Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to In The Balcony. We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Plus, you'll be eligible for the monthly $1 million prize. (Not really.)

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Watching Any Good Serials?
Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,409 Views)
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
Well, I had forgotten it was exculpatory. That explains everything. Thanks!

*runs for the dictionary*
"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
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
igsjr
Member Avatar
Nostalgia blogger
[ *  *  * ]
Laughing Gravy
Jul 18 2007, 07:40 AM
Okay, I have to admit, Fighting Devil Dogs is officially creeping me out. Should the U.S. Marine Corps be investigating "crime" and smacking around suspects?

Hey...if we don't fight them over there, we fight them over here.

Or words to that effect.
"Life is in color--but black-and-white is more realistic..." -- Samuel Fuller, director

So many DVDs...so little time...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
AndyFish
Member Avatar
Movie Watcha Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Well I'd have to remove the "good" from the subject line but I got ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN AFRICA from Restored Serials and man is this something!

If you like jungle action that is carefully filmed and edited so that it's completely clear you are watching stock footage (the classic White Gorilla comes to mind) then this is the serial for you!

Restored's copy is very good. Nice contrast which looks to come from 16mm in the 1st generation.

John Hart is pretty good for what he's got. The thing I love about Restored is the extras they put on their DVDs. Bruce always tries to include something unique and this one includes an interview with Hart featuring stills of him in the Phantom costume originally intended for this serial. The DVD also features the 1961 lost Phantom Pilot with Lon Chaney and except for some poor camera work this might not have been a bad show if it had run.

So far I've watched three chapters and I've been entertained, my partner Hebs couldn't stop laughing at a lot of what was going on, and she has a great appreciation for serials and old movies (rare for a young lady in her 20s).

Columbia by this time was churning out really kiddy fair-- I remember booing the crappy acting of SUPERMAN in a re-release in the late 70s when I was a wee lad. Captain Africa at least seems to take the material seriously.

We both gave it a thumbs up in the Ed Wood realm of Theater, bad but entertaining.
www.andytfish.com
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
Precious moment from tonight's fourth episode of The Invisible Monster: our handsome hero, Richard Webb, avoids the whizzing bullets aimed at him by ducking behind the canvas top of a convertible.
"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
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
Okay, let's see where we are these days in the wonderful world of serials!

Scouts to the Rescue (up to ch. 5): Daffy, typical Universal serial for the period. Because the big U relied so much on stock footage, the plots of their serials seem to be all over the place, as the story takes weird turns. The "savage Indians" are annoying to me, as annoying as the "comic blacks" are in other serials. What crap. The "backward soundtrack" that signifies their speech is also annoying; surely, having them just spout gibberish would've been more effective (and cheaper) than this audio trick? I love Jackie Cooper's earnestness here, though. Cooper was 17 when this thing was made, and I would like to think that in between takes, he was smoking and drinking behind the commissary.

The Lone Ranger (up to ch. 5): The picture fluctuates from good to not good, but it's an enjoyable, stunt-filled serial. The Ranger spends a lot of time jumping off very high platforms onto the shoulders of villains.

The Adventures of Sir Galahad (up to ch. 7) Well, I'm blogging this one weekly, so I'm sure you're all following along. I will say that I think it's a good, enjoyable serial. I mean, it's no Spy Smasher, but as a kiddie matinee show, it's a winner. I love that emblem on Sir Kay's armor, and I'm hoping that one of the chapters is entitled "The Blade and the Feather!" although I doubt it.

The Fighting Devil Dogs (up to ch. 6) The villains continue to be much more interesting than the heroes. The voice of the lightning is hilarious; had I been filming serials back in the day, I would definitely hire a Mel Blanc or Franklin Pangborn type to dub in the mystery villain, just for laughs.

The Invisible Monster (up to ch. 5) The best part of this serial is finally seein' good ol' Stanley Price finally get promoted to #1 villain, instead of a snivelling henchman. Way to get your props, there, Stannie.

That's five serials, enough for now, so I won't replace the just-completed Mystery of the Riverboat. Our FNF parties begin again on Sept. 14, with the first episode of The Spider Returns on tap.
"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
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
AndyFish
Member Avatar
Movie Watcha Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Just got a beautiful copy of Secret Code, which I'm going to start watching tonight. Really interested in this one, had a bad VHS years ago that kept skipping so I never made it past chapter three.

This one should be fun.
Andy
www.andytfish.com
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
rodney
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
I'm going to be starting the Serial Squadron's release of Fighting Marines sometimes soon.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Batman
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
I am up to Chapter 4 of VCI's release for THE LOST CITY, and I am really enjoying it. This serial is a blast, the second time around. I really didn't enjoy it the first time I saw it, but I am realizing that was due to the incredibly crappy version that I originally had from the Treeline Collection. The VCI version has a surprisingly clear picture and really nice sound, with no discernible background hiss.
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
AndyFish
Member Avatar
Movie Watcha Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Isn't it amazing how a good print makes all the difference?
We all have to admit that some of these are pretty tough to get through acting and story wise, and if you're dealing with a wonky print that just adds to the misery!

I remember (screen goes all wavy in a flashback) in the day of VHS paying BIG bucks for fifth generation dub downs. The first time I ever saw SUPERMAN (1948) was with a friend of mine and we both laughed so hard because the print was so dubbed down Lois Lane's lips weren't even on her face-- they were over to the side!

After seeing a great print of that, however, my opinion of the serial's quality didn't change, I wished I could dub down the lousy stock music score and the horrible acting, weak plot, poor special effects and lame villain -- although a remake with Hilary Clinton would be awesome.

Okay, so let me change this post-- it's amazing how SOMETIMES a good print can make a lot of difference.
Andy
www.andytfish.com
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Batman
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
AndyFish
Aug 9 2007, 08:12 AM
Isn't it amazing how a good print makes all the difference?

I remember (screen goes all wavy in a flashback) in the day of VHS paying BIG bucks for fifth generation dub downs. The first time I ever saw SUPERMAN (1948) was with a friend of mine and we both laughed so hard because the print was so dubbed down Lois Lane's lips weren't even on her face-- they were over to the side!

After seeing a great print of that, however, my opinion of the serial's quality didn't change, I wished I could dub down the lousy stock music score and the horrible acting, weak plot, poor special effects and lame villain -- although a remake with Hilary Clinton would be awesome.

Okay, so let me change this post-- it's amazing how SOMETIMES a good print can make a lot of difference.
Andy

Agreed on all fronts, Andy! THE LOST CITY has benefited from the picture/sound upgrade, while I don't know what could be done to save either of those disappointing Superman serials.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sgt Saturn
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
Quote:
 
I don't know what could be done to save either of those disappointing Superman serials.


Simple. See them on the big screen with an audience of other eight-year-olds. (I did, and I really enjoyed them) 'All' you need is a time machine and the ability to to regress to eight years old. :P

The Ol' Sarge
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
AndyFish
Member Avatar
Movie Watcha Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
I'm one of those people who usually watch a couple of episodes at a time. Although I'm trying hard with Secret Code to go one at a time.

I think the SUPERMAN serials are a perfect example of seeing a serial only ONE CHAPTER a week. I think fifteen minutes is the longest I can take it-- and in small doses it has entertaining aspects, I just can't think of any right now.
Andy
www.andytfish.com
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
I just received a definite upgrade of The Desert Hawk. If you wanna know from where, email me!
"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
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
Okay, THIS is the kind of thing that annoys me.. Last night, I watched the latest chapter of The Invisible Monster, and for the SECOND WEEK IN A ROW the cliffhanger is that the hero's car gets all blowed up. Which means for the second week in a row, the hero simply jumps from the car before it gets all blowed up. That is lazy writing, even to match stock footage. This serial (sorry, Stanley Price) just dropped a couple of notches on the ol' Gravyometer.

"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
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Batman
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
Sgt Saturn
Aug 10 2007, 10:28 AM
Quote:
 
I don't know what could be done to save either of those disappointing Superman serials.


Simple. See them on the big screen with an audience of other eight-year-olds. (I did, and I really enjoyed them) 'All' you need is a time machine and the ability to to regress to eight years old. :P

I doubt you saw all 15 sleep-inducing chapters, as an eight year-old, Sarge. At best, you probably saw half of them, and like Andy says, the weekly intervals would sure help.
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Continued Next Week · Next Topic »
Add Reply