JP5683

Didn't hear about this until tonight.

Reviewed here at DVDTalk

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/39777...on-5-disc-set/

(text below not from DVDTalk review)


The entire MGM collection of Our Gang is finally available in one DVD collection. "My oh my, that sho' is good news!"
Our Gang (also known as Little Rascals in its various syndicated incarnations) was a hugely successful series of film shorts that started in the silent era and lasted until 1944. Until early 1938, creator Hal Roach produced the Our Gang series. But with the increasing popularity of double-features (versus showing several 20-minute two-reel comedies), Roach had begun making one-reel (10-minute) Our Gang shorts in an attempt to keep the popular series afloat. Finally, in May 1938, Roach sold the rights to the Our Gang series and characters to the MGM studio.

The Our Gang Collection is a complete collection of all 52 of the MGM shorts produced from 1938 to 1944. In general, the Roach-produced years are considered by fans to be the classics of the Our Gang series. However, MGM was lucky enough to get the cast in the buyout, so the first two discs (of this five disc set) are the best. The best-known gang is still intact: Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla, and Porky.

Carl Switzer (Alfalfa) is the runaway star while he is in the series. Despite the fact that some of his better-known episdodes are pre- the MGM years, there is still some good stuff here. "Bubbling Troubles" finds him ingesting some Alka-Seltzer-type elixir to find his belly completely expanded in bloat. The gang, thinking he has ingested dynamite that Butch has concocted, gingerly tries to bring him to help. Alfalfa ends up falling on his belly in his living room, emitting a roar of air so strong it knocks the walls of the house down. In "Party Fever," Alfalfa and Butch are fighting for Darla's attentions again, and this time they are competing to be Boy Mayor for the day in a local contest. Alfalfa ends up taking flight in a homemade hot air balloon concoction, and all for naught: Waldo earns the prize because the Mayor happens to be his uncle.

As most of the star kids rotated out, some newcomers just didn't seem to have the flair of those from the Hal Roach years. The only kid to act in all of the MGM shorts is Buckwheat (Billie Thomas). Even the last episode included in the set ("Tale of a Dog") seems more adult-driven as the townsfolks get into a furor when the kids misunderstand Buckwheat and his friend Big Shot Jones saying they have smallpox (which is actually the name of a dog). At the end of the episode, when all is settled, the gang promises to keep the dog. And in a bizarre twist to the end of the entire series the dog looks at the camera, and with animated lips says (in the worst Uncle Tom voice), "My oh my, that sho' is good news!" Yikes!

Despite the uneven quality of these last few years of the Our Gang series, this is a fun collection. Definitely the first two discs are full of classic shorts. On the back of the DVD set, the box states "The Our Gang Collection is intended for the adult collector and is not suitable for children." I'm not exactly sure why, since so many generations have grown up with the series. The set is bare-bones, however, and is simply a colleciton of the shorts with no extras to speak of. The shorts are all the original and uncut versions. One thing to take note of: Since this is a "burn on demand" disc set from Warner Archive, the DVDs may not play on older DVD players (but should play on a computer, if you need backup).




Buy here

http://www.wbshop.com/Our-Gang-Comed...efault,pd.html

caligulathegod

...In before someone finds some tiny flaw that will render this entire set an abomination.

Subgeniusguy

LOL... so true.

Living Dead

Because they digitally altered Porky to make him skinny and transformed Alfalfa into a white boy to avoid cries of racism, I'll be passing on this PC butchered set.

Fist of Doom

"Otay!"

Damfino

ok, here it is...

The WB Archive series are on dvd-r and only available from Warners online shop.

That said, I don't consider this an abomination. in fact, I'm still buying this set.

caligulathegod

If there are those that don't get my comment, check out the thread for the other Our Gang/Little Rascals set.

wm lopez

So none of these episodes are on the other set that came out, right?
And these are the episodes with Froggy, right?

Damfino

Yes to both questions.

scottp120

And it has a HUGE WB watermark at the bottom of the screen. NO SALE!

JP5683

I'll be buying these after my next payday comes.

I'll only be missing about half of the silents.

Flicker

You are joking, right?

caligulathegod

Of course he's joking. BTW, I can't find a single reference to a watermark on this set. Only place I see any is on youtube type samples supplied by Warner Bros. All reviews point out the scratches and dirt, but not a single one mentions a watermark. Even AICN talkback doesn't mention a watermark and those bastards find ANYTHING to obsess over.

andicus

What colour did Alfalfa used to be?

scottp120

I checked the sample on the website and it did have a watermark on the bottom right part of the screen. However, on the review in the screen captures there isn't any so I assume there isn't any watermarks. I'll get this as long as it's not butchered like the Little Rascals set that came out not too long ago.

Paul Mavis

Hi, I wrote DVDTalk's review for this set, and I watched all the shorts. Long story short: no watermarks (as you can see from my few screencaps).

If WB has a watermark on their website sample, I would imagine that's to discourage someone lifting the images there without attribution.

Paul Mavis
DVDTalk Staff Reviewer

wm lopez

Thanks. I'll be buying them then.

The Valeyard

I just read your review Paul. I'm in!

Thanks.

caligulathegod

Butchered? That's a bit harsh. Out of 80 shorts, 16 were from less than pristine 16mm sources and only half a line of dialog was cut in the entire set. As I said in that thread, those were 70 year old films that we are lucky to have survived at all and most of us saw them cut and on 16mm film-chain broadcast on good old analog TV with bad reception over 30 years ago. Now all the sound ones are out and in two collections. This is a good thing.

speedy1961

Well said and I quite agree.

Paul Mavis

Glad it helped you decide!

tofferman

I have the old Cabin Fever set, but am thinking of buying this set as well as the previously released Little Rascals set for the kids (and me.) It seems unrealistic to set standards too high with these sets considering their age (70+ years) and condition.

Warner could probably have released these as a standard dvd set, but the demand can't be that high to justify it. I'm simply happy they are available.

drak b

Completely agree on that one and I love the Archive collection. Sure, I'd much rather have pressed discs, beautiful menus or at least real chapter stops but there are so many titles I’d never see otherwise. For instance, I really enjoyed watching "Having a Wonderful Time" (1938) last night but I can't imagine it ever being acclaimed or famous enough to justify a proper disc.

SkullOrchard

Are these two episodes available unedited anywhere other than having to buy the Cabin Fever set?

Edit: The unedited version of Washee Ironee is supposed to be on: Hallmark 707729183822 Little Rascals Collector's Edition III.

scottp120

Is this set the Cabin Fever DVDs?

http://www.amazon.com/LITTLE-RASCALS.../dp/B0009IVDR2

Is this the best way to get complete, unedited episodes with the best quality?