additional sounds bring additional life to this great
documentary. English subtitles are also included.
"Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days" features a
"Cleopatra" Promotional Trailer and a Movietone
News section devoted to Cinemascope which is
quite neat though he sound and picture is terrible on it.
This is the longest Movietone News on all the Marilyn discs
and lasts four minutes. What, no restoration comparison?
Heheh.
This is one spectacular set and worth owning if you love
the Marilyn films. Even if you plan on only buying a few of
the films, you do save in the end and get the excellent
documentary "The Final Days" that is exclusive to this set.
The films are 25 bucks a pop and this set retails for 100,
so it's like getting two discs free. Considering you can get
it for cheaper is even a sweeter deal. It's nice to see some
of Marilyn's greatest films on DVD, and this collection does
them justice with great restorations and remixes, plus cool
features. I highly reccomend this set, and I think everyone
will enjoy it.
 (4/5 (score for "Final
Days") - NOT included in final score)
, (4/5 - Final Days, 3.5/5 - total for all
Marilyn films)
 ,(3/5 - Final Days, 3/5 - total for all Marilyn
films )
 , (.5/5 - Final Days, 2.5/5 - total for all
Marilyn films)
(4/5,
NOT an average)
| 