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| Watching Any Good Serials? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,291 Views) | |
| riddlerider | Jun 24 2010, 01:53 PM Post #1996 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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One of my long-time friends and fellow serial fans -- paraphrasing a famous remark -- said some years ago, "The more serials I catch up with, the more I realize that the good ones are never quite as good as they're supposed to be, and the bad ones never quite as bad." I generally agree, although there are quite a few exceptions. (For example, DRUMS OF FU MANCHU is every bit as good as it's supposed to be and SON OF THE GUARDSMAN every bit as bad.) For me, THE LOST CITY has never lived up -- or, rather, down -- to its rep as a stinker. Any number of independent serials from the early sound era are worse, and don't have LOST CITY's perfectly adequate production values. I certainly wouldn't put this one in my Top 20, but I wouldn't put it in My Bottom 20 either. |
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| Black Tiger | Jun 24 2010, 03:19 PM Post #1997 |
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Charter Member
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The Lost City does have a rep of being one of the worst, but that is certainly unfounded. That "honor" belongs more to the likes of Young Eagles (aka Young Turkeys). Lost City is certainly loopy fun and my favorite take was Fury Shark who attended a convention and watched in open-mouthed amazement at chapter one. While the world at large may not be ready for it, certainly serial fans can enjoy it for what it is. |
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| KanSmiley | Jun 24 2010, 03:37 PM Post #1998 |
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Charter Member
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When I made my post about The Lost City being the worst serial ever made I didn't mean it in the same sense as The Young Eagles. My reference was to another site that constantly pounded away on the racism theme it contained. I believe I am sensitive to racism but I also try to put into context the times in whcih something was done or a movie was made. I guess I will have to get out my copy of The Lost City and watch it again. I am one of the (apparently) few that is not offended by the usage of the word "Jap" in Batman and Robin.
Edited by KanSmiley, Jun 24 2010, 08:01 PM.
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http://www.saturday-matinee-memories.com/ intoxicated, adj.: When you feel sophisticated without being able to pronounce it. | |
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| Black Tiger | Jun 24 2010, 06:36 PM Post #1999 |
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Charter Member
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I think pounding serials about sociological or political content is a waste of time. They were quickly produced as mass entertainment in a bygone era. Nothing more, nothing less. |
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| KanSmiley | Jun 24 2010, 08:02 PM Post #2000 |
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Charter Member
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I totally agree with Black Tiger. |
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http://www.saturday-matinee-memories.com/ intoxicated, adj.: When you feel sophisticated without being able to pronounce it. | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Jun 24 2010, 08:24 PM Post #2001 |
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Mouth Breather
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I have to admit that The Lost City fills me with wonder the way the serials did when I was a kid. Not quite the same kind of wonder, but wonder all the same. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| The Batman | Jun 25 2010, 06:20 AM Post #2002 |
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Charter Member
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For the uninitiated, Smiley of course means BATMAN (1943) and not its inferior (but still fun) sequel. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| AndyFish | Jun 29 2010, 12:59 PM Post #2003 |
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Movie Watcha Foist Class
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Add me to the list of the unoffended Smiley-- I recognize that it's part of the time period. The japanese were our enemy in 1943, plain and simple. |
| www.andytfish.com | |
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| KanSmiley | Jun 29 2010, 05:37 PM Post #2004 |
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Charter Member
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Sure...sure Bats easy for you to remember since you are the hero in the serial. I am just a mere sidekick unaccustomed to the ways of the urban crimefighter.
Edited by KanSmiley, Jun 29 2010, 05:38 PM.
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http://www.saturday-matinee-memories.com/ intoxicated, adj.: When you feel sophisticated without being able to pronounce it. | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Jun 29 2010, 10:00 PM Post #2005 |
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Mouth Breather
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What's offensive about the word "Jap" anyway? It's just an abbreviation without any offensive over-or-undertones. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| CliffClaven | Jun 29 2010, 10:57 PM Post #2006 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Have to love Batman if only for Dr. Daka's cleverly concealed hideout: Behind a Coney Island-type ride through Japanese war atrocities, which somehow stays open in an otherwise abandoned neighborhood. And nobody seems unduly intrigued that it only attracts unsmiling men in fedoras who soberly pair up, climb into a cart and don't come out for a disproportionately long time. It makes The Man From Uncle seems almost sane with its billion-dollar HQ behind the dressing room of a tiny tailor shop. |
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| CliffClaven | Jun 29 2010, 11:54 PM Post #2007 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Just finished SOS Coast Guard. Fun, but definitely a bit of an odd duck -- a pretty high amount of underwater footage, mostly involving Richard "Prince Barin" Alexander (somebody at Republic must have liked seeing him strip); plenty of real and model boats; Bela Lugosi mostly wasted as a stock villain; a more-than-usually-unfunny comedy relief (either an awful script or desperate on-camera improv); and indications that they had some Coast Guard vets or even official sanction. Scenes with Coast Guard enlisted men highlight stuff handling actual equipment and such. The opening episode, which doesn't really feel like a serial, includes the murder of Ralph Byrd's brother and gives Lugosi more juicy moments (plus a mad scientist goatee) than he's allowed for the rest of the story. Alexander's character is also set up as seriously creepy, but becomes just a silent henchman until the last moments of Chapter 12, when he's allowed a strangely moving kicked-dog moment as Lugosi turns on him. Oh, and we forget Byrd's brother until Lugosi brings him up around Chapter 11. That's a maddening trait of some serials, even some very good ones -- They start with hints of something different and maybe even ambitious, then revert emphatically to business as usual. Jungle Girl's introduction impressively intercut a witch doctor putting a curse on Nyoka's father with his actual murder by an evil twin. But from then on she has zero suspicion her dad's an imposter, and there's no real impact when the truth comes out. Dick Tracy's G-Men opened with their master spy working for the ominous Three Powers, but eventually they somehow shrunk to one bland foreigner waiting for a shipment of something or other. Quasi-spoiler alert: The very last scene has Byrd marrying the standard-issue girl reporter who's been cheerfully tagging along. I get that you don't have love scenes in a serial, but here Byrd always addressed her and her idiot photographer sidekick with the same condescending smile ("You better wait here"). At the very least, you imply a romance with a scene of the girl being VERY worried about the hero, or a little Clark-and-Lois friction. Flash Gordon was hands-on, and Tailspin Tommy took his girl out on a date or two, but after that -- even in with the most clearly implied romances -- all you'd get was hero and heroine laughing together at the comedy relief. A wedding was totally off the wall. They also have the comedy relief being dragged after the newlyweds' car. I would have ended on that image, but he gets loose to do a gag involving smoke from the seat of his pants. |
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| AndyFish | Jun 30 2010, 02:48 PM Post #2008 |
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Movie Watcha Foist Class
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I think you figured out how the Japanese lost the war, Cliff. They relied too much on Daka's wiles. |
| www.andytfish.com | |
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| LaneCarson | Jul 1 2010, 08:00 PM Post #2009 |
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Charter Member
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This is to advise that the gratis offer of Gordon of Ghost City which was made in this thread on 25th & 31st May, is now "rolling". I have been an overseas trip and thats why those that sent PMs taking advantage of the offer were asked to wait until the end of June (when I was to arrive back home) The members of this Message Board who have contacted me over the last 5 weeks and who have explicitly agreed to the two conditions which I indicated as a pre-condition for gratis provision, have now been contacted by PM and advised that "Gordon of Ghost City is on its way to them" To Panzer the Great & Terrible: if your reading this then pleased be advised that I have sent you 5 PMs over the last month or so requesting confirmation of details. I'm yet to receive a reply. If there are any other members out there who would like to take advantage of this gratis offer then feel free to PM with your details and, of course indicate clearly that you agree to the two conditions of provision. Dispatch would normally occur within a day or two of receipt of the PM (weekends excepted). Delivery time (to the US) would normally be up to two weeks (perhaps a little longer into Canada) 'Tis a genuine offer and recipients should not feel any obligation whatsoever Trev |
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| The Batman | Jul 2 2010, 08:13 AM Post #2010 |
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Charter Member
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Trev's offer is a good one. I received my copy of GoGC within about 2 weeks of sending my PM (which occured before Trev went on vacation). This is a solid copy of the serial and I quite enjoyed it. Thanks again, Trev! |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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6:52 AM Jul 11