Customer Reviews

Classic Serials Megapack: 150 Episodes

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

i own most of these sets of mega pack movies and i really like this one a lot. my copy(maybe i just got lucky) is in very nice shape,maybe not the best transfers but no problems like some have reported. these are family friendly and my boys love to watch these old cliffhangers. some are really creaky now but they are all fun. and the price is well worth it to add these old gems to your collection

i have to say my copy of this set isn't as bad as some people say theres is. this set is fun to watch and my kids have really loved sitting with me and watching these!! not great but they do entertain witch is what they are made to do. take a chance and enjoy. great for familes

Of course this stuff is terriple. It was never meant to be anything else. We're talking the Perils of Pauline here, not Macbeth. Well, actually, Macbeth is pretty unbelievable too, and has it's own share of cliffhangers, if it were shown in episodes. So these are pretty bad. Good. I remember watching them one week at a time on saturday afternoons before whatever bad 50's sci-fi movie that was to follow, accompanied by hooting and popcorn throwing. Sit back and enjoy.

Many reviewers have written complaining about the sound and image quality of this collection, however the point I would like to make is that there are so very few compilations of classic movie serials available, and at 12 full length serials included, this is by far the most comprehensive available. The best way to view these entertaining works is one chapter per day, rather than trying to sit through a whole lot of chapters in one go. That way you won't mind the repetitive nature of the story lines. Certainly the picture quality is variable, and the sound levels low [turn up the volume], but, my goodness, what fun these old serials are. Another set I purchased was <<The Legend Of Rin Tin Tin>>, actually a set of four serials featuring the legendary canine hero, and also great fun [and great value].

If you love serials, you definitely need this one. It's a collection of a dozen vintage (and I do mean vintage) serials. Don't buy this for the relatively cheap price and expect remastered quality. The quality on most is rough. But these are fun to watch -- unintentionally funny, in some cases. My biggest complaint is the selection -- these aren't the top-notch serials you'd hope for. No Flash Gordon, for example. And three John Wayne serials? But for the price, you can't go wrong.

If you love old cliffhanger serials from the 30's and 40's -- you know.....those 15 minute mini-movies that preceded the main attraction, and were usually cut up into 12 or 15 parts designed to entice you back to the theatre every week to see the new main attraction, AND to see if the hero lived to fight another day, because they always left you hanging right as his car plunged over a cliff, etc., etc. They were very effective. If any of you have read Hardy Boy or Nancy Drew books, you'll know exactly how cliffhangers worked. Real "pager-turners". Their production values always left something to be desired because most of them looked like they were working with a hundred dollar budget, but they usually had one or two relatively big 'B' names starring in them, and audiences back in those days weren't nearly as demanding as we are today with 300 million dollar budgets now par for the course. Just to give you an idea of the stars, this set has three serials starring a very young and handsome John Wayne, Bela Lugosi, Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), William Boyd and others. Half the charm in these things in that they're a little on the corny side, and some of the acting leaves something to be desired. Just the same, I've practically worn my set out watching them over and over. That's the nice thing about DVDs. Take good care of them, and they'll never wear out. This set comes in a nice velcro-lidded box, with sturdy sleeves to protect the discs. 12 different serials in this one set! One serial per single-sided disc. All very different, and all very entertaining in their own unique way. I'll be passing my set onto one or both of my daughters one of these days -- about the time I'm not up to watching them any longer, and when they're old enough to be turned off by whatever their kids are watching and/or listening to, and they're starting to long for things from a simpler, less foul time! It doesn't appear that much of any remastering of the picture or sound has been performed by TreeLine Films, but they've gotten hold of the best original sources available and made commendable copies of them. I don't expect great quality from old kinescope series that are pushing 80 years old in numerous instances, but I do find them all to be immensely watchable when I consider that many of these were shot during the Great Depression, with hand-crank cameras in some instances, and were directed by men wearing knicker-bockers and weilding old-fashioned bullhorns to call "action" and "cut"! Oh, and the great old cars! What would these old serials be without them?!? They take you back to a time when our parents were just kids, if that! Wonderful stuff. A great collection of some of the most famous serials of that era. A terrific way to escape modern day for awhile.