Funny, I prefer the individual volumes because they're so compact and portable, in addition to being handsomely designed. I've seen the hardcover anthologies at my university library and found them quite unappealing visually by comparison. None of the stills are in color and if I recall correctly some of the stills are even cut to conserve space.Godot wrote:There is a 2-volume hardcover collection of 50 monographs, arranged chronologically. It can be pricey, currently $90 on Amazon, but I bought it 18 months ago for $40, so keep your eyes open on your favorite internet used book seller. Also, I use CamelCamelCamel religiously to check whether current prices are out of norm, whether there are trends in used prices decreasing, etc. You can see my purchase back in 2016 at that $40 on the Camel page. Considering that it has 50 monographs, back when the series started and only covered classics, it's a wonderful deal, even at $90, if you don't already have any of them. When I bought it, I had about 35, but the remaining gaps were around $10 each, so I took the plunge. Plus, this allowed me some back-up relief if the individual volumes (which my oldest son takes with him nearly every day in car trips, etc., because of their small size and light weight) get damaged or lost. I love this series (and the BFI Modern Classics companion series that they released for a few years).
Speaking of libraries, this might be a good option for perusing some titles before you commit to buying them. Any large university or city library should have a fair number of them on hand.