Murnau, Borzage and Fox box set

I've been drooling over this since I found out it existed. It's about time! The collection contains Murnau's classic film Sunrise and the lesser-known City Girl, as well as Seventh Heaven, Street Angel, and several more (including quite a few talkies).

One beef I have with The Powers That Issue DVDs is that they release all of the worst films imaginable, while the good ones - and I don't just mean silents here - await their turn. Thus, when a set like this is issued, it's cause for rejoicing! I regard Murnau as one of the great geniuses of film, and Borzage's work is very impressive.

I rented Sunrise years ago, on VHS, and the copy was so bad that I lost interest in the film. Years later, I had the opportunity to see it on the big screen. That's when I discovered what I'd been missing. The print was crystal-clear and absolutely beautiful, and the audience - all film fans, or they wouldn't have been there - remained still throughout the screening. It was one of the quietest showings I've ever known. How could it not have been, with that magic on the screen?

The cost of the set has put me off buying it yet, and I'm glad I did. The reviews have been interesting. People adore the films, and the quality of them, but they hate the packaging; it seems that the DVDs are packaged so that they can scratch easily, and they do scratch. I hope Fox takes the hint and protects the DVDs in further issues of the set. Sometimes it's good not to get what you want, right when you want it!