The Three Stooges - Goofs on the Loose / Stooged & Confoosed (Colorized / Black & White)

Amazon.com

Goofs on the Loose is a four-pack of mid-'30s Three Stooges shorts, with enough concentrated nyuk-nyuks to satisfy fans. Two of the shorts are from their first year with Columbia, 1934. "Men in Black" has the boys as residents in a very unlucky hospital. It's nonstop mayhem, featuring an unorthodox approach to healing (the words "Give 'em the anesthetic" usually means a mallet will be applied to skull) and a good running gag about an ill-advised glass door. This one was nominated for the best short subject Oscar. "Punch Drunks" is an all-time Stooges gem, with Curly as Moe's new boxing discovery--but he can only achieve his fighting fury when Larry plays "Pop Goes the Weasel" on the violin. From 1937, "The Sitter Downers" has three brides for three stooges, but their honeymoon is delayed by the building of a house, in typical Stooges style. Curly is wound up especially tight in this one, and it has some primo sight gags about home construction. "Playing the Ponies" navigates a zig-zag Stooges storyline, taking them from restaurant (Curly fixes an appetizing filet of sole) to horse track. It has a classic Stooges hand jive, although it shows how slapdash their shtick could get.

A quartet of shorts (three new to DVD) make up the solid Stooged & Confoosed, all with mid-period Curly in woo-woo-woo form. "Violent is the Word for Curly" somehow morphs the boys from gas-station attendants to European college professors. Not only does it feature Curly roasting on a spit, but the Stooges instruct the students of Mildew College for Women in the intricacies of "Swinging the Alphabet," a memorable nonsense song. "You Nazty Spy" is the Stooges' answer to Duck Soup and The Great Dictator, as a cabal of businessmen install Moe as the dictator of Moronika. With an accidental mustache and jibbering German, Moe does a convincing Hitler. (But didn't he always?) "No Census, No Feeling" is a rangy, so-so bit that begins with a lame premise about the Stooges as census takers (it was 1940, after all) and ends up at a football game. But the best gag has Curly mixing up a noxious fruit punch. You know "An Ache in Every Stake" will be a goodie from the moment Moe and Larry attempt to remove a block of ice from around Curly's head by using a chisel and mallet. Its centerpiece is a variation on the flight of stairs from Laurel and Hardy's "The Music Box," but Curly does nicely stuffing a turkey, too.

Both Goofs on the Loose and Stooged & Confoosed are presented with Columbia's "ChromaChoice" device, which allows for easy toggling between the original black-and-white shorts (which appear in great shape) and a colorized version. The colorized images are sensibly rendered, but they still have that washed-out paleness they've always had--eggshell greens and light browns abound. Stooges purists will stick to black-and-white, the better to appreciate the subtleties of a cheese grater being scraped across Curly's face. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

THIS REAL FAN PREFERS THE COLOR - A TESTAMENT.......2006-09-02

I have already written a separate review for each of these collections [each is available as single disc, 4-episode set, as well] where I gave my opinion of the color and the content. Having owned them for several months now, I find myself choosing the color versions over the black and white each time I view the episodes. In my youth, having watched many of the episodes over and over on TV, in black and white, and in un-mastered versions, I must say that I enjoy these brilliant remastered films, especially in color. The color appears natural, and, for me, adds quite a bit to the overall experience and enjoyment. In fact, many of the reviews of the color versions are quite favorable.

But, I will only speak for myself. I will not try to speak for other fans, or for ALL fans, for that matter. "Purists" are certainly entitled to their opinion. Their feelings are valid. But being a purist doesn't necessarily give one higher authority or integrity. A preference is a preference.

Some reviewers have commented on the lackluster sales volume for these sets. I have not seen the statistics on the sales, although my guess is that these have not been monster hits. But, part of that, I suspect, is due to the fact the the price for each set is not cheap, especially in light of the fact that only 4 episodes are featured per set. Personally, I ordered mine via Amazon Marketplace vendors and paid between $10-$12 for each. Not bad. [I suspect that the colorization and remastering were no cheap endeavors, eh?]

And...since the sets offer the option of viewing the episodes in either color or the remastered b&w, to protest you have to be totally, even morally opposed to the colorization! For my part, if the studio releases more volumes, I would likely purchase them, depending on the specific episodes included. I will say that the inclusion of only 4 episodes per disc is skimpy and ungenerous, and even unsatisfying. That said, however, for many of us, the color opens up a fun little new world.

What a mistake.......2006-08-27

Technically speaking, if one considers the B&W and colorised versions as separate entities, there are 8 shorts on each of the discs here. This set could have been a real winner, and have sold a lot lot better, had there only been that same number of shorts, with no colorisation and no retreads from earlier discs. ('Violent Is the Word for Curly,' 'Men in Black,' and 'Punch Drunks' have all already been released.) Instead we get this, a two-disc set that only contains 4 shorts proper apiece, with 3 of the 8 having been previously released on DVD. It's an insult that classic shorts like 'An Ache in Every Stake' and 'You Nazty Spy!' should finally be released on a colorised DVD instead of in B&W only, on a proper disc with a realistic amount of shorts. Yes, the viewer does have the option of watching them all in B&W (and at least there's a "Play All" button, a feature that was missing on just about every previous disc in this series), but just the fact that there are colorised versions is wrong.

I agree with other reviewers who have pointed out that if the researchers had really been doing their job (as they claimed to have done on the self-congratulatory featurette on both discs), they would have found out that the colors they used were not the colors that were actually used. Certain colors like purple and green were used a lot, for example, because of how they would register on B&W film stock, the same way that certain colors are used in modern movies because of how they'll look on color film stock. The colors dubbed in with Chroma Color just look jarring and fake, although I will admit that they do look more natural and lifelike than those in things from the first generation of colorisation.

I also agree that this was a really odd choice for colorisation. It seems as though most of the classic comedies from this era are just about immune to people who otherwise dismiss anything in B&W. Some people will claim that old movies will find a wider audience if they're shown in colorised form to the new generation, but whose fault is it that a lot of younger people today have no interest in most stuff that's over like 10 years old or consider something from only 1984 to be a classic movie already? They're not appreciating it for what it is then if they can only watch it in color, and it's their loss, ultimately.

Real fans aren't interested in colorisation and would like nothing more than a proper DVD release of all 190 shorts instead of these stupid "themed" discs and now discs that only have 4 shorts apiece and include colorised versions. It's no surprise that these colorised fiascos sold very poorly, which is why we haven't seen any Stooge DVDs since these came out. They didn't sell poorly because people weren't interested in the shorts themselves; they sold poorly because real fans don't want colorisation and a bunch of retreads. And yet I can't bring myself to give this a lower rating, because as badly executed as this is, at least the shorts (for the most part anyway; I find 'Men in Black' to be kinda overrated, and I don't find 'Playing the Ponies' to be so great either) are great stuff, and it is great that some of them have finally been put out on DVD, even like this.

The law of diminishing nyuks?.......2005-09-22

Ya know, it's weird... it seems I've lost a bit of my love for the Three Stooges over the last few years. This became apparent when I happened across this couple of DVD releases, used, at a price I just couldn't refuse. I took `em home, gave `em a look, and found myself not laughing out loud at the boys' antics nearly as much as I used to. Oh, I let out a chuckle or two here and there, and found most of the proceedings at least smile-cracking amusing. But for some reason, the wonderfully raucous belly-laughs I used to lay down to the terrible trio's misadventures-- "Men in Black" and "Punch Drunks" in particular-- just weren't there anymore. Perhaps I'm not quite as amused by cartoonishly over-the-top physical humor and corny sight gags as I used to be. But if that's the case, how come I spill out showers of guffaws every time I watch Chris Farley doin' his fat-guy-falling-down-a-lot-and-yelling thing in "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep", or lose all control over Leslie Nielsen's schtick in the first two "Naked Gun" flicks? Am I just being weird? Um, don't answer that...

Anyhoo: while I might not have the appreciation for Moe, Larry, and Curly that I used to, I'll admit I was curious to see the colorized versions of the shorts presented within these platters. I'm not a proponent of the colorization of classic black-and-white films and shorts by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll admit my curiosity got the better of me. As soon as a fairly interesting scene popped up, I'd grab my remote and click over for a brief moment to see what the colorizers had imagined that particular scene would've looked like in full-spectrum glory before I'd go back to traditional greyscale. While the colorized versions had far more realistic hues than the stuff that Ted Turner and his ilk were crankin' out back in the late 80s, it still didn't look quite right. Fortunately, the original B/Ws were there for me to switch back to at the push of a couple buttons. Now if only I could convince George Lucas to do something like this with a future DVD release of the original Star Wars trilogy. I think it would be kinda neat to choose between the original theatrical releases, the Special Edition versions, and the 2004 DVD release versions with even MORE new stuff added to `em. Sadly, we'll likely be seein' a commercial video release of the gawdawful Star Wars Holiday Special before GL ever considers putting the ORIGINAL original trilogy out on DVD...

But I digress; back to the pop-culture phenomenon at hand. Aside from the aforementioned "Punch Drunks" and "Men in Black", you mustn't miss "The Sitter Downers" and "You Nazty Spy!" The former deals with the Stooges trying to build a new house for them and their new spouses to live in, with reasonably funny if fairly predictable results. As for the latter: as you may have guessed from the title, this one features our boys takin' slapstick pot-shots at Hitler's Nazi regime, more than a year before the U.S.'s entry into the war. Highly recommended if you thought Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" was overlong and too high-brow.

Bottom line: although my love of the Three Stooges has diminished over the last few years, they still manage to amuse me at times. And the contents on these discs were quite amusing to me, albeit not quite amusing enough for me to consider them "keepers" for my video collection. Worth at least a one-off viewing for the casual and/or chroma-curious Stooge-o-phile. I you're a hardcore dyed-in-the-wool Stooge-o-phile, however, you're in luck: this pair of "screen gems" feature crystal-clear picture quality that is a few notches above Columbia's earlier Three Stooges DVD releases. The only downside: the ChromaChoice versions feature just four shorts per disc, while the older Columbia platters usually sported six each. Of course, if you're going for quality over quantity, the ChromaChoice platters are definitely the way to go!

`Late

Curly in color. Amazing feat........2005-04-20

This collection is soitenley worth your money. This 2 DVD set, 8 shorts in total(allbeit a bit skimpy), are amazing quality and is the best you've ever seen the stooges, even better, you have the option to watch them in full color thanks to technology.

Both DVD's have unprescedented picture quality. Whether you are watching the digitized color or the remastered black and whites, the picture is crisp and clean and there is little if any distortions between the eight twenty minute shorts.

The 8 shorts, all from the 30's and a few in the 40's, most soitenly during the prime time of the stooges era (All Curly), are some of their best shorts ever made. I am waiting for the very first stooge shorts Hoi Poiloi and Women Haters which are viewed by many as their best ever skits.

The color factor of the collection is the main selling addition, and 8 shorts is a bit skimpy for 2 DVD's (about 2 hours total), Columbia could have added at least 10 shorts on each DVD, but I still say seeing them in color and the remastered original prints look is worth your hard earned dough. I personally love the color addition and it's amazing how they can take a 1930's short and make it look like it was released yesterday. It really makes you feel like the short was truly filmed in color. It doesn't look too synthetic or fake, the realistic color with skin tones, color backdrops and every thread of clothing is a site to behold.

I admit, some shorts look better than others, and the indoor scenes seem to suffer the most, but when the action is outdoors, everything looks a bit more natural. When you view the shorts, take a close look at the trees (most notingly in the "Sitter Downers Episodes" when they are working on the house, it's amazing how a computer can bring the color and environments to life. At times I thought the skin tones of the stooges was a bit off at parts, they sometimes have a sunkist orangy tint, but considering the age of these shorts,(We're talking 70+ years here people) what is not to like? Don't want to bother with the color? No problem. With the press of the "angle" button on your remote, you can instantly go back to the remastered black and white originals.

The first DVD includes the rare Violent is the Word for Curly" You Nazty Spy" "No Census, No Feeling" and "An Ache in Every Stake". Certainly not some of their best efforts, but the rare "Violent is the Word For Curly" is a must have for fans. You Nazty Spy" really is a funny spoof on the Hiter Regime and Moe makes a terrific Adolph. An Ache In Every Stake is outrageously funny as Curly and Larry really take beatings. Seeing them try to cater to a party is a funny idea within itself. No Census, No Feeling is probalby the weakest of the bunch, but don't think it's not entertaining, it's s till prime era of stooges when they had their most energy, so a true fan will love every one.

DVD 2 includes Playing the Ponies. This particular short was never released on DVD. Hard to believe considering this is one of their memorable ones. The spoof starts out with the stooges running a restaurant with Curly of course doing all the hard labor in the kitchen. They get suckered into selling the restaruant and trading it in for a run down horse. The lame story may sound silly but the energy and fun filled slapstick humor of the stooges manages to work throughout the 20 minute spoof. Men in Black, one of their earliest shorts, which was nominated for an Oscar, is one of their best shorts ever made. Stooges portrayed as Doctors will get your gun wrenching throughout. The Sitter Downers contains enough slapping and bashing of Larry and Curly to do most stooges fans in, Moe really lays into them and the smacking and eye-poking and is as funny as ever. Watching them attempt to build a house for their wives is funny within itself. Pop Goes The Weasel, a bit of a take off of the other future (boxing/wrestling) short called Grips, Grunts and Groans (1937), is a short that was never released on VHS and a rare find for stooge fans. One mentioned the fact that this short was censored or edited out, I 100% guarantee it is uncut and very uncouth, you won't be disappointed. The ending sequence he was referring to that was left out was regarding "Grips Grunts and Groans" which was released later in the 30's.

I seriously like what Columbia is doing with bringing out remastered shorts. If the addition of color does not entice you, you may not want to spent the 40 smacks on just 8 shorts, but know this up front... whether you're watching this in black and white or in color, this is the best the Stooges have ever looked, so keep that in mind. They want to give us the best possible Stooge collection and this is a good start. When will there be more though???

The shorts are not reprints of the VHS or prior DVD releases. They truly are remastered from start to finish and being a fan of the stooges for 20 years, I can honestly say I've never seen a single short look better than on these two DVD's. The colorized versions are very well done and they were painstakingly conceived by some real savvy people and some top notch technology. A nice little bonus on how the shorts were remastered in color is included and quite interesting if you're wondering "how they'd do that?" I hope the two DVD's offered are not the last, as I would love to have every stooge short ever made (remastered) and in color on DVD. If it takes years to have this accomoplished, I would be willing to wait. Well worth your dough if you're a fan especially if you want the absolute best. Moe, Larry and Curly would be proud.

**Final Call** - A stooges fan's dream, I can't say enough, you need this collection. It's time to relive the funny days of old, this is great stuff.

GOOD JOB ON THE COLOR- BIG SURPISE!.......2004-12-26

I WAS SKEPTICAL AT FIRST WITH MAKING THE STOOGES COLOR, BUT BELIEVE ME THEY DID A GREAT JOB. YOU CAN TOGGLE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE BLACK AND WHITE AND COLOR VERSIONS WHILE YOU WATCH. EVEN THE BLACK AND WHITE VERSIONS LOOK ALOT CLEANER. THE EXTRA FEATURES INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS COLORIZATION PROCESS WAS DONE. THIS COLOR METHOD IS FAR SUPERIOR TO COLORIZATION ATTEMPTS YOU HAVE EVER SEEN. ITS UNBELIEVABLE. I WAS SKEPTICAL AT FIRST BUT NOW IM A BELIEVER.

The Three Stooges - Goofs on the Loose (Colorized / Black & White)

Average customer rating:

COLORIZED AND B&W ON SAME DISC!! AWESOME!!
No wonder it didn't sell well
Great for what it is
More sucker-bait for Stooges fans
Great and horrid at the same time

The Three Stooges - Goofs on the Loose (Colorized / Black & White)
Starring: Moe Howard , Larry Fine , Curly Howard , Jeanie Roberts , and Hank Mann
Director: Ray McCarey , Del Lord , and Lou Breslow
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0002A2WFY
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Amazon.com

A four-pack of mid-'30s Three Stooges shorts, with enough concentrated nyuk-nyuks to satisfy fans. Two of the shorts are from their first year with Columbia, 1934. "Men in Black" has the boys as residents in a very unlucky hospital. It's nonstop mayhem, featuring an unorthodox approach to healing (the words "Give 'em the anesthetic" usually means a mallet will be applied to skull) and a good running gag about an ill-advised glass door. This one was nominated for the best short subject Oscar. "Punch Drunks" is an all-time Stooges gem, with Curly as Moe's new boxing discovery--but he can only achieve his fighting fury when Larry plays "Pop Goes the Weasel" on the violin.

From 1937, "The Sitter Downers" has three brides for three stooges, but their honeymoon is delayed by the building of a house, in typical Stooges style. Curly is wound up especially tight in this one, and it has some primo sight gags about home construction. "Playing the Ponies" navigates a zig-zag Stooges storyline, taking them from restaurant (Curly fixes an appetizing filet of sole) to horse track. It has a classic Stooges hand jive, although it shows how slapdash their shtick could get.

The DVD has Columbia's "ChromaChoice" colorized gimmick, which simply means easy toggling between the original (well preserved) black-and-white shorts and the colorized versions. The colorized images are sensibly rendered, but they still have that washed-out paleness they've always had--eggshell greens and light browns abound. So real Stooges fans can ignore the color, and ponder the eternal questions: Why was Moe so angry? Why is a bald man named Curly? What was the deal on Larry? And "Why don't catfish have kittens?" --Robert Horton

Product Description

Digitally remastered and colorized using the latest technology. Includes both the colorized version as well as the restored black and white original, which ChromaChoice™ allows you to toggle between versions while you watch. Includes these hilarious shorts:

Men in Black (1934) Calling Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard. Three nitwits take medical malpractice to a whole new level in this Oscar® nominated Short Subject.

The Sitter Downers(1937) A sit-down strike not only wins three imbeciles the girls of their dreams, but a prefabricated cottage complete with wifely ultimatum: no house, no honeymoon!

Punch Drunks (1934) Whenever Curly hears "Pop Goes the Weasel," he turns into a fighting madman, so Moe promotes him as the next heavyweight champion of the world.

Playing the Ponies (1937) You can lead a horse to water and make him drink if you feed him chili pepperinos, as the Stooges do to a broken-down nag, turning him into the thirstiest - and fastest - racehorse on the planet.

Customer Reviews:

COLORIZED AND B&W ON SAME DISC!! AWESOME!! .......2007-03-04

IM NOT USALLY A FAN OF COLORIATION OF OLD CLASSIC FILMS, BUT THE JOB THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THESE STOOGES COLOR DVD'S HAVE BEEN VERY WELL DONE! AND WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT THESE DVD'S IS THEY OFFER YOU THE B&W VERSION AS WELL. ''THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS ON ONE DISC''! I THINK THAT'S GREAT! I HOPE COLUMBIA KEEPS PUTTING OUT MORE OF THIS COLLECTION. I JUST WISH THEY WOULD COME OUT WITH NEW STOOGES SHORTS, NOT THE SAME OL' SAME OL', YA KNOW? ANYWAYS,..THIS IS AN AWESOME DVD SERIES. JUST KEEP THEM BOTH COLOR AND B&W.SOME THINGS I WOULD RATHER HAVE LEFT IN B&W , (EXAMPLE ):OLD POPEYE CARTOONS!!! DON;T COLORIZE THEM MAN!! AND RELEASE MORE POPEYE B&W ON DVD, REMASTERED AND RESTORED! SORRY..""GOT OFF TRACK ABIT", BACK TO THIS STOOGE DVD. BOTTOM LINE, YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THIS SERIES. COLOR (WELL DONE) AND B&W! IM A HUGH STOOGE FAN! 03-03-07

No wonder it didn't sell well.......2006-08-25

Who are the executives at Columbia who seriously thought that this would be a good idea? Fans of classic film sent the powers that be a message in the Eighties that they hated colorisation, and after the issue was seemingly dead and buried, it rears its ugly head again in a new generation. The Chroma Color (from what I saw of it on the self-congratulatory featurette) does look better than the colorisation of the Eighties, but that's still not saying very much. It might look better and more realistic, but it still looks fake and distracting. And even if it did look totally natural and lifelike, it just doesn't feel right. Some people you can only ever picture in black and white; to imagine the Stooges in color (apart from a handful of films they made that were actually originally shot in Technicolor) would just seem wrong. These shorts were shot in black and white and have been enjoyed in black and white for over 70 years now. The technicians can do all of the research they want on what types of colors these things might have been, but it's still missing a big point--the colors that were actually chosen were chosen precisely because of how they would register on black and white film stock. The colors used certainly wouldn't have looked anything like what they actually do in Chroma Color. Frankly, the only reason I even rented this disc was because I hadn't yet seen 'Playing the Ponies' or 'The Sitter-Downers.'

This disc also has the misfortune of only having two previously unreleased shorts. It's great that one at least has the option of viewing them in B&W or color (and there is a "Play All" button, something that was absent on almost all of the previous discs), but it's not great at all that the consumer is basically being asked to pay much more money for something that only has two new-to-DVD shorts. 'Men in Black' and 'Punch Drunks' were already released on the 'Curly Classics' disc. Including both the B&W and colorised versions, there are 8 shorts on this disc; if only they could have been 8 shorts that hadn't been released on DVD prior instead of consisting of two rehashes. And come on, only 4 shorts on a disc, regardless of how many had already been released?

The shorts themselves are somewhat of a mixed bag. 'Punch Drunks' (1934), their second Columbia short and the only one they got credit for writing themselves, is a classic, even though they hadn't really ironed out their comedy style, their screen personae, or their screen relationship yet. If only this and not 'Woman Haters' had been their first short, since it has the three of them meeting one another for the first time in the opening scenes and starts to establish their characters and relationship.

'Men in Black' (1934) I personally find to be kind of overrated. It is rather memorable, but more because of what an odd short it is, not because it's fall-down hilarious or contains a lot of classic lines and routines. It seems like a lot of their early shorts have been declared classics only because they were done so early in their tenure at Columbia, and not for any more substantial reasons. Seriously, would this short be considered such a great classic had it been made in, say, 1940 or 1938? Still, as strange as this short may be, at least it's nowhere near the likes of 'Horsing Around' or 'Rumpus in a Harem.'

'Playing the Ponies' (1937) has some fun stuff in it, but overall I didn't find it to be so hot. This short got a one-star rating in 'The Three Stooges Scrapbook,' though I wouldn't give it such a poor rating myself. (This is also the same book that gives 3-star ratings to the likes of 'Sweet and Hot,' 'Hoofs and Goofs,' and 'Fling in the Ring'!) This is a cute fun short, but overall it's not one of their classics. I'd consider it a bit below average.

'The Sitter-Downers' (1937), which stars Ted Healy's sister Marcia as Cora Belle, could perhaps be viewed as the short in which they entered into their golden era. There's a lot of great stuff in this one, and even though the premise of trying to build a house had been done before (by Buster Keaton in 'One Week' and by Laurel and Hardy in 'The Finishing Touch'), it doesn't seem like an old and tired situation. The possibilities for comedic mayhem are endless when carpentry is involved! The concept of sit-down strikes was also something that would have hit the original audience very close to home, as they were all over the news that year. The ending is somewhat abrupt, but everything that went before was so great that it doesn't really matter.

This is not a collection I would recommend getting, even considering that one does have the option of watching them in B&W only. Though the overall quality of the shorts is pretty decent, there are still only 4 shorts, and half of them have been issued before. It's ridiculous that someone actually thought this would sell well and generate a lot of interest instead of indifference and anger.

Great for what it is.......2006-06-28

The real contraversy with this release seems to be the addition of colorized versions. This isn't really a bad thing - it does add an extra dimension to the Stooges, and it's purely optional for you cats who prefer the purer black and white. Why not include both to satisfy all fans? Unfortunately, a lot of the Stooges fans seem to be taking a note from their heroes. They've accused this release of including an icon to toggle between B&W. Some have theorized that it's for piracy protection, others that it's for the ease of switching. They're both wrong. The toggle icon is a feature of the DVD player - not the DVD - and is ENTIRELY REMOVABLE if you know how to use the player itself.

When I first bought my player, that was the first thing I turned off, and it hasn't been a problem ever since. Consequently, the icon is NOT displayed when I'm watching these Stooges classics. The process of shutting that (typically) optional feature involves going through the dvd *player* menus and shutting it off. If your player doesn't have one, it's time to slap your face, and Curly shuffle down to your local store to get another because quite a few special editions have (what my player calls) "angles" (i.e. simultaneous displays).

Like everyone else, the fact that a dvd which can fit up to 4 hours (dual layer) in SP has only 4 shorts which amount to 68 minutes is plain ridiculous. I will never collect these releases and will continue to wait until they release an exhaustive set.

More sucker-bait for Stooges fans.......2006-02-13

The Stooges are great, but the core of their achievement -- the approximately two hundred comedy shorts they did for Columbia -- has never gotten anything remotely approaching the respect it or its fans deserve. This latest piece of junk adds yet more insult to injury.

A one-sided DVD will hold at least thirteen Stooges shorts, but Columbia, when it sporadically decides to knock out a new one, only includes five to eight shorts. Until now, that is.

This latest disgrace only has four shorts. You read that right -- less than a third of what it could hold, out of some 200 shorts in the Columbia vaults. And at least one of the four -- "Men in Black" -- is already out on an earlier-released Stooges DVD collection (*Curly Classics*).

The nyuk-nyuks are on us consumers, apparently.

Naturally, given Columbia's bent, it's charging more than ever. Pay more for less value, in other words. That should be Columbia's motto.

Oh, that's right: These are colorized. Like the Stooges really need that.

New and improved colorization, supposedly. There's even a little "featurette" trying to sell us on the colorization (when what consumers really want are a lot more Stooges shorts released, with far more shorts per disc and more reasonable prices). Colorization, we're assured, has made great technical strides since the old controversy about it in the '80s.

Let *me* assure you: *This* colorization job looks as bad as ever. Nothing looks real, and everybody's skin has that ghastly orangey washed-over look.

Fortunately, the colorization effect can be turned off. But not the distracting icon that's on the lower right corner of every frame of the Stooges shorts. Presumably this is to discourage piracy: But, if so, how do thousands of new movie and television DVDs get released without them? Why are Stooges fans singled out to suffer them?

The bottom line is that this is yet another example of Columbia's gross disrespect for both its products and its customers.

I'd gladly pay hundreds of dollars for thoughtfully released DVDs of the complete Stooges Columbia shorts: circa 13 shorts to a disc, lost scenes restored (another notorious failure so far by Columbia), no repetitions of shorts from disc to disc (the greed of these cheaters is illimitable), and, hopefully, some meaningful chronological order (by release dates or, better still, production sequence).

Not that I'm holding my breath.

For now, I'm just renting these Stooges DVDs on a one-time-only basis for myself and my children. I wouldn't dream of buying any of them given Columbia's greedy and insulting marketing schemes. Columbia won't get my money, and I hope it doesn't get yours.

And it shouldn't get any of our money until it finally decides to do right by the work and the fans of the Stooges -- and market those 200 classic shorts with some shred of decency.

Great and horrid at the same time .......2005-06-14

I think the high-definition part is great for wide screen TVs , I own a EDTV 42" plasma and dvd's not enhanced in any way or not wide screen are stretched unless you have a new dvd player with HDMI and a TV with DVI or HDMI . So for this it's awesome that they enhanced them for high-definition . The bad B>S> if these are remastered and the definitely not restored . During "punch drunks" what is up with the line down the middle of the screen , If you have a plasma you will see every artifact , which i would be able to live with being that there 70 years old BUT If you remastered them you can remove a line, That is unbearable to watch and second some dvd players show this blue movie camera in the top right hand corner . My old Toshiba did not , My new Samsung with HDMI does . I cant watch them that way . So I'm returning the player for a new Panasonic HDMI in hopes that it will remove the camera . As for the artifacts and the missing scenes of the shorts . Columbia , You blanked the stooges and now you blanked the fans . Worst movie company in the history of TV . I do not agree with most saying the color is bad , I think that is one of the best parts and if you don't like it switch it to B/W . Who cares how much if they were done right the Stooges are priceless but for edited and un-restored versions I don't think i will ever buy anymore till some new company buys them out. They would sell anything for money cause that's all they care about and I'm sure there are other motion picture companies that would do justice to the Stooges , Till then Screw Columbia . !!! By the way who runs threestooges.com , It is so lame , never really have any news and never respond to any emails , There a joke . The boys deserve better . I Would pay $1,000 for a restored ,uncut,remastered in HD box set of all curly and shemp shorts any day .

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