Alpha DVD serials: in Cliffhangers Forum

RSS
Email

0 Points

Alpha DVD serials:

Author	Comment
bobmonel	Alpha DVD serials:	Lead	[-]
Posts: 213 Sep 18 03 6:55 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None I see the el cheapo DVD company ALPHA has a number of serials out on disc: FLASH GORDON CONQUERS... FU MANCHU (television), and others. Has anyone seen any of these?What's the quality? Some of Alpha's stuff (BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA) looks surprising good. Also, how's the actual FU MANCHU serial?
	Remove this ad
len2476buster	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#1	[-]
Posts: 7251 Sep 18 03 10:03 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, THE RETURN OF CHANDU serial looks pretty darn good - and better than what I had expected. It possibly may come from the same source material as what Rhino Home Video used several years ago for their VHS release, which at the time, was the best ever avialable. I have a copy of the Alpha version of THE PHANTOM CREEPS serial, but I haven't looked at it yet. Because film serials were the least important product of the major studios (Republic being the exception at the "low" end of the scale), they haven't generally been preserved well at all, so I try to stay away from any non-official releases, and with "Public Domain" titles, I'll stick with the companies that have good reputations for quality - unless I hear different. As for THE DRUMS OF FU MANCHU, the best version out there - so far - is the one offered by VCI. - Mr. Len
Richard Valley	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#2	[-]
Posts: 54081 Sep 18 03 10:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	As for THE DRUMS OF FU MANCHU, the best version out there - so far - is the one offered by VCI. There's a DRUMS OF FU MANCHU thread right in this section of Scarlet Street. Alpha's ADVENTURES OF FU MANCHU features four TV episodes of varying quality, none of them too terribly bad and all of them better than I've seen elsewhere . . .
bobmonel	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#3	[-]
Posts: 213 Sep 18 03 11:13 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	All of Alpha's DVDs seem to be ripped from other legit sources like IMAGE, VCI, etc. I will pick up RETURN OF CHANDU and PHANTOM CREEPS since I only have them on REALLY bad vhs dupes. Thanks, guys.
len2476buster	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#4	[-]
Posts: 7251 Sep 20 03 12:14 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Not necessarily so! I've heard that many of their releases come directly from 35mm and 16mm film prints. I've heard that their version of SCARLET STREET is one of the best available anywhere, and there are some pretty bad copies of that film floating around! That being said, the ALPHA DVD copy of THE APE MAN is abysmal, and I suspect that the SINISTER CINEMA version is much better! - Mr. Len
bobmonel	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#5	[-]
Posts: 213 Sep 20 03 8:21 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	They have the FLASH GORDON serial on Alpha which I'm thinking of getting. How does that look, Len?
HarryLong	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#6	[-]
Posts: 25166 Sep 20 03 1:19 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Haven't seen the FG serial but, on a related note, their episodes of the old TV series look great. Too bad the show wasn't terribly good.
len2476buster	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#7	[-]
Posts: 7251 Sep 20 03 7:49 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bob, the "Flash Gordon" serial that Alpha Video put out is FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE. It is allegedly "Public Domain," but I would bet the "legal eagles" at King Features Syndicate/Hearst Entertainment would argue otherwise. I purposely avoided getting FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE from Alpha Video recently, having seen the VCI version was out, with extras like interviews with Buster Crabbe, newsreel footage of his win for the 1932 olympics, etc. I haven't run the VCI version yet of F.G.C.T.U., but their VHS version - which I got some years ago - I thought, was superb! From my experience as a fan, FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE always seems to be the best looking and best preserved of the F.G. trilogy, so if you REALLY MUST save a few dollars and get the Alpha Video version over the VCI version or the "official" Image Entertainment version, I suspect you might not be too disappointed in the quality. If I'm wrong, don't blame me! All I'm saying is that good prints of the third of the GORDON serials seem to be out there, much more so than the first two, which show more wear and tear, and many prints are of the "bootlegged" variety with poor picture and sound quality. - Mr. Len
bobmonel	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#8	[-]
Posts: 213 Sep 21 03 10:53 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Another serial on Alpha DVD is Gene Autry in THE PHANTOM EMPIRE, a personal favorite. I have the Channel 1000/RHINO EP prerecord box and it's rather fuzzy and mediocre definiton but watchable. Is the Alpha DVD an upgrade video wise? Thanks.
len2476buster	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#9	[-]
Posts: 7251 Sep 21 03 3:48 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I reallly don't know. I've heard a rumor that the SERIAL SQUADRON honcho Eric Stedman (a.k.a. "Dr. Grood) allegedly may have been working on a restoration for Alpha Video. If so, I hope they paid him well, for he did a miraculous job digitally cleaning up and correcting out of synch errors, etc. from a 16mm print. Dr. Grood's "special edition" print offered to collectors at the SERIAL SQUADRON website has color tints, and some added music to it. As a purist, I'd prefer the original, but the "special" version he did is fun to have as a supplement. So... if, in fact, Grood did help restore a black and white original version for Alpha Video, then by all means, pick it up. However, I don't know this for sure, and I can tell you that there are some AWFUL "Public Domain" prints (on film and video) out there. So... bevare! take care!" - Mr. Len
bobmonel	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#10	[-]
Posts: 213 Sep 27 03 9:09 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	They seem to have other FG serials also. I was hoping to upgrade my Rhino EP vhs box set of PHANTOM EMPIRE, so if you can verify the quality of the Alpha set, it would be much appreaciated, Mr Len. Thanks, as always, for your knowledgeable responses.
	Remove this ad
Bonga	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#11	[-]
Posts: 2 Oct 1 03 9:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I have seen both Alpha's Phantom Empire and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. I also have the Rhino video of PE. Both of these discs are real dissapointments. FGCtU is from a very washed out 16 mm print with fuzzy definition and a very limited range of greys. It is the worst of the three versions of this serial I have seen. If you can still find the Image release, by all means spend the extra $$ for it, as the Alpha is very poor. The sound is poor also. We're talking mini-frisbee material bad here. Alpha's Phantom Empire is copied from a videotape source, possibly the Rhino version. It is also ghastly to look at, although the sound seemed clearer to me than I remember on the Rhino tape. I have not seen the entire version that Dr. Grood put out at the Serial Squadron, but I saw parts of it while it was still a work-in-progress, and the parts that I saw of his version was greatly superior to either Alpha or Rhino in watchability. I agree with Mr. Len that the Alpha copy of Return of Chandu is quite serviceable. I have also heard good things about Alpha's version of SOS Coast Guard, but I haven't seen it. Alpha's verison of Undersea Kingdom is also servicable, but a big step down from the old Republic Home Video release. If only Artisan would start putting out on DVD some of the Republic serial library that is in their possession!
len2476buster	Alpha DVD serials: Phoooey???	#12	[-]
Posts: 7251 Oct 2 03 12:27 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks, Bonga! Sad to hear about FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE copies from Alpha Video. You'd think that one would be decent, as I've seldom seen a bad 16mm copy of this serial, ever! It's always looked the best - nice, sharp and clear - compared to the first two F.G. serials - on TV when I was a youngster and in private film collections. That makes me suspect the Alpha Video people didn't search very hard for a good copy at all, and there are plenty of good versions around, from what I can see! The Image copy - licensed from the Hearst Entertainment/King Features Syndicate company - is generally terrrific. Just about as good really, is the version put out by VCI of F.G.C.T.U. - and VCI has some fun extra material - clips of TV commercials Buster had done, some 1932 Olympics newsreel footage, and portions of a 1970 interview he had done. There is also a bit of choppy footage from a slightly later interview - just kind of tossed into the mix. "Dr. Grood" did indeed do a remarkable job cleaning up the 16mm print he had of THE PHANTOM EMPIRE. His special edition on DVD-R has tints, tones and some added music. As a purist, I'd hope that he - or another distributor - would put out this "video restored" version out. It really DOES look spectacular, especially compared to all the washed-out, warn out, choppy versions of this serial that I've ever seen! - Mr. Len
Todd 3D	Re: Alpha DVD serials: Phoooey???	#13	[-]
Posts: 788 Oct 4 03 10:04 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I picked up part 1 of Junior G-Men from Alpha (I have to track down part 2 still!! ). From what I've seen--and I only looked at the first five minutes--it looked pretty respectable to me. I second what Mr. Len said about Return of Chandu--it's the best print of that serial I've seen. Chapter 11 leaves something to be desired, and the sound fluctuates, but overall it's a decent print. In the end run, for $12 bucks for a complete DVD serial, you can't really argue. That said, I will also mention that as a general rule of thumb, if the serial is available from a better source, I'll go with the better source. For instance, I wouldn't buy anybody's DVD of [i]Zorro's Fighting Legion[/i] except for Image. Ditto the *Flash Gordon* serials. And I'll pass on Alpha's *SOS Coast Guard, 3 Musketeers, Undersea Kingdom, and Radar Men From the Moon* since I was able to get them from Roan. However, since Alpha is the only company carrying Junior G-Men, Junior G-Men of the Air, Zorro's Black Whip, Ace Drummond, and The Lost Jungle on TRUE DVD--not DVD-R!!--I'll go with them. Actually, I've never seen Junior G-Men before, so this will be the first serial on DVD I've watched that I've never seen before!! I can hardly wait! <i>"Didn't you two losers try this before---and fail!"<br></i> --Patricia King, KOTPR
len2476buster	Re: Alpha DVD serials: Phoooey???	#14	[-]
Posts: 7251 Oct 4 03 10:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, Todd-ster, I've seen some AWFULLY bad copies on TV and VHS, so... I hope your Alpha copy is a good one. That's the thing, really! With Alpha, you're never sure what you might get. The price may be worth taking a gamble. I hear tell that their version of SCARLET STREET (1945) is one of the best on the market. So... good luck! - Mr. Len
Todd 3D	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#15	[-]
Posts: 788 Oct 4 03 11:52 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Goofy me forgot that I saw Jungle Jim for the first time on DVD...oops! Anyhow, Mr. Len, I'm not too worried. As I said, the beginning looked decent enough. For $12 I'm not going to have a hissy fit. I just hope the serial itself is good!! <i>"Didn't you two losers try this before---and fail!"<br></i> --Patricia King, KOTPR
Todd 3D	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#16	[-]
Posts: 788 Oct 11 03 9:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well, this week I watched the Alpha DVD 1 of Junior G-Men. Overall, not a half-bad print. There's some lines and the beginning of Chapter Four is kinda splicy, but overall respectable. It's also a hysterically fun serial. Can't wait to get DVD 2 and see the end. My view is simple. I'd rather give Alpha $12 than give a pirate $30 when neither one is guaranteed to have a good print. Especially for serials like Junior G-Men, Phantom Creeps, Ace Drummond, and the Lost Jungle. <i>"Didn't you two losers try this before---and fail!"<br></i> --Patricia King, KOTPR
Rogmeister	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#17	[-]
Posts: 2 Aug 14 04 6:49 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi, guys...I'm new. Regarding Alpha's serials, I've recently heard that their version of "Burn 'Em Up Barnes" is actually supposed to be very good so I have ordered that. This will only be my 2nd Alpha purchase, the first being a non-serial silent film, The Golem.
len2476buster	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#18	[-]
Posts: 7251 Aug 21 04 4:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I haven't seen BURN 'EM UP, BARNES yet, but I also have heard that Alpha Video's copy is pretty good. "Thumbs up" for THE ADVENTURES OF SMILIN' JACK, which I HAVE seen. It looks as though Alpha's copy came from a video master, as I've noticed a few glitches that look as if they came from a video source, but... overall, nice print, decent sound, etc. - overall a very FUN serial to watch! - Mr. Len
kevin g shinnick	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#19	[-]
Posts: 15102 Aug 31 04 11:16 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Recently suffered througfh THE GREEN ARCHER starring Victor Jory. Print was okay but oh my what a dreadful serial! So much yelling of lines and over acting ,bad dialog and poorly staged fight scenes . Need to watch soem Republics to take my mind off of it.... Still, the price for the two discs was very good.
princessananka	Re: Alpha DVD serials:	#20	[-]
Posts: 415 Aug 31 04 4:14 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Kevin, I, too, have expressed elsewhere on this site my disgust at "the Green Archer." It made totally no sense. The cast was game but the dialogue and direction were lunatic. I have vowed to watch no more Columbia and Universal serial dreck. They simply didn't have it. Makes you appreciate Republic's brilliance even more. I remember suffering through four episodes of "Green Archer" before shutting it off. I instantly put my cherished "G-Men Vs. the Black Dragon" video and was transported instantly into serial heaven. $:\$
	Remove this ad

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Yuku free message boards

Alpha DVD serials:

Alpha DVD serials: