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Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,274 Views)
Laughing Gravy
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Well, it's not a BAD serial, I don't think. Just... well, have I mentioned how stupid it is?
"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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Pa Stark
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Laughing Gravy
Jan 13 2013, 06:40 AM
Pa, I feel like a fighter who was knocked out in the first round and as I wake up in the dressing room with the doctor trying to stitch my face back together, you're the sports reporter standing over me going, "So, when's your next fight, kid?"
I guess that means I shouldn't suggest you next watch SON OF THE GUARDSMAN or CHICK CARTER, DETECTIVE. Gravy, have you seen ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN AFRICA yet? I can't wait to see what you will have to say about that one.
Honest and Lovable Pa Stark
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Barcroft
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Pa,
The only thing I can say about Captain Africa is that Bud Osborne looks like Frank Buck from the 1937 serial Jungle Menace whose footage is used early in the serial. Also, John Hart had to reshoot all of his footage when Jungle Same Katzman forgot to check to see that Columbia still had rights to the Phantom character. As a result of that whoops Rick Vallin was incorporated into the serial utilizing stock footage from the 1944 serial The Desert Hawk. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Katzman came into Spencer Bennets office and told him that had to reshoot the serial. Gotta love Jungle Sam................
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JazzGuyy
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Speaking of stupid serials, I've started watching The Iron Claw and I don't think I've ever seen a serial that was more stupid (and maybe even as stupid).
TANSTAAFL!
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Barcroft
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JazzGuyy,
Compared to what Katzman put out later The Iron Claw is a classic.........
Barcroft
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Laughing Gravy
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I like the Iron Claw... Wish somebody had a good print of it.
"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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JazzGuyy
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Barcroft
Jan 13 2013, 02:25 PM
JazzGuyy,
Compared to what Katzman put out later The Iron Claw is a classic.........
Barcroft
The stuff Katzman put out later isn't stupid. It's totally meaningless. The Iron Claw tries to be something but it can't decide whether it's a comedy or a mystery or a whatever and ends up being just stupid. (I may be condemning it too early though; I've only watched 4 chapters -- and yeah the video is terrible and there are lots of dropped frames.)

The later Katzman's didn't try to be anything except people running around with some kind of costumes or in some "exotic" setting long enough to fill up 12 -15 chapters.
TANSTAAFL!
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Pa Stark
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Jazz, if you think THE IRON CLAW is stupid, you should check out THE SPIDER RETURNS, especially chapter six. It is by far the most insane of James Horne's serials. Another crazy serial is BRICK BRADFORD, each five chapter block is different in location and style. The first five chapters take place on the Moon, with everyone walking around without spacesuits. The middle five chapters have the heroes go back in time, and they throw out a lot of silly lines. The last five, they return to modern times, but they are very ordinary, and rather dull. Don't forget THE LOST PLANET, with the geekiest villain of all time.
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Monsieur X
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If we're talking about awful serials, try THE BLACK COIN on for size! I pulled the plug on that piece of crap after 4 chapters. The entire thing made no sense, and the cliffhanger with the exploding ship (which overturns and explodes FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOEVER) was the final straw. I just couldn't stand to subject myself to any more of it.
"I would never want to belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member" -- Groucho Marx
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Chandu
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Good thing you didn't make it all the way through Black Coin, you'd have been really disappointed with the ending!
Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...
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Monsieur X
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One of my serial friends did tell me that the ending was particularly pitiful. Doesn't sound like I missed much.
"I would never want to belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member" -- Groucho Marx
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panzer the great & terrible
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Well, sure, but don't a great many serials have disappointing endings?
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
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Pa Stark
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I was disappointed with the ending of DICK TRACY RETURNS. :'(
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Monsieur X
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The ending to THE PHANTOM was a bit disappointing. And I was disappointed that the kid was still alive at the end of RED RYDER. He was annoying beyond belief.
"I would never want to belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member" -- Groucho Marx
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JazzGuyy
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Pa Stark
Jan 13 2013, 04:01 PM
Jazz, if you think THE IRON CLAW is stupid, you should check out THE SPIDER RETURNS, especially chapter six. It is by far the most insane of James Horne's serials. Another crazy serial is BRICK BRADFORD, each five chapter block is different in location and style. The first five chapters take place on the Moon, with everyone walking around without spacesuits. The middle five chapters have the heroes go back in time, and they throw out a lot of silly lines. The last five, they return to modern times, but they are very ordinary, and rather dull. Don't forget THE LOST PLANET, with the geekiest villain of all time.
I've seen all of those and they are all at least stupid. I just find Iron Claw even stupider. It may be only the way it strikes me because the attempts at comedy (even for a Horne-directed serial) seem to be running amok.

The Lost Planet is one of those late serials that isn't stupid; it's just totally dumb which isn't quite the same thing. Brick Bradford is one of those "wandering around" serials where ultimately not much really happens. Captain Video is even dumber, by the way, because it throws around a lot of really inane pseudo-scientific terminology that ultimately makes zero sense.

Both the Spider serials are stupid but mainly because multiple people shoot simultaneously at the Spider from 20 feet away and never hit him. At least they have plots that sort of make sense and plenty of action.
TANSTAAFL!
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