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 (88,417 Views)
riddlerider
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Laughing Gravy
Sep 19 2006, 09:34 AM
Alpha will be releasing the silent Tarzan the Tiger soon.

And it'll probably be a crappy-looking bump-up of VCI's VHS version.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sgt Saturn
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
Quote:
 
Alpha will be releasing the silent Tarzan the Tiger soon.


And Grapevine has it out now. The Grapevine release is quite fine. Aplha's quality has always been wildly variable. Unless price is very important, I would not wait for Alpha.

The Ol' Sarge
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
In addition to Perils of Pauline, Overland Mail and Jesse James Rides Again, I have begun The Desert Hawk (Columbia, 1944), courtesy of good ol' Trevor at downunderDVD.com.

The first episode -- despite its obvious cheapness -- is good, clean fun as the evil twin brother deposes the good twin brother from his Sultanate and all heck breaks loose.
"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!
[ *  *  * ]
Perils of Pauline: This week, Pearl White and her boy-toy were trapped in a basement that was being flooded by the baddies. The set alone looks like it cost more than any serial Republic ever made.

Overland Mail:
Chaney continues to impress in this serial, which isn't exactly a top-shelf chapterplay but which is nonetheless breezy and interesting. Besides, how often do you get to see silent footage from old Universal serials? (Besides weekly, that is?)

Jesse James Rides Again: Clayton Moore is likeable and the villains (Tris Coffin and Roy Barcroft) are outstanding.

The Desert Hawk:
Everybody looks really hot in those desert togs; I hope they had a nice tray of ice-cold lemonade off-stage for imbibing between takes.
"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
 
Grampy
Member Avatar
Agent of SHIELD
[ *  *  * ]
Just started THE LOST PLANET last night.

After watching the 1st chapter, I'm surprised flies weren't hovering over this steaming pile.

Please tell me it gets better.
Still Alive and Well
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
No, it doesn't. But if you work yourself into a silly mood, well, you can enjoy it. We blogged it a year ago, so if you look around our week-by-week recap's around here somewhere.
"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
 
JazzGuyy
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
LG,

I'm slowly working my way through "Overland Mail" and, like you, finding it enjoyable. The use of the stock footage is pretty funny though. If you gotten to the chapter where the cattle stampede notice how the cattle move from desert to range to canyon land in the space of a couple of minutes. You would think whatever editor put together the stock footage from those older Universal films would at least be sure there was some similarity in the settings. Universal always seems to be the worst at this.

I love all those scenes where the car the hero is driving through the mountain road looks nothing like the one that goes over the cliff. At least, Republic in their heyday tried to match the cars up reasonably well.
TANSTAAFL!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
rodney
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
I'm three chapters into Zorro's Fighting Legion, which I'm enjoying, but I don't really get the hype of it. So far it seems to move pretty briskly, but it's also kind of routine too. I'm not the biggest fan of western serials though, and that may have something to do with my overall lack of enthusiasm.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Grampy
Member Avatar
Agent of SHIELD
[ *  *  * ]
Finished LOST PLANET-this is a definite add to the 'cheesy good' pile. It has to be some of the best pseudoscience jargon this side of a Star Trek time-space anomaly. A few cliffhangers that make you scratch your head and the inimitable Grood make this one a keeper.

I'm doing a double header next--The original BATMAN (repeat viewing)with politically incorrect dialog intact and a silent THE POWER GOD (1st time).
Still Alive and Well
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
riddlerider
Member Avatar
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
[ *  *  * ]
Grampy
Nov 14 2006, 06:03 AM
I'm doing a double header next--The original BATMAN (repeat viewing)with politically incorrect dialog intact and a silent THE POWER GOD (1st time).

God help you, on both counts.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Laughing Gravy
Member Avatar
Look for In The Balcony on Facebook!
[ *  *  * ]
Never heard of The Power God, but Batman... great serial. As serials go.

Up through chapter 6 or so of The Perils of Pauline (original) and I've come to the sad conclusion that Paul Panzer is far more interesting than the heroine. *L* Of course, it's a great serial, one of the best I've ever seen, but this guy Panzer is so malicious... my goodness.

Hey, we're gonna be giving away some serial DVDs next week... stay tuned to inthebalcony.com!



"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
 
panzer the great & terrible
Member Avatar
Mouth Breather
[ *  *  * ]
Waaaalllll...thanks, Mr. G. Been telling you how bad I am for years.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Grampy
Member Avatar
Agent of SHIELD
[ *  *  * ]
LG,
THE POWER GOD is a 1925 silent directed by and starring Ben Wilson.
The plot is ahead of its time. Prof. Sturgess (Lafe Mckee) has invented a device that creates energy from thin air. A cartel of energy barons wants to buy the invention in order to suppress it. They hire Weston Dore (Allan Garcia) to get the machine but Dore decides to go independent because the machine will make him a "Power God".
Wilson plays Sturgess' assistant Jim Thorpe (apparently no relation to the athlete of the time-kind of like filming a spy thriller with Ben Affleck as a secret agent named Peyton Manning). As a young hero, Wilson looks older than the AARP aged actress who plays his mother.
Neva Gerber is Aileen Sturgess, the prof's daughter and fiancee of Thorpe.
Anyhow in the 1st chapter, the stage is set for the battle for the energy machine (apparently portable and easily concealed) and Aileen is off to elope with Jim. Racing to the Justice of the Peace in a storm, she is an accident (chapt 1 cliffhanger) which leaves her with amnesia.
In chapter 2, Dore, who was also hurt in the accident realizes that Aileen has amnesia. Since Aileen vaguely remembers that she was rushing off to elope, Dore just tells her that he was the intended. Aileen just accepts this as fact and agrees to marry a total stranger. Apparently, Dore carries a marriage license in his coat pocket for occasions like this.
BUT-Dore is already married to Carrie (Ruth Royce). The titles keep referring to Carrie as an "Amazon" and I'm wondering if this is some kind of code for lesbian or something. She is an equal partner with Dore and readily agrees to the bogus marriage. This makes me realizes the term 'wife' is used loosely in their case.

Meanwhile, Thorpe has no idea where Aileen is and, after a scene with his matronly but younger looking mother, is calling around to locate her. Through the miracle of accidentally crossed lines, Thorpe manages to hear Carrie and Dore discussing their entire plan for the faked marriage, complete with when and where, sending him off to stop the nuptials. Unfortunately, in his rush he drives off a cliff (end of chapter 2).
Thorpe survives but not in time to stop the wedding. Kind of makes you wonder what kind of JP would marry a mentally unstable woman to the 1st guy who has a license in his pocket. Dore now has legal control of the energy machine if he can only find it. So he and his gang head back to the Sturgess house to search for it.
Thorpe knows of a secret passage into the mansion from the boat house but is seen by one of Dore's men. They ambush him when he gets back to his boat, knocking him unconscious and into the water (end of Chapter 3)
And that is where I'm at now. As with most any serial, you have to swallow a lot of malarkey. But if you don't mind the cheese, it ain't bad so far.
Still Alive and Well
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
rodney
Member Avatar
Charter Member
[ *  *  * ]
I thought the original Batman was a lot of fun too. I really liked it for the most part.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
panzer the great & terrible
Member Avatar
Mouth Breather
[ *  *  * ]
Me too.

I just finished Chapter 3 of TIM TYLER'S LUCK. Way above average for a Universal serial with very cool black panther footage.
Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Enjoy forums? Start your own community for free.
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Continued Next Week · Next Topic »
Add Reply