|
|
includes all 15 segments!!
"Join superheroes Batman
(Robert Lowery) and Robin (John Duncan) as they help
Commissioner Gordon (Lyle Talbot, Glen or Glenda?,
Plan 9 From Outer Space) battle The Wizard, a
villainous madman who steals a top-secret remote device
allowing him to control all the moving vehicles in Gotham.
dvd review Fans of Batman are divided into fans of Bob Kane's original comic books and the latter adaptations and continuing adventures. There are several animated versions ongoing (from Warner), but for many Batman is either the comic pairing of Adam West and Burt Ward in the psychadelic tv series (and big-screen outing) from the 1960s, or the 1980s/1990s series which started with the brilliant Tim Burton reimagining starring Michael Keaton. Whilst the recent cinema series may have decended into banality, it started out as a strong, dark series. Rich in texture, and realism. The Columbia version from 1949 comes somewhere between the Adam West and Michael Keaton incarnations. Whilst undoubtedly silly to today's audiences, the humour lies in the dates nature of much of the set up. The scripts tend to be stilted, and the lycraesque suits never get any better. Of course it never helps that the cliffhanger endings are always cheated. The reprise never quite matches, and our heroes always escape, even when it is evident they should not. And yet, clearly this version isn't being played for laughs. The 17 minute episodes were designed to thrill and entice the youngsters who made their way to the cinema religiously every week, part of a bigger programme of films (a concept lost on today's consumers of the screen), the pace is almost frentic, non-stop. The back story is gone, but the familiar elements of the Batcave, Alfred the Butler, and the Batsignal are all there. The fantastic Batmobile is nowhere to be seen unfortunately. The enemy is suitably meglomanical. I first stumbled upon this series many years ago on Channel 4 here in the UK. They used to screen the serials during half-term and summer holidays, early in the morning - an odd choice perhaps. Rewatching them now, in their entirety, I find myself being suckered in. I know they are cheesy, and lacking the punch (and the comic visuals) of the later adaptations, but there is a purity which appeals. This post-war American city still needs defended from the mad scientists, and from the threat of a global threat (somewhere between the Second World War threat and that of the Cold War). The vigilanty is king. Broken down over two discs in fifteen original segments, the duration is quite nice, easily digested over a couple of weeks of an episode a day watching. The serial has its detractors, for me, looking back at a culture from before I was even born, it has charm and enthusiasm - well-meaning and spirited. transfer extras RJES |
|
DISC: Feature length: 261
mins SPECIAL FEATURES: see left for full details |
Kult UK 14th March 2005
e-mail us at KultUK@avalard.com
all original text and graphics are ©
Avalard Productions / Kult UK 2002-2005 |
