Customer Reviews

The Munsters: Two-Movie Fright Fest - (Franchise Collection) - (Munster, Go Home! & The Munsters' Revenge)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ok... I know what you're thinking... "Why should I buy these two Munster movies on DVD AGAIN?" Well, despite the fact that the packaging is stupid and ugly. Despite the fact that there are NO bonus extras of any kind. Despite the fact that there aren't even any trailers or chapter stops. It doesn't matter. These new digital transfers make seeing "Munster, Go Home" and "The Munsters Revenge" an ENTIRELY new viewing experience.

I've loved "The Munsters" since it's CBS premiere in 1964. I have every episode on 16mm as well as on DVD. I even have a 16mm print of "Munster, Go Home" in IB Technicolor! NOTHING compares to Universal's crisp, new transfer! Watching the film in in its widescreen 16x9 theatrical aspect ratio was cool enough. But the colors! WOW! Herman is REALLY GREEN. Eddie's costume is a deep PURPLE. Lily's cheeks are BLUE. The clarity. The focus. Awesome! Even the sound is crisp and clear. When compared side-by-side to the earlier Good Times DVD, the visual difference is shocking. The Good Times transfer is muddy, contasty and just plain crumby by comparison. The only SLIGHT drawback is the trade-off in aspect ratios. The Munsters series and "Munster, Go Home" was shot in 35mm 1.33::1 aspect ratio. Basically the same as what you see on TV. In 1966, the film would have been shown in theaters cropped at the top and bottom to approximate a widescreen or "cinematic" look. In other words, "Munster, Go Home" would have been shot in a 4x5 or "Flat" aspect ratio but was designed to be cropped for movie theaters. This is the aspect ratio Universal has chosen for this transfer. The Good Times DVD preserves the full frame, so you do get more picture information on the top and bottom. Nevertheless, this DVD gives you about 5% more picture information on each side of the frame and, because a widescreen TV will "blow up" the image to fill the screen, the overall effect is just like seeing the film in a theater in 1966. Better, actually; because not even a 35mm IB Technicolor print could match this transfer for sharpness.

"Munster's Revenge" is similarly sharp and clear, although it is presented as it was always intended to be seen: in a 4x3 or "flat" aspect ratio. Unfortunately the increased picture and sound quality can't make up for the fact that "The Munster's Revenge" is just plain painful to sit through. Produced in 1981 as an NBC TV movie, the film reunited Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo and Al Lewis just a mere 15 years after the series cancellation in 1966. Nevertheless, the script is weaker than a cobweb and creakier than a coffin lid. The actors look old and bloated. The incredibly sharp Gwynne/Lewis comedy timing is all but gone (save for a genuinely funny scene where they sport drag in an Italian restaurant). DeCarlo is sadly overweight, a fact hardly hidden by long black hair, billowing shrouds and careful lighting. Gwynne's makeup is also uneven. Just watch how his headpiece changes shape and size from scene to scene. Only rarely do we see glimpses of the old Munster magic. Because this story was supposed to take place 2-3 years after "Munster, Go Home", it was decided to recast the roles of Butch Patrick and Pat Priest.

According to Fred Gwynne, NBC had hoped a good rating would justify bring "The Munsters" back as an NBC prime time series. CBS was so threatened, they put "The Wizard of Oz" on opposite it. They needn't have worried. K.C. Martel as Eddie looks like a poor kid's Scott Baio. He looks so strange it reminds you of just how cool Butch Patrick really was. (Proof that not every 13 year old boy can get away with wearing knickers, face paint and a Little Lord Fauntleroy jacket!) Jo MacDonnell as Marilyn looks the part, but that's about it. According to IMDb her last professional acting credit was in 1987. Too bad she didn't quit before she took this part! Look for Munsters series director (and former child star) Ezra Stone in a supporting part. Lots of old "McHale's Navy" performers, too. Bob Hastings does a credible job as a new family member referred to by Yvonne DeCarlo as "Cousin Phantomoftheopera." (Yep... You heard me correctly.) Former funny-man from the 50s Sid Caesar should have stayed home. Likewise Howard Morris. It seems like the writers ran out of material to fill a 90 minute time period so the actors just ham it up to kill time. The pacing is similarly dreadful. Leaden is a better word. Bad puns like "I'll drink to that" lie there like corpses.

But, in fairness, I remember that NBC ran "The Munsters Revenge" in 1981 with a laughtrack -- so that it would seem like a vintage episode of the series. Editing for a laughtrack requires that "laugh pad" is added after a joke so that the canned laughs have a chance to subside. The problem is, by taking the track out, all Universal has done is expose bad jokes for what they are... BAD. But the poor comic timing isn't Gwynne and Lewis' fault. Bad editing and weak writing will make even the best actor look like Ben Affleck in "Pearl Harbor." (Now THAT's scary!)

Ah, who cares! Munsters are great! Munsters rule! And this DVD combo is a must have - no matter its shortcomings! (For extras, by the way, check out "The Munsters: America's First Family of Fright" DVD from Image Entertainment. It's the perfect companion!)

Although we get a bare-bones treatment here without commentaries from such surviving cast members as Butch Patrick or Yvonne DeCarlo, or even a promotional trailer, nevertheless "Munster Go Home!" looks great. I have the old "GoodTimes" release on DVD, but this comes from Universal and, unlike the GoodTimes release, this one is presented in widescreen and looks sharp and crisp. "Munster Go Home!" is the best of the lot as "The Munsters' Revenge," as most fans know, wasn't up to par. Still, that TV movie looks great too. I am taking one star away because of the lack of extras but Munster aficionados will want to purchase this DVD.

This DVD package is a two movie set that gives us the final bow of the original cast of the Munsters. In the first film "Munsters Go Home", we see a movie that was released right after the final season of the original show. Although it has a few funny scenes, it is not even close to as funny as the original TV series. But the whole cast is there except for Pat Priest who played Marilyn in the TV series.
The second movie was made a number of years later. It is the last time we get to see Fred Gwynn play Herman Munster. Although the movie itself is not very funny, it is nice to see the original Herman, Lily, and Grampa. It's obvious that all of the original cast has gotten older, particuarly Lily. But all in all, it's a nice way to finish the TV set if you are a true Munsters fan.

I bought this because I have seasons one and two and thought might as well own this . . . but as other reviewers have mentioned . . . it's in widescreen, great color, fantastic sound, well acted . . . totally worth it!!!

I have both movies Munsters, Go Home (1966)(full screen) and Munsters' Revenge on DVD. but Munsters Go Home the new release is in 1:85 widescreen and both movies look much better on the new Munsters - Two Movie Fright Fest.
It was well worth buying this movie collection! Also the book Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane came out Sunday Oct 1, 2006. It is a Munster fan must have.

Well, I have read the other reviews boasting of picture quality, and purchased my own copy. My copy of the GOODTIME version of MUNSTER, GO HOME! was actually very good. But this new release is roughly a 30-35% improvement over the GOODTIME release. However the lack of scene selection is somewhat annoying. I never purchased the original dvd of MUNSTERS' REVENGE so I can't compare dvds to that, but I have a recorded from cable VHS copy that I thought looked ok. But when compared to this, it looks downright dreadful. Munsters' Revenge may not be as good a movie as Munster,Go Home.But niether one comes close to the TV Series. I have a theory as to why Pat Priest was not included in the Munster, Go Home cast. First of all had Pat been in the movie, they would have to recast Robert Pine's role because Robert Pine (Roger Morseby) would not have been a convincing suitor for Pat Priest. Also when Squire Morseby and his wife (Roger's Parents) expressed their intolerance for the Munsters, Pat Priest's Marilyn would have stood her ground better and convinced the Squire and his wife that the Colonial Munsters were nothing like their British counterparts. Therefore diminishing the intended subplot of Marilyn and Roger at odds with each other. Money was paid, locations rented, and a cast ready to go. This movie was rushed into production. Had they been able to wait a little longer we probably would have had a better Munster's movie that included Pat Priest.

Nostalgia can sum up the two movies here. You either enjoyed the Munsters or you did not. If you grew up with "them" you will appreciate the first movie. The second has less of Lily and Eddie is not the same character, ( Butch was in his 20's at this time if I am correct). All in all not a bad regrouping of the actors and characters. Take the trip down memory lane.

THE MUNSTERS has to be the most popular, two-season television series of alltime. The show only ran 1964-1966 but it has been in reruns ever since. Apparently it's cancellation at the end of the second season was a surprise to Universal as well as the cast for the studio was in preproduction plans for a Munsters feature film, something that has only been done very few times: a movie from a television series with the original cast. Happily, the studio went ahead with the movie MUNSTER GO HOME (1966) which gave fans a chance to see the first family of faux fright at last in color. While not as sharp in it's satire as the original series and boasting an even paler shade of black humor, the movie is highly entertaining.

Fred Gwynne's Herman Munster has to be one of the greatest comedy creations of the small screen and works just as well on the big screen. Yvonne De Carlo proves as she did in the series that she was an extremely underrated comedienne while Al Lewis' caustic but lovable Grandpa remains a hoot (or is that a howl?) Butch Patrick as the Munster spawn Eddie walks a neat line between little monster and classic tv kid.

And there's poor Marilyn. She really is poor Marilyn this time!! Gorgeous Pat Priest from the series was dumped for the movie in place of one Debbie Watson. The reason appearing to be that Ms. Watson was a Universal contractee the studio briefly hoped to turn into a movie star. Alas, they couldn't even turn her into a Munster. Watson is a perky ingenue totally wrong for sexy blonde bombshell MM. While modestly cute, she completely lacks the va-va-voom quality of Pat Priest that made the Munster clan's belief that Marilyn (not being ghoulish like the rest of the family) was the homely one in the family so hilarious. Watson also lacks Priest's sweet comic edge and doesn't mesh well with "the family". The movie is fortunate though to have a sensational supporting cast with the great Hermonine Gingold and Terry-Thomas as their caucasian British relatives who can certainly rival the American editions in creepiness. The print of this film is gorgeous and if the story's ultimate conclusion has a rather incredible villain, fans of the show will still find much to enjoy here.

Fifteen years later Gwynne, De Carlo, and Lewis recreated their characters for the TV-movie THE MUNSTERS REVENGE (1981) that's the second film in the collection. Unfortunately, this lame comedy is the worst sort of horror film: it's boring. This one gives us Gwynne and Lewis as something of an undead Laurel and Hardy, which really wasn't their interplay in the series yet an even more grave offense is reducing De Carlo's Lily to little more than a supporting part. Eddie and Marilyn are now played by two rather unknown television actors of the day; given how small their parts are in this movie it made little sense not to bring back Patrick and Priest for these walk-ons. Only in brief moments can the script catch the ghoulish fun of the original and it's sadly clear the cast was still able if the script had been willing. It was nice though to see Fred, Al, and Yvonne one more time back in character.

One last comment about the cool packaging: be sure to carefully remove the orange sticker from the cover that's on most copies of this DVD as it holds the spider-web cardboard box to the dvd case, there is no other way to get to the dvd case without tearing the cardboard wrap which most fans undoubtably will want to keep.

There are certain legendary characters that instantly come to mind when one recalls all the memorable sitcoms of the classic 1960's. Maxwell Smart, Granny Clampett, Samantha Stephens, Gilligan, Lucy Carmichael are just some of the iconic characters immortalised during that unforgettable decade of television production. However in amongst these legendary figures one group of characters stood out from all the rest for their sheer bizzare originality yet great likeability. They were the Munsters, often rightly titled "Television's First Family of fright", Through two delightful seasons they totally charmed viewers worldwide with their own decidely unique slant on portraying the "typical American Family" so beloved on American television at the time. In a show that could be seen as "Leave It To Beaver meets The Bride of Frankenstein" the Munsters turned suburbia as we had come to know it , completely on its head. Certainly the Munsters always thought they were just typical everyday people which was what made them so totally endearing. Herman, Lily, and Grandpa especially became unforgettable characters that we loved and laughed with, not at, and I know this viewer in particular literally grew up with the Munsters as extended family.

With the unfortunate (and far too premature) cancellation of the regular series in 1966 however the Munsters, like the good monsters they were, literally rose from the cancelled television graveyard to live again in movie versions of their successful television formula. In this newly released DVD titled "The Munsters: Two Movie Fright Fest" we have the two films that followed on from the series together at last. "Munster Go Home" was a feature film released theatrically right after the series finished in 1966 and has the entire cast still together apart from one unfortunate piece of recasting which saw the lovely and popular Pat Priest who had played niece Marilyn for all but the first 13 episodes of the series inexplicitly replaced by another younger actress Debbie Watson. This film sees the Munsters travelling to England where Herman has inherited a title along with a very undesirable set of murderous English relations determined to do away with their unwelcome American cousins. The second feature on this DVD is the 1981 "reunion" television movie "The Munsters' Revenge" which saw Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and Al Lewis recreating their memorable characters, (but with the roles of Eddie and Marilyn recast with new actors) for a story set in the lead up to Halloween which has the owner of a wax museum using models of Herman and Grandpa to commit robberies for which the male members of the real Munster family are then blamed. The comic pair then have to go to great lengths (including in one hilarious scene getting dressed up in drag as two decidely hideous looking waitresses!) to prove themselves innocent while trapping the real thieves. While certainly weaker in story than the first film "The Munsters' Revenge" has some amusing touches such as Lily's "Halloween Tree", decorated with skulls and pumpkins and the inclusion of a colourful new family member in the all singing, all dancing "Cousin Phantom of the Opera", played by Bob Hastings who in the original series had alternated with Mel Blanc in providing the voice of the sarcastic raven who amusingly used to make wry comments on the Munsters' wackiness from inside the cuckoo clock.

I must say that both features on this DVD and especially "The Munsters' Revenge" are nowhere near the comic perfection of the original "Munsters" series however apart from that they are both still highly entertaining and essential items in the DVD collection of any Munster devotee such as myself. Both films still thankfully display that magical chemistry that existed between Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis as Herman and Grandpa (admittedly performed at a bit of a slower pace especially in "Revenge"). This unique verbal and physical interplay between the two men made them in my belief one of the great comedy teams of 1960's television and this was largely responsible for giving "The Munsters" its huge success. Despite the complete lack of any extras on the set both films are presented here in the correct format to show them to the best advantage. We have here a beautiful pristine widescreen print for "Munster Go Home", and an equally beautiful and correct full screen version for "The Munsters' Revenge". Both films are here released by their home studio Universal and they have done their monster family proud with gorgeous colour, great sound and wonderful packaging. I'm sure every Munster fan will be very pleased with this double feature of both movies featuring the original cast. Herman, Lily, Grandpa, Eddie and Marilyn will literally "live forever" in the hearts of all fans which is I guess what the original creators of these characters intended and now the whole series plus these two movies are preserved beautifully on DVD to be enjoyed time and again . If like me you have enjoyed a life long love affair with "The Munsters", or even if you are new to these characters I highly recommend you sit back and enjoy television's much loved spooky family in their two highly enjoyable movie outings here together in Universal's DVD release of "The Munsters: Two Movie Fright Fest".

I just love the Munsters. I am glad they have released these two flicks on DVD. Corny but adorable. I wish they had more seasons but it seems to be that way with cult series'. They seem to become very popular years later. Can't beat them I say.