Topic: The Three Stooges Collection Vol. 8, June 1

[hiramhorwitz]

VCR's are going to be around for a while longer, simply because that medium lasted from the 70's to the 90's. I still record on my VCR, and don't own a DVR or a DVD burner, for that matter, but I would like to have them eventually.

Mar-Jean, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one still using a VCR.  It works fine for me and is cheap.  When I think about how much money I spent using silent 8mm motion picture film, the cost of videotape seems inconsequential.  Maybe I'll move to something digital in the future, but for now I'm content with VHS. 

Oh, and by the way, I'm still using my CED player...and my phonograph, rotary telephone, reel-to-reel tape recorder, film-based cameras, paper-based books, lard-based pie crusts, and shaving soap.  (I do recognize there's no hope for me).         

[Myren]

I have something in the same league as BETA or Laserdisc -- Stooges on CED videodiscs.  CED was the poor man's laserdisc.  CED consisted of 12-inch vinyl discs housed in quarter-inch thick styrene covers.  Each disc contained a maximum of 120 minutes of programming, 60 minutes on each side.  In the case of the Stooges shorts, that equates to six unedited shorts per disc.  As I recall, the cost of each Stooges disc was about $20. 

The Stooges CEDs in my possession include: Volume 1, containing Dizzy Pilots, A Bird in the Head, Three Sappy People, Uncivil Warriors, Three Missing Links, and Micro-phonies; and Volume 2, containing An Ache in Every Stake, Calling All Curs, Pop Goes the Easel, Woman Haters, Three Little Beers, and Tassels in the Air.  Volume 1 was released in 1982, volume 2 in 1983.  If memory serves me correctly, CED was the only commercial source of Stooges home videos in the 1982-1983 time frame.  All I know is that back then I was very excited to purchase and view these two videodiscs.

By the way, CED stands for "Capacitance Electronic Disc."  CED was the budget video system played by physical contact with a stylus, just like that of a record player.  RCA released the CED system in the early 1980s, just prior to the commercial success of VHS recorders.  Once VHS appeared, CED disappeared.  I'm pretty darn sure that some garbage repository in this country contains tens of thousands of unused CED players.  RCA lost their shirts when the CED technology went down the drain.  This loss was the impetus for RCA being sold to GE a couple of years later.     

Wow I never even knew about this. Thanks for bring it up. Seems the Stooges have been put on every format at one time or another. And now we will finally have them all on DVD. Can not wait, for Volume Eight!

Also came across this "how to video" for the RCA Selectavision (CED) operation. Kinda crazy.

[Lefty]

I for one use a VCR quite a bit.  I have two VCR/DVR combos, one per TV set.  I used to record quite a lot on video tape (including the Stooges every Sunday when they were on TV), but now all that's left are Friday Night Smackdown and the last minute of live victories of our sports teams (a rarity for those run by Ed Snider), plus I will be recording "Time Out for Rhythm" this Monday on VHS.

[ProfessorStooge]

I gotta buy a blank tape so I can record Time Out For Rhythm. I have never seen it before.

[FineBari3]

I gotta buy a blank tape so I can record Time Out For Rhythm. I have never seen it before.

Me too!!!!

I still need to see about 3/4 of Swing Parade. My DVD doesn't work after a certain point.

[Paul Allen]

FineBari3,  I have problems with my Swing Parade DVD, also. I bought it new a couple of years ago and there is nothing visibly wrong with the disc itself. The disc offers both the original black&white version and a newer colorized version.
When I attempted to watch the colorized version, it would only play to a certain place in the movie and then it would stop. I tried it again, same thing.
I then decided to try the black&white version. It played all the way through without any problems.

I kept the disc without returning it. I figured it was some kind of mastering glitch that was probably on all of them.

FineBari3, Is this the same problem you had with your disc?  Anyone else, also?


Thanks  -  Paul Allen

[Curly4444]

Did you try playing it on another DVD player? Some dvd players can get picky with some disc's. If it does this on two players, then its more than likely a disc problem. Was this a cheap made dvd from some studio like goodtimes?


You can test the disc with this:

http://www.vso-software.fr/products/inspector/inspector.php


Its freeware.



Is it this one?:

http://www.amazon.com/Parade-starring-Stooges-Black-White/dp/B001BPB5X4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1271031779&sr=8-1


I read all the reviews/feedback, and nobody reported a problem like this? I would have taken it back.

[JazzBill]

FineBari3,  I have problems with my Swing Parade DVD, also. I bought it new a couple of years ago and there is nothing visibly wrong with the disc itself. The disc offers both the original black&white version and a newer colorized version.
When I attempted to watch the colorized version, it would only play to a certain place in the movie and then it would stop. I tried it again, same thing.
I then decided to try the black&white version. It played all the way through without any problems.

I kept the disc without returning it. I figured it was some kind of mastering glitch that was probably on all of them.

FineBari3, Is this the same problem you had with your disc?  Anyone else, also?


Thanks  -  Paul Allen

I think I have the same DVD you're talking about, if it's the one with Phoney Cronies and the My Little Margie episode on it. Mine works fine.

[Paul Allen]

Curly4444,  Yes. This is the one. http://www.amazon.com/Parade-starring-Stooges-Black-White/dp/B001BPB5X4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1271031779&sr=8-1


Paul Allen

[Curly4444]

If you bought it at amazon, you could have exchanged it with them. Did you try and make a back-up copy and burn it to a dvd-+r? That might have allowed you to watch it.

[FineBari3]

Naaa...the DVD I got was a cheapie, but the rest of it works fine.

[QuinceHead]

Hey all,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this mark the first time that the Joe Besser shorts have been officially released for home consumption, ever?

Cheers,
JohnH
aka QuinceHead

[Paul Allen]

Yes, of course QuinceHead. This has already been discussed more than once. Welcome aboard! 

[lamocu]

Has anyone figured out how long it would take to watch all 190 shorts?

 

[Paul Allen]

You're killin' me. Remind me to kill you later!

[dimelives]

Has anyone figured out how long it would take to watch all 190 shorts?

 

If you figure each short to be about 20 minutes long, watching them non-stop would take you about 2.6 days. Have fun!

[archiezappa]

It would take an entire weekend if you started as soon as you got home from work on Friday and watched nonstop until Monday morning.

Larry:  Do you think it would be possible?

Moe (interrupting):  I don't think it would be possible.

[Paul Allen]

I have a legitimate question for all of you Stooge maniacs out there (and be honest):

When you finally get Volume 8 in your hands will you first -

A. Start viewing the remaining Shemp Howard shorts beginning with disc #1 ?

OR

B. Go directly to disc #2 or #3 to view the Joe Besser shorts ?


Personally, as tempted as I am to start out with the Joe shorts, I'm gonna' start with disc #1 and watch all 32 shorts in order (except I might save Flying Saucer Daffy for last since it was the last one actually produced). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Saucer_Daffy


Paul Allen

[dimelives]

I always watch 'em in the order of the discs when I get a new volume.

[xraffle]

I went ahead and ordered Volume 8 at Amazon for $16.99. I try to resist ordering from them, but Amazon is very hard to resist due to their incredibly low prices. I wanted to buy Volume 8 at my B&M store just to get it right away, but I need to buy replacement brush heads for my electric toothbrush, lol. They cost like $30+ on every store I go to, while at Amazon, it was only $20 so I buy it there. Since I had nothing else to buy with it to qualify for free shipping, I decided to purchase Volume 8 along with it. They’re shipping them separately anyway. I bought both for such low prices, so ordering them from Amazon was probably the best move.

[dimelives]

I went ahead and ordered Volume 8 at Amazon for $16.99. I try to resist ordering from them, but Amazon is very hard to resist due to their incredibly low prices. I wanted to buy Volume 8 at my B&M store just to get it right away, but I need to buy replacement brush heads for my electric toothbrush, lol. They cost like $30+ on every store I go to, while at Amazon, it was only $20 so I buy it there. Since I had nothing else to buy with it to qualify for free shipping, I decided to purchase Volume 8 along with it. They’re shipping them separately anyway. I bought both for such low prices, so ordering them from Amazon was probably the best move.

And you never know, they may ship it early and get it to you by (or close enough to) release date I ordered through them as well. For that much cheaper than everywhere else, I can afford to wait a day or two =P

[falsealarms]

Assuming a store charges the 24.99 list price, I bet getting it via Amazon for 16.99 + 2 day shipping would be about the same... they say with 2 day shipping you get it on the day of release.

[dimelives]

Yes. And I highly recommend upgrading the shipping. The free super saver shipping can take FOREVER, whereas the next option up is significantly prompter. With just the next option up from super saver, I'm still paying less than SRP, and am quite confidant I'll get the DVD within one or two days of release date.

[xraffle]

My main purpose for ordering at Amazon in the first place was to save money. Upgrading the shipping will defeat that purpose, especially since we get taxed on it here in NY.

[dimelives]

My main purpose for ordering at Amazon in the first place was to save money. Upgrading the shipping will defeat that purpose, especially since we get taxed on it here in NY.

Well, living on the East Coast, you'll still probably get it in a decent amount of time with the free shipping, since Amazon usually ships out of the more eastern states. Just for me, on the extreme West Coast, that shipping takes forever =P But yes, it IS money saving!