13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Probably my favorite megapack..., September 10, 2006
This review is from: Classic Serials Megapack: 150 Episodes (DVD)
The only reason I can't give this a full five stars in because of a quality control issue. I had one disc go bad on me about halfway through one serial - which, annoyingly enough, was the one I bought this set *specifically* for - and start to break up rather badly, to the point it even crashed my DVD player. (A *component* DVD player, mind you, I wasn't watching this on my computer!) Fortunately, I was able to exchange it for another copy that does appear to work without a problem. So, do beware of some bad pressings, though even [...] DVD boxsets can have media issues too, so it's not unique to Treeline/Mill Creek's "shovelware" bargain-bin faire.
That aside, of all the so-called "megapack" offerings of public-domain movies that're out there, this one is probably my personal favorite. They may not be, as an earlier review said, Shakespeare in the Park, but then again they don't pretend to be anything more than what they *are* - schlocky, escapist, and *fun* examples of a bygone era in American filmmaking. This is, in many respects, the essence of what a Saturday afternoon serial was all about - engaging storylines, two-fisted action, capricious plot twists, stock-but-memorable characters, and - of course - the classic cliffhanger endings where you just *had* to come back the following week to see how the hero(es) got out of *this* one. So what if the acting isn't up to snuff in many cases, or the budget is so low they can barely afford more than three different sets overall? Their goal was to keep you coming back to the theater, week after week, to see what would happen next (and, not so incidentally, to buy tickets to see the feature attraction of the afternoon!), and in many cases the serials in this collection did that job and did it very well indeed.
Some of these serials feature characters not unknown even today - Tarzan, Zorro, and Dick Tracy all partake in some rousing adventures. (The Tracy serial is the one I was especially interested in when I picked this up, and it's a fine example of a "gangbuster" crime drama of the 1930s - even if it has shockingly little to do with the comic strip.) Others, such as Undersea Kingdom and The Phantom Creeps, might be familiar to MST3K viewers, as selected episodes from these serials were featured on that show a few times. (Alas, probably the most famous MiSTed serial of all, the Commando Cody epic known as Radar Men from the Moon, is not here.) And three star John Wayne in early-career roles from before he became the icon of American cinema he's revered as today.
"Family-friendly" types take note: These serials were all made in the 1930s and '40s, and as such very little violence is seen aside from some fisticuffs and (non-bloody) shootings. Despite the relative tameness of such scenes, parents may wish to review this material before letting their children watch it. There are also a few racial/ethnic stereotypes that might be considered "unfortunate" today, but that's almost to be expected given the attitudes of the time. Still, it's worth noting.
Each serial in this set is at least 12 episodes in length, with the longest (Dick Tracy) clocking in at 15 chapters. Each individual chapter ranges from 15-25 minutes in duration. You can select a chapter to start at each time you insert the disc, but aside from that there are no special features on the disc, not even scene selection within a particular chapter.
All in all, like many of these PD boxsets, it's an incredible value for the money. The fact these are, for the most part, "dirty" transfers loaded with imperfections ("popping" soundtracks, celluloid dust, washed-out picture, and low recording volume) doesn't really detract from the allure of these sets... and to some people, myself included, they only *add* to the charm, making you feel like you're illicitly watching something Hollywood has deemed unworthy of modernization. Besides, consider how little you paid... I bought my copy for [...], which is less than a dollar per complete serial... over four hours of roller-coaster entertainment. Can't beat that deal!
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58 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Complete Waste of Money, September 8, 2004
This review is from: Classic Serials Megapack: 150 Episodes (DVD)
Do not waste any time or money on this sub-par collection of poor quality (both technical and just bad movies). The film and sound quality are horrible. A little money spent on improving image and sound quality would have gone a long way, but obviously this was not the case. at least a few times, the audio becomes completely inintelligible, and the video quality; well, lets just say it's obvious these are old movies. If you are interested in this type of film, spend a little extra per individual DVD, and pick up some that have been properly reconstructed.
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