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Mystery Trooper (1931)
Topic Started: May 15 2017, 05:59 AM (1,047 Views)
rodney
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Grapevine has upgraded Mystery Trooper, and the transfer is apparently good enough that they're offering it on Blu Ray.

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The Batman
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Thanks, Rodney, I saw this yesterday and meant to post it. I'm definitely interested, but I think I'll wait for quality reviews on this one, so hopefully others here will pick it up and report back.


Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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turan38
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Bottom fishing? The two user reviews on IMDB indicate this is an inept poverty row outing.
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The Batman
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I hear ya, Turan. I actually have Grapevine's original DVD release for this, and though I don't remember much about it, I gave it a pathetic 2/10.

So, you ask, "why would you consider upgrading this to Blu?" Which I answer with:

1) To support this release on Blu-Ray, which will hopefully lead to more.

2) To hope a better copy will make the serial more palatable. You never know!

That's why I am waiting for reviews from other on picture and sound quality. Though the serial is only $15.99, with shipping and exchange it will be closer to $30 for me. A little pricey to be the first one in the pool.


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Pa Stark
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I have to disagree with you on MYSTERY TROOPER, Turan, it isn't a bad serial at all. Yes, it is a very low budget poverty row serial, but someone there knew what they were doing, and it is much more entertaining than most of the other indie serials of the 30's. The ghost town setting adds a lot to the serial, and the scene in chapter one where the gang hears organ music being played in a hidden room by the trooper is a great scene.
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The Batman
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Now that's what I want to hear, Pa. Hopefully the new Blu is a significant upgrade, so I can give this serial a second chance.


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rodney
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If you have the old one, they'll upgrade to the Blu at a discounted rate.
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The Batman
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Great minds, Rodney. I had remembered that after posting, and I am one of those previous purchasers. Have already spoken with Jason at Grapevine and the Blu-Ray is on the way.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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turan38
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Okay, you've sold me. There's a certain charm about the early talkie serials. There's also something to be said about better quality making the 'Bs and poverty row films more palatable. I just watched the blu-rays of "Vampire Bat" and "Invisible Ghost" and the picture quality was outstanding.
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Pa Stark
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The one silly thing in MYSTERY TROOPER was every time the Trooper wanted to deliver a message to the heroes, he would do it by throwing a rock with a note through their window. This is how the forward for each chapter was done. Something similar was done in SIGN OF THE WOLF, with a swami looking into a crystal ball, and someone hidden away would use a blow dart to shatter the ball, and the swami would pick up the note. I think half the budget was for the crystal balls.
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riddlerider
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I'd rather revisit Mystery Trooper than most of the Columbias and, for that matter, post-1945 Republics.

Having said that, I'm skeptical about Grapevine's Blu-rays and the underlying transfers. I read several glowing reviews of their Wild Horse Mesa and bought the Blu-ray only to find that it used a slightly better transfer of the same 16mm print I rented to them years ago.
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The Batman
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Well, my reduced-rate Blu-Ray is on the way, (bought their original DVD years ago) so I'll be finding out soon enough.

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Laughing Gravy
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I have a short review up at http://inthebalcony.com/.

Bottom line: I had the previous Grapevine DVD release (called The Mystery Trooper) and now I have the Grapevine BD (called The Mystery Trooper but the print says Trail of the Royal Mounted) and the print is 100% - that's ONE HUNDRED PERCENT - better. A thrilling upgrade. Is the serial any good? Meh. Early '30s serials, well, they're fairly primitive, as I'm sure you know, but this one's awfully sincere, as I recall. Plus you have to love a mystery hero who breaks the heroine's window from time to time to toss her a bag of gold. If you like this sort of thing, order with confidence.
"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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The Batman
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Good to hear, LG. looking forward to the upgrade.

Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Laughing Gravy
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Well, don't get me wrong - this isn't a meticulously restored, looks-as-though-it-were-filmed-yesterday presentation. It has splices and some blemishes in it. But it's a very nice print with great sound and it is miles better than the murky DVD I used to have.
"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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