THRILLER DVD box set -- Hmmm...

I just visited another forum which linked us to a review which said the episodes are 47 minutes long -- which is about five minutes short of what an hour show from 1960-62 should be.

So that got me wondering if these could be syndicated prints.

Now this!

Something told me not to pre-order this, and now I'm wondering if I should order it at all.

Dick, could you verify the running times of the episodes you watched?

I am a collector of classic TV and realize that some tapes and transfer may not be that great. However, I am still interested in the old TV, because it is when actors could act.

PS I was not born when Thriller was out, but, the title and sypnosis excited me, because i like horror/thriller/sci-fi/action tv. I purchase the original outer limits for that purpose.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dick 

 

I was hoping for TWILIGHT ZONE: THE COMPLETE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION kind of quality, with crisp, sharp-as-a-tack images and excellent contrast, but the THRILLER release is many steps down from that excellent set.

 

I think your expectations were way too high. The Twilight Zone is one of the most famous TV shows ever made and presumably one of the best sellers amongst golden age shows (and Thriller is neither of those things) so they can't spend the same kind of money on both shows. In a perfect world, they could afford to lavish that kind of treatment on all shows but it ain't a perfect world.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff 

I just visited another forum which linked us to a review which said the episodes are 47 minutes long -- which is about five minutes short of what an hour show from 1960-62 should be.

 

So that got me wondering if these could be syndicated prints.

 

Now this!

 

Something told me not to pre-order this, and now I'm wondering if I should order it at all.

 

Dick, could you verify the running times of the episodes you watched?

Uh-oh.  Sounds like these might be time-sped? 

Yeah, http://www.dvdsavant.com/s3275thri.html has a review claiming full-length episodes at 47 minutes. Yes, I think hour shows were 52 minutes in this period. I know they did transfers some years ago for cable showings, so this may be from those transfers. I was kind of hoping with the Universal fire destroying a lot of tape masters, these would be brand new transfers.  If these are really 47 minutes, I can imagine the uproar to come.

You'd think someone writing for a website called "dvdsavant" would recognize if something is time-sped or not ... but I learned long ago not to make any assumptions.  Some people aren't good at recognizing that, for some reason.

If these are cut or time-sped, it's a "no sale" for me, and another series bites the dust.  I just have a sneaking suspicion, from everything I've read so far, that these are not the original prints as shown on the network in 1960-62.

Would someone who actually has the set confirm how long the episodes are.  It's hard to believe that none of the reviews on Amazon or anywhere else have complained about the show being sped up or cut.  Generally speaking a show from that era should be aprox. 50 to 52 minutes long.  It's not unusual for a DVD company to list it at 47 minutes long even if they are really 52 minutes long.  I hope it is just a misprint on Images part.  It's unfortunate that they don't seem to proof read the box before sending them out.

The HTF review of the THRILLER set has been posted:  http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/303536/htf-dvd-review-thriller-complete-series-dvd-set .

This silliness is a typical internet-created panic. I received my set yesterday, and the episodes I watched are NOT, I repeat NOT, CUT. Hour long Revue/Universal shows from this era usually run approximately 50 minutes, not 52 minutes, inclusive of credits. Where the dvd "savant" came up with the 47 minute figure, I don't know. That the A/V quality of the episodes isn't comparable to the Twilight Zone releases isn't some sort of shock or "scandal": I didn't really expect it to be comparable. Travis perfectly captured the reasons in his post above. The episodes themselves have been nicely remastered and are not the same masters used for the laser disc releases. Based on what I've seen so far, I'm quite happy with the A/V quality. I'll watch more tonight, including the episodes that Dick watched (I skipped ahead to watch some favorites), and see if my opinion changes.

I haven't watched any yet but I noticed on the back of my set how the total running time for 10 episodes is 499 minutes or just a tick shy of 50 minutes per episode on average.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesSmith 

Guys: There are three different threads here to Thriller, Can anybody tell me (for those who've seen it), what are the 5 most outstanding episodes that you'd recommend for a newbie and why? James just curious

I would rate "The Cheaters", "Hungry Glass", "La Strega", "The Incredible Dr. Markesan" and "The Grim Reaper" as my 5 top favorites.  I won't bother to go into why they are my favorites, but the photography, music, acting, writing and direction would be the main reasons.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff 

I just visited another forum which linked us to a review which said the episodes are 47 minutes long -- which is about five minutes short of what an hour show from 1960-62 should be.

 

So that got me wondering if these could be syndicated prints.

 

Now this!

 

Something told me not to pre-order this, and now I'm wondering if I should order it at all.

 

Dick, could you verify the running times of the episodes you watched?

I got an email from DVD Savant and he confirmed that his episodes were around 50 minutes.  I'm guessing the 47 minute thing came from an Image Entertainment press release he was probably given.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff 

I just visited another forum which linked us to a review which said the episodes are 47 minutes long -- which is about five minutes short of what an hour show from 1960-62 should be.

 

Tim Ewanyshyn's HTF review confirms that the average running time is 50 minutes per episode.

Originally Posted by chas speed 
 

"I would rate "The Cheaters", "Hungry Glass", "La Strega", "The Incredible Dr. Markesan" and "The Grim Reaper" as my 5 top favorites. I won't bother to go into why they are my favorites, but the photography, music, acting, writing and direction would be the main reasons.

I'd like to add "Pigeons From Hell" to that list....and I think "The Purple Room" is pretty good, too.

Dick, I'm sorry, but after watching the first two episodes, I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of the A/V quality of this set. The episodes HAVE been remastered since the laser disc releases.

Oh, boy, am I excited about getting my hands on this set. I used to own a handful of the episodes on VHS, like "The Grim Reaper," but all told I only ever saw a small portion of the episodes. I've never seen, for instance, some of the most talked about episodes such as "Pigeons from Hell" and "A Wig for Miss Devore."

"The Grim Reaper," by the way, has to be one of the best television anthology episodes of all time. It was simply fantastic.

Well, what a difference a day makes.  Last night, I thought these might be cut or time-sped, and had disappointing video quality.  Today, everything has turned around.

About the 50-minute running time.  I was around back then and watched THRILLER first-run, occasionally -- and everything I remember (and have read since then) tells me that prime time network television was limited to four minutes of commercials per half hour.  I feel sure that hour shows were 52 minutes -- however, it's possible THRILLER had two minutes of a preview of "next week's episode," and I don't mind if those are missing from the DVD prints.

Dick, please accept my apology regarding my assumption. The nature of the comments, as well as the language, suggested that your were the same person. Joe, your memory is correct, there was a preview of next weeks episode, as well as other bumpers that surrounded the closing credits (connected to sponsorship or PSA's). These extended the running time a bit. Yes, four minutes of commercials per half hour was the norm. Once again, the A/V quality of this set is quite good, and NO cuts are present (at least in the episodes viewed). Will report on any anomalies

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToddR2 

If you are disappointed that Thriller wasn't remastered from the 35mm camera negatives, I understand. I'm sorry, but after watching the first two episodes, I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of the A/V quality of this set. The episodes HAVE been remastered since the laser disc releases.

The problem isn't the quality, it's the price relative to the quality. You can get both seasons of THE INVADERS or THE OUTER LIMITS - which I would guess have equal or better transfers - for less than half of what this set costs. I actually think $50 a season would too much even if these shows had undergone a complete restoration, and they haven't. 

Unfortunately, price gouging on classic TV and movies seems to be the norm lately. Warner wants to charge people $25 for old B-movies from the 30s, and now we get a TV show being offered for nearly twice the price of most other comparable DVD sets. 

There's quite a bit wrong with your comparison. Foremost is the fact that the two series you mention have been on the market for quite some time. If you want to compare apples to apples, compare the MSRP of each: Outer Limits (49 episodes total) Season One: $79.99; Season Two: $69.99. Invaders (43 episodes total) Season One: $36.99; Season Two: $42.99. That doesn't quite add up to the $149.99 MSRP of Thriller (67 episodes total) in either case, now does it? Let Thriller be on the market for EIGHT years like Outer Limits, and see what the prices are. Remember- The Outer Limits remasters are eight years old, and issued on flippers- is this REALLY comparable? No. Try again. I'm not shilling for the product, and I do respect each person's price limits, but please be fair. BTW, why didn't you mention Star Trek?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToddR2 

There's quite a bit wrong with your comparison. Foremost is the fact that the two series you mention have been on the market for quite some time. If you want to compare apples to apples, compare the MSRP of each: Outer Limits (49 episodes total) Season One: $79.99; Season Two: $69.99. Invaders (43 episodes total) Season One: $36.99; Season Two: $42.99. That doesn't quite add up to the $149.99 MSRP of Thriller (67 episodes total) in either case, now does it? Let Thriller be on the market for EIGHT years like Outer Limits, and see what the prices are. Remember- The Outer Limits remasters are eight years old, and issued on flippers- is this REALLY comparable? No. Try again. I'm not shilling for the product, and I do respect each person's price limits, but please be fair. BTW, why didn't you mention Star Trek?

Not to mention the fact that Image had to license the show from Universal so it had additional costs that MGM didn't have and yet the per episode cost for Thriller is cheaper than Outer Limits was and Outer Limits had zero extras. It's a strange world we live in when $1.46 an episode (using the current Amazon price) is now considered "price gouging" LOL

I'm one who hates spending $100 on something like this, but oddly enough, that price isn't out of line, historically.

If there had been DVDs back when THRILLER was new, and this set came out in 1962, I wonder what the price would have been.

Considering that a stereo LP in 1962 cost $5, and the "running time" of an LP was less than a single episode of THRILLER, it's reasonable to think this DVD set might have been priced at $50 in 1962.

Well, according to an online inflation calculator, $50 in 1962 is the equivalent of $350 today!  So getting this for under $100 on Amazon is a real bargain.  That's the equivalent of only $14 in 1962, which is only 20 cents an episode!  You know it wouldn't have been that cheap.

The Factory VHS tape of the Thriller episode Maquerade with Elizabeth Montgomery  & Tom Posten was 50 min. 20 sec. exactly

in terms of just the episode itself alone no promos.

So it sounds like a touch over 50 min. is about right & then these would be uncut after all.

In regards to the A/V quality it sounds like it has not been completely remastered & restored like the TZ ones were but that it is

about halfway between a Best 16 mm unremastered or restored collector print timeless video type of release and a proper 35 mm remastered & restored

TZ factory DVD release, would this be an accurate view of this particular set?

And as well were the original source prints for this set 35 mm prints?

Larry Tate :)

My set has just shipped from Amazon for the ungodly price of $125 Canadian ($118 US)...back in the '90s, I was quite willing to try to collect this whole series on crappy VHS from fellow dedicated collectors who would go to the trouble of duping 2 episodes per tape and charging me $20 for the priveledge...all of them multigenerational off air recordings mostly from a run shown on a Spokane tv channel where one of our fellow nuts had some minor influence over late night programming...I think at the time (early 80s) there was only three other stations in the whole wide United States showing Thriller in what was then it's syndication...At those prices I  spent over $700 for the entire series and a lot of the episodes were barely watchable...of course I got the MCA/Universal issues when they  came out...6 episodes only and no apparent ryme or reason for their selection...never got my hands on the LD edition...I know this is all familiar stuff to a lot of Karloff's fandom...I'll just be ecstatic to finally get this whole series in remastered DVD and people shouldn't forget the extensive extra commentaries and isolated music scores either...I really look forward to hearing the commentaries of Richard Anderson, Patricia Barry And Arther Hiller in particular...and revisiting The Cheaters, The Purple Room, Hungry Glass, Grim Reaper, devil's Ticket, Pigeons from hell, La Strega, Wig for Mrs Devore,Remarkable Mrs Hawk, Hollow wathcher, etc...and the better of the suspense eps like Late Date, Good Imagination, Third for Pinochcle, Lethal Ladies, the Storm...well, I do go on...and sorry for that, but Thriller is one of my most treasured and tortuously elusive experiences in home video collecting...I'll soon have it in my grubby hands and recommit it to my childhood memories of watching it first run while hiding under the couch and the kids at school the next day in a fevered froth about the thrills and chills of last night's show....

Post from the Classic Horror Boards regarding timings:

<I have timed all the episodes in the box set.  The average run time for the 37 season 1 episodes is 49:48.  The average run time for the 30 season 2 episodes is 50:15.

Does anyone know if the Scream channel broadcasts were uncut?  I'm not sure.

Here are the timings for five specific episodes.  I compared the DVD set, DVD-Rs of the Scream channel broadcasts, and the Universal laserdisc set.

THE TERROR IN TEAKWOOD
DVD-          49:45
Scream-     49:33
Laserdisc-  49:34

THE GRIM REAPER
DVD-          49:48
Scream-     49:38
Laserdisc-  49:34

THE PREMATURE BURIAL
DVD-          50:20
Scream-     50:07
Laserdisc-  50:08

MASQUERADE
DVD-          50:17
Scream-     50:18
Laserdisc-  50:15

INCREDIBLE DR. MARKESAN
DVD-          50:06
Scream-     49:54
Laserdisc-  50:04>

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToddR2 

There's quite a bit wrong with your comparison. Foremost is the fact that the two series you mention have been on the market for quite some time. If you want to compare apples to apples, compare the MSRP of each: Outer Limits (49 episodes total) Season One: $79.99; Season Two: $69.99. Invaders (43 episodes total) Season One: $36.99; Season Two: $42.99. That doesn't quite add up to the $149.99 MSRP of Thriller (67 episodes total) in either case, now does it? Let Thriller be on the market for EIGHT years like Outer Limits, and see what the prices are. Remember- The Outer Limits remasters are eight years old, and issued on flippers- is this REALLY comparable? No. Try again. I'm not shilling for the product, and I do respect each person's price limits, but please be fair. BTW, why didn't you mention Star Trek?

STAR TREK:TOS is also overpriced, but you can get the entire series+extras on **BLU-RAY** for $175 or so, which is only $8 more per season than the THRILLER **DVD** set. Of course the gold standard of classic TV on DVD is TZ:THE COMPLETE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION and you can get that set for $28 per season. 

While I suppose you could argue THE OUTER LIMITS is a somewhat unfair comparison due to the flipper discs, the same can't be said for THE INVADERS, as that show is on 12 DVD-9s. You can't argue time on the market there either, as I pre-ordered both seasons of that show for more or less the current price.

Clearly MSRP doesn't have any relevance at all, as no one in their right mind is paying that.

The bottom line for me is that most DVD sets of 60s TV shows are being sold online for $25-$30 per season maximum, and THRILLER is nearly TWICE that. Again, this might be somewhat justified if the original negatives had undergone a complete digital restoration, but that's not the case here. Instead, we're getting STAR TREK prices and INVADERS quality.