View Full Version : The Inspector DVD Review
pablo
02-29-2008, 04:52 PM
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Timber Wolf
02-29-2008, 05:01 PM
Bomb Voyage had a laugh track? Too bad, I have seen a version without the laugh track on Finnish television.
FlapperPrower
03-01-2008, 01:01 AM
The ending card always scared me as a kid. :D
Studio Toledo
03-01-2008, 01:40 AM
The ending card always scared me as a kid. :D
F:eek:N:eek:S :cool:
Really, I never thought of it that way when I saw that myself (though getting these cartoons with laugh tracks kinda suck a little). One thing of note is that I sorta miss that grainy 16mm quality I once saw these as 25 years ago! They look so clear I can see my face in it!
MF TOON
03-01-2008, 08:38 AM
Dissapointing that four of the films are sourced from TV prints... I'll never understand why they chose to add those obnoxious horrible laugh tracks to these shorts in syndication.
I'm really looking forward to this disc though, my order shipped from DVDPlanet on the 27th so I should be getting it this week. I still haven't picked up the Ant & Aardvark DVD either, I might head downtown this afternoon and see if I can find it.
I hope MGM continues to release all of the DFE theatrical series!
AardvarkDog
03-01-2008, 11:35 AM
Dissapointing that four of the films are sourced from TV prints... I'll never understand why they chose to add those obnoxious horrible laugh tracks to these shorts in syndication.
I'm quite surprised that they added laugh tracks at all - I've seen nearly every Inspector Cartoon on either Boomerang or the 'net and not a single one includes a laugh-track. Small world... :confused:
Mind you, the second Inspector set ought to be better if they choose the right copies - and maybe this, along with the Ant and Aardvark, could pave the way to include the rest of the DFE cartoons to disc?
Leviathan
03-01-2008, 01:22 PM
They'd have a pretty hard time getting a Blue Racer DVD past the Religious Right.
WoodpeckerWoody
03-01-2008, 01:29 PM
Mind you, the second Inspector set ought to be better if they choose the right copies - and maybe this, along with the Ant and Aardvark, could pave the way to include the rest of the DFE cartoons to disc?
Blue Racer, Roland and Rattfink, Dogfather, Hoot Kloot and Tijuana Toads is what is left of DFE unrealesed, right? (exluding TV cartoons)
J. J. Hunsecker
03-01-2008, 06:54 PM
They'd have a pretty hard time getting a Blue Racer DVD past the Religious Right.
Not to sound too ignorant, but what does the religious right have against the Blue Racer? I've only seen a few of those cartoons and for the life of me can't understand how they would offend anyone.
Not to sound too ignorant, but what does the religious right have against the Blue Racer? I've only seen a few of those cartoons and for the life of me can't understand how they would offend anyone.
I think he's referring to the similarity to Paul Lynde.
Bartman
03-02-2008, 04:56 PM
I was never really a big Pink Panther fan, but I did like "The Inspector" series - I'll be buying this on DVD this Tuesday.
Jon Cooke
03-05-2008, 06:25 PM
Any sightings of the Inspector DVD in stores?
Any sightings of the Inspector DVD in stores?
I didn't see it at Target or Best Buy. I ordered it from Amazon.
Bugsy-Kun
03-05-2008, 06:32 PM
I going to see out this weekend.
Dave Mackey
03-05-2008, 10:35 PM
I'm quite surprised that they added laugh tracks at all - I've seen nearly every Inspector Cartoon on either Boomerang or the 'net and not a single one includes a laugh-track. Small world... :confused:
Mind you, the second Inspector set ought to be better if they choose the right copies - and maybe this, along with the Ant and Aardvark, could pave the way to include the rest of the DFE cartoons to disc?
The print of "Napoleon Blown-Aparte" that airs on Animania is probably the same one that's on this CD - it has the original titles (and the one-time-only version of the theme music), and a laugh track. It's possible that UA, when preparing the early-80's syndicated weekly Panther show, used these same prints - with full titles and laugh track. (It was the first time Panther cartoons ever aired on TV with full titles.) The one that aired in syndication had a muddy picture quality.
I've seen a version on Dailymotion of this same cartoon ("Napoleon Blown-Aparte") that has the TV title cards (no credits) and the shortened theme music.
Just got it now. Some really horrible interlacing issues on this thing (given the limited animation).
Jon Cooke
03-06-2008, 07:12 PM
Just got it now. Some really horrible interlacing issues on this thing (given the limited animation).
That's a shame (since I don't recall any interlacing issues on the PP or A&A discs). Hopefully there's at least no DVNR. I just ordered my copy off Amazon today since I also couldn't find a copy in any stores (unless Best Buy has it buried in some random section).
Once the final 17 Inspectors are (hopefully) released to DVD, I think I will be perfectly happy with what I have of the DePatie-Freleng filmography on DVD. I doubt I will be in a rush to buy Blue Racer, Dogfather or Hoot Kloot (I MIGHT consider Roland & Rattfink or the Toads if the price was right, but I imagine those are too obscure to be considered for a DVD release).
Matt the Y
03-06-2008, 07:23 PM
Once the final 17 Inspectors are (hopefully) released to DVD, I think I will be perfectly happy with what I have of the DePatie-Freleng filmography on DVD. I doubt I will be in a rush to buy Blue Racer, Dogfather or Hoot Kloot (I MIGHT consider Roland & Rattfink or the Toads if the price was right, but I imagine those are too obscure to be considered for a DVD release).
Oh, and Blue Racer, Dogfather, and Hoot Kloot AREN'T too obscure to warrant a DVD release?! :p If those series are well-known to audiences at all, it's through their infamy if nothing else.
And, FWIW, I actually thought Roland & Rattfink was a pretty good series for DFE, considering the fairly late time period it was made in. There were some good, strong shorts in the series, IMHO, such as "Hawks and Doves", "Hurts and Flowers", "A Pair of Sneakers", "Bridgework", and "Gem Dandy", tho there were admittedly some quite mediocre ones too such as "A Taste of Money" which was just another re-tread of the already twice-used Freleng storyline of "His Bitter Half" and "Honey's Money" (why did EVERY DePatie-Freleng series have at least ONE cartoon in that series that was practically a gag-for-gag remake of an earlier Freleng WB cartoon?!) and "Trick or Retreat" which was really just a bunch of poorly-directed Indian gags strung together. Still better than most late 60's/early 70's cartoons, though.
Jon Cooke
03-06-2008, 08:30 PM
Oh, and Blue Racer, Dogfather, and Hoot Kloot AREN'T too obscure to warrant a DVD release?! :p If those series are well-known to audiences at all, it's through their infamy if nothing else.
LOL, I guess I should have phrased my original post differently. :p :p Yeah, the only one of those I could see having a (slim) chance of getting a DVD release would be the Dogfather (due to its "Godfather" connection).
Chances are after the Inspector has been released, Sony will move onto the 1990s Panther cartoons (I know those have been released overseas).
Matt the Y
03-06-2008, 08:33 PM
Chances are after the Inspector has been released, Sony will move onto the 1990s Panther cartoons (I know those have been released overseas).
Ugggghhhh..... The one in which the Pink Panther "speaks"..... and with Matt Frewer's voice! And with all the unneccessary and incongruous plots they shoehorned the character(s) into! Thanks for the warning! Remind me to be first in line to avoid THAT DVD when it comes here!
That's a shame (since I don't recall any interlacing issues on the PP or A&A discs). Hopefully there's at least no DVNR. I just ordered my copy off Amazon today since I also couldn't find a copy in any stores (unless Best Buy has it buried in some random section).
I haven't found any DVNR, but the soundtrack for Sicque! Sicque! Sicque! is rather strange. It alternates between the original audio and canned laughter (there's a noticeable change in quality). Weird.
oldgreypole
03-07-2008, 05:05 PM
I went to two Wal-Marts on Tuesday, and found and purchased the Inspector DVD at one of them.
I'm mainly interested in DePatie-Freleng's shorts, and hoping that the others (the rest of The Inspector; Roland and Rattfink; Tijuana Toads; Blue Racer; Hoot Kloot; The Dogfather; Misterjaw; and Crazylegs Crane) get a DVD release. It would also be nice to get the short segments that appeared on various Pink Panther shows on NBC back in the 1970's.
I have no interest in purchasing 1984's "Pink Panther and Sons" and the 1993 "Pink Panther" series in which he talks.
MF TOON
03-08-2008, 06:26 AM
Just got it now. Some really horrible interlacing issues on this thing (given the limited animation).
There's nothing that detracts from and ruins a DVD release for me more than this!! :mad:
Why are the people in the mastering dept. at these studios so stupid to constantly flag interlaced transfers on cartoons?!? Don't they realize it completely ruins the film/cartoon! Why is nobody speaking out against this practice or calling attention to the problem?! Imo, it's just as bad as censorship cutting/editing, MAR, DVNR, etc. I reckon with sites like TheDigitalBits, HomeTheaterForum and Cartoon Bew calling attention to this issue from the studios and a few petitions to follow, it'd be the last we'd see of these problems. But nobody seems to care very much and I find it astonishing that people pay money for junk transfers of cartoons that if were released in the live action world, would be instantly recalled or boycotted. Why Jerry Beck and Bill Hunt and others with some "studio pull" don't make more of an effort to stop this is beyond me... I haven't watched the Inspector DVD yet, but I've vowed to never support another studio release, as enthusiastic as I may be, with non-progressive transfers on any cartoons!
J. J. Hunsecker
03-08-2008, 06:34 AM
There's nothing that detracts from and ruins a DVD release for me more than this!! :mad:
Why are the people in the mastering dept. at these studios so stupid to constantly flag interlaced transfers on cartoons?!? Don't they realize it completely ruins the film/cartoon! Why is nobody speaking out against this practice or calling attention to the problem?! Imo, it's just as bad as censorship cutting/editing, MAR, DVNR, etc. I reckon with sites like TheDigitalBits, HomeTheaterForum and Cartoon Bew calling attention to this issue from the studios and a few petitions to follow, it'd be the last we'd see of these problems. But nobody seems to care very much and I find it astonishing that people pay money for junk transfers of cartoons that if were released in the live action world, would be instantly recalled or boycotted. Why Jerry Beck and Bill Hunt and others with some "studio pull" don't make more of an effort to stop this is beyond me... I haven't watched the Inspector DVD yet, but I've vowed to never support another studio release, as enthusiastic as I may be, with non-progressive transfers on any cartoons!
Actually, a lot of live action films are released with interlacing problems on DVD. I think most people don't notice it because they still have tube television sets. When and if they buy a progressive scan television, then the problem will become apparent to them.
MF TOON
03-08-2008, 01:10 PM
The only significant title from a major studio that I'm aware of being released non-progressive was the Special Edition of The Hustler which was unanimously destroyed in online reviews and I'm not aware of a single person who's actually purchased the set knowing. I can't think of any others that were not progressively flagged. Certainly not from the majors like Warners, Fox, Universal, etc. Perhaps the smaller budget companies that deal in mostly public domain and licensed cheapies...
MF TOON
03-08-2008, 01:13 PM
Btw, I don't even have a television at my flat... I watch all my DVDs on a DLP front projector and the problems are just as bad as ever. WHV recalled the second Looney Tunes set but has since released dozens of interlaced cartoons on separate collections. Somebody needs to say something and put an end to these sloppy mastering jobs! It can't be a matter of cost efficiency or anything... it's certainly just ignorance and ineptitude on the part of the home video companies which needs to stop!
J. J. Hunsecker
03-08-2008, 03:49 PM
The website DVD Beaver (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/) has reviews of the quality of DVDs, including whether or not interlacing appears.
Off the top of my head, I know that the MGM DVD of House of Games (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews32/house_of_games_dvd_review.htm) and the Collector's Edition of The Hustler (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/Reviews/hustler.htm) are interlaced. I also noticed some slight interlacing problems on my Criterion copy of The Lady Vanishes (their old DVD version, not the new one).
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews31/a%20the%20hustler%20collectors%20edition/interlaced%20ce%20the%20hustler%20PDVD_000.jpg
As for cartoons, my copy of The Uncensored Bosko, vol. 2 has some interlacing issues.
Just picked up the Inspector DVD today.
Only had a chance to watch the first 6 or so but they're great so far!
I never really picked on the clever humor when I was a kid or even the hilarious titles such as "Ape Suzette" "Toulouse La Trick" "Reaux, Reaux, Reaux Your Boat" etc etc....lol
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