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| Watching Any Good Serials? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 12 2006, 09:28 AM (88,338 Views) | |
| The Batman | Mar 19 2009, 05:42 AM Post #1291 |
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Charter Member
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THE SECRET CODE is a blast, one of the Dark Knight's Top 10 Serials. Just finished off THE INVISIBLE MONSTER, while a fun serial, it was fairly preposterous, even for a chapter play. The whole gimmick of turning the lead villain was cumbersome and quite ineffectual, really. The fact he was going to expand this scheme to eventually rule the world was just laughable. But, all-in-all, a fun Republic and no regrets watching. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| Pa Stark | Mar 19 2009, 09:04 AM Post #1292 |
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What survives is three reels in UCLA archives of a five reel feature version that was not released. Riddle Rider did screen it. He also said that in the 60's a complete print was screened in Europe, but no one knows what happened to the print. I totally agree with Batman and Rodney that THE SECRET CODE really rocks. What made it extra enjoyable was the casting of Paul Kelly as the hero. While pretending to be part of an enemy spy ring, he constantly mocks the heavies, and Kelly's wise guy look just added to the effect. No other serial actor could have played the role as wonderfully as he did. Adding to the fun was the decoding lessons at the end of each chapter. Some of them are totally silly. I first saw the serial at a convention and there was two chapters to a reel, so after the second chapter, the projectionist was going to skip the decoding lesson at the end of the reel, but everyone booed him, so he played the rest of them for us. |
| Honest and Lovable Pa Stark | |
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| marlin lee | Mar 19 2009, 02:26 PM Post #1293 |
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Just finished Blazing the Overland Trail. Like a lot of serials it tapered off in the middle. For a serial already full of stock footage there was even more and not all that well used. Also the mystery woman disappeared for much of the serial. However it did pick up in the later chapters and the mystery woman reappeared. So I'll keep my 3.5 out of 10 rating. Its significance as the last serial released in theaters is still the best reason to watch it. But it is more enjoyable than I was led to believe. |
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| Pa Stark | Mar 26 2009, 09:49 PM Post #1294 |
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Besides getting THE MASKED RIDER, I just received 10 serials from Rodney. Life is good.
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| Honest and Lovable Pa Stark | |
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| Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer | Mar 27 2009, 02:53 AM Post #1295 |
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Sapient Balconeer
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This is shocking news Pa, I can't believe there are 10 serials in circulation that you have not seen. Which 10? |
| It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong." | |
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| The Batman | Mar 27 2009, 07:26 AM Post #1296 |
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Shouldn't that be: Despite getting a bastardized version of THE MASKED RIDER, thankfully I just received 10 serials from Rodney. Life is good. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| Pa Stark | Mar 27 2009, 09:52 AM Post #1297 |
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Look, I have been staying away from that controversy, please don't put me into it.
Four are early Universals, THE INDIANS ARE COMING, HEROES OF THE WEST, PIRATE TREASURE, and THE RED RIDER. The other six are Columbia's, JUNGLE MENACE, BLACK ARROW, and the rest are from the last couple of years, SON OF GERONIMO, GREAT ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN KIDD, RIDING WITH BUFFALO BILL, and PERILS OF THE WILDERNESS. There are a lot of 1945-48 Columbia's that are among the worst serials ever, like HOP HARRIGAN and WHO'S GUILTY that I dread having to see. Well, I did survive CHICK CARTER DETECTIVE, so maybe I can survive them. |
| Honest and Lovable Pa Stark | |
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| marlin lee | Mar 27 2009, 10:35 AM Post #1298 |
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I agree Pa. Life is good. I'm in the middle of The Vanishing Shadow which I've wanted to see ever since I read about it in Roy Kinnard's Science Fiction Serials. Thanks to Rodney I now have a chance to watch it and it is every bit as much fun as I thought it would be. |
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| Pa Stark | Mar 27 2009, 02:57 PM Post #1299 |
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I felt like THE VANISHING SHADOW was a much more elaborate serial than any other serial of the early 30's, and enjoyed it very much. Wait until you see chapter 11, it is one of the wildest and greatest chapters ever. Let me know what you thought of it. |
| Honest and Lovable Pa Stark | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Mar 27 2009, 08:03 PM Post #1300 |
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Mouth Breather
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Pa, you will love The Red Rider, one of my favorite serials, not because of any science fiction elements but because of Buck Jones' improvisational dialog. The guy is an American hero: he even died a hero. He helped invent the world we live in. You'll see what I mean when you watch the movie. And didn't you mean to say you stayed out of the controversy on this site? I saw what you wrote on the other one. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| marlin lee | Mar 29 2009, 08:50 PM Post #1301 |
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Just finished chapter 11 and you are right Pa it is a wild one and quite enjoyable one. The only bad thing is now I have only one chapter left. I was hoping the robot wasn't going to be wasted. |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Mar 29 2009, 10:23 PM Post #1302 |
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Mouth Breather
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I love The Vanishing Shadow, and Grood's issue of it was one of his slick moves before he went over to the dark side -- one of the reasons I trusted him. I thought a guy who would do a cool thing like that would never swindle people into investing in a home movie. I feel like one of the old ladies in The Producers, and of course Eric thinks he's Zero Mostel -- but in reality he's brought disgrace on himself, his family and friends. Like it or not Squadronnaires, you're aiding and abetting a criminal. Hey Eric, have you hired that lawyer yet? Snicker. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Mar 29 2009, 10:31 PM Post #1303 |
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Mouth Breather
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I love The Vanishing Shadow, and Grood's issue of it was one of his slick moves before he went over to the dark side -- one of the reasons I trusted him. Silly me: I thought a guy who would do a cool thing like that would never swindle people. Now that I've invested in a pathetically incompetent home movie I feel like one of the old ladies in The Producers, and Eric thinks he's Zero Mostel -- but in reality he's brought disgrace on himself, his family, and the friends who helped him do it. Like it or not, Squadronnaires, you're aiding and abetting a criminal. Well, that's my last post for Get Eric Day, a day that gave me considerable satisfaction. Henceforth I hope I get to ignore his lame, dickweed ass, but please note my new signature, the climax of the day's festivities. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| rodney | Mar 31 2009, 09:12 AM Post #1304 |
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I'm eight chapters into The Secret Code, and it's continuing not to let me down. It's a great film, and actually is a good example of the genre. One of the few Columbia serials that are top tier. |
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| Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer | Mar 31 2009, 09:23 AM Post #1305 |
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Sapient Balconeer
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Oh yeah, The Secret Code is great (I think I've posted that about 5 times on this thread). Let me tell you how it ends.... Spoiler: click to toggle
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| It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong." | |
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6:53 AM Jul 11