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Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,285 Views)
Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer
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Sapient Balconeer
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I wondered which serial the good Dr was in... thanks for letting me know.
It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong."
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outerlimit
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I have just watched the first chapter of Trev's DVD of Gordon Of Ghost City,and what a fine job he has done of it! Hats off to him! Thanks Trev.
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Pa Stark
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JazzGuyy
Sep 23 2010, 08:10 AM
I am watching The Lost Planet. It is a mediocre and silly Katzman-era Columbia but not nearly as bad as Captain Video. Was there a requirement that all Katzman-era Columbia serial of the '50s use Gene Roth? He seems to be in every one I have seen so far.

The distinguishing feature of this serial is that it features the original Dr. Grood character as the villain. This Grood seems to be remarkably similar to his Internet alter ego in terms of personality.
Have to disagree with you on CAPTAIN VIDEO, Jazzy, it is a guilty pleasure for me. Thought THE LOST PLANET was kind of lame in comparison, there was only one punch thrown in the 15 chapters, and Dr. Grood was an even worse villain than Vultura. The story is that when Grood would look through a telescope or viewfinder, the cast snuck in a pornographic photo. I wonder if he had a pornograph to play them on?
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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LaneCarson
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Just gotta love The Lost Planet
I have mastered this serial 3 times since 2004 - the most recent being only a few months back
Such "tasks" are not really viewed as "chores" since it presents a time to "re-connect" with the content of serial that "one just has to love"
The only "pain" comes when its time to set up the registers for episode titling .... check out this lot:
1: MYSTERY OF THE GUIDED MISSILE
2: TRAPPED BY THE AXIAL PROPELLER
3: BLASTED BY THE THERMIC DISINTEGRATOR
4: THE MIND CONTROL MACHINE
5: THE ATOMIC PLANE
6: DISASTER IN THE STRATOSPHERE
7: SNARED BY THE PRYSMIC CATAPULT
8: ASTRAY IN SPACE
9: THE HYPNOTIC RAY MACHINE
10: TO FREE THE PLANET PEOPLE
11: DR. GROOD DEFIES GRAVITY
12: TRAPPED IN A COSMOJET
13: THE INVISIBLE ENEMY
14: IN THE GRIP OF THE DE-THERMO RAY
15: SENTENCED TO SPACE

Watch out for that PRYSMIC CATAPULT!
Trev

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toddgault
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Its hard not like a serial where the pilots of two rocket ships....I'm sorry, jet planes, stop in outer space, pop open their doors and hold a conversation with the lack of oxygen causing no problems. Not even Brick Bradford's Moon sequences can top that for absurdity.
Todd Gault..........Serial Buff
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Pa Stark
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The highlight of THE LOST PLANET is around chapter five, when the reporter hero Rex Barrow returns to Earth, and reports to his editor. He tells him everything that happened, going to another planet ruled over by a mad scientist who has mind control machines, etc. It is just hilarious.
Around chapter 13 is the dumbest cliffhanger ever. The hero is in a cave and suddenly he sees a train coming towards him, but there are no tracks, and the image of the train is outdoors.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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CliffClaven
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Just finished Holt of the Secret Service. Holt is a bad-*ss agent undercover as a gangster, beating up roomfuls of armed thugs at the slightest excuse. Evelyn Brent is a fellow agent, impersonating his gunmoll wife. They go after a gang of counterfeiters who've kidnapped a U.S. Treasury engraver to create perfect plates; after breaking up that operation and rescuing the engraver they chase the valuable plates to the big cheese on his casino ship, dealing with a disgruntled rival gangster and ending up on a lawless island ruled by "one of the warring nations".

Fun Columbia lojinks, directed by James Horne but with few outright comic bits (unless you count the undercranked fights). The story ranges from fairly sophisticated to flat-out childish. Production values are passable, aside from an obvious toy boat.

The breathless introductions to each chapter always begin by assuring us the the war on crime is all but won: "The Secret Service has the Underworld on the run, BUT will Jack Holt live to savor the fruits of victory?" And instead of ending on the cliffhanger, they tack on random preview clips in the usual Columbia fashion: "Why is Quint wearing a mask? Will Shorty reap the rewards of his treachery? Find the answers in our next action-laden episode . . ."

In the few moments Holt's not the snarling gangster he's all business. Brent follows his lead and plays the gangster's wife as a tough (female canine). She does register a little feminine terror when Holt's in real danger, but otherwise she's equally stoic and focused -- no jokes or byplay. Nobody questions that this "married couple" constantly fight, declare themselves all but divorced, and never occupy the same room -- but still remain together through all the serial's locales. Wonder how many small boys got the idea that's what a real grownup marriage was supposed to look like.

Anyway, it moved and it was fun.

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The Batman
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Anyone looking for a fascinating silent serial, I cannot recommend highly enough the Russian gem MISS MEND. This lady has some gumption and could give Ruth and Pearl a good run.

Gorgeous print for this 1926 silent as well.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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panzer the great & terrible
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I second that. MISS MEND has more action than five American serials, and no shot seems to last more than about ten frames. It's a wild, wild ride.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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andarius
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Posted Image

Watching FREE on YouTube - will the angry jungle gods sic me?

Chapter 1 was FAB! :)
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Barcroft
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I've been watching Dick Barton, Special Agent, courtesy of Trev Scott. It first started out as a Radio Serial on the BBC, later 3 movies were made with Don Stannard and finally in the 70's a 15 minute serial aired on British TV. This starred Tony Vogel and though geared to kids it's quite enjoyable in a quaint sort of way. So far I've watched the 3 movies and a 10 episode TV arc. Trev offers the 3 movies and 4 TV adventures in one of his packages for sale. Check it out.
Barcroft
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andarius
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I remember the TV show - it was produced by Southern Television in Southampton where I lived (someone has to! :D ).

They also produced a dodgy TV series of The Black Arrow!
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Sgt King
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I have "Dick Barton Strikes Back" and it's a surprising good (and weird) little 1949 movie with shades of James Bond and a touch of sci-fi.
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Black Tiger
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How so, Sarge?
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Sgt King
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Arch villain Fouracada (Sebastian Cabot) tests out his new weapon by killing everyone in two small British towns by blasting them with a sonic beam. He then sets about to destroy England, using his weapon from a high tower, unless special agent Dick Barton can stop him.
It actually is not quite that cut and dried and it's not a great movie, but for a 1949 British film . . . was better that I expected.
Of the three Barton films, "Strikes Back" is rated the best by those who have seen all three. I've only seen this one.
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