Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
87 of 89 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Save your money, January 19, 2001
By A Customer
Re: the guy who wanted a list of the titles on this video; there are 12 cartoons: Popeye for President (Seymour Kneitel, 1956); Assault and Flattery (Izzy Sparber, 1956); Gopher Spinach (Kneitel, 1954); Fright to the Finish (Kneitel, 1954); Parlez Vous Woo? (Sparber, 1956); Bride and Gloom (Sparber, 1954); Shuteye Popeye (Sparber, 1952); Insect to Injury (David Tendlar, 1956); Taxi Turvy (Kneitel, 1954): A Haul in One (Kneitel, 1956); Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Dave Fleischer, 1937) and Customers Wanted (Dave Fleischer, 1939). I think the new sound effects were added so that WinStar could establish a copyright on public domain cartoons. The promo material brags about the pictures being restored to their original brilliance and quotes Peter Nichols of The New York Times, who admires WinStar's work. But that's in reference to other titles in this series. When Popeye paints his name on the mailbox in Insect to Injury, its too dark to read. These Popeye cartoons on this DVD are no brighter than the cheap public domain tapes we've been buying for the past fifteen years. Wait until King Features and Warner/Turner come to an agreement.
|
|
|
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
More Like: "50 Years Of Popeye", January 14, 2001
After seeing the title I thought there would be at least one Max Fleischer cartoon (in stunning Black & White!!) from the 1930's. Maybe "Popeye"(1933),"Brotherly Love"(1936)or "Never Kick A Woman"(1936). The Fleischer brothers (Dave and Max) produced many classic cartoons with lots of imagination, that were close to that shabby, almost surrealistic style of Popeye's creator E.C ("Elsie") Segar. Such is not the case. Instead we get a collection of Famous Studios' work, mostly from the mid-fifties (1954) which aren't bad, but certainly not a grand overview of 70 years of Popeye as the title suggests. The title is misleading and the cartoons chosen will not make many new fans of Popeye. For example,one selection, "Gopher Spinach" is not only boring and predictable, it has always been regarded by collectors as one of the worst made. I regard myself as an above average fan of Popeye, and I believe that anyone who knows Popeye at all will find this collection to be a real waste of money.
|
|
|
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A lot of fun and a nice trip down memory lane..., August 17, 2001
Despite the lackluster reviews I read here, I went ahead and ordered this DVD, primarily because my nearly-4-year-old was asking for Popeye cartoons. Much to my delight, the DVD is not the cesspool of quality others have rated it at; it's a good collection of classic Popeye, plain and simple.The quality could be worlds better here and there -- and the original makers of these cartoons could have kept them stored in climate-controlled, air-tight vaults. The thing to remember is a lot of these shorts were made for the simple reason of economics; they were made to make money, not for prosperity. Care of the original film wasn't a priority after it was made. Regardless, this collection is great. It's fun to watch, I'm seeing cartoons I haven't seen in years, and my son loves them. Could it have been a better DVD? Sure, given a lot of factors. For now, I'm happy to sit on the couch and enjoy Popeye with my son.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|