Serials on DVD
Serials on DVD
Please review Serial DVDs here, thanks. When reviewing, good things to keep in mind that people want to know: how good was the film quality, was the film itself any good, what were the extras and how good were they, was there a good commentary, etc. You know, stuff you would like to know if you were thinking about buying a particular DVD.
Adventures of Captain Marvel
Adventures of Captain Marvel
Republic Studios made the best serials, bar none. Universal and Columbia were really the only other contenders but never did they match the quality of the weekly chapterplays from Republic. Republic did great special effects and their stuntmen could create a fight scene like no other.
Adventures of Captain Marvel is considered by many to be the best serial ever released by any studio, and there are definite arguments for that choice. I kind of prefer The Masked Marvel (also from Republic, but only officially available on VHS at this time), but having watched Captain Marvel in its entirety tonight, I was impressed all over again by what Republic could achieve on a budget.
The DVD is produced by Artisan and Republic Pictures, and the film print is great. A really clean picture throughout. All twelve chapters have been put on a one-sided DVD, as well as the trailer (which, unfortunately, is the only extra). Adventures of Captain Marvel is one of many serials available on DVD through eBay and places like that, but be careful because there are people who have just copied it from other poor prints. Look for the Artisan/Republic edition.
Tom Tyler, best known to most of us as Luke, John Wayne's nemesis in Stagecoach, plays Captain Marvel and he looks the part. He has little to say except for "Shazam" throughout the serial but gets a little speech in the last chapter, where we can hear he didn't have as impressive a speaking voice. Frank Coghlan, Jr. is an excellent Billy Batson, older than Billy in the comics but still looking at times like the C.C. Beck drawings.
One of the best things about the serial is the doubling of Tom Tyler by the incredible stuntman, Dave Sharpe. Flying effects are far superior than the later Columbia Superman serials (where they used the terrible effect of making Superman an animated drawing when he was required to fly).
The villain of the piece is the mysterious Scorpion, who is secretly one of the members of an expedition. He was one of Republic's better villains.
All in all, it is definitely worth getting. There are no downsides to this DVD release of a great movie serial. However, I think it would be great to have commentary on something like this because there is so much about Republic people don't know.
Republic Studios made the best serials, bar none. Universal and Columbia were really the only other contenders but never did they match the quality of the weekly chapterplays from Republic. Republic did great special effects and their stuntmen could create a fight scene like no other.
Adventures of Captain Marvel is considered by many to be the best serial ever released by any studio, and there are definite arguments for that choice. I kind of prefer The Masked Marvel (also from Republic, but only officially available on VHS at this time), but having watched Captain Marvel in its entirety tonight, I was impressed all over again by what Republic could achieve on a budget.
The DVD is produced by Artisan and Republic Pictures, and the film print is great. A really clean picture throughout. All twelve chapters have been put on a one-sided DVD, as well as the trailer (which, unfortunately, is the only extra). Adventures of Captain Marvel is one of many serials available on DVD through eBay and places like that, but be careful because there are people who have just copied it from other poor prints. Look for the Artisan/Republic edition.
Tom Tyler, best known to most of us as Luke, John Wayne's nemesis in Stagecoach, plays Captain Marvel and he looks the part. He has little to say except for "Shazam" throughout the serial but gets a little speech in the last chapter, where we can hear he didn't have as impressive a speaking voice. Frank Coghlan, Jr. is an excellent Billy Batson, older than Billy in the comics but still looking at times like the C.C. Beck drawings.
One of the best things about the serial is the doubling of Tom Tyler by the incredible stuntman, Dave Sharpe. Flying effects are far superior than the later Columbia Superman serials (where they used the terrible effect of making Superman an animated drawing when he was required to fly).
The villain of the piece is the mysterious Scorpion, who is secretly one of the members of an expedition. He was one of Republic's better villains.
All in all, it is definitely worth getting. There are no downsides to this DVD release of a great movie serial. However, I think it would be great to have commentary on something like this because there is so much about Republic people don't know.