THRILLER DVD box set -- Hmmm... (1 Viewer)

[Gary16]

I totally agree with the positive reviews. I'm very pleased with this set (I'll admit I've only watched the first 3 discs so far, but I've had no reason to regret buying the set).

Considering how long we've waited for this to come out (other than the handful of episodes released on laserdisc many years ago) there's little room to complain. I would not have expected this to be at the level of the "Twilight Zone" transfers but it appears these were all taken from 35mm masters. Yes, there's some dirt and scratches from time to time but nothing so far that's a problem. The audio is especially good.

Perhaps those who have complained about this set are those who were not that anxious to buy it in the first place and that's a shame since it might keep others from buying it. When I watch some of the terrible quality releases I've bought from Timeless ("M Squad" or "Checkmate" anyone?) that are mostly 16mm prints in fair to bad shape with some transfers looking like VHS dubs and mostly missing footage from being cut for syndication, I call the "Thriller" set truly worth every penny. If you are a fan of the show I don't think you'll be disappointed. If everything has to look like "Twilight Zone" in absolute quality, then please stay away and let the rest of us enjoy it.

 

[Charles Smith]

For what it's worth...

 

I ordered from B&N on September 3rd.
Their confirming email that day tells me it's "scheduled to ship"... with an expected ship date of... September 24th???

 

[Charles Smith]

UPDATE: Never mind, I just got the notice that it's shipping TODAY (yay!!). I know you're all relieved to hear that we can all relax now.

 

[chas speed]

Originally Posted by jquirk

Watched the episode "Guillotine" last night and was not happy that the voice synchronization was off for a good portion early on. It seemed to get back on track before the end of the episode, but this seems like something that should have been avoided.

I just watched that episode yesterday and didn't notice anything wrong with it.

 

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Chas in CT /forum/thread/303513/thriller-dvd-box-set-hmmm/30#post_3726963

 

[jquirk]

Huh? I wonder why mine was like that then? Maybe it's an issue with my DVD player? I reversed it a few times but kept getting the same synchronization problems.

 

Regardless, it is a great episode.

 

[younger1968]

i watched the Grim Reaper with William Shatner last night and it was classic episode.

 

[younger1968]

i watch an episode which actually had Boris Karloff as the weird uncle and Dick York was the guess star. I was really impressed with the ending!!

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I watched "The Watcher" last night about a bible-quoting voyeur nut job killing or attempting to kill young fornicators, or, as he called them ... 'corruptors.' Just think how mad he would have been if he knew what Richard Chamberlin was doing when he wasn't PRETENDING to like kissing that girl! It's funny how you can put something like this on a terror TV series back in 1960, but today the twisted meaning bible-thumping nutjobs are even scarier headlines ... in the news.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollywoodaholic

I watched "The Watcher" last night about a bible-quoting voyeur nut job killing or attempting to kill young fornicators, or, as he called them ... 'corruptors.' Just think how mad he would have been if he knew what Richard Chamberlin was doing when he wasn't PRETENDING to like kissing that girl! It's funny how you can put something like this on a terror TV series back in 1960, but today the twisted meaning bible-thumping nutjobs are even scarier headlines ... in the news.

 

I've yet to buy this set, but my understanding is that Thriller deals with nutjobs of all shapes and sizes. And that's never changed. They can be Bible-thumpers (that obviously don't know the book they are misquoting) or other holy book-thumpers, and they can also be occultic nutjobs and anti-religious nutjobs. And in that sense I'd agree that it's always scarier when you realize people walk among us that are nuts - period.

 

Gary "waiting until this set comes down in price a tad more" O.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I live less than an hour from the book-burning bonehead, so the topic of misguided and dangerous use of religion was pointedly fresh in my head while watching this episode.

 

So, far in my screening, I'm 0-9 in any great episodes in the first nine, but I know there are some good ones coming. But I can't remember an anthology series that started off more tepid than this one for stories and acting. They are mostly crime stories, unevenly paced, and with a few decent moments of suspense. And they are populated with second-tier actors, most of whom have faded into obscurity (and with good reason). There are bright spots like Rip Torn in "The Purple Room," but he was a bit player at the time given a choice part (as a selfish rake having to spend a night in a 'haunted' house to get his inheritance).

 

I'm glad to have the series on DVD, but from the slim exceptional pickings mentioned in this thread, and my own experience re-visiting the show, we probaby all would have been better off with a nicely packaged "Best of" instead, and been satisfied.

 

While it's a hoot to hear the host say, "As sure as my name is Boris Karloff, THIS ... is a thriller." Well, actually, his name isn't (it's William Pratt), and so far, this show isn't, either. So consider that phrase an ironic, self-contained disclaimer.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Gary OS

 

 

it's always scarier when you realize people walk among us that are nuts - period.

And I agree, Gary, that the realization that such sickness really exists among us is a huge part of what makes the thriller/horror genre so appealing/interesting/desirable to so many.

 

But, while I'll let the above exchange remain as it doesn't seem to really be targeting anyone in particular--except "nutjobs", let's please move forward with comments directed solely to the merits of the release.

 

[Charles Smith]

UPS will be coming up the driveway with my copy in a couple of hours, so I already know how I'm spending most of this evening in my Inner Sanctum. I'm just wondering if anyone else has found a problem with the audio as noted in post #35 above:

 

"for the episodes that have a separate M&E track, Universal somehow combined that track with the full track (dialog,music and effect track), with phasing errors all over the place"

 

I'll be listening for any sign of a problem, but unless I've missed it, no one else has further sounded this alarm.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I noticed a audio synch issue in "The Girl with the Secret," but it was for only one actress, so my assumption was that she was looped improperly in post for the show.

 

The Jerry Goldsmith music (and audio presentation of the music) for this show is a clear highlight, btw, as others have mentioned.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon

 

Gary "since this will be a blind buy for me, I'm going to hold off until I can get a really good price on it" O.

 

[jquirk]

The best episode I've seen so far is by far "The Grim Reaper." Now, I've probably watched only 10, but some of them include highly praised episodes like "Pigeons from Hell" and "The Purple Room." I think second best for me at this point is "Guillotine," which is excellent, and "Trio for Terror" takes third place. I'm looking forward to watching more.

 

[Darby67]

Originally Posted by jquirk

Watched the episode "Guillotine" last night and was not happy that the voice synchronization was off for a good portion early on. It seemed to get back on track before the end of the episode, but this seems like something that should have been avoided.

 

Jim:

 

I noticed the same thing. The audio is definitely not synchronized in a good chunk of the early portion of the episode, but does seem to improve later. I received the set from Amazon last Friday and have been watching several episodes per day to see if there are any defects since I only have 30 days to return it to Amazon if there are defects present. As of today, I have watched 9 out of the 14 discs (in random order) and I have noticed the following "quirks", for lack of a better word:

 

1. On Disc #14 in the Episode entitled “The Specialists”, at time interval 44:44 through 44:45, the frame is jerky almost as if frames are missing or being skipped.

 

2. On Disc #5 in the Episode entitled “The Merriweather File”, at time interval 25:11, the disc seems to briefly pause; since the episode is the first one on the disc, it seems a bit too early for layer change pause.

 

3. On Disc #9 in the Episode entitled “Guillotine”, at time interval 35:02, the disc appears to have an extremely brief pause or possibly miss or drop a frame.

 

Just to be clear, in regards to the 3 incidents above, the disc itself does not skip, freeze, or pixelate. I replayed each of the incidents in slow motion and I suspect that the issues are either with the source material or the disc manufacturing process. I am wondering if any other viewers are seeing similar issues. I will finish watching the entire series before deciding whether or not to return the set for a replacement.

 

I bought this series blind, based on the strong fan following for it, and I couldn't be happier! It is an extremely well-written, well-acted, and well-produced series that is quite literate and entertaining. Sure there some episodes that are not quite as first-rate in terms of quality and I know some of the horror afficiandos dislike like the "crime and suspense" episodes, but, based on what I've seen, I couldn't agree more with Stephen King's assessment. What a contrast this type of content, with its genuine creepiness, suspense, and twist endings, is to the "gore fest" that constitutes so much modern horror.

 

I agree that Thriller does not match the Twilight Zone releases from Image in terms of vidoe and audio quality, but it is better, in my opinion, than MGM's The Outer Limits releases.
 

Darby
 

 

[younger1968]

I have watched about 5 or 6 episodes and i have not notice any flaws. I plan to watch few more just to ensure the disk is ok.

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

 

[jquirk]

Originally Posted by Darby67

Quote:

 

Jim:

 

I noticed the same thing. The audio is definitely not synchronized in a good chunk of the early portion of the episode, but does seem to improve later. I received the set from Amazon last Friday and have been watching several episodes per day to see if there are any defects since I only have 30 days to return it to Amazon if there are defects present. As of today, I have watched 9 out of the 14 discs (in random order) and I have noticed the following "quirks", for lack of a better word:

 

1. On Disc #14 in the Episode entitled “The Specialists”, at time interval 44:44 through 44:45, the frame is jerky almost as if frames are missing or being skipped.

 

2. On Disc #5 in the Episode entitled “The Merriweather File”, at time interval 25:11, the disc seems to briefly pause; since the episode is the first one on the disc, it seems a bit too early for layer change pause.

 

3. On Disc #9 in the Episode entitled “Guillotine”, at time interval 35:02, the disc appears to have an extremely brief pause or possibly miss or drop a frame.

 

Just to be clear, in regards to the 3 incidents above, the disc itself does not skip, freeze, or pixelate. I replayed each of the incidents in slow motion and I suspect that the issues are either with the source material or the disc manufacturing process. I am wondering if any other viewers are seeing similar issues. I will finish watching the entire series before deciding whether or not to return the set for a replacement.

 

I bought this series blind, based on the strong fan following for it, and I couldn't be happier! It is an extremely well-written, well-acted, and well-produced series that is quite literate and entertaining. Sure there some episodes that are not quite as first-rate in terms of quality and I know some of the horror afficiandos dislike like the "crime and suspense" episodes, but, based on what I've seen, I couldn't agree more with Stephen King's assessment. What a contrast this type of content, with its genuine creepiness, suspense, and twist endings, is to the "gore fest" that constitutes so much modern horror.

 

I agree that Thriller does not match the Twilight Zone releases from Image in terms of vidoe and audio quality, but it is better, in my opinion, than MGM's The Outer Limits releases.
 

Darby
 

 

At least I know now it just isn't my version, or my DVD player for that matter. I don't know how something like that would have gotten past quality control?

 

[younger1968]

i have watch several episodes and by far my guilotine episode ranks there as one of my favourite, especially with the ending.

 

I also enjoyed William Shatner as a role of the nephew in an episode

 

I like to how Boris Karloff introduces the show and even shows up from time to time in an episode.