Rating: 
Summary: A World Reknown Classic
Review: A great achievement in movie history. The famous Charles Chaplin wrote the script, acted and even wrote the music for his movies. The jokes are timeless and seem to never get old. In the year 2104 it is likely this King of Komedy will be a cultural icon that even the children know of while names like Adam Sandler would drift into oblivion. For those unfamiliar with b&w silent movies it may seem hard to follow but once mastered these movies will have you in an uproar. Charles Chaplin, the world renkown actor is further immortalized in this great collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Sometimes it's best just to let the past go...
Review: By this point it ought to be blatantly obvious that the recent reviews are for the 8 disc Sams Club edition for under $20. But, just for the record, that's the copy that I'm reviewing as well.
I can understand the reviewers who give this set praises for being the only available DVD releases of the old Keystone shorts. On certain levels it's comforting to know that some of film history's most important shorts can never truly die, thanks to DVD preservation. However, when the quality is this bad, my opinion is that it's not really worth releasing at any price. If the originals have deteriorated to the point where they are this poor in quality, they simply shouldn't be seen by the average viewer. They certainly shouldn't be sold at a grab bag price to try to rope in as many sales as possible. The lower the price, the more newcomers will see Chaplin (or silent short comedy in general) for the first time in a set like this, and I believe that that does a great disservice to the silent film era. I can't help but feel that most people who buy this set are going to come away from it with a serious loathing of silent film short comedy. The quality destroys any enjoyment that undoubtedly at one time would have been had.
For example, on the first disc, which is obviously the one that most people will watch first, only "Kid Auto Races at Venice" is even remotely close to entertaining. It's quality is high enough that it is still relatively pleasant to watch. The other six shorts on the disc are an absolute disaster... Two of which spend a considerable amount of time with the heads cut off of all the actors due to cropping issues.
The prints are bad. Rarity, for me, is not the issue. These prints are beyond watchable quality even if they are the only ones left. This level of deterioration can only be tolerated by the most ardent fan. And I don't say that lightly. I am a film student who has seen more than his fair share of poor quality prints... These, by and large, have been scraped out of the gutter.
In short, if you absolutely must have the Keystone shorts, feel free to buy this set. But do yourself a favor and watch it with very low expectations. It won't live up to much else...
If, on the other hand, you simply want to see some Chaplin, pick up the Chaplin Collection 2-Disc releases or the Restored Mutual and Essanay shorts from Image.
Respect for the classics is as important as preservation. Cheap releases of shoddy prints does little to please anyone...
Rating:
Summary: The ULTIMATE Chaplin Collection!!!!
Review: First of all,let me just notify you that this review refers to the 8-disc box set that I bought recently at Sam's Club that was produced by Platinum Disc Corporation and not the Delta/Laserlight release of "The Essential Charlie Chaplin" box set!!! Platinum's version of the Chaplin films is perhaps the best collection yet and is definitely well worth the money!! There are 58 short films in this set,two of which are features (THE KID (1921) and TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE (1914) which,by the way,is the 50's reissue print marred by a narrator!).Besides those two films,there is also a huge collection of Chaplin's short films made by Keystone,Essanay,and Mutual that includes such classics as his debut film MAKING A LIVING (1914),ONE A.M. (1916),THE IMMIGRANT (1917),THE TRAMP (1915),and many more to name those few!!! All of the films are presented in their entirety and contain appropriately scored music (mostly piano/orchestral combos) and on one of the shorts,Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" is heard throughout which is pretty cool!!! At the beginning of each DVD,there is a disclaimer saying that they did their absolute best digitally remastering these films from the best availible sources as well!!! I really love this collection of Chaplin's shorts and films and that it's a major improvement from the Madacy 2-disc "Chaplin Collection" set.I would advise you to go to your local Sam's Club store and buy this set and you will not be dissapointed!!! Thank you Platinum for putting together a great set of Chaplin comedies that you won't find anywhere else!! Now there's a company that definitely cares about quality on their customers!!! Also,see my review for Madacy's THE CHAPLIN COLLECTION set.
Rating: 
Summary: There's a better box set out there
Review: I bought a box set at Sam's Club, an 8 DVD set for $18.88. The quaility of the films are very nice, and although the music is not the original, it's not bad and it was funny to hear the theme from the movie "The Sting". Well worth the low price.
The brand name is Platinum Disc Corporation.
Rating: 
Summary: The Stirrings of Genius ...
Review: I claim no more knowledge of Chaplin movies than the average fan. I gave this collection four stars, and I'll give 4 reasons why.
1. i don't think that, considering the fact many of the shorts are roughly between 80-90 years old, it is too much of a stretch to imagine that the image quality is less than stellar. we in the digital age are lucky to have them at all, given the fact that many early movie pioneers (m.sennett included)considered their finished products disposable, to be used until they couldn't be thread into the projector anymore.
2. it's been said that CC's Keystones are only fit for antiquarians and sentimentalists. i disagree. it's in his keystones, that we can see the stirrings of CC's genius. his lack of over acting (excessive mugging/gestures) immediately sets him apart from his contemporaries. chaplin's economy of movement, his deft manipulation of props, and his ability to convey his attitude to the audience with only quick facial expressions,all begin here in his keystone efforts.
3. not only do we get chaplin in this collection, but we also see other great stars of the silent era. mable normand, chester conklin, ben turpin, mack swain, and of course the incomporable edna purviance are just a few of the luminaries contained in these discs. i think you'd be hard pressed to find this much talent in one set.
4. lastly, i don't think i'm alone when i say that to a great degree i find silent movies in general a refreshing alternative to some of today's movie offerings. i'm constantly amazed at how much silents give to their audience, when you consider how little they had to work with, compared to today. and no one was more of a master of that than Charlie Chaplin - don't pass this opportunity up to get so much, for so small a price !
Rating:
Summary: A World Reknown Classic
Review: I received this collection as a gift, watched about five minutes, and returned it right away. It is a cheap public domain set to which no apparent thought or care has been given. An example: In the middle of "Easy Street," you suddenly hear a break in the music and people talking. Why? Because the producers of this collection just threw any old public domain music onto the soundtrack, in this case an old blues song in which the musicians begin talking and laughing. It's a great song, to be sure, but totally inappropriate and distracting, having nothing to do with the action on-screen and really ruining the experience. I should add that the prints look terrible. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: Avoid!
Review: I received this collection as a gift, watched about five minutes, and returned it right away. It is a cheap public domain set to which no apparent thought or care has been given. An example: In the middle of "Easy Street," you suddenly hear a break in the music and people talking. Why? Because the producers of this collection just threw any old public domain music onto the soundtrack, in this case an old blues song in which the musicians begin talking and laughing. It's a great song, to be sure, but totally inappropriate and distracting, having nothing to do with the action on-screen and really ruining the experience. I should add that the prints look terrible. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: chaplins greatest
Review: I understand how people can see this box set and not up to par, but these films have been cut or editied because of damage or wear and tear, that the manufactures could fix therefore some scenes are damaged. But the music quailty had been there in these films for a very long time. I have a nother collection of charlie chaplins films and they have the same music. I loved this dvd set, best money i could ever spend!!
Rating:
Summary: Disapointed but willing to compromise
Review: Of course, any collection of Chaplin comedies is worth 5 stars. And the overall wealth of material here is amazing. You get most of the Keystone and Essanay films, all of the Mutuals, and half of the First Nationals. The problem is the print quality. The early films, especially, are not the best looking. Some of the Keystones are so many generations removed from a good print that Chaplin appears blurry and scratched. Things start to get a little better for the Essanay and Mutual films and are fine by the time you get to "The Kid." As another reviewer points out, the music is just tacked on--as if they just took any music from the early 20th century; some have spoken dialogue which detracts from the film a little. I tend to watch with the volume pretty low so I don't get distracted by the music. Two other notes: I was thrilled to see my eight-year-old son laugh out loud at some of Charlie's antics. Hopefully another generation of Chaplin lovers is forming! Also, the film listed (and described) as being "In the Park" (Essanay, 1915) is actually Chaplin's directorial debut, "Caught in the Rain" (Keystone, 1914). Don't blame Delta for this error (though they could have double-checked); Keystone renamed that one and rereleased it as "In the Park" over 80 years ago to compete with Chaplin's Essanay film.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd give 5 stars for content, 2 for quality
Review: Of course, any collection of Chaplin comedies is worth 5 stars. And the overall wealth of material here is amazing. You get most of the Keystone and Essanay films, all of the Mutuals, and half of the First Nationals. The problem is the print quality. The early films, especially, are not the best looking. Some of the Keystones are so many generations removed from a good print that Chaplin appears blurry and scratched. Things start to get a little better for the Essanay and Mutual films and are fine by the time you get to "The Kid." As another reviewer points out, the music is just tacked on--as if they just took any music from the early 20th century; some have spoken dialogue which detracts from the film a little. I tend to watch with the volume pretty low so I don't get distracted by the music. Two other notes: I was thrilled to see my eight-year-old son laugh out loud at some of Charlie's antics. Hopefully another generation of Chaplin lovers is forming! Also, the film listed (and described) as being "In the Park" (Essanay, 1915) is actually Chaplin's directorial debut, "Caught in the Rain" (Keystone, 1914). Don't blame Delta for this error (though they could have double-checked); Keystone renamed that one and rereleased it as "In the Park" over 80 years ago to compete with Chaplin's Essanay film.
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