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List Price: $199.99 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 952
Released: August 1, 2006 |
| Our Price: $117.05 |
| Used Price: $85.00 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
*Seasons 1-7 on each disc
Bonus Disc: **Introduction by Joss Whedon **Back to the Hellmouth: A Conversation with Creators and Cast **Breaking Barriers: It's Not a Chick Fight Thing **Love Bites: Relationships in the Buffyverse **Evil Fiends **Buffy: An Unlikely Role Model **Buffy Cast and Crew: Favorite Episodes
Description of Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Collector's Set (40 discs):
From its charming and angst-ridden first season to the darker, apocalyptic final one, Buffy the Vampire Slayer succeeds on many levels, and in a fresher and more authentic way than the shows that came before or after it. How lucky, then, that with the release of its boxed set of seasons 1-7, you can have the estimable pleasure of watching a near-decade of Buffy in any order you choose. (And we have some ideas about how that should be done.)
First: rest assured that there's no shame in coming to Buffy late, even if you initially turned your nose up at the winsome Sarah Michelle Gellar kicking the hell out of vampires (in Buffy-lingo, vamps), demons, and other evil-doers. Perhaps you did so because, well, it looked sort of science-fiction-like with all that monster latex. Start with season 3 and see that Buffy offers something for everyone, and the sooner you succumb to it, the quicker you'll appreciate how textured and riveting a drama it is.
Why season 3? Because it offers you a winning cast of characters who have fallen from innocence: their hearts have been broken, their egos trampled in typically vicious high-school style, and as a result, they've begun to realize how fallible they are. As much as they try, there are always more monsters, or a bigger evil. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the core crew remains something of a unit--there's the smart girl, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) who dreams of saving the day by downloading the plans to City Hall's sewer tunnels and mapping a route to safety. There are the ne'r do wells--the vampire Spike (James Marsters), who both clashes with and aspires to love Buffy; the tortured and torturing Angel (David Boreanz); the pretty, popular girl with an empty heart (Charisma Carpenter); and the teenage everyman, Xander (Nicholas Brendon).
Then there's Buffy herself, who in the course of seven seasons morphs from a sarcastic teenager in a minidress to a heroine whose tragic flaw is an abiding desire to be a "normal" girl. On a lesser note, with the boxed set you can watch the fashion transformation of Buffy from mall rat to Prada-wearing, kickboxing diva with enviable highlights. (There was the unfortunate bob of season 2, but it's a forgivable lapse.) At least the storyline merits the transformations: every time Buffy has to end a relationship she cuts her hair, shedding both the pain and her vulnerability.
In addition to the well-wrought teenage emotional landscape, Buffy deftly takes on more universal themes--power, politics, death, morality--as the series matures in seasons 4-6. And apart from a few missteps that haven't aged particularly well ("I Robot" in season 1 comes to mind), most episodes feel as harrowing and as richly drawn as they did at first viewing. That's about as much as you can ask for any form of entertainment: that it offer an escape from the viewer's workaday world and entry into one in which the heroine (ideally one with leather pants) overcomes demons far more troubling than one's own. --Megan Halverson
Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Collector's Set (40 discs) Reviews:
Great buy! 
2009-11-25 - I ordered this set to replace the single season disc sets purchased at a retail center because of a burglery. I opted to have next day delivery, and my package arrived on time in excellent condition. In my old single season sets, some discs were damaged. I've been through 5 seasons so far and have yet to have one problem.
This single box stores well and is sturdy enough to last years and years.
As far as content, I suspect that if you're considering purchasing the entire collection you must be a fan. You either love it or you don't get it. If you are not sure, I'd purchase season 2 to get a good feel for the show. That way you'd get more episodes than season 1. In later seasons there are many jokes that subtally refer to previous episodes. ENJOY!
Great buy for "Slayer" fans
2009-11-22 - If you are a fan of the hit television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer then this the box set for you. It comes with all the seasons and a ton of extra's. Someone mentioned about the discs being scratched or messed up. What I did was using a disc cleaner that is safe for DVD's and it stopped skipping and freezing up. It happened to me on the first disc of season one, but so far the rest of is fine.
Own The Greatest TV Series of All Time
2009-10-30 - I have seen many TV shows. Just about every drama/sci-fi/fantasy/action/adventure show to come on TV since the 90s and all I can say is BUFFY is the best one I have seen. The characters are charming and identifiable and the dialogue is ACTUALLY funny and intelligent, and the season-long arcs that develop are intriguing and always fun. Sarah Michelle Gellars sells the teenage girl developing into a heroine act perfectly and the rest of the ensemble make it all the more compelling. Whatever you're preconcieved notions about BUFFY were, and you haven't seen it, throw those preconceptions away. Because odds are you will be blown away by this show. And I know how hyped I sound. But it really is top-notch television, and should belong among the ranks of THE SOPRANOS, THE WIRE and the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. The underlying themes found within the series are so relevant to life as we know it, you almost won't notice them but they are there if you look.
Every season is great. Sure, some are better than others, but every year Joss Whedon and his slew of writers created new, exciting elements to keep the show fresh. And it is fresh all the way up to the spectacular series finale, so that makes it all the more sad once it is gone.
BUFFY has something for everyone--the comedy, the horror, the romance, and the all-out ass-kicking, demon-slaying action. And it never feels cheap, cheesy or contrived. I love it. And I whole-heartedly recommend that you give it a try. It is one of the most rewarding TV experiences you could have.
In case you need more to convince you...
BUFFY places #2 on Empire's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time List
#1 on UGO's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time List
#41 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest Shows List
#3 on TV Guide's Top 25 Cult TV Shows of All Time
and is included in TIME Magazine's Top 100 Shows of All Time
BTW the spinoff series ANGEL is fantastic too, albeit considerably different from it's sister series. Give that one a go too. There is also a Season 8 of BUFFY in graphic novel form as well as video games and more.
Do yourself a HUGE favor and buy this DVD collection. You will love it, and anyone who watches it with you will too.
The best way to get Buffy to your video library
2009-10-29 - This set is definitely for you Buffy fans that do not own already the 7 seasons. Beautiful prints, and the minimum space that takes, makes it shiny between you DVD library.
I had already Season 1 and 2, but after seeing this box set, didn't cared to buy them again. I have already bought the Angel Complete Collection set box also, that will sit beside this.
Does it worth it to buy this again if you have already the seasons: not at all. It only offers an additional DVD with some extras, but nothing you can't live without. So, keep them and don't throw you money if that is your case.
Great Show but not very good quality 
2009-10-28 - Im a relatively late comer to the Buffyverse. I hadnt ever seen an episode until earlier this year when a friend of mine told me that I had to watch the show. After about 12 years of hearing how great it was I caved in and downloaded the first season and loved it so much I bought the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collector's set.
What drew me into the show were the characters, the amazing writing and the great pacing. At the end of every episode I have been entertained as much as is possible in 45 minutes. Watching these has made something very noticeable. The video quality is often lacking. There are often scenes where it seems like I am seeing double. The motion can get blurry and make things hard on the eyes. In a world where we were getting superb HD releases on blu-ray and even hd dvd at the time the video quality on this release is unacceptable. There really isnt a reason why they would be releasing a dvd that makes it feel like the viewer is seeing double. Until this is rereleased digitally remastered (and hopefully in HD) then this is the way to go to enjoy one of the greatest shows ever made (it has my vote as greatest.
