Topic: Did someone say "Stooge DVD sets?!"

[falsealarms]

Whoever began the rumors of more colorized DVDs claimed May 22nd... well they are nowhere to be found on the schedule for that date yet.

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/upcoming.html

[xraffle]

I just got the 40 DVD set for Christmas. It's only 20 DVD's actually. Many of the shorts are from the Columbia Tristar tapes/DVDs, including the first 2 colorized volumes. Many of the others are taken from television stations from all over the country and possibly Canada.The quality is not perfect, but the only short that is in really bad condition is Creeps.

On the 40 DVD set that I own, the short with the worst quality is "A Missed Fortune." It looks like one of those Real Player videos that was blown up on a TV screen.

Whoever began the rumors of more colorized DVDs claimed May 22nd... well they are nowhere to be found on the schedule for that date yet.

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/upcoming.html

Yeah, I figured it wasn't true. I kind of suspected it because I seriously doubt that Sony would release "Slaphappy Sleuths" on DVD and let alone colorize it.

[jrvass]

When this 13" TV/VCR finally gives up the ghost... I am going to bust the hell out of it to get my Stooges tape out of the "works".

!@@#$%% 

Dammit!

James

[Bangsmith]

On the 40 DVD set that I own, the short with the worst quality is "A Missed Fortune." It looks like one of those Real Player videos that was blown up on a TV screen.


Yeah, I figured it wasn't true. I kind of suspected it because I seriously doubt that Sony would release "Slaphappy Sleuths" on DVD and let alone colorize it.

On the set of 190 that I own, the worst one is "Space Ship Sappy". The others are very much viewable. I got it a year ago, and it seems that the episodes were taken from the best sources available at the time. It has the 12 eps that were colorized then, and all the others that were available on DVD were taken from such. The few that were released on VHS and not DVD were taken from those, and the rest were taken from TV, mostly WPWR out of either Chicago or Gary, IN. "Space..." looks like it was taped and viewed endlessly before the person digitized it!

[Jimmie Adams]

The latest rumor I've heard is that all of the 190 Stooge Columbia shorts have been colorized and mastered to High Def.  Columbia or Sony or whomever owns them is waiting until they seal a lucrative broadcast deal for the re-vamped shorts before releasing them in DVD sets as this would make the shorts more marketable for TV if they aren't available on DVD.

Sounds plausible to me.

[locoboymakesgood]

The latest rumor I've heard is that all of the 190 Stooge Columbia shorts have been colorized and mastered to High Def.  Columbia or Sony or whomever owns them is waiting until they seal a lucrative broadcast deal for the re-vamped shorts before releasing them in DVD sets as this would make the shorts more marketable for TV if they aren't available on DVD.

Sounds plausible to me.

Where the heck did you hear this rumor? It wouldn't surprise me with Columbia.. might as well cave and buy the 190 bootleg set.

[Curley91]

I kinda' figured this may happen.  For some reason, I thought someone else had brought this up at a earlier time.  If its' true, they're really battin' 1000! 

I am putting together a 190 short collection.  All the shorts will be uncut, in the best possibly quality, and above all...in black and white!

[absolutpaul2]

Columbia/Sony  has waited too long to release this large set. It's going to be a lot of work to get anyone under 35 to be interested in The Three Stooges again. The colorization may help, but times are changing fast. The Stooges retained their popularity for decades because either they, or their films, were always in the public eye. I think Sony waited too long, and broke that fan base chain they had for so long. True, the Stooges still air on cable here and there, but far few viewers can see them now, especially the generation growing up currently. There are still many hard core fans, like us, but these DVDs need to be sold big time in order to be profitable. Younger Dads 10 years ago would have bought them for the kids. Today, they won't.

[falsealarms]

I agree. Everyone and their mother knows they have waited about 7 years too long, and have completely screwed up their entire Stooge DVD line. The Stooges haven't been kept in the spotlight too much in recent times, and in a decade or two, not many people under 60 will have much of an idea about them. They have pitiful TV exposure on the national level - the one time they get on a cable network (Spike), the shorts get butchered and are completely ruined. The only reason I got into them in the first place was because they were on WSBK in the late 80s, and if they weren't on TV then, I may have never developed an interest for them.

[falsealarms]

On top of all that, the shorts should be released onto iTunes so people can play them on their video iPods. It's a good way to possibly get the younger crowd interested. Apparently you can get the public domain shorts on your iPod, but I think everyone has seen enough of them.

[busybuddy]

I think its a great idea to put all of the stooge shorts on iTunes. But that still wouldn't please the fans who want ALL Curly, Shemps, and Joes. I think if there are ever DVD box sets, they should be put out in sets by groups of years, like 1934-1940 and so on. But then again I don't think Columbia Tristar would ever even bother to release anything from the late Shemp era through 1958 because they don't see a market for it. Just like you rarely see Shemp or Curly-Joe merchandise and NEVER see Joe Besser stuff. And then you have to consider what they would charge. If a set of 6 shorts are $25 dollars, what would 190 shorts cost?! I think they should just keep releasing Stooge DVD's the way they have been, but maybe lower the price a little and the slip in a few Joe's and a few more Shemps onto the Curly discs to please everyone: the die-hard fans and the people who don't know what they're buying anyhow. 

[Fuller Bull]

Has anyone already sacrificed some of their current collections of VHS in order to buy DVDs? About 75% of my Stooge collection is on video, and I am really not sure whether to get every short available on DVD, or just buy what I don't have.

[Curley91]

I think it would be great if the Stooges were on ITunes as well. 

Just now, as I am surfing my AOL homepage, I saw a link for "Beer And Pretzels" on 2TV.
Didn't Warner Brothers pick up the rights to these?    Because this is only the first one I have noticed, I am wondering if they will eventually offer any other shorts.

Anyway, here's the link if anyone's interested:

http://video.aol.com/video/beer-and-pretzels-1933/1911624

[RICO987]

I am fairly new to this forum, but I have reviewed most or all of the posts and I have not seen anyone comment on this question.  On this website, at the bottom of a lot of the WebPages are ads from at least two companies that claim to be selling either all 190 shorts in one box set or 80 to 120 of the shorts.  I know one company is "TV Boxsets" and I have seen posts on Google that assert this company is not reliable.  The other company is "The Vintage Theater".  Are these companies selling bootlegged copies, or is it a total scam.  I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has purchased DVDs from either of these companies. 

Along with all of you, I also do not understand why almost every other significant episodic show has had their complete series placed on DVD by some company except The Three Stooges.  As soon as Sony or someone places all 190 shorts on DVD, I will be there first in line to buy them.  They are missing out on making a decent profit.   

[ebrand11]

Vintage theatre is obviously bootleg. I am though tempted to buy the DVD set of the shemp films from the early 1950s that never get seen on tv. Some local sations are showing the rare shemps but currently spiketv is not showing the stooges at all. What a shame!

[chris03053]

Hi,

I'm new too, and I would like to ask the same question about these "Box sets"

Are they worth getting?? I like the part that one of the Company's has them in order.

Anybody??

I am fairly new to this forum, but I have reviewed most or all of the posts and I have not seen anyone comment on this question.  On this website, at the bottom of a lot of the WebPages are ads from at least two companies that claim to be selling either all 190 shorts in one box set or 80 to 120 of the shorts.  I know one company is "TV Boxsets" and I have seen posts on Google that assert this company is not reliable.  The other company is "The Vintage Theater".  Are these companies selling bootlegged copies, or is it a total scam.  I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has purchased DVDs from either of these companies. 

[Hollister]

http://www.tvaddicts.tv/movie/comedy/The_Three_Stooges.html
http://www.theclassictheater.com/stooges.html
http://thevintageplayhouse.com/threestooges.html

Has anyone purchased any of the above sets?

If you have, any comments?

Thanks,

Ed

[busybuddy]

I got this set last Christmas. It's okay if you want the complete set but since the new DVDs are coming out I wouldn't suggest buying this. The quality is very hit and miss.

[Hollister]

Which set did you get?

What new DVD's are coming out?

Thanks

[BeAStooge]

Has anyone purchased any of the above sets?

Bootlegs.

What new DVD's are coming out?

The first of Sony's official box sets, October 30...
The Three Stooges Collection Vol. One 1934 - 1936

[Hollister]

Thanks and I am going to check out Sony's website.