Dom Robinson reviews

Distributed by
PT Video

Cert:

Cat.no: PTDVD 8114

Running time: 109 minutes

Year: 1983

Pressing: 2001

Region(s): 0, PAL

Chapters: 6 plus extras

Sound: Mono

Languages: English

Subtitles: None

Fullscreen: 4:3

16:9-Enhanced: No

Macrovision: Yes

Disc Format: DVD 9

Price: £9.99

Extras: Cast Biographies, Animated Menus, First Ever Count Duckula Episode

Director:

Brian Cosgrove

Producer:

Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall

Screenplay:

Brian Trueman

Music:

Mike Harding

Voices:

David Jason, Terry Scott, Edward Kelsey and Brian Trueman

The cult of kids TV arriving on DVD continues with a series I regularly watched and enjoyed before I hit double figures and which, on an episode of I Love the 80s, was admitted it was easy on the animators because many of the scenes that featured in every episode, such as DM driving from his secret hideout, were copied across each time.

As usual, for this third volume, six episodes are included here. Each episode lasts 15-20 minutes apiece and was originally aired in four parts (oh, how the continuing storyline would get me through yet another unbelievably shitty week at school from Monday to Thursday; and who cared about Friday afternoons because the weekend was here!)

Back to the plot and the six episodes are: One Hundred and Fifty Million Years Lost, The Planet of the Cats, Four Heads are Better Than Two, The Tower of Terror, The Great Bone Idol and Public Enemy Number One, the highlighted episode in the title also featuring Count Duckula who is on the trail of the Great Bone Idol while DM and Penfold are holidaying in Brazil.

It's worth mentioning that this DVD was originally due for release on September 17th under the title of "The Tower of Terror", showing a building shaking and our two heroes running away. However, the events that rocked New York on September 11th put paid to this and the disc was recalled to have the cover changed, although some copies still found their way into shops.

It's in 4:3 fullscreen and the print has some scratches on it but nothing you don't expect and it certainly doesn't put you off for those who were big fans and at least it makes a damn sight more bloody sense than Pokemon !

The sound is in mono which comes across clearly enough.

The original cover and how it will appear now.

In the extras dept. there's an eight-minute interview with Brian Cosgrove and the original never-before-seen Pilot Episode, which runs for the usual length.

The disc has no subtitles but a neat animated menu with the classic theme tune. If I had one complaint with the DVD it's that there's just one chapter per episode rather than breaking them down into individual parts as broadcast.