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| Watching Any Good Serials? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,265 Views) | |
| Laughing Gravy | Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM Post #1 |
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Right now, watching -- in order of enjoyment -- the following serials, one chapter a week (of course): (1) Flying G-Men: Non-stop action and thrills. Great print from DownUnderDVD. (2) Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery. Lotsa laughs and mystery. Jan Rogers looks luscious! Great print from the Serial Squadron, and it appears to be uncut and unmessed with. If only the SS treated all their serials with such respect! (3) The Master Key (VCI) My Sunday Night "Fedora" serial. It's not bad, but keeps magically turning into earlier Universal serials just before the cliffhanger. (4 and 5) Jungle Girl (VCI) and Jungle Raiders (DownUnderDVD). Dull and Duller. |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| rodney | Apr 12 2006, 01:59 PM Post #2 |
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Charter Member
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Perils of the Royal Mounted Usually 2 chapters a week (never both on the same day). DVD from oldiedvd.com (of course!) that starts out okay, and gets better as it goes along. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Apr 12 2006, 02:21 PM Post #3 |
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*slaps himself on the forehead* Damn, how could I have forgotten PERILS?!?!? It's the one I'm blogging every week. What a dumb monkey I am. And yes, my copy came from Rodney, and it's a pip, and highly recommended, especially if you love Canadians. And who doesn't? |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Apr 12 2006, 02:21 PM Post #4 |
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Mouth Breather
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In no particular order: THE MONSTER AND THE APE: I don't like this as much as its biggest fans do but it's fun at times so I don't agree with the naysayers either. THE PERILS OF PAULINE: Had always heard this was a dog but I can't agree. White and my namesake Paul Panzer put on a pretty good show. It holds my interest. TIM TYLER'S LUCK is one of the best Universals, and the VCI is better than any print I've seen before. THE INVISIBLE MONSTER was a pleasant surprise. The material is inherently so silly that Brannon's deadpan direction makes for a lot of unintentional hilarity. One of the more entertaining late Republics. Print from oldiedvd.com couldn't be better. THE IRON CLAW. Now, you talk about silly -- that there Iron Claw makes me laugh out loud. A better version of GREEN ARCHER, without James Craven or the maddening repetition. And of course it's once a week for each serial (sometimes once a month). Every now and then I'll do two or three different serials the same night but I usually find that my mind starts to wander.
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| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Apr 12 2006, 03:04 PM Post #5 |
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And hey, I've ordered Captain Celluloid vs. the Film Pirates (1966) from our friends at grapevinevideo.com, so there is plenty of serial action still to come |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| The Batman | Apr 12 2006, 03:46 PM Post #6 |
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Well, I am a chapter-a-day kinda guy; sorry LG, so I am usually watching one at a time. Just finished the highly entertaining CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT, my first Horne serial experience. I loved it; the comedy was light and generally fit into the story. I know some of his other serials have more comedy, which might not work, so I will have to take it on a serial-by-serial basis to see which ones work. I also watched THE PERILS OF PAULINE, a couple of weeks ago, and found it quite the nifty little serial. This was my first silent serial and it won't be my last. PP, I must disagree with you, I found JUNGLE GIRL to be a lot of fun. I am currently watching RADIO PATROL, but so far that one is not going as good. I fell asleep during the second chapter last night. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| Mantan | Apr 12 2006, 07:54 PM Post #7 |
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Unregistered
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At the rate of a chapter a day (one serial at a time) I recently finished MASTER KEY which I immediately chased with THE VANISHING LEGION. Thrilled with both serials. Now I'm in the middle of GANGBUSTERS - a serial I've never seen. Never owned a vhs copy and I only recently purchased the SQ issued dvd. GREAT STUFF! As soon as I finish one chapter, I immediately want to start the same chapter over and watch it again. Nice and noirish and it's pretty creepy, too. In Chapters 5 & 6 after Ralph Morgan performs plastic surgery on him, William Haade parades around with his head swathed in bandages bearing an uncanny resemblance to the monster in FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER. |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Apr 13 2006, 08:08 AM Post #8 |
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Mouth Breather
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Batman, it wasn't me who dissed JUNGLE GIRL, it was Gravy. I like JUNGLE GIRL. Mantan, I sure agree about GANGBUSTERS. It's in my all-time top five serials. The Serial Squadron release is the one to get. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| greenhornet1 | Apr 13 2006, 01:21 PM Post #9 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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You guys are watching some great serials there. I'm almost ashamed to admit I'm watching SON OF THE GUARDSMAN and ADVENTURES OF THE FLYING CADETS, although both have some redeeming points, neither is high on my list of serials I recommend. My watching right now tends to be sporadic, so I'm also here and there with BATTLING WITH BUFFALO BILL and DEADWOOD DICK. My tape of BILL is not good, but DEADWOOD DICK is watchable and is a very good serial, in my not-so-humble estimation. I'll be back on a regular schedule when my grandson gets back here for summer vacation. |
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| The Batman | Apr 13 2006, 03:55 PM Post #10 |
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Charter Member
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Sorry about the JUNGLE GIRL mix-up, PP. Shows what happens when I post before I proofread. :rolleyes: Green Hornet, I found ADVENTURES OF THE FLYING CADETS fairly enjoyable, though I felt the screen time of the Black Hangman was a little limited. Mantan, I found the Serial Squadron's VANISHING LEGION to be a fun serial, with great picture and sound. I also have the Squadron's version of GANGBUSTERS, which I have not had the chance to watch yet; but with all the ringing endorsements, I will have to push it up the viewing list. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| riddlerider | Apr 13 2006, 07:52 PM Post #11 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Recently finished RIDERS OF DEATH VALLEY, which I enjoyed (mainly because it had been about 25 years since I'd last seen it). Am about to wrap up DRUMS OF FU MANCHU, which I still believe to be the best serial Republic ever made. Those last few chapters are padding, but how refreshing once again to watch a '40s Republic that actually has plot and atmosphere, not just an endless parade of fistfights in warehouses and exploding miniatures. I took a brief time-out to sample the FLYING G-MEN that recently arrived courtesy of Trevor Scott. It's only been a year or two since I last watched this serial, but Trevor's DVD is such an improvement over my crummy VHS copy that I believe it's going to move to the top of the pile. |
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| Laughing Gravy | Apr 15 2006, 08:20 PM Post #12 |
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I've seen a lot of time bombs hidden in airplanes in my time (in serials, anyway) but chapter six and seven of Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery has 'em all beat: the bomb says TIME BOMB right on it, in huge letters. Purchased from The Bomb Store, no doubt.... |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Apr 16 2006, 10:07 AM Post #13 |
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Mouth Breather
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Well, you wouldn't want your henchmen to pick up the wrong bomb, would you? |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Bonga | Apr 16 2006, 05:54 PM Post #14 |
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Charter Member
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Knowing henchmen, they'd probably get it wrong anyway. And that would be after reading it! "I dunno, Slade--the boss said to leave a bomb at the airport. But this thing says The bomb--this can't be the right one." |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Apr 16 2006, 07:34 PM Post #15 |
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Mouth Breather
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Bonga, I don't quite know how to ask you this politely, so I'll just blurt it out. How many henchmen do you know? |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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