Universal 100th Anniversary Collection [Blu-ray]

Here is the list of movies that are included in this set:

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
American Graffiti (1973)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Back to the Future (1985)
The Birds (1963)
The Bourne Identity (2002)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Buck Privates (1941)
Despicable Me (2010)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Dracula (1931)
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Jaws (1975)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Mamma Mia! The Movie (2008)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Out of Africa (1985)
Pillow Talk (1959)
Scarface (1983)
Spartacus (1960)
The Sting (1973)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Schindler's List (1993) (DVD version only)
Dracula Spanish (1931) (Blu-ray version only)

This is a wonderful (if not great) collection of movies. But you see, the thing is, if you're into good movies, chances are you already have a bunch of these. For example, out of the 25 titles listed, I already have 13. For someone like me, paying that kind of money for duplicates of so many titles makes no sense at all. If you're new on the block and want to start a library (and have the money), sure, it's an amazing collection. As other reviewers have pointed out, though, one man's "wow!" is another man's yawn. You could never please everyone . . .which makes it seem futile to assemble a collection like this. And another thing: If this set celebrates 100 years of films from Universal, how come the oldest is 1930? Didn't they make anything worthwhile before ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)? There are two versions of DRACULA (the Lugosi one and the Spanish-language version made concurrently) . . .but no FRANKENSTEIN? And what about all those Lon Chaney films? THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME? Okay, this is where it comes down to a matter of taste or choices. But to leave out the entire silent era? Absurd!

I defy anyone to tell me what these 25 movies have in common--other than that they were produced/distributed by Universal Studios. This isn't a well-curated collection, just a bunch of movies that a lot of different audiences will like, but there is no audience who is going to have a taste for all of these films. "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Mama Mia!"? OK.... And if you can find me anyone who's going to finish "Pillow Talk" then pop in "The Fast and the Furious," I'd love to meet him/her.

Instead, this set seems to be akin to the world's most expensive box of chocolates--something for everybody, but nothing for any one person. It's something that a great aunt with a lot of cash would give as a birthday gift: "I heard you like movies, so here are a bunch of movies."