Rating: 
Summary: Can't get ENOUGH Marilyn
Review: I love Marilyn movies!! This box set is also more economical to purchase than each of the movies seperatey. It's also vey nice to have the extra move "Something's Got To Give" to see Marilyn in what turned out to be some of her last days.... The added features at the end of each movie are also interesting and note worthy. I can highly reccommend this to any Marilyn fan.
Rating:
Summary: Marilyn At her Best
Review: I particularly enjoyed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The 7 Year Itch. One has Marilyn singing Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend and The other's got the famous subway, skirt up in the air scene. In Gentlemen, she's fun and wise, not a dumb blonde at all and in The 7 Year Itch, she comes across as a genuine young woman who wants to boost Tom Ewell's morale.
Rating:
Summary: Marilyn is my favorate actress!
Review: I recommend this purchase because it provides an opportunity to witness the incredible acting abilities of one of the best actresses in the world. I have watched "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" at least 6 times over the past 2 months. I have a serious issue with the costume and hair designer of the movie because they really made Jane look not as attractive as she is, and some of the dresses and the color of the dresses selected for Marilyn were just wrong. The movie would have been even more spectacular with the correct clothing ensemble. Besides that, we can observe a tremendous amount of information on life and men from Marilyn and Jane. "The Seven Year Itch" is the another diamond in this collection. The movie is just perfect. Marilyn is the funniest actress. She is just superb. I wish she had won an academy award during her acting career. In "Bus Stop" we see the transformation in Marilyn's acting ability. She was good before and now she is even better. This movie really demonstrates the hard work she put into her acting education. She really should have won the academy award in this movie. The "show business" film was OK. The Marilyn scenes were great but this is the bad seed of the lot. Just select the scenes with Marilyn. You can watch the entire movie if you are an Ethel Merman fan. The real bonus of the package is the "Something's Got to Give" film. It is Marilyn's last film and we can see the enhancement of her acting capabilities. I only wish this package included "Some Like It Hot" and "Niagara".
Rating:
Summary: Saint Marilyn
Review: I was not quite six when Marilyn Monroe died. I vaguely remember hearing that she had died at the time, and, having already seen pictures of her, felt very sorry for this beautiful, gentle lady. Even at that young age, I thought that she was "very nice" and "gentle", not to mention beautiful, and had a "childlike sensitivity" about her. I have been a fan of hers ever since. I always feel good when I watch her(Betty Grable had that same "feel good" quality to her), and also more than a little sad. I don't need to go into any detailed accounts about the sad "sex goddess'" life, as millions of miles of print have followed since her demise. But I AM ecstatic that five of her best films have been lovingly restored and enhanced and released in this DVD boxed set of Valentine's Day eye-candy. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", her first musical-comedy smash as the gold-digging Lorelei Lee,co-starring that "full-figured gal" Jane Russell, looks and sounds incredible-the colors are vivid, the picture sharp, and the sound clear. The colors in the legendary "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" number are SO vivid, it's akin to having an LSD flashback! "Blondes" showcases two voracious, funny, sexy gals in action-the wimpy men don't stand a chance! Marilyn's star continued to rise in "How to Marry a Millionaire", 20th Century Fox's 2nd Cinemascope venture, co-starring the delightful Betty Grable(Marilyn's predecessor as Fox's top blonde),and Lauren Bacall, whose high-fashion looks are served to good advantage in this Technicolor fashion show on film. "Marilyn Mania" continued to grow in the 50s as she co-starred in "There's No Business Like Show Business", a twenty-gun salute to Irving Berlin's music, featuring belting Broadway legend Ethel Merman, song-and-dance men Dan Dailey and Donald O'Connor, singing teardrop Johnnie Ray, and the vivacious Mitzi Gaynor. Marilyn's notorious "Heat Wave" number is her big number in the film, and the film is a pretty, pleasant no-brainer. "Marilyn Mania" reached its peak in the Billy Wilder-directed comedy, "The Seven Year Itch", in which Marilyn plays the upstairs neighbor of nerdy, married, middle-aged Tom Ewell, and becomes the object of his wild and fervid fantasies. She is breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely delightful as the somewhat dizzy but intrinsically very wise dish who stands above a subway grating to feel the breezes waft up around her-"Oh, here comes another one!" This film was made in the innuendo-ridden 50s, and has a campy, comic-book like eroticism of its own-a funny "men's magazine" on film. But Marilyn had begun to grow tired of her "one-note" roles, and surprised many when she went on suspension from 20th Century Fox, took acting classes at The Actors Studio, and took on the role of Cherie in the film version of William Inge's "Bus Stop". Marilyn wanted to prove that she could be an "actress" in this film, and not just a "joke". And what a performance she gave! The film, as is the play, is somewhat hokey and dated, but watch it for Marilyn-she's like a wayward Daisy Mae who wants more out of life. Her rendition of "That Old Black Magic" is a classic-with her awkward, nervous gestures, scared, tinny voice, hillbilly accent,and seedy saloon girl costume, she is both pitiful and adorable-you just want to take care of her. Rounding out this DVD collection is the AMC documentary "Marilyn-The Final Days". The film is both informative and very depressing-having restored her last, unfinished film "Something's Got to Give", and filmed numerous interviews with co-star Cyd Charisse, hairdresser Peggy Shannon, and others, including one of her many doctors, AMC presents a very sad (no surprises here!) glimpse into part of Marilyn's private hell from which, to her, death seemed the only escape-or so we have been led to believe. The truth about this very sad, sensitive, talented, beautiful girl's death will probably always remain unspoken-as many of her contemporaries and romantic liasons are also gone-dead sex symbols tell no tales. And so, Saint Marilyn, I still love you, as millions of others who never met or knew you, do too. You died for our sins. So if you love Marilyn, there should be no question-buy this boxed set-it's truly a love letter to Marilyn and her special, unmatched magic!
Rating:
Summary: A Very Entertaining Collection of Upbeat Monroe
Review: If you've been dying to get your hands on your own Marilyn Monroe collection of movies, this will satisfy most of your desire. The only weak film is "There's No Business Like Show Business," which is of course about the show biz family. However, its musical numbers are terrific and make up for the rest of it. All of the remaining films you can't go wrong with though. "Seven Year Itch" is a delight with Tom Ewell fantasizing over Monroe big time when she becomes his neighbor as he goes through a marital crisis period. Billy Wilder directed it and she was at her best when he was at the helm. (They also did "Some Like It Hot" together which should be in this collection too (and would be my substitute for "Show Business".) The famous Monroe dress blowing up because of the air blast from the subway through the street grating occurs here. "Millionaire" is a favorite as well showcasing three women, Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable, in 1950s New York trying to land millionaires as husbands. More than money though, Monroe's weakness is finding a man who likes the way she looks while she is wearing glasses as she is blind as a bat and contacts didn't exist. The romance that sizzles the most is Bacall's but Monroe is a standout comically whenever she is onscreen. In "Gentlemen," Monroe is wonderful as gold digger Lorelei Lee and this is also where one of her most memorable musical numbers occurs, "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend." There is one serious film too, based on a William Inge play, "Bus Stop." Many thought Monroe could not act in the work of a serious playwright but this movie proved them wrong. She is a saloon singer romanced by a cowboy played by Don Murray, who did some very good films in the 1950s but is largely forgotten nowadays. What's missing? You really must see "The Misfits" and "Let's Make Love" too. "The Misfits" is probably my personal favorite of Monroe's but it is her most serious film and probably would not fit in with this mostly frothy collection. "Bus Stop" is actually very upbeat by its conclusion whereas playwright Arthur Miller went for broke with his searing "The Misfits," written while his marriage with Monroe failed. "Let's Make Love" would have fit in perfectly with this collection, however, as charming romance fare with Yves Montand as her French tycoon love interest. The forty minutes or so of "Something's Got To Give" are very sad. Had the movie been finished, I think it would have been a slight work, especially following on the heels of "Misfits."
Rating:
Summary: A Very Entertaining Collection of Upbeat Monroe
Review: If you've been dying to get your hands on your own Marilyn Monroe collection of movies, this will satisfy most of your desire. The only weak film is "There's No Business Like Show Business," which is of course about the show biz family. However, its musical numbers are terrific and make up for the rest of it. All of the remaining films you can't go wrong with though. "Seven Year Itch" is a delight with Tom Ewell fantasizing over Monroe big time when she becomes his neighbor as he goes through a marital crisis period. Billy Wilder directed it and she was at her best when he was at the helm. (They also did "Some Like It Hot" together which should be in this collection too (and would be my substitute for "Show Business".) The famous Monroe dress blowing up because of the air blast from the subway through the street grating occurs here. "Millionaire" is a favorite as well showcasing three women, Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable, in 1950s New York trying to land millionaires as husbands. More than money though, Monroe's weakness is finding a man who likes the way she looks while she is wearing glasses as she is blind as a bat and contacts didn't exist. The romance that sizzles the most is Bacall's but Monroe is a standout comically whenever she is onscreen. In "Gentlemen," Monroe is wonderful as gold digger Lorelei Lee and this is also where one of her most memorable musical numbers occurs, "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend." There is one serious film too, based on a William Inge play, "Bus Stop." Many thought Monroe could not act in the work of a serious playwright but this movie proved them wrong. She is a saloon singer romanced by a cowboy played by Don Murray, who did some very good films in the 1950s but is largely forgotten nowadays. What's missing? You really must see "The Misfits" and "Let's Make Love" too. "The Misfits" is probably my personal favorite of Monroe's but it is her most serious film and probably would not fit in with this mostly frothy collection. "Bus Stop" is actually very upbeat by its conclusion whereas playwright Arthur Miller went for broke with his searing "The Misfits," written while his marriage with Monroe failed. "Let's Make Love" would have fit in perfectly with this collection, however, as charming romance fare with Yves Montand as her French tycoon love interest. The forty minutes or so of "Something's Got To Give" are very sad. Had the movie been finished, I think it would have been a slight work, especially following on the heels of "Misfits."
Rating: 
Summary: She's the one!
Review: Marilyn Monroe in some of her best films. SHe doesn't star in all of them, but her contribution to the films is unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING BOX SET FOR AMERICA'S GREATEST SEX SYMBOL
Review: Marilyn Monroe was a true diva of the movie screen. That her personal life failed to measure up to the dizzying heights of her film career is a tragedy and one that none of her on-screen performances ever seems to hint of. FOX STUDIOS have outdone themselves on this collection of her best work. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is the movie with Monroe's signature trademark, 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend'. But this is hardly a one hit wonder. As a DVD, Fox's lurid Technicolor comes across loud and clear with remarkable resolution and clarity. The same can be said for the rest of the films included in this box set (The Seven Year Itch, Bus Stop, There's No Business Like Show Business, How To Marry A Millionaire) though film purists will note that both "Millionaire" and "Itch" have retained some of their grain and splice seams, an inherent flaw of early Cinemascope photography. Still, this is the best any of these films have ever looked, save their original Hollywood premiere. The remarkable fidelity of Alfred Newman's "A Street Scene", the overture played prior to "Millionaire" is so stirring I found myself straining to hear the imperfections of 1950's recording technology. They are practically non-existent. This box set also includes the wonderful documentary, Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days as well as a reconstruction of the footage shot for Monroe's last, incomplete film, "Something's Got To Give". This is a wonderful chance to see the Monroe that never was or will be, a last look at the goddess that defined an era of sexuality and innocence, strangely blended to perfection in the embodiment of one angelic, but sadly, thoroughly lost little girl.
Rating:
Summary: The DVD Diamond Collection captures the total appeal of MM.
Review: Marilyn Monroe was and now (due to these magnificent widescreen digitally restored picture and sound DVDs) is again the most celebrated film star of Hollywood.The technicolor quality and clarity of all the movies are worth the price of admission. This 6 DVD set allows us into the hey day of Hollywood with Marilyn becoming the most celebrated star of her day. These are all upbeat musicals (How to Marry a Millionaire, No Business Like Show Business & Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Hollywood celebrated this pairing so Marilyn & Jane Russell's hand/foot prints were enshired at Graumanns Chinese theatre) or Comedies (Seven Year Itch, Bus Stop & Something's Got To Give - her last (incomplete) film (40mins) with Dean Martin). Marilyn was captured on film forever but now her true beauty and talent explode off the screen with these restored beauties. This collection has captured the beautiful, the vulernable, and talent of Marilyn Monroe. These movies are the best sampling of Marilyn's eternal stardom and total audience obsession with her. MM is totally delightful in all these upbeat color filled movies. She steals the scenes, lights up the screen and audiences always want more. She can act (comedy & drama), dance, sing & steal our hearts. If have ever wondered about this Hollywood phenomenom you can now see for yourself the true talent & beauty of Marilyn. There are many extras but the movies are the candy. This box set comes with a hefty price (you may want to rent it first) but the encores willbe be frequent. So come & see what all the fuss is about this incredible star (Norma Jean Baker) was to the world.
Rating:
Summary: The DVD Diamond Collection captures the total appeal of MM.
Review: MM (Marilyn Monroe) was and now again (due to these magnificent widescreen digitally restored picture & sound DVDs) the most celebrated film star of Hollywood. The Technicolor quality & clarity of all the movies are worth the price of admission. This 6 DVD set allows us into the hey day of Hollywood with Marilyn becoming the most celebrated star of her era. These movies are all upbeat musicals (Theres No Business Like Show Business & Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Monroe & Jane Russell were honored & immortalized at Graumans Chinese Theatre (foot & handprints) for there success in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.) or comedies (How to Marry a Millionaire, Seven Year Itch (the famous subway grate dress scene), Bus Stop, & Something's Got to Give (her final incomplete film restored and edited for our enjoyment (40mins)). Marilyn was captured on film forever but now her true beauty & talent explode off the screen with these restored beauties. This collection has the beauty, the vulneribilty and talent of Marilyn Monroe. These DVD's are the best sampling of Marilyn's eternal stardom, total audience appeal & obsession with her. MM is totally delightful in all these upbeat color filled movies. She always steals the scenes, lights up the screen & audiences always want more of Marilyn. She can act (comedy & drama), dance, sing & win our hearts. If you have ever wondered about this Hollywood phenomenon you can now see for yourself the true talent & beauty of Marilyn Monroe. There are many extras but the movies are the candy. So sit back and enjoy this Diamond Collection of this legendary star immortalized forever on these DVD's.
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