Customer Reviews

Pufnstuf

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I saw a bootleg letterboxed copy of this about seven or eight years ago at a friend's house up in Northern California, and I was astonished. All this is, really, is a 90-minute "H.R. Pufnstuf" episode, but it's one of the best ones ever conceived. In keeping with the times (and, quite possibly, the film's "real" potential audience) there are quickly intercut visual effects that look like they were stolen from the "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" section of "2001" throughout. It's a little thin plotwise (who watches this stuff for plot, anyway?), but there are plenty of musical numbers to keep the viewer entertained and amused. It's worth the price of admission alone to see Mama Cass Eliot (she plays Witchiepoo's friend Witch Hazel - yuk yuk) talking on the telephone while sitting in a bathtub full of food! Sadly, there's no "See You Next Week!" sign-off at the end of the movie, which may disappoint some. That's just a small quibble, though. Fans of Sid & Marty Krofft's work shouldn't miss out on this, and it also deserves shelf space in the collection of any fan of camp or Psychotronic stuff. Incredible.

I will start by saying I grew up on H.R. Pufnstuf. And I saw this movie in a theatre when I was eight years old. So it's a big blast from the past for me.

The film is great. Not anything Oscar-worthy, but it's highly entertaining from start to finish. The music is really good, in a groovalicious sort of '60s way. Not generic, either. I still hum these melodies and sing the lyrics nearly 40 years after its release! The solid music score and songs are topped off by the outstanding "Different" sung by Mama Cass. What a great number! This is her one and only feature film as an actress, and at least she makes a memorable impression. She's genuinely funny as the gossipy, over-the-top, jealous Witch Hazel. And her scenes with Billie Hayes (Witchipoo) are the best in the movie. Then there's Jack Wild, who manages to be "sincere" in this crazy world of oversized puppets, painted flat sets, and piano-wire special effects.

As for the DVD---it's a very strong release. Picture quality is highly respectable for the most part, even if it's not a fully remastered print. The colors are vibrant and true, and the picture is clear even with some (expected) film grain throughout. And the 2.0 mono mix is strong. The music and dialogue sound rich and clear. The best part is that this DVD has been mastered in anamorphic widescreen (aka "enhanced for 16x9 TVs). I have not seen this movie in widescreen since I was eight. And it really feels like a movie now, rather than an expanded episode of the TV show.

Minor quibbles: There are times throughout the film where it goes out of sync. Only for certain shots or scenes, most notably during the big "Living Island" production number toward the very beginning. In that case, it's pretty distracting, but in other cases, it's only slightly questionable. I'm surprised this happens, since most of the film is in sync. I'm not sure why it loses sync only at random moments. I realize they used ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) for the costumed actors whose voices were replaced with dubbing, but I'm speaking about Jimmy, Witchipoo, etc. It's very strange. Fortunately, except for the one big production number, whenever it happens, it's not too terrible.

Other than that, it's a little surprising to see all the seams in the costumes, the wires used for flying shots, and the uneven lines and seams in all the makeup. Things I never noticed before. But because it's blown up on a big screen on DVD now, they are suddenly noticeable.

Bottom line: I recommend this movie and this DVD for anyone who has seen it before, and anyone who has ever loved Pufnstuf or the Krofft Saturday morning TV shows. You're in for a real treat!

Extras: There are some forced trailers at the beginning, including the hilarious new trailer for the film version of "Land of the Lost" starring Will Farrell. And there is also a vintage trailer for "Pufnstuf" the movie. That's it. But having the movie in widescreen after all these years is reason enough to shell out the (very reasonable) expense!

Just bought the video. I remember this television show with fond memories and was so looking forward to this movie finally coming on video. I saw it years ago on the Disney Channel. Now all these years later it still hasn't lost any of it's charm. My only complaint is that on the video box it list Martha Raye as the original Witchiepoo but as anyone who is a Pufnstuf fanatic will know that it is a misprint and Billie Hayes is and will always be Witchiepoo. Now I wait for it to come out on DVD.

I'm not going to explain the plot of this movie, because I am sure that everyone interested in buying it was an avid fan of the show who has since grown up (strictly a relative term with us Krofft fans). I have serious doubts that this movie would appeal to modern kids. The special effects and set design are crude and would look silly to kids used to computer animation. It also has that destinctive 70's feel (which can only be described as "groovy") which simply won't be felt by kids raised to think that nausea inducing light shows and jokes about bodily functions are what kids shows are all about.

For adult fans of the show, however, this movie is a rare treat. It opens with several minutes of Jimmy's life before being whisked away to Living Island, which was a welcome addition to his identity. Although the music may not have been Grammy worthy, I for one enjoyed the haunting theme song, the lively "Living Island is a Most Amazing Place" and of course Cass Eliott's song. My objections are few. They cast different people from the show to do the voices of Pufnstuff, Freddy and Orson, which was distrubing as I had gotten used to the original voices. Also, we have Freddy and Jimmy meeting minutes before being taken to the island. Given the strength of their bond on the show, I had assumed they had been together for years before that. Also, I would have liked to see an explanation for how Living Island came to be, which the move did not offer. Like I said, my objections were few, and did not ruin the nostaligic appeal of this long lost treasure.

The movie that was inspired by the Sid and Marty Krofft television series is now released on DVD. Jack Wild stars as Jimmy, a downtrodden British boy who is kicked out of band practice and rushes off. Along the way he notices the transformation of his real regular flute, to the talking flute with a diamond skin condition named Freddie. After shortly( and I mean shortly) becoming good friends, Jimmy and Freddie Flute board a talking ship that takes them for an eventful ride. Billie Hayes plays Witchiepoo, a lackluster but enthusiastic witch who yearns to capture Freddie and become witch of the year at the next convention of witches. But in order to become witch of the year officially, she needs to impress the Boss Witch who is played by the ever delightful Martha Raye. But the forces of good and happiness, led by the golden dragon known as H.R Pufnstuf, want to make sure that Jimmy and Freddie stay safe. But Witchiepoo just can't keep her mouth shut, and brags to her so called friend Witch Hazel, played by the late and extremely great Mama Cass Elliot, that Freddie Flute is within her grasp. This leads to Boss Witch bringing the witches convention to Living Island(the place where Pufnstuf and his courageous crew reside). Will Jimmy, Freddie, and Pufnstuf overcome Witchiepoo and drive the witches off? Buy this DVD and find out for yourself.

A great family movie.

after watching this film as a child of 5 years old i remember feeling very scared of whitcheepoo and how fantastic jack wild was .the songs were unforgetable so much infact that i let my own children watch the film ,they loved it . its very hard to get it in this country ...

THIS MOVIE IS GREAT. SORT OF LIKE THE MUPPETS ON ACID. WHAT TRULY MAKES THIS A GREAT MOVIE IS THE LATE CASS ELLIOT. HER ROLE AS WITCH HAZEL IS JUST TOO MUCH! YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY SEE/FEEL THAT ALL OF THE ACTORS' ENJOYED THEMSELVES MAKING THIS PICTURE. IT IS ALSO OF GREAT SENTIMENTAL VALUE FOR ANYONE WHO REMEMBERS WHEN THIS MOVIE FIRST CAME OUT (THIS MOVIE WAS MADE IN 1970, AND IT WAS ONLY JUST RECENTLY RELEASED ON VHS). AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT FEATURES WHAT, BASICALLY, IS THE FIRST MUSIC VIDEO TO BE MADE WHEN CASS ELLIOT PERFORMS THE SONG 'DIFFERENT'. THIS PICTURE IS GREAT FOR KIDS, AS WELL AS ADULTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO FEEL THE NOSTALGIA OF THEIR LONG-AGO CHILDHOOD. DON'T MISS THIS!!!

For anyone who ever experienced the joy of watching HR Pufnstuf every Saturday morning as a kid! This movie version of the TV show is a must see, must own! Here is the story of how Jimmy found Freddy the flute, how he and Freddy became trapped on Living Island and their many attempts to return home. ANd best of all, it's a musical, and the songs are actually catchy! Plus, Mama Cass as WItch Hazel is as trippy as it gets! A psychedelic joyride if ever there was one!

"Pufnstuff" is, of course, the feature film version of Sid and Marty Kroft's popular series "H.R. Pufnstuf" from 1969. In fact, the film is exactly like the series, but stretched out to around 90 minutes. Feeling rejected at home and school, Jimmy (Jack Wild) discovers that his flute is actually a magic, talking golden flute named Freddy. Jimmy and Freddy are lured away on a boat belonging to the wacky Witchiepoo (the outragous Billie Hayes), who plots to steal Freddy for herself. Escaping the boat, Jimmy and Freddy land on Living Island, a fantastic place with Hippie Trees, Evil Trees, Talking Clocks, Talking Books, a house that sneezes, and even stranger inhabitants. Jimmy and Freddy are rescued by Mayor H.R. Pufnstuff, a tall dragon who speaks in a Southern drawl, Dr. Blinky, an owl, Cling and Clang, and assorted other characters. Witchiepoo's attempts to nab Jimmy and Freddy are always thwarted by Pufnstuf and pals, who also thoroughly ruin Witchiepoo's chance at being named "Witch Of The Year."
The added theatrical trailer describes "Pufnstuf" as "the most magical, musical film since "The Wizard Of Oz." I wouldn't go quite that far, although their are some obvious similarities. Both films feature psychedelic/surrealistic colors and characters; the very American Dorothy is chased around Oz by a truly frightening Witch who wants the magic Ruby Slippers; the very British Jimmy is chased around Living Island by the truly wacky and silly Witchiepoo, who wants the magic flute. The film belongs to Billie Hayes and the Witches who gather at the castle for a Convention, singing a fun song titled "Zap The World." Some of these Witches appear to be men in drag (including Billy Barty), which gives "Pufnstuf" some added "camp value", not that it needs anymore. Martha Raye, who would subsequently star as Benita Bizarre on the Kroft's next series "The Bugaloos", makes a cameo appearance as Boss Witch. "Mama" Cass Elliot, of The Mamas And The Papas", makes her only film appearance as Witch Hazel. Cass sings a wonderful song called "Different", and that alone is reason enough to buy the DVD.
The DVD release comes from an excellent print and is presented in Widescreen Format. Today's kids may not like it, but the film is a delight for those of us who were kids with Pufnstuf and Witchiepoo, and want to take a nostalgic trip. "Pufnstuf" is, indeed, a "trip"... in more ways than one!

I remember watching Pufnstuf along with the rest of Sid and Marty Kroffts productions growing up. They were great. My brother-in-law made us a copy of some of the shows back when Nickolodean was running a Sid and Marty Krofft marathon. My three and five year olds girls were hooked. They are now five and seven and still enjoy. It is something to watch as a family. And while it might not be as graphically well-done as newer shows and video games, it still has a bit of fascination to it no matter what age you are.