The Three Stooges (1 Viewer)

[Mark Y]

I actually kinda like the cartoon series but even as a kid I thought the wrap arounds were not funny and lame.I still don't have a copy of the cartoons because the previous releases got such low quality reviews that I didn't bother. If the cartoon series is improved I will probably get this set on sale otherwise I will pass. I saw the 2000 TV movie when it aired and didn't care for it. There was a 2002 tv movie on Martin and Lewis that I thought was much better.

I am assuming (yes, I know to never assume) that this would be some kind of re-release of the most recent "Complete series" set of the 1965 cartoon series. But if it's an upgrade (which I wouldn't expect coming from Mill Creek) that would be great.

The prior set I'm referencing came out a few years ago and to my knowledge is the ONLY complete set ever released. It is based on past VHS releases from the 1980s and even has the cartoons in the same (non-chronological) combinations, with one cartoon added which was missing from the VHS series. Because the Embassy Home Video VHS/Beta tapes had the show opening played only once at the beginning and the closing played only once at the end, the openings and closings have been edited back onto each one of the 156 cartoons. Unfortunately, they just used the same version over and over, so the different variations (different sound effects in the opening and various differences in the closings) are not represented. Also, Rhino released two DVDs with 32 of the cartoons years ago, which were the best quality transfers ever on home video (more of these transfers not included on those two discs showed up, of all places, on a later Madacy collection alongside a bunch of public domain Stooge-related material) but these were not used for the complete series set.

As far as The Three Stooges In Orbit, it was released on DVD by Sony years ago along with most of the other Sony-owned late-period Stooge feature films (including Stop! Look! And Laugh!) but IINM these are all deleted. I have no idea why Sony never did a set of the features like they did for the shorts, or why they weren't added to the Ultimate Collection. It seems so simple, they could put together a set including:

Have Rocket - Will Travel
Stop! Look! And Laugh
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules
The Three Stooges In Orbit
Around The World In A Daze
The Outlaws Is Coming

...and maybe add Rockin' In The Rockies as it's the only "starring" Stooge feature film with Curly Howard in new footage and Sony owns it. Trailers would be great too. The pilot film Three Stooges Scrapbook would be great as an extra if (1) they could license it and (2) all the elements are extant for a complete version. Also, why not a compilation of cameo appearances, sort of a Columbia years companion to Turner's The Lost Stooges.

That would be a nice set. But would it be marketable enough to be worth the effort?