Product Details

• Actors: Keir Dullea, Charlton Heston, Walter Pidgeon, Rod Taylor
• Format: Color, DVD, Widescreen, Dubbed, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• DVD Release Date: September 1, 2009
• Run Time: 447 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002945DU2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,591 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #72 in Movies & TV > DVD > Horror
• For more information about "TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Science Fiction (2001 A Space Odyssey / Soylent Green / Forbidden Planet / The Time Machine 1960)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Stanley Kubrick's dazzling adventure of man vs. machine, a stunning meld of music and motion. From our prehistoric ape-ancestry past to uncharted realms of space, it remains a landmark, pioneering movie unlike any other. SOYLENT GREEN Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson headline this thought-provoking futuristic shocker set in an overcroweded New York where secrets about the food supply are zealously guarded by the government. FORBIDDEN PLANET Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon and Anne Francis star in this influential adventure fantasy about the troubled landing of a space cruiser on a planetary paradise in the year 2257 AD. THE TIME MACHINE (1960) Rod Taylor stars as a turn-of-the-20th-century scientist who builds a contraption that zips him into the near and far future in a fantastic, cleverly crafted version of H.G. Wells' immortal novel. Yvette Mimieux and Alan Young co-star.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Collection Presented in Widescreen, September 8, 2009

By 

Derek Dean "musician, home-recordist, photogr... (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Science Fiction (2001 A Space Odyssey / Soylent Green / Forbidden Planet / The Time Machine 1960) (DVD)

I was a bit hesitant to buy this collection because it was listed as having an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. However, it was also listed as being Widescreen..... so I took a chance and ordered it.

When it arrived I was happy to find that all 4 movies are presented in what appears to be their original theatrical widescreen aspect ratios, although the actual numbers aren't listed on the DVDs or the box.

What it does say on the back of the box is that both The Time Machine and 2001 are presented in the widescreen format preserving the original theatrical aspect ratio..... enhanced for widescreen TVs.

The transfers look clean and the audio is crystal clear (listed as Dolby 5.1). As has been noted these are pretty much bare bones presentations, but you get 4 excellent movies on 2 double sided DVDs for a good price. Works for me.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WARNER sci-fi quad-pack, May 16, 2009

By 

Annie Van Auken (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Science Fiction (2001 A Space Odyssey / Soylent Green / Forbidden Planet / The Time Machine 1960) (DVD)

Warner's TCM GREATEST CLASSIC FILMS COLLECTION is a series of over two dozen twin packs. The four titles in each set are dubbed one per side on two flip discs. Only some movies include bonus features. Transfer quality of these well-preserved ever-popular films is top-notch.

The four in this pack are any Boomer's delight, from our childhood friend Robbie the Robot ("Forbidden Planet"), to a primetime NBC-TV fave ("Time Machine"), to trippy late 60s Drive-In movie fare ("2001"), to a more sobering experience ("Soylent Green"). For any who missed these in first run, they remain prime examples of superior vintage science fiction-- deftly combining fine casts, nicely-crafted scripts, skilled cinematography and quirky (by today's standards) yet often engaging special effects.

SYNOPSES--

FORBIDDEN PLANET

An Earth colony on a planet 17 light years from home is nearly wiped out, so an expedition is sent to investigate. Curiously, the only two survivors don't seem to want any help from Commander Abrams and his men, but Abrahms won't leave until he gets some answers.

SOYLENT GREEN

In the (now not too) distant future, an overpopulated Earth broils from the greenhouse effect. Many plants and animals are extinct, so the hungry billions are nourished with color-coded foodstuffs from the Soylent company. There's yellow and red, but their very best is Soylent Green. When the company's president is murdered, a detective's investigation uncovers a horrible secret.

TIME MACHINE

Directed by pioneer special effects wizard George Pal, this adaptation makes author H.G. Wells the main character. After watching the rapid forward passage of time via changing fashions in a nearby ladies dress shop window, Wells rides his machine to a distant future where society is divided into meek surface dwellers and underground cannibals who prey on them.

2001

Episodic, gently paced story encompasses the cosmically assisted rise of humankind from hairy cave dweller to space-traveling modern man to our ultimate pre-planned destiny. Along the way we thrice encounter a mysterious ebony-hued monolith, experience artificial gravity, grapple with a powerful cyber-mechanism gone haywire and watch a man in his prime age, die and undergo embyronic transformation (perhaps into a higher life form?).

Also recommended:

Warner's TCM HORROR set includes "Freaks" (1932), "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1941), "House of Wax" (1953) and "The Haunting" (1963).

Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(7.8) Forbidden Planet (1956) - Walter Pidgeon/Anne Francis/Leslie Nielsen/Warren Stevens/Jack Kelly/Richard Anderson/James Drury

(7.0) Soylent Green (1973) - Charlton Heston/Leigh Taylor-Young/Chuck Connors/Joseph Cotten/Brock Peters/Edward G. Robinson/Dick Van Patten

(7.6) The Time Machine (1960) - Rod Taylor/Alan Young/Yvette Mimieux/Sebastian Cabot/Whit Bissell

(8.4) 2001: A Space Odyssey (UK/USA-1968) - Keir Dullea/Gary Lockwood/William Sylvester/Douglas Rain

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars terrific collection , what do you have to lose ?, November 10, 2009

By 

B. Lafave "parisconcert" (lakeland , fl) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Science Fiction (2001 A Space Odyssey / Soylent Green / Forbidden Planet / The Time Machine 1960) (DVD)

as noted elsewhere , these films are presented in their proper aspect ratios and are all fun classics . with todays' heavy reliance on CGI in sci-fi filmaking , these films are more than desirable , they're essential . all films have english subtitles .