56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's still "The Honeymooners", February 27, 2004
This review is from: The Honeymooners - The Lost Episodes, Boxed Set 1 (DVD)
OK: the bad news first. This is a fairly uneven collection of "Lost Honeymooners" episodes. The transfers are of wildly varying quality; some are quite watchable, while others are extremely grainy or not taken from the proverbial "best available sources." The 4-disc set comes in a clunky box which easily could have been half the size. The extras are OK; some are actual episodes, while others are compilations of scenes (some taken from shows elsewhere in this set) that merely serve to pad the running time.
But when all is said and done, it's still "The Honeymooners" - which means it's very funny indeed. The classic cast is here (Gleason, Carney, Meadows, Randolph) and for the most part in top form, although some of the episodes are not as well rehearsed as others. The highlight of the set is the "New Year's Eve" episode, a 40-minute extravaganza featuring cameos by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Another treat is the Christmas show, although it's a bit disconcerting to see Jackie Gleason playing his other characters (including Reginald Van Gleason and Fenwick Babbitt) in a "Honeymooners" episode.
If you're looking to start your "Honeymooners" DVD collection, the now-available "Classic 39" set is obviously the place to start. But if you're a huge Honeymooners fan (as I am) and can't get enough of their good, clean, raucous brand of humour, you will definitely want to own this collection as well.
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67 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
STOP YOUR WHINING!, June 9, 2006
This review is from: The Honeymooners - The Lost Episodes, Boxed Set 1 (DVD)
The legion of true "Honeymooners" fans has NO room for snobs. I'm amazed by the number of people who have no interest in the Lost Episodes due to the "I only love the Classic 39" syndrome ---- indicating that they regard the LOST as somehow inferior, often without having even SEEN them! (Odd that Jackie Gleason actually regarded the LOST as generally FUNNIER than the 39).
The "LOST" cover 4 seasons before and after the "39"; they are absolutely of the same vintage AND inspiration, using the same CAST, WRITERS, DIRECTOR, SETS, etc. as the "39". The only difference is their LENGTH---all are significantly longer or shorter---but the basic material and Comedic Level are the SAME!
True, occasionally the longer shows are padded a bit--but SO WHAT?--it's GLEASON/CARNEY/MEADOWS in their PRIME!! How can you not TREASURE it!? And let's be honest---the quality of the "39" varies quite a bit; "Please Leave the Premises" and "Unconventional Behavior", for instance, leap to mind as pretty sub-par shows.
And since when does the saga of an "Everyman" Bus Driver struggling to eke out an existence in a New York tenement in the 1950's require PRISTINE video quality in order to appreciate it?
C'MON! Just be thankful that these shows were preserved in ANY format!
A few real "LOST" Highlights---Buy with Full Confidence!
VOL 1 --"Letter to the Boss" is beautifully scripted and executed (plus you get to see the great character actor Robert Middleton as Mr. Marshall).
Vol 8--While 4 of the shows on this dvd are only average, "Ralph's Sweet Tooth" (a full 36 minutes) is a good as anything they ever did. The scene with Ralph and Ed rehearsing the TV script must be among the funniest scenes in comedy history.
VOL 12-- At 13 minutes, "Double Anniversary Party" is a perfect microcosm of the relationship between Ralph and Alice. It's very funny AND wonderfully touching; a real gem.
VOL 18---"Stand-In for Murder" -- A Tour-de-Force for Gleason, playing Kramden AND a dapper doppelganger Gangland Boss---often within the SAME scene! The intricate timing is simply amazing, with Carney, George Petrie, Les Damon and John Marley all performing like the true pros they were under the pressure of Live TV. Unfortunately, the end gets lopped off, since the show ran overtime!
VOL 21---"Stars Over Flatbush" Norton + Astrology = Hilarity!
VOL 22---If you only buy one dvd, this should be it.
"Catch a Star"-- See Gleason, Carney and Meadows play their onscreen characters AND themselves in real life--all filmed LIVE!
"Battle of the Sexes"---the final 5 seconds of this show contains, in my opinion, the SINGLE FUNNIEST MOMENT in Ralph's comedic output. It's not a BIG moment--it's very subtle and realistic.
"SONGWRITERS"----This episode should have been held back and broadcast as the VERY LAST show of the entire series--it would have made a fitting conclusion to the Honeymooner's saga, with one of Ralph and Ed's crazy schemes FINALLY paying off!! It's so sweet, so funny, so profoundly REAL. The interaction between the 4 principles during the final 2 minutes represents humanity at its finest. (Plus the show contains a catchy novelty tune that you'll be humming after a single viewing!)
So don't whine and moan; GET the "LOST" Epsiodes and help preserve the greatest comedic legacy of all time---ALL of it!
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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Worst way to release it!, June 15, 2004
This review is from: The Honeymooners - The Lost Episodes, Boxed Set 1 (DVD)
I hate to give anything Honeymooners related a one star review but ALL of the Lost Episodes boxed sets are a joke and an example of pure greed. In set one you get nine episodes and then five bonus features that I'm not sure of exactly what they are, I'll guess either episodes or clip montages. Then if those "extras" are episodes then there are fourteen episodes. Then there is the fact that they are spread out so far over four discs, that is just plain stupid! If there are nine episodes plus reterospectives then they should be on two, maybe three discs, and the same really goes if there are fourteen episodes. Next is the packaging, could it BE any worse? First all that ever changes for the front cover from each set to the next is the color, how creative! (Note:I'm being sarcastic) Then there is the box itself, it takes up so much shelf space that you might as well just own the stinkin tapes. Finally the price. Oh the price! For five bucks less I can own The Classic 39 (on only five discs by the way). The price is FAR TOO expensive, if all six sets were combined into one package onto fewer discs and with the price given, maybe even a little more, this set would be more exceptable. What it all comes down to is that I and many others are content with The Classic 39 on DVD. I can honestly live without this, and I'm a rather large fan of the show. MPI, who released this, needs to shape up and when I see all six boxed sets condensed and put into one set at a reasonable price then I'll shell out the cash for this. Unil then, to the moon MPI, to the moon!
P.S. I notice that some episodes get an 'extended version' in later sets, one version (the longer of the two) is enough.
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