Customer Reviews

The Secrets of Isis - The Complete Series

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2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are specific wonderful, magical moments in most young boys' lives when they realize that they have an attraction to the opposite sex. Such was the case when hottie JoAnna Cameron donned her ancient Egyptian amulet and chanted toward the sky "Oh zephyr winds which blow high, lift me now so I can fly," and I was awakened to such childhood wonders! Isis was a generational inspiration in the pantheon of heroic 70's television babes that included Linda Carter's Wonder Woman, Lindsay Wagner as the Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels and Erin Gray's Wilma from Buck Rogers.

As science teacher Andrea Thomas, she had found the ancient amulet of Hatshepsut during an archeological dig which endowed upon her the powers of the ancient Egyptian goddess with the gifts of flight, speed, strength and telekinesis which were summoned when she intoned the sacred chants and using her powers selflessly to help those in need. Her secret identity was concealed even from her closest friends Rick Mason, Renee Carol and Cindy Lee, but known only to her faithful feathered companion, a black crow named Tut.

The Secrets of Isis began as part of the Shazam!/Isis hour on CBS in 1975 consisting of 15 episodes and spun-off into her own series the following year but lasted only 7 episodes. Isis would also crossover and appear in 3 episodes of Shazam! and later she appeared in animation form as a character of the Freedom Force on Tarzan and the Super 7.

Season 1

1. The Lights of Mystery Mountain (9/6/1975)
2. Fool's Dare (9/13/1975)
3. Spots of the Leopard (9/20/1975)
4. The Sound of Silence (9/27/1975)
5. Rockhound's Roost (10/4/1975)
6. Lucky (10/11/1975)
7. Bigfoot (10/18/1975)
8. How to Find a Friend (10/25/1975)
9. The Showoff (11/1/1975)
10. The Outsider (11/8/1975)
11. No Drums, No Trumpets (11/15/1975)
12. Funny Girl (11/22/1975)
13. Girl Driver (11/29/1975)
14. Scuba Duba Doo (12/6/1975)
15. Dreams of Flight (12/13/75)

Season 2

16. Seeing Eye Horse (9/11/1976)
17. The Hitchhiker (9/18/1976)
18. The Class Clown (9/25/1976)
19. The Cheerleader (10/2/1976)
20. Year of the Dragon (10/9/1976)
21. Now You See It... (10/16/1976)
22. ...And Now You Don't 10/23/1976

The Secrets of Isis - The Complete Series" soars onto DVD on July 24th and will enchant you with the following special features:

* Spotlight Interviews (two hours) with cast members and crew from "The Secrets of Isis": Producers Lou Scheimer and Richard M. Rosenbloom, stars Brian Cutler, Joanna Pang and Ronalda Douglas, writers David Dworski, Michael Reaves and David Wise, designer Bob Kline and Assistant Director Henry J. Lange Jr.
* Audio Commentary Track for "Dreams of Flight" with Richard M. Rosenbloom, David Dworski and Henry J. Lange, Jr. Hosted by Andy Mangels
* Rare Footage: Morals, Commercial Bumpers and Alternate Credits
* Isolated Music And Effects Track for some episodes
* Three Extensive Photo Galleries from "The Secrets of Isis": Promotional Photos, Behind the Scenes Photos, Memorabilia Photos
* Bluewater Production's 22 page New "Legend of Isis" Comic Book
* Bonus episode of Freedom Force starring Isis: "The Plant Soldiers"
* DVD ROM - 22 Scripts and more (PC/MAC compatible)
* Booklet with Episode Guide and Trivia
* English and Spanish Language Audio Tacks
* Ink & Paint Trailers

"Oh my queen!" said the royal sorcerer to Hatshepsit, with this amulet you and your decendants are endowed by the goddess Isis, with the powers of the animals and elements. You will soar as the falcon soars, run with the speed of the gazelles and command the elements of sky and earth!"

3000 years later, a young science teacher dug up this lost treasure and found she was heir to... the secrets of Isis!

And so, unknown to even her closest friends, Rick Mason and Cindy Lee, she became a dual person - Andrea Thomas, teacher...

"Oh Mighty Isis!"

...and Isis! Dedicated foe of evil. Defender of the weak. Champion of truth and justice.

TV show box sets are great, but every now and then one comes along that just catapults you back to your childhood and "ISIS" is one of them. I had so much fun watching this over the past week that I felt like I was seven years old all over again. The show was really well done considering the obvious lack of budget. I've pretty much like all of the live action shows that Filmation did and can't wait for them to release "Shazam!". "ISIS" was my favorite though! She's a very different type of super hero. After she turns from Andrea to ISIS, she sort of just poses for the camera, not really in a hurry to save anyone. And when she gets there she pretty much just points at rocks or tree branches and has them do her work for her. If you check out the manicure on ISIS you'd know why she doesn't want to ruin her nails.
The extras are outstanding as well. An ISIS cartoon I've never seen before, and several interviews are included.

As a kid I got up every Saturday morning to watch Isis. Over 30 years later it's still fun to see these episodes again. Technology has changed so much in the past several years and these special effects might seem hokey to today's kids, but in my day it was great seeing her fly and work her powers over nature as Isis.

Joanna Cameron is one of the most beautiful actresses and I wish she had done more. She was able to deliver lines like "Oh zephyr winds that blow on high, lift me now so I can fly" with such believeablity, even by today's standards.

The extras show interviews with Brian Cutler, who played Rick Mason, and Joanna Pang, who played Cindy Lee. But there was none with Ms. Cameron. I wish there were more information about her as to how she felt about being an icon of the 70's and what she's doing today.

If you were a fan of this show I think you'll really like it. It was good to watch a TV show from a more innocent time where there was a hero who would win in the end. I was able to watch this with a five year old and not worry about any "adult" content popping up. That was refreshing!

There was two shows I was addicted to on Saturday mornings as a kid one was Sabrina The Teenage Witch cartoons the other was ISIS!! I LOVED this show and I CAN'T wait to see her again after almost thirty something years!! Why they haven't ran these on American pay TV is a surprise to me. Even if it was for Saturdays on a TV channel like TV Land it would have been great but at least now we can OWN these fun shows from our childhood. Reading the extra features and seeing the bang up cover art is awesome and looks excellent!! I can't wait to see this again....Only wish theyd release Sabrina cartoons too..Come on Filmation owners give us Sabrina too you gave us Groovy Goolies and now The Archie Show & Isis WHERE is Sabrina!!!????:)

They don't make 'em like this anymore, and it's a shame that they don't. If someone decided to "re-imagine" ISIS today, it'd most likely be a dark, dreary, serialized mess (two words: BIONIC WOMAN), chock full of violence and lame attempts at being hip or ironic. Sure, ISIS had special "effects" that Ed Wood would've laughed at, and the show required not just a suspension, but an outright EXPULSION, of disbelief (for example, Isis's dimwitted male teacher pal could never figure out her obvious true identity, yet at one point we're supposed to believe that in his spare time he just so happens to be working for a secret government project in which he's invented a weather-controlling machine!) But this show was charming in its innocence, and star Joanna Cameron was very easy on the eyes. And it always had a positive message and a happy ending.

The extras are a mixed bag. The inclusions of an ISIS cartoon and production stills are to be applauded, but commentary from the show's producers is a waste of time (they don't remember a lot of specifics about the show, and their self-congratulatory remarks about creating a show that respected women are dealt a blow when they state that their main goal in selecting an actress to play the part of Isis was to find someone with "great legs.") My advice: skip the commentary and interviews involving the producers, but check out everything else.

The audio-visual quality of the episodes themselves isn't as sharp as that in the "Wonder Woman" DVD's, to make the closest comparison that comes to mind as far as genre and era of production. However, it's hardly unwatchable, and as others have mentioned, it's all brightly lit (mainly because the series was shot pretty much entirely in daylight to keep expenses as low as possible.)

So watch the adventures of ISIS and her friends and I'm sure you'll agree, they just don't make 'em like this anymore. Long live ISIS on DVD!

THE SECRETS OF ISIS dvd set is a show that only people who grew up in the United States (and Canada, I'm told)during the 70s can appreciate. It's part of the historical phenomenon that has become known as "Saturday Morning" tv, which was a programming block on all three major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) with shows aimed specifically at children. The block began around 7AM till about 12PM (if memory serves me) and always on Saturday mornings. No matter what walk of life a person has come from, if you ask anyone of a certain age that grew up in the U.S., they will remember Saturday mornings as waking up early (without being asked), sitting in a bean-bag chair, eating cereal and glued to the the tv set.

I only mention this because those who are not familiar with these Saturday morning shows might be disappointed with this dvd set. First off, as one reviewer has stated, the picture quality isn't as good as one would hope. Even though the shows have been digitally remastered, they seem to be a little washed out in color. The picture itself is sharp, but has a fuzzy quality that either has to do with the lighting or the deterioration of the original prints. Either way the shows look dated.

The second thing that might bother some viewers is the special effects. This was before the digital age and many of the special fx shots are painfully obvious. Most consist of superimposing Joanna Cameron as "Isis" against a filmed backdrop of aerial shots for flying scenes, I think they call this a process shot, and of running film backwards or pausing it. Anyway, it makes shows like "Wonder Woman" seem light years ahead in the special effects department.

And I'm not knocking it! I know THE SECRETS OF ISIS was done in 1975 and the budget was very SMALL so they did the best they could. And again, this was aimed at kids but I thought you'd want to know. Also, if you were expecting lots of action scenes between Isis and the bad guys you'll probably be let down. There were more fight scenes in the second season of "Dynasty" then there are in "...ISIS." Most action shots consist of Isis flying, landing, saying an incantation and making things all right...don't expect the heroine to be running around and jumping and throwing grown men around like rag dolls i.e. "Wonder Woman" or "The Bionic Woman." Perhaps this was due in part because THE SECRETS OF ISIS was the first live action female super hero to have her own show (Batgirl was part of BATMAN) and they didn't know how far to push the envelope.

Anyway, the dvd set contains 22 episodes with a couple of appearances by Captain Marvel (SHAZAM) and each show presents a moral or cautionary tale i.e. don't hitchhike, don't cheat, respect yourself etc., that teaches kids (without them knowing) about values, and does so without being too scary or preachy. Another thing that was a big plus is the use of a multi-racial cast. Even though they were minorities, the supporting characters like "Cindy Lee" and "Rennie Carol" come off as just other Americans and not stereo types. Didn't realize it then, but I see it now.

Also included is bonus features like interviews with producers Lou Scheimer and Richard M. Rosenbloom, and co-stars Brian Cutler (Rick Mason), Joanna Pang Atkins (Cindy Lee), Ronalda Douglas Lomabardo (Rennie Carol), as well as writers of the show and the assistant director Henry J. Lange Jr. Joanna Cameron is not included in the interviews.

One thing that I didn't like about the interviews, and I saw this same thing on another Filmation dvd set of "The Archies," was that the interview is shown picture-in-picture. The interview is in a small box that's placed over scenes from the show. It's not too big a deal but annoying. And on the ISIS dvd, you have to play the interviews one at a time.

Also in the special features is an animated episode of "The Plant Soldiers" from the show The Freedom Force, starring Isis. A small tri-fold pamphlet is included in the dvd set with a brief synopsis of the show, episode titles (including air and shoot dates, description, trivia), and info on the special features.

All in all this set should satisfy any ISIS/SATURDAY MORNING fan. But again, if you're not familiar with the show, rent it first. And if you do remember the show but can't remember any specifics about it, as long as you can live with the stuff I mentioned above you'll enjoy THE SECRETS OF ISIS dvd set.

Even though I was in my early 20s at the time,ISIS was one of my favorite
Saturday morning shows. Now,in my early 50s,I still love ISIS!! I so enjoy this series-it's so heartwarming to see ISIS instill lessons in those she helps. Most,if not all,of those lessons are still valuable today. While I am a bit disappointed that Joanna Cameron did not participate in interviews for the dvd set,the other interviews are outstanding! I must also say that the video quality of the episodes is better than I expected! The moral clips,on the other hand,could have been better,but I'm glad that we have them! If you are a fan of ISIS,then by all means you should add this dvd set to your collection!

I loved this series as a kid -- a simpler time, in an easier place. It was great to see the old series again, and it didn't matter that it used cheap effects. It's the memory that counts.

I find it interesting that we compare the quality of current film to that of the 1970s. I remember watching this on a TV, with a pair of plyers as a remote. I was impressed that the quality correction was as good. Yes, some grainyness will occur, but think of what they had to work with. It did not look bad at all on my HD 50 inch.

For those of us that have waited since childhood to see our favorite Goddess, little chance you will be disappointed. Be true fans of the series, not the shortcomings of our film ancestors.

It was more fun watching the irregularities, such as flying in heals, landing, then flat shoes are on her feet. How the Red car with WHITE interior, became a Yellow car with BLACK interior. (the paint is explained).

Buy to have fun with and figure out why we could not wait for the Shazam / Isis hour. You will be just as trapped. If you are a film snob, maybe you should pass. When TV aired all these great classics that are now remasted, remember they became classics in the "grainy" mode. We didn't seem to mind then. Thats half the fun. Cant wait for the Shazam DVDs.

Watch, smile, laugh and enjoy. Maybe we did learn a lesson or two from this as kids.

It has been entirely too long for "The Secrets of Isis" to be released on DVD, but when the rights to the show go into the hands of the right company, magically things can happen, and that's exactly what has happened here.

All twenty-two episodes of the show are here in amazing quality. The menu graphics and box art are outstanding. Unfortunately Hallmark owned the rights to the show for several years and during that time they transferred the original prints to PAL and then trashed the originals. Why they did this is beyond me and quite frankly they should be ashamed of themselves. In the process of this transfer, they chopped off the ending "moral message" that is found on many Filmation Productions programs. Thankfully, the rights were sold to BCI Eclipse and that's why we finally have the DVD release.

The DVD set for "The Secrets of Isis" contains almost two hours of extra features. There are indepth interviews with all the cast members, unfortunately aside from JoAnna Cameron and with many involved with the production of the show. In addition to the interviews are photo galleries, copies of all the scripts in PDF format and many commercial bumpers and alternate credits. In addition, almost all the ending "moral messages" from the first season have been included. These have been compiled from the videotapes of fans throughout the world, most of which were captured on Betamax back in the late 70s and early 80s. The quality of the morals vary wildly and come nowhere near the quality of the episodes, however, BCI Eclipse should be applauded for allowing the inclusion of these on the DVD set. As a child during the original run of the show, the moral messages strengthened what my parents taught me and had a definite hand in the moral foundation of my adult life.

For any fan of quality Saturday morning programming, Filmation Productions, comic book superheroes or for just a trip to memory lane, "The Secrets of Isis" is a must have and a no brainer!!