The Complete James Dean Collection (East of Eden / Giant / Rebel Without a Cause Special Edition) (1955) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've anxiously anticipated this collection of James Dean's films, together in a complete set. Each of the films is presented in a two-disc package, with extras.
"East of Eden" is, for me, the most welcome film in this set, simply because it has been so difficult to obtain a copy of it in recent years. The anamorphic transfer here is stunning, with crisp color and detail. The stereo soundtrack is fine. There is an audio commentary, as well as a wealth of bonus materials. Some of the material here includes screen tests, and wardrobe tests, although strangely some footage included briefly in the included documentaries (Dean's test with Paul Newman, the playful "pinching" footage of Dean and Julie Harris) is not included here.
"Rebel Without a Cause", like "Eden" offers a stunning anamorphic transfer with strong surround sound. The extras include a commentary, deleted scenes for the film (both in the original black and white, and the final color version), and screen tests. There is a very funny and insightful screen test here with Dean, Mineo and Wood. The previous DVD release of this film had only shown portions of this clip, but this release offers the full (some may say 'uncensored') version. There is also a documentary reflecting on Dean's spectacular, but brief career.
Dean's final film, "Giant" is featured here in a very clean, but oddly NOT-anamorphic transfer. This would not be an issue, if the film was not presented in a letterbox transfer. I would imagine this is the same transfer that was done several years back. However, I don't think it's acceptable that any recent widescreen DVD release not be presented in an anamorphic transfer. Additionally, the film's soundtrack has been remastered in a 5.1 mix, that sounds weak at best. I would have preferred to have seen this film released in it's original full-frame image, with a clean mono soundtrack. That aside, there is a wealth of extras here.
All in all, a very nice set, not totally perfect, but the best to date, by far.

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COMPLETE JAMES DEAN COLLECTION - DVD Movie

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The Huckleberry Hound Show - Vol. 1 (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)From 1958 comes the first cartoon to win an Emmy award, the second effort of the pioneering duo Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, and one of the best-loved cartoons of all time. My title is a line from the theme song of the original black and white Kellogg's sponsored show with Cornelius Rooster from Kellogg's Corn Flakes in the opening scene, which is reconstructed in the "Special Features" section. Hanna-Barbera has gone all out on this collection, even including a lithoed animation cel. This set barely fits the "Golden Collection" format, however; the four disc pack barely fits in the sleeve and the fourth DVD is double sided to hold all the special features.
Following the Ruff and Reddy Show, this was Hanna-Barbera's second foray into bringing cartoons to the small screen using limited animation to meet the much smaller budget for TV shows. Hence, it plays like radio, with Don Messick narrating and Daws Butler voicing a cornocopia of characters, whose dialogue he called "pure butter." Visually, the show is also a feast, if a minimalist one, with clean, bright colors, modern background design, witty writing and such unforgettable stars as Huck, Yogi, Boo Boo, Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks.
Here's the ground-breaking show that established Hanna-Barbera, set the standard for TV 'toons, and inspired the retro look of Cartoon Network's "Two Stupid Dogs," Dexter's Lab," and "Johnny Bravo," designed as cartoon tributes by such animators as Genndy Tartakovsky and Scott Shaw who love the look of classic H-B. When this show aired in its 6:30 PM time slot in New York, adults and college kids made up a large percentage of its 16 million viewers, and I can imaging kids taking to Huck as they have to another H-B hound, Scooby Doo.
Includes all 26 episodes of Season One in color, each consisting of a Yogi, Huck, and Pixie and Dixie cartoon, as follows (reruns are built in, and these episodes are ready to go to show as "cartoons without cable":
1. Yogi Bear's Big Break/ Cousin Tex/ Huckleberry Hound Meets Wee Willie
2. Slumber Party Smarty/ Judo Jack/ Lion-Hearted Huck
3. Pie-Pirates/ Kit-Kat-Kit/ Tricky-Trapper
4. Big Bad Bully/ Jink's Mice Device/ Sir Huckleberry Hound
5. Foxy Hound Dog/ Pistol Packin' Pirate/ Sherriff Huckleberry
6. Big Brave Bear/ Scaredy Cat Dog/ Rustler- Hustler Buck
7. Tally Ho-Ho-Ho/ The Little Bird-Mouse/ Freeway Patrol
8. High Fly Guy/ Jiggers It's Jinks/ Cock-a-Doodle Huck
9. Baffled Bear/ The Ghost with the Most/ Two Corny Crows
10. The Brave Little Brave/ The Ace of Space/ Huckleberry Hound Meets Wee Willie
11. Yogi Bear's Big Break/ Jinks Junior/ Fireman Huck
12. The Stout Trout/ Cousin Tex/ Drgon Slayer Huck
13. The Buzzin' Bear/ Jinks the Butler/ Lion-Hearted Huck
14. Slumber Party Smarty/ Jinks' Flying Carpet/ Hookey Daze
15. The Runaway Bear/ Judo Jack/ Skeeter Trouble
16. Be My Guest Pest/ Puppet Pals/ Trickey Trapper
17. Pie-Pirates/ Mark of the Mouse/ Sheep Shape Sheepherder
18. Duck in Luck/ Kit-Kat-Kit/ Barbecue Hound
19. Bear on a Picnic/ Dinky Jinks/ Sir Huckleberry Hound
20. Big Bad Bully/ Hypnotize Surprise/ Hokum Smokum
21. Prize Fight Fright/ Jinks' Mice Device/ Birdhouse Blues
22. Brainy Bear/ Nice Mice/ Postman Panic
23. Robin Hood Yogi/ King Size Surprise/ Ski Champ Chump
24. Dafffy Daddy/ Cat Nap Cat/ Lion Tamer Huck
25. Scooter Looter/ Mouse Nappers/ Little Red Riding Huck
26. Hide and Go Peek/ Boxing Buddy/ The Tough Little Termite.

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The Emmy award-winning show about the adventures of a blue dog with a southern drawl, The Huckleberry Hound Show: Volume One 4-Disc Collector's set features the first 26 remastered and restored episodes from series.

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