From NYmag.com:

When British prime minister Gordon Brown visited President Obama for the first time earlier this month, he sought to demonstrate the importance of the cross-Atlantic “special relationship” with a unique, thoughtful gift: a pen holder crafted from the wood of the HMS Gannet, the sister ship of the HMS Resolute, whose oak was carved into the desk that sits in the Oval Office. Wow! Symbolic, earnest, and classy. What a gesture. Then there was Obama, who, like all Americans who don’t know what to get someone, gave Brown a bunch of DVDs. A 25-disc box set of classic American films selected by the American Film Institute at Obama’s special request — but DVDs nonetheless. The British, sensitive as they are, were a little insulted. But at least Brown had some good quality movies for those quiet nights at 10 Downing Street, right? Nope! He recently tried to watch one, only to see a “wrong region” message appear on the screen. Turns out the DVDs only work in North American DVD players. We expect them to be regifted to Canada’s Stephen Harper in the near future.

Turns out the Obama administration didn’t even think the gift through enough to consider the fact that North American DVD players play Region 1 DVDs, while Europe’s play Region 2.

Here’s an interesting reaction from dailymail.co.uk:

As he headed back home from Washington, Gordon Brown must have rummaged through his party bag with disappointment.

Because all he got was a set of DVDs. Barack Obama, the leader of the world’s richest country, gave the Prime Minister a box set of 25 classic American films – a gift about as exciting as a pair of socks.

Mr Brown is not thought to be a film buff, and his reaction to the box set is unknown. But it didn’t really compare to the thoughtful presents he had brought along with him.

The Prime Minister gave Mr Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.

The unique present delighted Mr Obama because oak from the Gannet’s sister ship, HMS Resolute, was carved to make a desk that has sat in the Oval Office in the White House since 1880.

Mr Brown also handed over a framed commission for HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

In addition, Mr Brown and his wife showered gifts on the Obama children giving Sasha and Malia an outfit each from Topshop and six children’s books by British authors which are shortly to be published in America.

In return, the Obamas gave the Browns two models of the presidential helicopter, Marine One, to take home to sons Fraser and John…

Downing Street yesterday refused to state which movies were in the box set.

But the Mail has learned it included classics such as Star Wars, The Godfather and Citizen Kane and was produced by the American Film Institute as a ‘special request’ for the White House last month.

Perhaps pertinently, given Britain is floundering in an economic slump, the DVD collection was thought to feature the movie of John Steinbeck’s Great Depression novel, ‘The Grapes Of Wrath’.

The gift also included the Oscar-winning boxing biopic ‘Raging Bull’ starring Robert Di Nero and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller Psycho – maybe a comment on the PM’s notorious short fuse?

And he will hope that at a General Election the British public do not shun his imploration for another term in office by thinking at the ballot box of the famous line from another of the movies, Casblanca: ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.’

But following Mr Brown’s his recent troubles – the UK entering recession, soaring job losses and home repossessions, Labour struggling in the polls and  threats of leadership challenges – he may be pleased at being able to settle down for a quiet night in front of the ultimate feel-good movie: It’s A Wonderful Life.

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