The Playwright Collection {DVD Review}

Reviewed by Jason Lockard

At the time this review we are little over 3 months removed from the passing of the playwright Neil Simon. His prolific writing brought us such gems as 'Come blow your horn', 'Barefoot in the park' and 'The Odd Couple'.

Mill Creek Entertainment is giving us all a chance to own eight films based on the plays by Neil Simon with the DVD collection entitled, The Playwright Collection. Let's take a look at the films included on this huge DVD set.

Our Rating System:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend an evening.
*=You haven’t missed anything.


The Cheap Detective (1978) Lou Peckinpaugh is a San Francisco detective. He is also a suspect in the murder of his own partner. Lou hopes to solve the crime and exonerate himself before the cops get him. ***

Chapter Two (1979) George Schneider is an author whose wife had just died. His brother Leo gives him the number of Jennie Malone, they hit it off, and just when things are moving along, the memory of his first wife comes between them. ***

Only When I Laugh (1981) A Broadway actress comes out of a 12-week alcohol rehab to face the problems of her best friends as well as her needy daughter. ***

The Slugger's Wife (1985) A major league star on the verge of breaking a record, meets and marries a singer. They have different goals, so they separate, jeopardizing his opportunity in sports. **

Lost in Yonkers (1993) In the summer of 1942, two young boys are sent to stay with their stern grandmother and their childlike aunt in Yonkers, New York. ***

Jake's Women (1996) Jake is a writer. He is married to Maggie, but his marriage is in trouble. So he retreats into the fantasy of his own creations. ***

London Suite (1996) This TV movie follows the lives of four people in a London hotel. **

The Sunshine Boys (1996) Two aging comedians who dissolved their act eight years earlier must overcome their differences when they have the chance for a comeback. ***

All 8 movies are on this 3 disc set. Three movies on 2 of the DVD discs and Two movies on the other. Five of the films are presented in widescreen format while the other 3 are in full screen. The audio is Dolby digital and these films look and sound awesome.

As for the packaging the 3 DVDs are stacked on top of one another and housed in a regular sized DVD case. The DVD menus are extremely  easy to navigate. Just highlight the movie title click and go.

This collection of films has a host of amazing actors and actresses including, Richard Dreyfuss, James Caan, Peter Falk, Ann-Margaret, Kelsey Grammer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kristy McNichol, Rebecca De Mornay, Woody Allen and Sarah Jessica Parker, just to name some of them.

I was really impressed with this collection. I love Neil Simon films, but they are not for kids. There is a lot of adult themes and language in these films. So by all means parental guidance in suggested here.

So if your a fan of Neil Simon films this collection give you so much bang for your buck here! Head over to MillCreekEnt.com and pick up a copy for yourself! And pay tribute to the legend of Neil Simon.

Moral Rating: Adult language and themes
Audience: Adults
Genre: Action, Drama, Comedy
Length: Almost 14 hours
DVD Released: 2018
DVD Rating: A