Review(s): DVD Captain Video - Cliffhanger Collection
CRAP O RAMA IN SPACE
I DISSAGREE WITH OTHER REVIEWS ABOUT THE PRINT QUALITY...
BUT THE RESTORED TINTING HELPS A BUNCH...
TRIVIA: COUNT THENUMBER OF WOMEN YOU SEE IN THIS SERIAL.
HINT: THERE ARE NONE.
LOTS OF FUN NONE THE LESS...WITH ALL THE BOGUS SCIENCE TALK
AND BRAND X SPECIAL EFFECTS
I love the old movie serials!
I have three Flash Gordons, a Phantom and now, Captain Video! First, the serious criticism. Wooden acting, cheap-looking sets, hand-drawn animation special FX, an impossibly involved, contrived plot, meaningless science-babble jargon. But those are also the charms of this serial. If you want to enjoy some campy fun with good guys versus bad guys, no blood and gore, action a-plenty and happy ending, welcome to Captain Video!!!!!
"with evil forces from Planet Atoma our hero vows to protect Earth ~ Captain Video"
VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters of a sought after vintage serial loaded with action sequences...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s...now to the plot as the Planet Atoma looks dusty, unlivable and is ruled by despot Vultura...looks like a sequel to the "Buck Rogers" serial...will the Planet Atoma rule the universe beginning with our planet Earth...can Captain Video and his Ranger sidekick stop this mad scheme...how can his technology overcome this vast weaponry of Vultura...be prepared to watch the different tinted scenes which at that time was really something ...don't pass this one up or Captain Video will be hot on your trail.
Under director's Spencer Gordon Bennet and Wallace Grissell with screenplay by Royal K. Cole and Sherman L. Lowe...the cast include Judd Holdren (Captain Video), Larry Stewart (Ranger), George Eldredge (Tobor), Gene Roth (Vultura), Don C. Harvey (Gallagher), William Fawcett (Alpha), Jack Ingram (Aker), I. Stanford Jolley (Zarol), Jimmy Stark (Ranger Rogers), Skelton Knaggs (Retner), Rusty Wescoatt (Beal)...another great serial provided by Columbia Pictures during their heyday in the early '50s.. this serial is one of the best...stuntwork is outstanding and the special effects were astounding for its time...must make mention to keep your eyes peeled for B-Western and Serial veterans Jack Ingram and I. Stanford Jolley, who in my humble opinion were the pioneers of evil gamblers, sheriffs, henchman and all around villains from the early '40s and '50s.
CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc One)
1. Journey Into Space
2. Menace of Atoma!
3. Captain Video's Peril!
4. Entombed in Ice!
5. Flames of Atoma!
6. Astray in the Stratosphere
7. Blasted by the Atomic Eye
8. Invisible Menace!
9. Video Springs A Trap
10.Menace of the Mystery Metal
SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc One)
1. Photo Gallery (all the Sci-Fi Serials Lobby Cards)
BIOS:
2. Judd Holdren
3. Larry Stewart
4. Gene Roth
5. Spencer Gordon Bennet (Director)
6. Wallace Grissell (Director)
VCI CLIFFHANGER COLLECTION (Disc One)
1. Secret Agent X-9 (Lloyd Bridges & Lon Chaney Jr)
2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
3. Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
4. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
5. Edgar Rice Burroughs - Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
6. Zorro Rides Again (John Carroll)
7. Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
8. Mandrake the Magician
9. The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
10.Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd)
11.Zane Grey's - King of the Royal Mounted (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
12.The Miracle Rider (Tom Mix)
CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc Two)
11.Weapon of Destruction
12.Robot Rocket!
13.Mystery of Station X
14.Vengeance of Vultura
15.Video VS. Vultura
Own them now on DVD....if you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...if you enjoyed this serial check out another release from VCI Entertainment as they present Alex Raymond's "Jungle Jim " (1936) (digitally remastered), 12 Chapters of vintage serial loaded with action sequences - really outstanding scenes between a lion and tiger in a to the death fight...high production from Universal's serial department...each episode chuck full of scenes loaded with cliffhanger adventure...gotta love it!
Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing the first time on video a tinted sequences by Cinecolor digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...special thanks to Jack Theakston, Jon Hildreth, L. Gravy for their assistance....and a big thank you to Clifford R. Wimer for his detailed liner notes that give all the "Sci-Fi Serial Fans" a glimpse of those thrilling yesteryear adventures...looking forward to more of the same from the '50s vintage serials vault...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again with hard-to-find releases from VCI...just the way we like 'em!
Total Time: 287 mins on 2 DVD's ~ VCI Entertainment 8428 ~ (8/30/2005)
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