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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This DVD Diamond Collection Vol 2 shows us the appeal of MM!, June 5, 2002
This review is from: Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II (Don't Bother to Knock / Let's Make Love / Monkey Business / Niagara / River of No Return) (DVD)
MM (Marilyn Monroe) was & now again (due to these magnificent digitally restored picture & sound DVD's) the most celebrated film star of Hollywood. The Black & White and Technicolor quality / clarity of all the movies are worth the price of admission. This Diamond Collection Volume II 5 DVD set allows us into the hey day of Hollywood & the early career of Marilyn becoming the most celebrated star of her era. These movies show us Marilyn's versatile talent beyond singing and comedy. Summary: Monkey Business (1952) with Cary Grant & Ginger Rogers is Marilyns first serious star billing. This Black/White Full Screen comedy introduces us to the young & camera aluring MM. Don't Bother To Knock (1952) with Richard Widmark also Black/White Full Screen Drama has Marilyn playing a mentally disturbed babysitter. Niagara (1953) with Joseph Cotton is one of Marilyns greatest dramatic roles. Shot on location at Niagara Falls in gorgeous Full Screen TECHNICOLOR. MM is a deceiving wife who wants her husband (Cotton) dead! River of NO Return (1954) with Robert Mitchum is a Western Drama magnificently filmed WideScreen (Anamorphic for HDTV's) TECHNICOLOR movie. Marilyn a saloon singer, Mitchum a farmer & his son's only escape from an Indian attack & vengence for being left behind is on a raft down the "River of No Return". Let's Make Love (1960) with Ives Montand is a Comedy Drama filmed in WideScreen (also Anamorphic for HDTVs) TECHNICOLOR. Montand is a well known playboy billionaire looking for that girl who wants him for himself. Not his money. MM a struggling actress becomes that girl unknowing of his image. Marilyn was captured on film forever but now her true beauty & talent explode off the screen with these restored DVD beauties. This Diamond Collection Volume 2 continues to show us the beauty, vulneribility & talent of Marilyn Monroe. These's DVD's are the best sampling of Marilyn's eternal stardom, total audience appeal & obsession for her. MM is totally delightful & amazing in all these early films. 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 ever wondered about Hollywood phenomenon you can now see for yourself the true talent & beauty of Marilyn Monroe. The Bonus Features on these DVD's include; Restoration Comparison, Still Gallery and Theatrical Trailers. So sit back & experience the joy of this Diamond Collection Volume II & the legendary star immortalized forever on theses DVD's. Enjoy.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
" Bonus Features" disappointing, July 9, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II (Don't Bother to Knock / Let's Make Love / Monkey Business / Niagara / River of No Return) (DVD)
Although I give 5 stars for the quality and presentation of the main features, I was very disappointed in the Bonus Features (or lack of). Unlike the Diamond Collection 1, this collection has no Movietone newsreels (there's an excellent one on the Marilyn Collection VHS of "Let's Make Love"), there are no documentaries or deleted scenes like on the "Seven Year Itch" DVD, and a black and white(!!!) copy of the theatrical trailer to "Niagra" (even though there is an excellent colour copy on the VHS-Marilyn Collection. I get the feeling this collection was put together in a rush and not much time put into research to come up with some interesting things hidden in the vaults (also, where is the soundtrack to this collection like the excellent one that was put together for the last collection?). All and all, I still really enjoy seeing this collection, especially the wide screen versions of some of the movies ("River of No Return" was a treat as this was the first time I could see some scenes where Marilyn had been completly cut out with the "pan/scan" technique used on previous VHS tapes. An exciting joy to watch and see a great screen presence.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the price of admission, July 6, 2002
This review is from: Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection II (Don't Bother to Knock / Let's Make Love / Monkey Business / Niagara / River of No Return) (DVD)
Another beautifully restored tribute to one of the biggest stars of all time. (If you don't own the first diamond collection, get it.) The best film of this package is "Don't bother to knock." It shows a different side to Marilyn, the one rarely seen. Usually typecast as the "chipper, dumb blonde," Marilyn shows off her dramatic talent in this dark film. She's more than a pretty face. She showcases her acting ability to the point where she is completely unrecognizable from her other films. She'll blow you away with her comedic performance in "let's make love," and leave you mystified in the beautifully filmed "Niagara." I'm not a big western fan, but still found "River of no return" to be quite entertaining. "Monkey business" was my least favorite of the package, but that had more to do with the casting error of Cary Grant. He didn't suit his character, at least not to me. Overall, a very entertaining movie set, much like the first. But "Don't bother to knock," offers the biggest bang for your buck. She'll mesmerize you with the best things about her: her talent and her mind. After all, it takes more than a pretty face for a girl to coin the phrase, "I'm like this entire superstructure with absolutely no foundation. But I'm working on the foundation."
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