Reviews (158)

Fantasia is Brilliant, But 3 Disk Set is Overrated
Walt Disney's 1942 FANTASIA was a groundbreaking film and remains a landmark to this day, a brilliant series of animated sequences set to notable concert music conducted by Leopold Stokowski of The Philadelphia Orchestra. The three disk FANTASIA ANTHOLOGY, however, is extremely overrated.

The first disk is the original FANTASIA, which Disney describes as restored. This is not strictly true. First and foremost, the restoration of visual elements is sloppy at best, with the film plagued by streaks and blips, and at least one sequence ("Dance of the Hours") appears to be slightly cropped. That aside, portions of the Deems Taylor narration have been completely lost, and these have been rerecorded by Tim Matheson--and Matheson's voice is not a good match for Taylor and the sychronization is poorly done. Lastly, one selection ("Pastoral") has been censored: a brief image, which would be considered racist by today's standards, has been deleted from the sequence.

Even so, it is still FANTASIA, and it overcomes all of these liabilities. The animation, which was created by hand and photographed through a number of laborious processes, shows Disney Studios at the height of its powers. Every one is certain to have their favorites among the selections (mine are "Dance of the Hours" and "Night on Bald Mountain"), but every selection is brilliantly conceived and executed, and although the content varies from sequence to sequence the overall style of the film hangs together in a most remarkable way. FANTASIA was, is, and will no doubt will forever remain a touchstone in animation art.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the second disk, FANTASIA 2000. This particular film is extremely uneven, the sequences lack the same cohesive style that held the original FANTASIA together, and the entire film is beset by a series of often obnoxious "celebrity" introductions that give the film the feel of a made-for-TV variety show. Still, some of the visual ideas are very impressive, and while they are too few to offset the portions of the film that do not work, they still make FANTASIA 2000 mildly entertaining.

Both the FANTASIA and FANTASIA 2000 disks include documentaries and commentary tracks on each film. The third disk, called "The Fantasia Legacy," is a bonus packed with interviews, archieval footage, and sketches that show how each sequence in both films was developed and then filmed. Some of this material is redundant, for it is included on the documentaries on the first two disks, but most of it is unique to this disk alone. Disney originally saw FANTASIA as a film that could be re-released with a mix of old and new selections every few years, and the most interesting material on the "Legacy" disk is a restored "Clair de Lune" (made for and then cut from the original FANTASIA) and various storyboard ideas for future sequences.

The only way one can obtain the "Legacy" disk is to purchase this three disk package--and therein lies the rub. The original FANTASIA is brilliant, and even in its so-so state it is worthy of a place in any DVD library. FANTASIA 2000, however, is trivial, occasionally interesting but not greatly memorable and not a piece that one would normally go out of the way to purchase. And the price for the three disk package is quite steep.

If you are a Disney fan who must have every scrap of material available, I would recommend the investment this package requires. But if your primary interest is the original FANTASIA, you are much better off simply purchasing a DVD of that film alone--the other two disks are simply not worth the expense. Purchasers should alos remember that the original FANTASIA does not often appeal to very young children, and if the purchase is being made for a child you are likely to be disappointed in their response. Final thought: the original FANTASIA is brilliant, FANTASIA 2000 is so-so, and the bonus disk is for hardcore fans. This pricey package is recommended to the latter only.

Fatasia is Beautiful - Even Better on DVD!
I saw Fantasia 2000 before a saw the original. And I love both of them, but I think I love the original just a little bit more. After I saw 2000, I wanted to go buy the original. But it wasn't around. When I found out it was coming out on DVD, I rushed out to buy it. The "Making of Fantasia" feature is great!

1. Toccata & Fugue - Rousing music, good choice for opening. But I'm not a big fan of abstract animation.

2. Nutcraker Suite - Although most people like the Sorcorer's Apprentice best, I like this one the best. The music is so catchy! This peice's fantasy characters make me feel like a little kid again.

3. The Sorcorer's Apprentice - Ummm . . . Its O.K. Its good to own since its hisotric in Micky Mouse history.

4. Rite of Spring - This segment rocked! Why doesn't anyone like it? If featured breakthrough technology for the '40s! And the dinosaurs were so accurately drawn according to science at that time!

5. Intermission & Sound Track - Was this stuff necisary?

6. Pastoral Symphony - Great music, mythological characters. I guess it depends on your conscience for wether or not to like this one.

7. Dance of the Hours - LOL! This piece was great! I never knew Fantasia had the "Camp Granada" song! And the hippos and croc are so cool!

8. Night on Bald Mountain - Disney went overboard on this one. It's pretty demonic. It's up to you one wether to watch that one or not. I know he wanted the biggest battle of good vs. but this was too much.

9. Ava Maria - Kinda hokey and religous. It's alright. but the multi-plain camera was put to good use.

A Work of Art
Fantasia is a very unique creation, there has never been another movie quite like it, before or since, and I think it's safe to say there never will be. Disney took a risk with creating something so dfferent from the norm; most of the American public is not likely to sit and listen to classical music for two hours, or watch a movie with no words. However, it was a very worthwhile risk, as Fantasia is a beautiful work of art, and has become a classic.
There is a certain captivating magic when the incredible sounds of the world's best musicians combine with the dazzling sights of the world's best animators. The imagery is full of fantasy, rich color, and graceful beauty. It's impossible not to be dazzled as the music washes over you, and you watch the stories of each of these little worlds unfold.

Misleading box, but it's still a masterpiece.
First, go click on the picture of the box so you can see a larger image. See how it says "Walt Disney's Original Uncut Version" at the bottom? Well, it's not. No, one scene in Fantasia was edited for every single home release as far as I know. It's in the scene "The Pastoral Symphony". When the female centaurs are getting all prettied up and ready for the male centaurs, you'll notice a very fuzzy extreme close up on one of them. What's going on in this scene? There's a black skinned centaur named Sunflower helping that one out. Go do a search for "Disney Sunflower Snopes" and it should show up. Why does Disney do this? Kids watching that part aren't really going to have any racist thoughts regarding the scene, or become a KKK member or anything after watching it. But there you have it, this isn't really "uncut" because of that. And this only enforces that there's a high chance of Disney not releasing Song of the South anytime soon. And this is a shame that they're going so P.C. that we're never going to be allowed to see how everything was originally released. If they can put out the Treasure tin sets, which have a lot of Asian and Spanish stereotypes, why is there such a problem with Song of the South and a black centaur?

Other than that, Fantasia is a masterpiece. While it didn't really help Disney out much financially, the animation that accompanies the music is flawless. You really admire the artists that worked on each short. While it took hundreds to work on one piece at a time, now it'd only take a couple of guys on a computer with the latest animation software a few days. It's funny that most of this looks better than a lot of recent Disney films. The colors, smoothness of the animation, and how it blends with the music is just breath taking.

The picture is as good as you're going to get for a movie this old. There's very little grain and dust on the print, and you'll hardly notice it with all the beauty on-screen. The audio is crisp and clear, so go nuts turning it up.

The special features are ok. The commentary is made up of interviews and clips from Walt and others. When some people speak on it, there's a little bit of static, which doesn't matter since it's taken from an early source. It's not going to interfere with hearing anything they say, but I just thought I'd mention it. It's still a very interesting commentary track. I listen to it from time to time and always learn something new. The documentary is pretty cool too, though a lot of it I've already heard from other Disney specials and such. If you want the real goods as far as extras go, get the Fantasia Anthology edition. The third disc on that sucker is amazing.

So if you're really expecting the "uncut" version, you'll be disappointed. I doubt it'll ever be released unless somehow Leonard Maltin can get that put out too. I mean, if he can get the Donald Nazi short put out in the newest wave of Disney Treasures, he's gotta have SOME chance of giving us the original Fantasia. Pick this up before it's out of print for another 10 years. It's a film to pass down the generations.

classic
This is a classic marriage of two art forms Music and Animation. There are six sets of classical pieces By the Philadelphia Orchestra under the leadership of Leopold Stokowski. Each piece is accompanied by animation that either tells a story or illustrates visually the music. Each piece is a feast for the eyes and ears. The most famous piece is Mickey Mouse as the sorcere's apprentice. He gets ahold of his master's magical hat and decides to take a short cut indoing his chores with disastrerous results. The two pieces that really stand out for me is the "Nutcracker Suite" and "Night on Bald Mountain" This is a great movie for anyone who enjoys classical music. It may be too "High Brow" for children but it could be a good medium to introduce them to classical music. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Entertaining Package Feature
Before the review, I wish to note that, contrary to the other reviewers, this tape is not the Mini Classic, but the whole,
72-minute film.

The movie is essentially a tour of the old Burbank studio, with Robert Benchley and cartoon short-subjects thrown in for good measure. IMHO, the best part was the sound effects stage,where employees were recording for a cartoon featuring Dumbo's Casey Jr. the steam locomotive, my all-time favorite Disney character.

Cartoons shown were the afore-mentioned Casey Junior, Baby Weems in storyboard form, the first in Goofy's "How to...." series, the Reluctant Dragon, and quick cameos by Bambi and Donald Duck. Almost funnier than Bob was the bumbling, number-freak of a tour guide, as well as the music/voice recording session with the original voices of Donald Duck and that chicken whose name I can't recall?????? All in all, pure Disney fun!

The dragon who prefers fun than fighting
This Waly Disney Mini Classic is about a dragon who detests fighting and prefers to play,until a young boy and a dragon fighter try to teach the docile creature about the fine art of being bad.
I think this story is the best Walt Disney Mini Classics.My favourite scenes were:
1.The boy meeting the dragon in his lair,where the dragon recites poems
2.The knight meeting the dragon while the dragon is having a picnic
3.The battle,ending with the dragon pretending to die when he jumps out of smoke,pretending to have a spear through him

The Reluctant Dragon
The 1941 feature film was based around the writer, Robert Benchley, touring the Disney studios. This is why I was interested in purchasing this film. Unfortunately, the Disney "Mini Classic" release has been edited down to just the cartoon. Benchley is not to be seen or heard. For this reason I am disappointed in the release. If you have no interest in Robert Benchley, you will no doubt love this classic Disney "mini" feature (21 minutes long) and the accompnying short cartoon about a small moose. The transfer is well done and the sound is very good for the period.

the Reluctant Dragon
Having seen this feature in the movies when I was a child, I always remembered the delightful dragon and his fear of violence, and the fierce loyalty of the boy. Not only is the story theme a bit novel, and also a bit silly, about the dragon being forced to fight when he did not want to, it is resolved so delightfully that children will remember it well as I. I wish it would be available as children are always so curious about Dragons and this film has no real violence in it, except the "pretend" fight between the knight and the dragon. We need this happy film.

Classic Disney short movie.
I used to enjoy watching this when I was a kid (and before the days of videotape). I've been waiting for Disney to re-issue the tape version so I can get it for my kids. In a nutshell, it's about a dragon who does not particularly enjoy terrorizing peasants, a knight who does not particularly enjoy fighting dragons, and -- of course -- the charming little boy who tries to keep them from hurting each other. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT TO BE
Ok im a big fan of EVELYN ANKERS.So I bought this movie because of her.But she was only in about 5 scenes.Also this movie should be called DEBT OF THE INVISIBLE MAN.Its about a family who owes
Robert Griffen money.Im not trying to ruin AMAZONS career ,but its not a very good movie.

DESTINED TO BECOME INVISIBLE ON YOUR FAVORITE LIST
The "menace and out-and-out horror" promised by Universal are invisible in this rather lukewarm installment in the "IM" series. Star Jon Hall is pretty to look at, and he might even be a good thespian, though the script (and Ford Bebbe's clumsy direction) certainly don't give him any chance to prove it. The plot is as vapid as it is improbable (and confusing): A man named Robert Griffin stows away on a ship, returning to England to get the money owed to him by his "business partners," who happened to be Mr. and Mrs. We end up with bad guy versus badder guy and gal ... with lots of plot manipulations and oversized hypodermic needles thrown in. What makes the film worth watching (once) are the (limited) special effects; most specially the scene in which Griffin reveals his invisible eyes and the nifty bit in which he splatters flour on his face to prove his identity to a friend. This Wells have run dry.

Lackluster Universal Effort
Jon Hall wants revenge on the couple that have swindled him out of a fortune. He not only expects to take over their estate, but he also expects their daughter's hand in marriage as well. He stumbles upon a doctor experimenting with invisibility, and uses this weapon to get what he wants. This film had some potential, but much of it is wasted. Jon Hall isn't much of an actor (not that the role required him to be), so he isn't very compelling. Evelyn Ankers, the scream queen, is given very little to do here, appearing in just a few throw away scenes. The great Gale Sondergaard, a great presence in many movies, shows up in the first third of the film, then disappears (suffering from nerves, it is explained in the story). John Carradine is fun as the scientist, the only somewhat memorable character. The back story of the plot is confusing, leaving me with more questions than answers, and the direction is choppy. There are a few good special effects, but that's not enough to compensate for the rest of the film. I usually like these Universal horror films, but this one need a complete overhaul before it was even filmed.

"Mildly Rewarding B horror film-delivers the goods."
Caught this flick last night on AMC, not to mention I own it, but it's been a while since I last seen it. But it's safe to say that it still holds it's status as a minor yet very enjoyable B Horror film. Right from the first studio that Dripped blood-"Universal". This was their 5th and final entry in their Invisible Man series, and while it's not on par(there's no denying it) with it's 4 predeccors, it's definatly an above average B shocker-that still manages to outdistance any of their Mummy films that were being produced at the time(with the exception of The Mummy's Hand(1940), of course) A very classy film for it's kind(for it's status) the film benifits from an Exceptional cast, John Carridine comes to mind. Beautiful Camera work by Milton Krasner, a fine atmosphereic score by Universal regular Hans J. Salter, and some rather compentent if-rather awkward direction by B film specialist Ford Bebe, who seems to have a stronger feel for pacing rather than for atmosphereics, moving the film along in a brisk direction, never making the audience feel bored--a saving grace from that somewhat muddled film script that the filmakers seem to be working from, most notably in the opening and middle reels of the film. Another thing that boggs the film down is the clumsy editing job, theres a certain air about the picture thats seems it could have been benifited by a much tighter constuction, netherless the film as a whole suffers, and the much comedic padding doesn't help matters either. Still u get a film that suceeds in what it's meant to do--entertain. And while the film suffers from scripting and techincal matters...the film still emerges as a slightly above-average B shocker, and one of the very last of their decent horror entries, before Universal ventured off into the "non-competent" era of Horror, the 1945-1946 period, churning out such "B" dreadfuls as The Brute Man, and Shewolf of London(both 1946) until they finnaly closed their doors on their Horror product altogether.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Grade: B- 84%

My 2nd Favorite Invisible Man Movie!
Okay, technically, my 2nd favorite Invisible Man movie is "The Invisible Woman", but that's a comedy.

"Revenge" is actually the only one of the "Invisible Man" sequels in which the Invisible Man is a true menace like he was in the Claude Rains original.

The plot doesn't make much sense, and Jon Hall is no Claude Raines or Vincent Price, but don't let any of that throw you. Enjoy his wreaking vengeance on those whom he accuses of wronging him, and the clever and innovative photographic tricks. This Invisible Man is seen with water on his face 56 years before "Hollow Man!" ... Read more

Reviews (6)

ITS ALL MURDER, AND I LOVED IT
Starring the grim butler {LUGOSI},The dementd Mr. Ingston {RALPH MORGAN},The evil housekeeper {DORIS LYOD} And the insane sister of Mr. Ingston{FAY HELM}.This movie is a must see,filled with murder,mystery and horror.It also includes its original theatrical trailer.A true horror classic fan would have this movie on their horror classic movie shelf.So, buy it , you'll love it.

One of the best classic horrors of Universal.
NIGHT MONSTER is cool, with its errie seting. The final climax at the bridge is hair rasing. Bela Lugosi is excellent.
So is Linol Atwill. I would say that NIGHT MONSTER is second
best,next to SON OF DRACULA and CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN.

Watch! And Sigh With Contentment
Until I got my hands on the video, I had seen this movie only once -- about 30 years ago on late-night television. The only other film of this type that I recall with the same nostalgic pleasure is the virtually impossible to find "From Hell It Came."

If you're a fan of old B-movies of the horror genre (especially if you have a weakness for murky, mist-enshrouded atmosphere), then you can't go wrong with "Night Monster." Yes, the film falls apart somewhat in the last 20 minutes or so, but that's a small price to pay to curl up with all that murk and mist and fog.

Horror Masterpiece!
This glittering little gem of a B-movie shows how an outstanding cast and crew can elevate pulp fiction to art. Ford Beebe, the veteran director, who started his movie days back to the l900s whips his sharp cast into tip-top shape. Fay Helm, among the most outstanding of all character actresses back in Hollywood's golden era, plays Margaret, a woman who her father considers insane because she spies a terrible creature creeping around their mansion at night in the fog. Helm was also terrific as the nurse in "Captive Wild Woman" and as Jenny in "The Wolf Man." Doris Lloyd, who played "jenny's mother in "The Wolf Man" now plays the sinister housekeeper in Night Monster. These two knock the others out of sight with their performanes. Irene Hervey is beautiful, quiet and authoritative as the psychiatrist. Poor Bela Lugosi. Another role where he's the butler and does nothing more than leer and glare and talk like he has the week's laundry in his mouth. Terrific camera work, lighting, musical score by H.J. Salter, chilling scenes of the "monster" stalking the love couple, levitates this entertainment way beyond Val Lewton's much touted "Cat People." "Night Monster" has got the juice and the chills to keep you glued to your screen--and nightcap on a cold, misty night.

An efficiently creepy B horror thriller.
A good example of a well-made B horror thriller which will keep you sufficiently engrossed to make you forget that there are some things in it that do not make much sense. Bela Lugosi, despite his top billing, has a small role as an eavesdropping butler. The other actors are well-cast, especially Ralph Morgan as the crippled owner of a creepy country estate, and Nils Asther as an Eastern mystic. The bizarre plot and weird atmosphere are very effective. ... Read more

Reviews (158)

Fantasia is Brilliant, But 3 Disk Set is Overrated
Walt Disney's 1942 FANTASIA was a groundbreaking film and remains a landmark to this day, a brilliant series of animated sequences set to notable concert music conducted by Leopold Stokowski of The Philadelphia Orchestra. The three disk FANTASIA ANTHOLOGY, however, is extremely overrated.

The first disk is the original FANTASIA, which Disney describes as restored. This is not strictly true. First and foremost, the restoration of visual elements is sloppy at best, with the film plagued by streaks and blips, and at least one sequence ("Dance of the Hours") appears to be slightly cropped. That aside, portions of the Deems Taylor narration have been completely lost, and these have been rerecorded by Tim Matheson--and Matheson's voice is not a good match for Taylor and the sychronization is poorly done. Lastly, one selection ("Pastoral") has been censored: a brief image, which would be considered racist by today's standards, has been deleted from the sequence.

Even so, it is still FANTASIA, and it overcomes all of these liabilities. The animation, which was created by hand and photographed through a number of laborious processes, shows Disney Studios at the height of its powers. Every one is certain to have their favorites among the selections (mine are "Dance of the Hours" and "Night on Bald Mountain"), but every selection is brilliantly conceived and executed, and although the content varies from sequence to sequence the overall style of the film hangs together in a most remarkable way. FANTASIA was, is, and will no doubt will forever remain a touchstone in animation art.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the second disk, FANTASIA 2000. This particular film is extremely uneven, the sequences lack the same cohesive style that held the original FANTASIA together, and the entire film is beset by a series of often obnoxious "celebrity" introductions that give the film the feel of a made-for-TV variety show. Still, some of the visual ideas are very impressive, and while they are too few to offset the portions of the film that do not work, they still make FANTASIA 2000 mildly entertaining.

Both the FANTASIA and FANTASIA 2000 disks include documentaries and commentary tracks on each film. The third disk, called "The Fantasia Legacy," is a bonus packed with interviews, archieval footage, and sketches that show how each sequence in both films was developed and then filmed. Some of this material is redundant, for it is included on the documentaries on the first two disks, but most of it is unique to this disk alone. Disney originally saw FANTASIA as a film that could be re-released with a mix of old and new selections every few years, and the most interesting material on the "Legacy" disk is a restored "Clair de Lune" (made for and then cut from the original FANTASIA) and various storyboard ideas for future sequences.

The only way one can obtain the "Legacy" disk is to purchase this three disk package--and therein lies the rub. The original FANTASIA is brilliant, and even in its so-so state it is worthy of a place in any DVD library. FANTASIA 2000, however, is trivial, occasionally interesting but not greatly memorable and not a piece that one would normally go out of the way to purchase. And the price for the three disk package is quite steep.

If you are a Disney fan who must have every scrap of material available, I would recommend the investment this package requires. But if your primary interest is the original FANTASIA, you are much better off simply purchasing a DVD of that film alone--the other two disks are simply not worth the expense. Purchasers should alos remember that the original FANTASIA does not often appeal to very young children, and if the purchase is being made for a child you are likely to be disappointed in their response. Final thought: the original FANTASIA is brilliant, FANTASIA 2000 is so-so, and the bonus disk is for hardcore fans. This pricey package is recommended to the latter only.

Fatasia is Beautiful - Even Better on DVD!
I saw Fantasia 2000 before a saw the original. And I love both of them, but I think I love the original just a little bit more. After I saw 2000, I wanted to go buy the original. But it wasn't around. When I found out it was coming out on DVD, I rushed out to buy it. The "Making of Fantasia" feature is great!

1. Toccata & Fugue - Rousing music, good choice for opening. But I'm not a big fan of abstract animation.

2. Nutcraker Suite - Although most people like the Sorcorer's Apprentice best, I like this one the best. The music is so catchy! This peice's fantasy characters make me feel like a little kid again.

3. The Sorcorer's Apprentice - Ummm . . . Its O.K. Its good to own since its hisotric in Micky Mouse history.

4. Rite of Spring - This segment rocked! Why doesn't anyone like it? If featured breakthrough technology for the '40s! And the dinosaurs were so accurately drawn according to science at that time!

5. Intermission & Sound Track - Was this stuff necisary?

6. Pastoral Symphony - Great music, mythological characters. I guess it depends on your conscience for wether or not to like this one.

7. Dance of the Hours - LOL! This piece was great! I never knew Fantasia had the "Camp Granada" song! And the hippos and croc are so cool!

8. Night on Bald Mountain - Disney went overboard on this one. It's pretty demonic. It's up to you one wether to watch that one or not. I know he wanted the biggest battle of good vs. but this was too much.

9. Ava Maria - Kinda hokey and religous. It's alright. but the multi-plain camera was put to good use.

A Work of Art
Fantasia is a very unique creation, there has never been another movie quite like it, before or since, and I think it's safe to say there never will be. Disney took a risk with creating something so dfferent from the norm; most of the American public is not likely to sit and listen to classical music for two hours, or watch a movie with no words. However, it was a very worthwhile risk, as Fantasia is a beautiful work of art, and has become a classic.
There is a certain captivating magic when the incredible sounds of the world's best musicians combine with the dazzling sights of the world's best animators. The imagery is full of fantasy, rich color, and graceful beauty. It's impossible not to be dazzled as the music washes over you, and you watch the stories of each of these little worlds unfold.

Misleading box, but it's still a masterpiece.
First, go click on the picture of the box so you can see a larger image. See how it says "Walt Disney's Original Uncut Version" at the bottom? Well, it's not. No, one scene in Fantasia was edited for every single home release as far as I know. It's in the scene "The Pastoral Symphony". When the female centaurs are getting all prettied up and ready for the male centaurs, you'll notice a very fuzzy extreme close up on one of them. What's going on in this scene? There's a black skinned centaur named Sunflower helping that one out. Go do a search for "Disney Sunflower Snopes" and it should show up. Why does Disney do this? Kids watching that part aren't really going to have any racist thoughts regarding the scene, or become a KKK member or anything after watching it. But there you have it, this isn't really "uncut" because of that. And this only enforces that there's a high chance of Disney not releasing Song of the South anytime soon. And this is a shame that they're going so P.C. that we're never going to be allowed to see how everything was originally released. If they can put out the Treasure tin sets, which have a lot of Asian and Spanish stereotypes, why is there such a problem with Song of the South and a black centaur?

Other than that, Fantasia is a masterpiece. While it didn't really help Disney out much financially, the animation that accompanies the music is flawless. You really admire the artists that worked on each short. While it took hundreds to work on one piece at a time, now it'd only take a couple of guys on a computer with the latest animation software a few days. It's funny that most of this looks better than a lot of recent Disney films. The colors, smoothness of the animation, and how it blends with the music is just breath taking.

The picture is as good as you're going to get for a movie this old. There's very little grain and dust on the print, and you'll hardly notice it with all the beauty on-screen. The audio is crisp and clear, so go nuts turning it up.

The special features are ok. The commentary is made up of interviews and clips from Walt and others. When some people speak on it, there's a little bit of static, which doesn't matter since it's taken from an early source. It's not going to interfere with hearing anything they say, but I just thought I'd mention it. It's still a very interesting commentary track. I listen to it from time to time and always learn something new. The documentary is pretty cool too, though a lot of it I've already heard from other Disney specials and such. If you want the real goods as far as extras go, get the Fantasia Anthology edition. The third disc on that sucker is amazing.

So if you're really expecting the "uncut" version, you'll be disappointed. I doubt it'll ever be released unless somehow Leonard Maltin can get that put out too. I mean, if he can get the Donald Nazi short put out in the newest wave of Disney Treasures, he's gotta have SOME chance of giving us the original Fantasia. Pick this up before it's out of print for another 10 years. It's a film to pass down the generations.

classic
This is a classic marriage of two art forms Music and Animation. There are six sets of classical pieces By the Philadelphia Orchestra under the leadership of Leopold Stokowski. Each piece is accompanied by animation that either tells a story or illustrates visually the music. Each piece is a feast for the eyes and ears. The most famous piece is Mickey Mouse as the sorcere's apprentice. He gets ahold of his master's magical hat and decides to take a short cut indoing his chores with disastrerous results. The two pieces that really stand out for me is the "Nutcracker Suite" and "Night on Bald Mountain" This is a great movie for anyone who enjoys classical music. It may be too "High Brow" for children but it could be a good medium to introduce them to classical music. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Green Hornet Strikes Again!
The company known as Video Treasures has done it. They have successfully raised a film from the dead A long, long, time ago a list was published called "The Lost Sound Serials" GHSA was one of them. There was no hope to ever see this story again, until Anchor Bay makes a fine print brought fromk Universals original film negatives. As for the movie, it's good but not great. Warren Hull brings more dignity to the role of GH. Keye Luke is a passable Kato, but expect no Bruce Lee, Kato rarley gets into a fight. The story is full of action, adventure and heart stopping cliffhangers. It's great fun for children and adults.

The Green Hornet Strikes Again
Warren Hull replaces Gordon Jones in the lead role in this sequel to The Green Hornet. Hull, who is best known in his role as The Spider and who also played Lee Falk's Mandrake is a welcome improvement for Jones. Keye Luke returns as the sidekick Kato. Y'know next to Clark Kent's glasses as a disguise, how could you not figure out who the Green Hornet and Kato was. A white guy and an oriental kinda stands out, huh? But, despite the lame secret identity (you have to suspend some disbelief), this is a fair serial despite it's Columbia label (sorry, but I have a real prejudice for Columbia serials). It contains a fair amount of action, a good cast and some semblence of a story. If you want to view Hull's best work, however, find a copy of "The Spider Strikes" and avoid at all costs "The Spider Returns."

Lots of action
Fran Striker, co-creator of The Green Hornet radio show, was script supervisor and two actors, William Hall and Jay Michael were from the popular radio show. Hall was the voice of radio's Hornet for a time. So what we see here is a first-rate serial that really tried to be faithful to the radio series.

ALMOST BETTER THAN THE GORDON JONES SERIAL
Britt Reid the Grandson of Dan Reid nephew of The Lone Ranger,is a masked crime fighter like his "Famous" Great Uncle whose mask is to strike fear into the hearts of the criminals of his city. Resoursefull,well funded,and aided by his faithfull servent and sidekick Kato,The "Green Hornet" rides across the city in the "Black Beauty"a car,But like his famous ancester does not want to kill but disable his prey,not with Silver Bullets but a gas gun.Actor,and 50s game show host Warren Hull does a nice job with the material,and keeps the legend alive. Great fun either in episodic form or as a feature film. A breif footnote;prior to the Second World war,Kato was a Japanese,but not so mysteriously became Phillipino at the outbreak of War. On Radio the character was created by George W. Trendle of "The Lone Ranger" fame. Should you ever be able to hear the old radio show I know you will like them as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very good western cliffhanger from Mascot
I admit that "very good" is subjective & relative in this case. This was made early in the sound era, and the overacting, especially on the part of child actor, Frankie Darro, is overwhelming, but I find that part of the fun.

Harry Carey portrays a character who is probably the oldest serial hero ever. At least, I don't know of any older. However, he is quite good and quite believable in the role.

Frankie's father is accused of murder, and attempts to clear him lead to seeking the identity of "The Voice" who is the leader of a gang. In 1931, audiences may have been surprised to find out who "The Voice" is, but chances are you'll have him fingered before the end of the first chap;ter.

There are some good chapter endings, for a western serial, and some poor ones, but basically, it's a good action serial. There are a few great photographic effects, and some very good directing.

It's dated, and it's pretty hokey, but it's fun and highly recommended to serial fans who are willing to make allowances for the time it was made. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

good but grainy serial
This Green Hornet serial is good and definitely not boring. The chapters to a ceratin extent are complete stories in themselves. Unfortunately, the film was no longer in good condition when tranferred to tape. This is what detracts from the full enjoyment of the serial. Many parts appear blurred and grainy. If the details were preserved, this product would rate 5 stars. The next Green Hornet serial was more enjoyable to watch as the original film appears to have been better preserved. But this is collector's stuff and secure one if you can. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

CHALLENGE TO BE FREE
THIS WAS MY FAVORITE MOVIE FROM MY CHILDHOOD.I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME FOR MY CHILDREN TO SEE IT,BUT I COULDN'T FIND IT IN ANY OF THE VIDEO STORES.I WAS SURPRISED WHEN IT CAME RIGHT UP WHEN I TYPED IT IN.ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT IT'S BEEN OVER 20 YEARS SINCE I'VE SEEN THIS MOVIE AND I'M VERY EXCITED THAT I HAVEFOUND A COPY TO PURCHASE.I CAN ALMOST FEEL THE MOUNTAINS AND THE STRESS FROM GETTING A SHAVE WITH AN AXE.

An all-time classic
As much hype and hoopla movies like A Bug's Life and Alladin carry with them ... movies like Challenge to be Free tend to fall to the side as unimportant figments of a different decade. This movie is not unimportant by any means ... it takes you on a wonderous journey ... leaving you in the end to realize the importance of trying to respect and understand the ways of not only the people around us, but the people we identify as our foes.

I believe this to be the greatest movie ever made.
There is somthing magical about the grease on Trapper's face. The way he laughfs, and wrestles with bears. This movie is a joke, but it's characters attack you. If you watch closely you'll see what I mean. It was made in 76' but released later due to some problems in post-production. It's sad. It's dirty. A dog was killed in it's production. And it is dedicated to the men and women of the forest. Thank you for reading this, and good day. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This is the best of the Flash Gordon serials
"Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" was the third and best of the serials starring Buster Grabbe. This 12-part serial finds Alex Raymond's science-fiction hero battling Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton). Flash has to save the earth from a mysterious plague known as the Purple Death. When Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) finds one a spaceship from planet Mongo seeding the atmosphere it is clear that Ming the Merciless is back to his old tricks. Flash is aided by old friend Prince Barin of Arboria (Roland Drew) as they head to Frigia, where our heroes will find polarite, the antidote to the plague, and some really interesting locking rock people. Of course, Ming is going to go out of his way to stop Flash and his friends. My only real complaints are that the costumes look like leftovers from "Robin Hood" and that Carol Hughes replaced Jean Rogers as Dale Arden. Oh, well, life is full of disappointments. This DVD not only includes an interview with Crabbe, but footage of him winning the 1932 Olympic Gold Medal in the 400 meter swim event and three of his later TV commercials. Ideally you want to watch the three Flash Gordon serials in order, but if you start with this one you will certainly be able to follow the fun without any problems.

Go get 'em Flash
Flash Gordon is certainly the true precursor to "Star Wars." Image Entertainment is distributing four feature length titles edited down to about 90 minutes from the original four hour serial length. Zippy plots, lots of action, clever sets and surprisingly strong scripts do justice to "THE PERIL FROM OUTER SPACE," "THE PURPLE DEATH FROM OUTER SPACE," "SPACE SHIP TO THE UNKNOWN" and "THE DEADLY RAY FROM MARS."

Good stuff that looks even better when cut down to the central plot. The action does not let up. See the whole series in order.

Larry "Buster" Crabbe is charismatic and strangely beautiful as the lead in this beguiling comic book space opera from the late 30s.

For die hard fans of this series, the full length, uncut serial "FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE" is also available.

Nice for the Price
This DVD is nice for the price. The description says Region 1, but its region 0. The video and audio are about the same as others on the market, but the menus are well designed (very retro!) All 12 chapters are on one dual layered disc and the layer change doesn't interfere with the movie. There are no extras, but hey for the price, what do you expect?

Excellent for the price
This DVD is great for the price. The video and audio are comparable to other copies that I've seen (for over double the price). It's, also, nice to see all 12 episodes on one disc.

Save your money!!
I bought this on DVD and expected a professional package I expect of any DVD package. Here's the news...terrible packaging, no extra features, no cinemascope so you can't even read the credits, the poorest quality I have seen and overall unwatchable product. I feel as if I was robbed of my money. The people that made this product wanted to sell you something but you will never buy anything else. I say wait for someone who cares to release these great serials. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Spoilt by transfer
Very interesting to see a serial 70 years old, particularly as
it's shot mostly outdoors. A great pity this is spoilt by tape
2 which has projection shudder (not video shudder) .
Apparently no one was watching when this was being transfered from film. Very poor work. Not customer orientated at all.
Advice give it a miss.

A Mohican Must
If you enjoyed the Randolf Scott movie version of The Last of The Mohicans, then you must own this literate scripted serial version. My own copy is failing from repeated use. Loaning this serial to friends has become a habit. It is surrounded by an almost captivating style of directing which brings , you into the action. This ranks as an early great, and consequently is a must see for the beginning collector. Watch it alone in order to give it your undivided critical attention. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

the most sensational airplane serial ever made!
Don't miss this!This the best oldie movie I have ever seen! The special effects, in crisp black and white, were flawless, not "hokey" like most action movies of the period. When I watch this movie I feel that I'm "there" - I love the big cars,the street scenes, machines, fire trucks, ambulances, ships, planes and the fashions!Donald Woods is as dashing a hero as Erroll Flynn and Kathyrn Adams is as sweet as your little sister. The bad guys are trying to kill them and steal the protype of the Air Forces military plane.There's a lot of fistfights, car chases, crashes, and we enjoy long displays of flying stunts (small propeller planes)in every segment of the serial. The characters are all very close, like a family and their is a constant light-heartedness and implied romances. Each part ends in a disaster (or "cliff-hanger" to keep your interest. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Kane Richmond gets 3rd billing here....
I don 't think there'll be any argument about who the co-stars of this serial are. Kane Richmond has to settle for 3rd billing, and the leading lady, the comic sidekick, the villian, all are strictly supporting actors to Rex, the wonder horse and his pal, Rin Tin Tin.

This serial really strikes at the heart of the 12 year old within each of us, regardless of our true age. The only downer is the obligatory cliff hanger end of the chapter which generally shows one of the two starring animals in frightful peril.

Oh yes, the humans are important too. Unfortunately, Kane Richmond's usual hero status is greatly diminished by the canine and equine actors. However, Harry Woods shines as a nasty villian, and Smiley Burnette comes off as a likeable, good natured, if not overly bright, comic sidekick.

And keep your eyes open for a very minor character, a forest ranger portrayed by Ralph Byrd two years before his first Dick Tracy role. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Spoilt by transfer
Very interesting to see a serial 70 years old, particularly as
it's shot mostly outdoors. A great pity this is spoilt by tape
2 which has projection shudder (not video shudder) .
Apparently no one was watching when this was being transfered from film. Very poor work. Not customer orientated at all.
Advice give it a miss.

A Mohican Must
If you enjoyed the Randolf Scott movie version of The Last of The Mohicans, then you must own this literate scripted serial version. My own copy is failing from repeated use. Loaning this serial to friends has become a habit. It is surrounded by an almost captivating style of directing which brings , you into the action. This ranks as an early great, and consequently is a must see for the beginning collector. Watch it alone in order to give it your undivided critical attention. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lots and lots of rip-roaring western action
Let's see, you have a batch of gun fights. You have some wild horse stampedes. There are two or three indian attacks on wagon trains. Don't forget the sneering villian. And there's Johnny Mack Brown in several hard riding scenes.

This is a 13 chapter cliff hanger, and you'd do well to take 13 days to watch it, a chapter a day. Hey, it was originally made to see one chapter a week! The chapter endings are less than spectacular, in fact rather repetitious. There's at least one case of cheating...I know I saw our hero react from one horse in a stampede running over him, but the next chapter didn't show that.

Well, this isn't one of the best western serials. For that, you want THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER or ZORRO'S FIGHTING LEGION. But it is full of action and the type of scenes you watch westerns for, even if there is lots of repetition. Three stars, but dyed-in-the-wool B western fans might give it more. ... Read more