DVD Brief: Superman: The Lost Episodes |
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Description: This is a collector's edition of eight original "Superman" cartoon shorts from 1942-1943 that were considered lost after the demise of the Max Fleischer Studios. The Fleischer studio was one of the most famous and prolific of animation houses, producing such staples as "Betty Boop" and "Popeye" (Max Fleischer patented the rotoscope animation camera in 1917). In the late 1930s he created nine "Superman" animated shorts in the modernistic/expressionistic style of the period (with voice-overs by unknown actors Burt Lancaster and Orson Welles). In 1942 Paramount Studios' Famous Studios took over Fleischer, but the original Fleischer studio continued to be run by Fleischer's brother-in-law, who produced the eight episodes on this compilation. Since these cartoons were created during World War II, many of the villains are secret agents, traitors and Japanese saboteurs, but there's also an errant mummy thrown in for good measure. The episodes -- "Jap O Tears," "Showdown," "Eleventh Hour," "Destruction Inc.," "The Mummy Strikes," "Jungle Drums," "Underground World" and "Secret Agent" -- are lovingly restored and feature credits, story line and history for each. The Restoration Demo lacks narration as to how the restoration was handled, and a "bonus" short is actually a very early "Mighty Mouse" effort. Image:Considering the age of the original cartoons, the images are surprisingly clean and colorful. Sound:Fox Lorber's "Feel the Sound" gimmick appears to be an enhanced sound effects track which gives some impact and depth to the action. All DVDs are screened on a reference Onkyo DV- S717 third-generation DVD player.
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