Carry On - The Ultimate Collection [DVD]

Before i go on with my review let me make one thing clear: THESE FILMS ARE REMASTERED! Several posts have claimed this is not the case but all of the 30 discs on this wonderful collection have been restored to an amazing point. Maybe our reveiwers are wanting 5.1 DTS and Lucasfilm to digitally enhance them all but that just isn't going to happen! What you do get though is a beautifully presented and well thought out collection of the Carry On movies.

All 30 films appear here (actually there are 31 but who really classes Columbus as a Carry on anyway?) On each disc is a good collection of extras including the Carry On Laughing series that aired during the 70's (It is worth saying that they weren't a patch on the movies but still worth a look.) A Commentary from various members of the cast (albeit secondary cast memebers but, still, you learn a lot more about the workings of a carry on movie than you thought you ever would) a series of production stills and publicity shots set to music and text fact files on the movies. All the movies are presented in widescreen but are FULL FRAME (not with black bars as said in another review). My advice? Buy this now because it won't stay at £60 forever!

I've been a Carry On fan all my life, the films may be crude at times but there's no denying that they are very very funny and the perfect antidote to feeling down and a tonic for those dark wintery nights.

I've had the old VHS tapes of most of the series for some time but last year finally threw them out, I was meaning to upgrade to DVD but never quite got around to it, then imagine my absolute joy when it was revealed that my two youngest daughters had secretly been saving up their pocket money for a few weeks to buy me this for Christmas 2010. What a lovely present on Christmas morning it was and I've spent most of the holiday period watching the films in order, I'm up to Spying now.

The quality is amazing and it's like rediscovering these classic anew, the sound has been dramatically improved and the picture is top notch.

The extra features are simply wonderful with a commentary for every film, trailers, location reports and archive interviews with such people as the legendary Sid James, I've been in heaven since I got this set.

I have a very large DVD collection and I can honestly say that this is the best boxset that I have, it's fantastic and for the price an absolute steal.

If you love old classic archive films or if you simply want a good laugh from a time when comedy was funny then look no further than this magnificent set.

As there is no booklet for it here are the extras:

Every film has photo galleries, movie trivia and audio commentaries. The following list details just what appears on the disc other than the first two above and also the participants in the commentaries.

Trailer (T), Audio Commentaries (AC), Carry On Laughing (COL).

SERGEANT: (T), (AC) by Dora Bryan, Terence Longdon & Shirley Eaton.
NURSE: (T), (AC) by Shirley Eaton & Terence Longdon.
TEACHER: (AC) by Paul Cole, Larry Dann & Richard O' Sullivan.
CONSTABLE: (T), (AC) by Leslie Phillips.
REGARDLESS: (AC) by Liz Fraser & Terence Longdon.
CRUISING: (T), (AC) by Dilys Laye & Lance Percival.
CABBY: (T), (AC) by Liz Fraser.
JACK: (T), (AC) by Bernard Cribbins. Textless Titles.
SPYING: (T), (AC) by Bernard Cribbins & Dilys laye. Textless Titles.
CLEO: (T), (AC) by Amanda Barrie & Julie Stevens.
COWBOY: (T), (AC) by Angela Douglas.
SCREAMING: (T), (AC) by Angela Douglas & Fenella Fielding.
DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD: (T), (AC) by Jim Dale, (COL) The Prisoner of Spenda.
FOLLOW THAT CAMEL: (T), (AC) by Jim Dale. Phil Silvers Interview.
DOCTOR: (T), (AC) by Jim Dale. (COL) The Baron Outlook.
UP THE KHYBER: (T), (AC) by Peter Rogers. (COL) The Sobbing Cavalier.
CAMPING: (T), (AC) by Dilys Laye & Sandra Carson. (COL) Orgy and Bess.
AGAIN DOCTOR: (T), (AC) by Jim Dale. (COL) One in the Eye for Harold.
UP THE JUNGLE: (T), (AC) by Jacki Piper & Valerie Leon. (COL) The Nine Old Cobblers.
LOVING: (T), (AC) by Richard O'Callaghan & Jacki Piper. (COL) Under the Round Table.
HENRY: (T), (AC) by Alan Hume. On Location Report, featuring archive interviews with Sid James, Kenneth Williams & Terry Scott.
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE: (T), (AC) by Richard O'Callaghan & Jacki Piper. (COL) The Case of the Screaming Winkles.
MATRON: (T), (AC) by Jacki Piper, Valerie Leon & Patsy Rowlands. (COL) And in My Lady's Chamber.
ABROAD: (T), (AC) by John Clive, Sally Geeson, Carol Hawkins & David Kernan. (COL) Short Knight, Long Daze.
GIRLS: (T), (AC) by Jack Douglas, June Whitfield & Patsy Rowlands. On Location Documentary hosted by June Whitfield.
DICK: (T), (AC) by Jack Douglas. (COL) The Case of the Coughing Parrot.
BEHIND: (T), (AC) by Jack Douglas, Patsy Rowlands, Dave Freeman & Larry Dann. (COL) Who Needs Kitchener.
ENGLAND: (T), (AC) by Patrick Mower. Carry On England The Censored Edition.
THATS CARRY ON: (AC) by Peter Rogers. (COL) Lamp-Posts of the Empire.
EMMANNUELLE: (T), (AC) by Larry Dann & Jack Douglas. What's a Carry On? The 40th Anniversary Documentary.

As a Canadian, who has seen many of the Carry On series over the years on TV and was able to buy only a set of twelve for region 1, I was so happy to see this complete series offered. I even bought a DVD player that would play region 2 format just so I could see all of these classics. There may be some sense to having multiple regions for new releases, but why are classics like these region controlled? The packaging is a good news/bad news kind of deal. Instead of thirty separate cases, they come in three cases that hold ten discs each, thus saving space on your shelf. However, the cases are rather flimsy and there is no liner notes or any details about the discs other than the title. The extras are not identified so if you were looking for something particular, you'd have to check out all 30 discs to find it.

I haven't watched them all yet but I was pleased with the quality of the transfer and my wife and I look forward to indulging ourselves as we watch the whole series, including the TV series that are included as extras on some of the discs.

Of course these films are bawdy nonsense and cheap music hall jokes, but they are addictive fun.