Little Rascals (Our Gang) DVD's... (1 Viewer)

[MarcoBiscotti]

Apparently Koch has recently released a 5-disc boxed set of silent shorts (I think?) and I was just wondering if there were any reviews up or if anyone owns this set and what they think of it?

The link to the set on Amazon is here - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...v=glance&s=dvd


As far as quality's concerned, I'm only currently aware of 2 worthwhile discs, both individual Hallmark releases - Vols. 1 & 2 and 3 & 4.

Will there ever be a COMPLETE box set collection of Little Rascals / Our Gang shorts and can anyone tell me which DVD's to consider picking up?

Thanks!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

If only Cabin Fever hadn't gone out of business.

They had a terrific Vol. 1 box set out of Canada that
some of us nabbed a few years ago. The set contained
approx. 21-24 shorts.

There was also a Vol.2 due for release but the company
went belly up.

These were the renowned remastered/uncut versions with
introductions from Leonard Maltin.

Right now I think that only HALLMARK has the best
quality releases out there. Unfortunately they
consist of only a fraction of what could be available.

Someone really needs to step up to the plate and
get ALL these shorts out on DVD.

 

[Eric Peterson]

Harumph!

I have all of the Hallmark releases on VHS, but would gladly upgrade to DVD.

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

Ron, wasn't the Cabin Fever box-set ported over for these individual Hallmark releases or am I getting my info confused? I'd be really interested in tracking that down on Ebay or wherever if it does in fact contain exclusive content...

Also, do you know anything about the recent Koch set and if it's worth looking into?

Thanks.

:}

 

[Ronald Epstein]

It seems that the Cabin Fever releases were
ported over to Hallmark. However, there only
seems to be only a half dozen of the near 50
shorts that were released by Cabin Fever on
VHS and 24 shorts on DVD.

It doesn't look like Hallmark has any intention
of putting out more of the Rascals on DVD.

 

[Steve Phillips]

I've got the Canadian DVD set, but mine contains nearly 50 shorts. It is exactly half the content of the four LD sets released in the 90s, which I think contained all the Hal Roach sound shorts and a few silent ones, too. I've still got all four LD sets.

As for the MGM produced shorts; they are uniformly terrible.

 

[Drew Salzan]

I recently stumbled upon the Cabin Fever DVD set (6 DVD's, 8 shorts each) which is the same collection they released on VHS and LD in the '90's. It was $19.99 . Unfortunately, the second set was never released on DVD. Thank heavens I have the second collection on LD.

 

[andrew markworthy]

I have the Little Rascals box set on order and according to my (UK) supplier they're awaiting delivery of stock. Since the last two items that were described thus were Dragnet (the recent TV remake series) and News Radio, I'm getting a bit despondent. Please does anyone know if this box set has been released in the USA?

 

[MarcoBiscotti]

If it's this 5-disc set that you're referring to, than yes it has been released in R1. I asked about the quality of this release in the other topic above because I've yet to see any reviews..

 

[andrew markworthy]

Marco, many thanks - it looks like this time it's just the company being a little slow in receiving stock (a shame, because I usually get R1 releases about a week before the official date). To be honest, at the price this set is, I'll be grateful for just about anything.

The Little Rascals are largely unknown over here in the UK by anyone under 70. They were shown at cinemas in the UK when they were new, but there's been no revival since then (e.g. you won't find them on any UK satellite channel). I only know about them because on a trip to Canada some 25 years ago I got into the habit of watching them every day (that and televangelists who at the time were a complete novelty for a Brit) and loved the shows to bits (the LRs, that is; I'm not quite sure about the televangelists I saw).

BTW - big thanks to whoever integrated my message into this thread.

 

[Brian-W]

I purchased that 5 disc set, it's okay. The reason to buy it is it contains a few of the earlier silent shorts. The more "modern" (if you will) Our Gang shorts on this set is recycled from DVDs already available.

 

[Tory]

Hey there are some of Little Rascals/Our Gang shorts as bonus features in the Judy Garland and Marx Bros. Boxsets from WB and I believe at least one, maybe two are on Image's Slapstick Encyclopedia. They are not definitive collections but they are nice versios.

 

[Eric Peterson]

I found this somewhat on accident. It's released on Nov. 15th

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...s=dvd&n=507846

It's released by Lion's Gate. Have they somehow acquired the rights to these shorts from Hallmark, and if so does anyone know if they have plans to make continuing releases?

The included shorts are all of Vol. 6, Vol. 8, and half of Vol. 9 when compared to the Cabin Fever VHS releases. I'm not sure why they skipped over Vol. 7 unless there are some risky content on one of the included shorts.

I hope this is a sign of things to come, because I'd love to unload my VHS tapes.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I wish that everybody would stop pussyfooting
around when it coimes to The Little Rascals on DVD.

There are subpar companies out there putting
out shoddy compilations.

Then there's companies like Hallmark or Lions Gate
putting out compilations that are of better quality
but a few mere shorts per year.

Why doesn't one company put out the entire catalog
and do it correctly?

I don't know who has the rights to all the Leonard
Maltin shorts that previously belonged to Cabin Fever.
Perhaps it's Lions Gate. I just hope that whomever
owns all these shorts will do fans a favor and release
one huge boxed set collection.

 

[Neal K]

The Koch set is PD crap from reports I've read at alt.silent.movies

There IS good news about some of the silent films from Laughsmith, the label that issued the wonderful Arbuckle set:

One of Laughsmith's current projects is Our Gang:
Before The Little Rascals Spoke, planned for an early
2006 release. It will be a four-disc set with audio
commentary, stills, newsreel footage, and imitator
comedies.

 

[Jo_C]

Ronald, in answer to your post, it's both Hallmark and Lion's Gate, technically speaking. Lion's Gate is the output partner for Hallmark Home Entertainment, so anything that Hallmark puts out on video, Lion's Gate distributes.

Perhaps one day the Maltin-introduced shorts will make it's way to DVD. It's up to Hallmark and Lion's Gate.

 

[Keith Paynter]

I really wish we had been able to get the back half of the Cabin Fever DVD sets before they went t's up.

Ebay auctions for the 3rd & 4th LD sets are amazingly high, and bootleggers are preying on the uninformed with DVD's ripped from these sets. (And that's all I'll say on the subject).

I want these back sets mainly for Wild Poses, and the Laurel & Hardy cameo as their younger selves from Brats (complete with giant chair!)

 

[Eric Peterson]

Excellent news. I was impressed with the Arbuckle set. Even though I've only watched about five of the shorts, you can tell that a lot of love and effort was put into it. Chubby is one of my favorite members of "Our Gang", and I think he's in quite a few silents, but I could be wrong. I know he was the second fat kid, but I'm not sure when he started making shorts.

 

[LaurenceGarvey]

Joe Cobb was the original fat kid, and he was replaced early in the sound era by Norman "Chubby" Chaney, who was only with the gang for about a year (and made no silents).

 

[Jeff Adkins]

They've already released sets of those which are identical to the first 2 Cabin Fever releases, except they are dual-layered instead of single-layered.

Granted, I wish these would come out a little faster than one volume every 2 years, but some of them are already available.