DVD Talk DVD Reviews

Sergeant Preston of The Yukon: The Complete First Season

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 03:38:28 UTC

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"Well, King, this case is closed."

In 1938, executives at Detroit's WXYZ were looking for a new radio program to repeat the successes of their action series "The Lone Ranger" and "The Green Hornet" - only this time, they wanted a dog as the star. George W. Trendle, who created both of those shows, delivered "Challenge of the Yukon," which followed the adventures of Sergeant William Preston, a Mountie serving the titular outpost territory in the gold rush of the 1890s. At his side: the trusty Yukon King, a most noble husky who served the Crown as the lead sled dog, but reported to duty in the summer, too.

The series would run until 1955 - landing a network run beginning in 1947, changing its name to "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" in late 1951, and surviving several cast switches (three different actors would voice Preston over the years). Beginning in 1955, the series (under the ne...Read the entire review

Bulldog Drummond Double Feature #1

Tue, 04 Nov 2003 18:55:38 UTC

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I have a strange attraction to episodic moviesand television shows. This foible can probably be traced back tomy youth, when I tried (in vain I might add) to watch an entire Rocky andBulwinkle story. Every week the show would end with our heroes indanger, only to open the next week with them in an entirely different situation. The local TV station didn't pay close attention to the order that theyplayed this syndicated children's show, but instead of discouraging me,I grew more resolved. It was like a game. I won if I was ableto view all the parts in a given series. From old movie serials toDr. Who to James Bond, I've been playing the game ever since. That'sprobably why I was so excited when I heard that Critic's Choice was goingto release a pair of Bulldog Drummond movies. Another set of moviesfrom the late 30's to watch! Unfortunately, my joyous state did notl...Read the entire review

Stage Door Canteen

Tue, 04 Nov 2003 00:54:58 UTC

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Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Savant has to admit that he thought he was getting a supposedly good Image Entertainment release of this public domain feature, when what was received is a suspicious 'Critics' Choice' disc. The no frills disc originates from Critics' Choice Video, an online DVD retailer that appears to dabble in Public Domain releases of its own.

The price is right, but what we get for our money is a sub-par encoding of a dinged-up 16mm print of this morale-boosting 'war effort' musical extravaganza.

Synopsis:

Three Stage Door Canteen girls, operating like USO hostesses in Manhattan during the war, fall in love with three lonesome soldiers as hundreds of stars and personalities keep them company, and the biggest swin...Read the entire review

Jack Benny Program Vol 1

Sun, 26 Oct 2003 06:19:02 UTC

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Two classic episodes of The Jack Benny Program, along with an hour-long 1965 television special, have been compiled as a budget-priced DVD by Critics' Choice Video. The programs themselves are quite amusing, and are of particular interest for their eclectic array of guest stars, but unfortunately the DVD itself is substandard. Once again, programming perceived to be public domain has been thrown together without regard to quality and released by fast-buck operators who undermine both the genuine market for such shows and the technological advantages of the DVD format itself.

The front and back covers of this DVD absurdly claim these shows to be "digitally restored." Hogwash. Based on the headache-inducing transfers actually on the disc, one can only urge the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) or some similar organization to self-regulate the use of such claims by DVD labels. Even at che...Read the entire review

The Return of Chandu

Sun, 14 Sep 2003 16:04:51 UTC

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Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

I was looking forward to seeing The Return of Chandu, having enjoyed the early Fox film, Chandu the Magician, also with Bela Lugosi. Chandu, an ex-radio hero, is sort of a born-again Swami who solves mysteries and fights evil conspiracies along the same lines as Mandrake the Magician. His primary weapons are hypnosis, mass hypnosis, and other tricks to fool the baddies. The Fox film was very entertaining, but in it Chandu (Western name, Frank Chandler) was played by Edmund Lowe, while Lugosi was a slimy Fu Manchu substitute, arch-villain Roxor.

The Return of Chandu promises to be more fun, as this time around Lugosi plays Chandu himself. Seeing him in a heroic role is unusual and an attractive idea for fans tired of the repetitive mad doctor parts. The heroic lead is probably why he took the part in this small-budget picture; just three yea...Read the entire review

Sherlock Holmes Double Feature #1

Fri, 12 Sep 2003 06:15:32 UTC

Recommended

The Movie

I've always loved a good mystery, but who doesn't? My father is the real buff in the family, though, with stacks of old-time radio shows on tape and CD which may rival any collection in the state. I've grown up around most of these, and while I'm not nearly as rabid a fan as he is, I've at least acquired an appreciation for the genre.

Sherlock Holmes is the most well-known face in the world of detectives, and has transcended the genre to become a bonafide cultural icon. It may seem far-fetched now, but Holmes was like Batman or Superman to many kids who grew up hearing the stories of this seemingly real character. One of the most famous incarnations of the detective was played by Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, paired with Nigel Bruce as Dr. John H. Watson. They appeared in approximately a dozen films together between the years of 1942-1946, not to m...Read the entire review