There's a new release of these cartoons coming:



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...-3840848?n=130

Does anyone know if it's better than the Diamond anniversary version?



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...v=glance&n=130

I've not done a comparison... but it looks like Amazon reviewer John Field has. His comments seem to indicate that this edition is fine, but is NOT better than the Diamond. Some of the cartoons are have inferior visual quality and some audio/video alterations to cover for mediocre source material.


Not to go off-topic, but this just reminded me... with all of the SUPERMAN stuff coming out in the next month or so: Why no serial? Seems like this would be a perfect opportunity to get that into the marketplace.

I'm thinking the serial may come after the release of the movie. Since the new movie is seen as an attempt to restart the franchise, I think that interest will be very high in all things Superman.

At least that's the way it seemed to me after Batman Begins came out.

I looked at the most recent reviews and didn't see his.

Those older reviews are for several different DVDs. amazon combines all the reviews together. It's a very bad policy.

The John Field one is actually for this Ultimate Edition.

What intrigued me most is the description said it's a DVD-9

I guess I'll stick to my Diamond version.

"Superman - The Ultimate Max Fleischer Cartoon Collection. Hitting the DVD battlefield to conquer your pocketbook is yet another version of the 17 cartoons produced by Fleischer/Paramount studios from 1941-43. Up to now the only version worth having was the Bosko video release called The Complete Superman Cartoons - Diamond Anniversary Edition My only complaint about that DVD was the inclusion of the date of each cartoons release super-imposed over the opening of each cartoon. Now about VCI's new release Superman - The Ultimate Max Fleischer Cartoon Collection. Using the word "Ultimate" is dangerous. It raises ones expectations to see the best possible release of these wonderful cartoons. VCI slightly misses the mark. The majority of the cartoons are indeed great to look at, but I find it strange that the music at the end of almost every cartoon is the same. That would not be annoying if it were not for the fact that each of the cartoons originally had different and uniquely individual fade out music. The most annoying part of the presentation are the two cartoons TERROR ON THE MIDWAY and THE MUMMY STRIKES. I was awed to see that the opening of TERROR ON THE MIDWAY looked far inferior visually to the version seen on Boskos release. VCIs attempt to cover the defects in the very opening of the cartoon, (Emulsion scratches etc. since no other pre-print has popped up) the VCI editors chose to freeze frame a series of shots that were originally seen in a slow pan. This is not only startling to see but destroys the artistic integrity of the short. MUMMY STRIKES suffers the same quality drop visually. The remainder look excellent. The extras are very enjoyable. The audio interview with Joan Alexander (The voice of Lois Lane on the radio and in the great 1966 Superman Animated series as well) gives some very enjoyable memories of her career. There is a Kirk Alyn Superman Serial trailer from 1948 that looks o.k. And the inclusion of the "Bonis" cartoon SNAFUPERMAN is o.k. but it looks like it was lifted from a previous Laserdisc release. All in all for a retail of $9.99 (With a pre-order from Amazon of $6.99, it is worth the price.....but not Ultimate. The Ultimate Max Fleischer Cartoon Collection is available May 30th. "