I like to watch my movies on DVD. It gives me the freedom to watch what I want when I want. I don't have to rely on movie and TV shedules, which to me is a bonus. I know that the USA has TiVO, but that has yet to make its way to Australian shores, so DVDs are the way to go. United Artists is selling to people like me, and when they released their 90th Anniversary collection I took notice.

There is one great thing about being on the Internet: You don't have to worry about borders, or about having to wait for DVDs to be released here. This may not mean much to people in more responsive markets but releases in Region 4 are often later than in other countries, and if you want the DVDs here and now you have to order them from offshore. It's even better now that the Aussie dollar is stronger and we aren't penalised with poor exchange rates, even if the shipping was a bit on the steep side. But back to this DVD set.

I ordered this DVD set from the United States recently, and I have to say I'm pleased. It has over 100 DVDs in it, and so far I've found myself catching up on old classics that I've liked rather treading new ground. It'll take me a long time to get through this amount of DVDs.

I'm just going to cover a few of the DVDs in this massive set, so you can get a taste of what's there. Go to Amazon for the full listing.

This is by far one of my favourite war movies. I think because the danger seems more real than in movies where you know the ultimate victory will go to the good guys. For those that have never seen the movie, it revolves around a prison camp in Germany, where all the bad eggs, prisoners with numerous escapes to their name, have been put together...to be watched very closely. With most of the escape organisation in the one place the decision is made to do the biggest escape of all time. The movie is based on a true story to boot.

Perhaps the most famous sequence in this movie is the motorbike chase sequence with Steve McQueen. He does most of the stunts himself, and it's stunning to watch. There's a cast of thousands in this movie, and about all the great actors from the era are in it. Look out for a very young James Garner, among others.

We follow the men as they plan and execute their escape. It doesn't all go well, and the end is chilling and hopeful at the same time. This is the reason I like this movie so much. Courage isn't about winning; courage is about taking on the odds.

The Marilyn Monroe classic comedy. Who hasn't heard of this movie? The combination of Jack Lemmon doing slapstick and Tony Curtis could only ever be a winning combination.

For those that haven't seen it the movie takes place during the prohibition era where our main characters witness the St Valentine's Day Massacre. They go underground by dressing in drag and joining an all-woman band heading for Florida and the fun begins.

The only James Bond movie starring George Lazenby, and still considered one of the best by a lot of fans. Bond is Bond, naturally, and all of the elements that make a great Bond movie are here in spades.

The reason this film is so well liked, and the reason I like it, is that it goes beyond the gadgets and we get to see Bond the man, as opposed to Bond Secret Agent. There was an emotional resonance in this movie that many of the others just didn't have. It's a pity that Lazenby decided to stop his career at just one movie.

If you haven't seen this particular movie, rent it or buy it. You'll soon remember the paranoia of the Cold War, and when secret agents were licenced to kill

This collection has a lot of good movies in it. I know that the most disappointing thing about getting a collection such as this is that studios tend to put in a lot of filler movies that really up to the standards of the others. United Artists, in this case, have kept them to a minimum (although if I never see The Man in the Iron Mask with Leo DiCaprio again, I'll be a happy fan -- sorry Leo fans).

The other thing I think that United Artists could have done was add more special features. I've noticed that UA DVD sets are usually light on with the special features, and this is no different.

Overall I give this collection a thumbs up. If you are a movie buff and don't have a lot of these movies, it's worth the investment. If you do, and want the collection for the special features give it a miss.

"United Artists 90th Anniversary Prestige Collection Review" by Hovalis, copyright 2007, all rights reserved.