Product Details

• Actors: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Alec Guinness, Eva Marie Saint
• Directors: George Segal, Peter Glenville, Vincente Minnelli, Anthony Asquith
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: Unknown
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: December 5, 2006
• Run Time: 519 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000I2JDFI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,688 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-Disc Special Edition / The Comedians / The Sandpiper / The V.I.P.s) 5 Disc Set" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The British-born Elizabeth Taylor was the quintessential Hollywood screen goddess. The Welsh-born Richard Burton was one of the most compelling British actors of his generation. Together, they were a perfect storm of talent, glamour, and offscreen scandal, which made even their lesser films essential viewing for those fascinated by cinema's royal couple. This four-film set captures the prolific couple at the height of their 1960s heyday. The essential entry is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), which earned Taylor an Academy Award, and launched the film directing career of Mike Nichols. This adaptation of Edward Albee's searing play was ahead of its time for its use of profanity, as chronicled in bonus featurettes on this two-disc Special Edition. Taylor and Burton star as the braying Martha, a college president's daughter, and her husband George, an associate history professor. An ambitious teacher (George Segal) and his mousy wife (a heartbreaking Sandy Dennis) arrive for an unforgettable night of such emasculating sport as "Humiliate the Host," "Get the Guests," and "Hump the Hostess." The V.I.P.s (1963) is a star-studded soap opera about a group of notables stranded at a fog-shrouded airport, each desperate to get off the ground. In addition to Orson Welles as a film director trying to stay one step ahead of the British tax man and Margaret Rutherford (who earned an Academy Award) as a financially strapped duchess, we have Taylor as the unhappy wife of magnate Burton, set to elope with a reformed (?) gigolo (Louis Jordan). The Sandpiper (1965) is one of those vaunted enjoyable "golden turkeys" that at least has the beautiful Big Sur coast and the Oscar-winning song "The Shadow of Your Smile" as consolation for the silly illicit romance between Taylor, an unconvincing bohemian artist, and Burton, the tortured Episcopalian reverend to whose school Taylor's illegitimate son has been sent. The Comedians (1967) is hardly a laughing matter. Graham Greene adapted his novel of upheaval in Papa Doc-run Haiti. You have to jump 40 years to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to find another couple with Taylor and Burton's wattage. This collection gives a time capsule glimpse at what all the fuss was about. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were the Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt of their generation, catching fire on screen and off. The jury is still out Brangelina, but Taylor and Burton made several popular films together and this collection has three films making their DVD debuts, plus a new 2-DVD special edition of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" The other three titles are "The Comedians," "The V.I.P.'s," and "The Sandpiper," all three exclusive to this box set.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 53 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent Warners Box-Set release December 8, 2006

By J. Kenney

Format:DVD

Only one film in this set, IMO, is a classic, and that's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF, and it receives a nice two-disc special edition. You can get it separately, and I can't complain too loudly if you go that route. But 2 of the other films, the Haitian-based, Graham-Greene written THE COMEDIANS, and the glossy soap-opera THE VIPS are both very much worth seeing, relics of a long-gone widescreen full-colored, full-bodied era. VIPS has a great credit sequence, and if you like airports like I do, the great cast and highly competent production will make it a winner, although it certainly isn't a 100-best flick of any sort. Same with the COMEDIANS; a great cast and international-intrigue atmosphere, plus good widescreen photography make it one I'll return to, even if it isn't THE THIRD MAN.

That leaves THE SANDPIPERS, which Pauline Kael called a classic; yes, she meant a classic of bad cinema, but a classic of bad cinema is not the same as lousy cinema, and any film directed by Vincent Minelli, starring Burton, Taylor and Charles Bronson as a sculpter (!) is worth a look. It's not good, but it's not one you'll regret seeing if you think you're curious, with typical glossy Hollywood production values and good Big Sur footage.

So one great, two good (and rewatchable) and one compelling turkey. And I like the slimline cases, I have no room as it is; more box sets, Warner -- a Vincente Minelli set of the many MGM flicks he made with Sinatra, Douglas, Mitchum, etc. would be welcome.

35 of 42 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars MISSING LIZ MOVIES ON DVD October 17, 2006

By B. BURNETT

Format:DVD

The movie BOOM was obviously not included as it is a Universal release, whereas the 4 titles are Warners and MGM[library owned by Warners]. My big gripe is the fact that Elizabeth Taylor's MGM movies from the '50s are still not available on DVD: Beau Brummell, Rhapsody, a decent transfer of The Last Time I Saw Paris, Raintree County, The Girl Who had Everything. These are now owned by Warners, and it's a disgrace that they have never been released on DVD. Hopefully, with the new Liz/Burton collection, someone at Warners is paying attention. A gem in the new collection is THE VIP's - made after Cleopatra and rushed into release before Cleo hit the screens, to capitalise on the red-hot duo, the movie is glossy, all-star fun.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BUT DIFFICULT VIEWING June 18, 2007

By Terry D. Robertson

Format:DVD

Author Graham Greene wrote the screenplay for THE COMEDIANS based on his intricate novel. To translate it to the screen would have been impossible with another writer--it would fizzle out. Granted, the movie is uneven, but it is extremely watchable thanks to great location backdrops and some fine performances by an all star cast.

The story of common last-named people set against the backdrop of the tumultous reign of terror under Papa Doc in Haiti is the setting for this relatively long movie. "The Comedians", is anything but comedy. It is the mask everyone wears to conceal their true selves. People have affairs but are not in love. They play parlor games to amuse themselves, but never get to the truth of the matter. Some are frauds, and others cynics.

Richard Burton is quite good as the hotel owner who believes in nothing. Elizabeth Taylor plays a diplomat's wife who is having an off/on affair with Burton. She is the weakest link in the movie. Her German accent is atrocious and her character completely unbelievable. However, Alex Guiness and Peter Ustinov are outstanding, as are Lillian Gish and Paul Ford as pacifistic vegetarians. Also look for early performances by James Earl Jones, and Cicely Tyson (in a bit part).

This movie has been transferred in Widescreen to DVD and is clean. The soundtack drops a bit now and then, but overall, the quality is excellent. It is housed in a "slimline jewel case" which many may assume is a bootleg. But it is an official Warner Brothers release.

This is not a movie to watch leisurely. It requires your complete attentiion in order to understand the characters. The violence of Papa Doc's Tontons Macoute is at times vividly graphic. The movie contains a voodoo scene that is not for the squeamish (it was performed by a real Haitian voodoo priest).

The movie runs 152 minutes and can be found on the "Burton/Taylor" 5 disc film collection. It is difficult to find separately, but well worth the look.