Topic: Shemp Cocktail DVD - buying? VOTE HERE!

[falsealarms]

Should be an interesting question... see how well or not so well this once-promising project might do.

[locoboymakesgood]

The retrospective from his granddaughter might be nice but eh... it's still a little pricy for the content. I'm debating. The second disc isn't even necessary.

[archiezappa]

I agree that the second disc is not necessary.  It should be trimmed down to a single disc.  The price should adjust, accordingly.

[IFleecem]

Still cheaper though than those unloved   colorized Stooge shorts, and more on tap (5 hrs they say) to boot.
I agree with the one disc discussion though.  The interviews with family members will be nice though.
(have you guessed yet that I have already ordered this?)

 Let's get a Shempers Delight collection though, all the good stuff together. (yeah, I know, too many copyrights spoil the contents)


Robin

[ThumpTheShoes]

I've already put mine on preorder. The only thing (well, 2 things!) that would frost my chaps would be if they changed the cover photo or the title. I think this still has the potential to be a really good set and I hope it still does brisk business, despite the current changes and the resulting rancor from the naysayers.

Being officially sanctioned by Stooge relatives adds extra coolness and officialityness, as well!

[rialtos]

The cover and the title are going to remain exactly as they are. I still think the 2-disc set is a bargain, despite the content change. And as I mentioned earlier, even though it has familiar titles in it, the interviews with Shemp's family put them in a different context, because they discuss specific films and also the inter-relationships of Shemp and the other Stooges. But clearly the primo element is the lengthy interview section that really covers a lot of material, including the oft-mentioned Babe (Shemp's wife) and Shemp's relationship with his son, Mort (who usually only merits a footnote or postscript, if that).

This is assuming you are legitimately interested in learning more about Shemp as a three-dimensional human being, firsthand, in a documentary format. If you're just looking for pure vintage films to watch, then that's a separate issue. It's not as though anyone else is bothering to showcase or spotlight just Shemp with an upcoming package.

[Jimmie Adams]

I would like to buy this set but I will not on principal.

Passport Video is operated by a man named Dante Pugilese who steals other peoples transfers of public domain titles.  A film may be public domain, but you do not have the right to steal the transfer made by someone else.  Passport has stolen many PD titles that David Shepard has worked on and Passport did not pay Shepard a dime toward Shepard's cost of restoring and making the digital transfers.  They have also ripped off Paul Lisy's Videobrary transfers.

Pugilese has a 2.5 million dollar judgement against him from the Presley estate.  How he can continue to stay in business with that hanging over his head is beyond me.

Is Passport seeking out film prints for this Shemp project, or are they going to steal, I mean "port" over other peoples transfers.

If you want to financially exploit P.D. titles, that is perfectly fine.  Just don't steal other people's transfers of the material.

Signed

Tommie Hicks

[archiezappa]

I totally agree.  There is so much shady business surrounding this DVD release.  Isn't there a better way of going about releasing a DVD like this?  Even if it's public domain material, there must still be a better way to do this.

[locoboymakesgood]

This is assuming you are legitimately interested in learning more about Shemp as a three-dimensional human being, firsthand, in a documentary format. If you're just looking for pure vintage films to watch, then that's a separate issue. It's not as though anyone else is bothering to showcase or spotlight just Shemp with an upcoming package.

I've always been a big Shemp fan, so looking at it in that light I may reconsider. I've always wanted a good doc on him.

[rialtos]

It's true that Passport has put out some really questionable items, but at least "Shemp Cocktail" is being done with the support - and participation - of Shemp's family. At least it has their blessing. This is similar to Passport's release last year of "The Abbott & Costello Show 100th Anniversary Collection," which was done with the blessing and participation of Lou Costello's daughters, and featured similarly fascinating Bonus Features of intimate family interviews and rare home movies/photos that really made the set worthwhile, even though everybody had seen the TV shows a zillion times.

[IFleecem]

At least its ALL SHEMP!.    Everyone in my family have always loved the Stooges, especially Shemp.
And he has NEVER really gotten his due in StoogeLand.

This is a nice package, family endorsed and enough unseen stuff (to me) to make it worthwhile.

Robin

[Hammond Eggar]

At least its ALL SHEMP!.    Everyone in my family have always loved the Stooges, especially Shemp.
And he has NEVER really gotten his due in StoogeLand.

This is a nice package, family endorsed and enough unseen stuff (to me) to make it worthwhile.

Robin

Things are getting better, though.  It seems that, as time rolls on, the public's appreciation of Shemp grows more favorable.  While Shemp's popularity will never match that of his brother Curly, I do feel that more and more people are starting to realize just how talented Shemp really was.

[archiezappa]

I agree that Shemp is vastly underrated.  I always wondered how he would have done as a stand-up comic.  I think he would have done well.  I have found all of his solo stuff extremely funny.  He's just as funny, with or without Moe and Larry.

[ThumpTheShoes]

Talk about timely... I just got a shipping notice for this title today! Looks like some serious Shemping coming up!

[xraffle]

I'm going to pass on this DVD. It's not because I don't like Shemp, but because it contains three of the public domain shorts. I have a ton of copies of those. If I end up with anymore, I'll end up passing out. They should have excluded those.

[locoboymakesgood]

I'm going to pass on this DVD. It's not because I don't like Shemp, but because it contains three of the public domain shorts. I have a ton of copies of those. If I end up with anymore, I'll end up passing out. They should have excluded those.

Think of it as a freebie along with the Shemp documentary. When you get the DVD just throw out the one with the shorts on it if it bothers you so much.

Problem solved.

[xraffle]

Think of it as a freebie along with the Shemp documentary. When you get the DVD just throw out the one with the shorts on it if it bothers you so much.

Problem solved.

I can't because disc 2 has "Camel Comedy Caravan" which I don't have. Also, disc 1 contains "Africa Screams" which I already own. I didn't realize that until now. So, it seems like I have at least 50% of the content on this DVD already.