The Ghost Busters - The Complete Series (Filmation, Live Action) (1975)
List Price:
Our Price: $11.70
You Save: $18.28 (61%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $11.69 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Bob Burns, Forrest Tucker, Larry StorchBrand: BCI ECLIPSE LLC
Audio: English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 330 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-04-17
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Bci / Eclipse
DVD Reviews of The Ghost Busters - The Complete Series (Filmation, Live Action) (1975)
DVD Review: A Wonderful Dose of 70's Saturday Nostalgia
Summary: 5 Stars
It was a complete joy to see this show again after thirty-four years! Yes, it is hammy and ultra-low budget, but it is freaking Shakespeare compared to the current Nick line-up! Bob Burns shines as Tracey the gorilla and it is so great to see Larry and Forest together again and at only 15 episodes the series is short enough to get through but not long enough to wear out its' welcome. Plus there are a ton of guest stars like Ted "Mary Tyler Moore/Caddyshack" Knight and Jim "Mr. Magoo" Bachus involved. And the extras! A shocking number for a series that is not considered "influential" or "important". BCI went WAY above the call of duty on this one with the extras!
As to the video quality, it holds up very well for a mid-70's video tape production. Luckily the source materials were well preserved. It is not hi-def, but it is certainly watchable.
My son is four and loves this show. It contains no "gross" humor (unlike almost every kid's show since "Ren & Stimpy"), no toy pushing and since the episodes are only about 22 minutes long, they are great for kids with short attention spans. Not to mention that the "horror" elements are really toned down. I can't see a kid getting nightmares from this show. Highly recommended.
DVD Review: the unreal ghost busters are on the job
Summary: 4 Stars
Most people probably have no recollection of this Filmation project from nine years before the Ghostbusters movie. The original "unreal" Ghost Busters are Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch from F Troop reunited with a gorilla named Tracy. Ultra-cheap Saturday morning fare, and in each episode a different ghost takes up residence in the same haunted house. Every week Spensser (Storch) can't get the filing cabinet to open. In every episode Kong (Tucker) sends Spensser and Tracy (what, no Hepburn?) to pick up the next ghost busting assignment, and it blows up in Tracy's hands. Extremely repetitive, but the fun part is seeing who the ghost is. Lots of celebrity guests like Jim Backus, Carl Ballantine, Severn Darden, and Huntz Hall. The theme song is great, with lines like "your skin has the creepies."DVD Review: I'm Spencer, he's Tracy...and I'm Kong!
Summary: 3 Stars
Now I'm more familiar with the cartoon that was spun off of this show, but even then I only saw handful of the episodes in syndication. Over the years and thanks to sites like wiki I've leaned a lot more about both the original show and the cartoon, in particular the whole debacle with the 1984 Ghostbusters film and how Filmation successfully sued the studio over the likeness to the 1975 show's logo. In fact, I believe that the Filmation cartoon spin-off is directly related to that lawsuit because Lou Scheimer wanted to go ahead and call it off in exchange for getting the license to create a cartoon based on the movie, but the studio chose not to do that, instead creating their own cartoon. Scheimer and company shot back by making a cartoon based on their previous show.
So anyway, I am a more or less coming to this show with no preconceived notions or nostalgia. So what's in the box? This set features the entire live action series, 15 episodes in total over two, double-sided discs, which are packaged into two DVD slim cases. There are five episodes per each side of the discs, with the flip side on the second disc containing all of the special features. The slipcase itself is pretty nice, though the cover has a very odd "colorized" look to it, which is weird because the show was shot in color. I believe the still that's used for the cover may have originally been B&W, but I'm not sure. Though the "colorized" look gives it that icky Photoshop feel, the image is pretty darn accurate to the feel of the opening credits, so I easily cut it some slack.
Also included is a foldout insert that is loaded with episode summaries as well as cast and crew information and trivia for each episode. Pretty much this insert is a nicely printed version of anything you'd hope to find on the show trivia wise and is a welcome addition to the set.
The reverse side of the insert features some basic info, mostly the same stuff that's included on the back of the box set, though as a nice little bonus they've added the theme song lyrics.
The menus on the DVD are pretty simple and easy to navigate. There's a "play all" function as well as a sub menu where you can choose a specific episode or where you can jump to a specific chapter. Pretty standard stuff. Since all of the special features are on the fourth side, most of this stuff is strictly episode oriented. Watch out for easter eggs though. I stumbled upon one while navigating through the menus on side one of the first disc. To access it, enter the chapter section menu for the episode "The Canterville Ghost" and then select the back option to return to the main episode menu. Next, press the up button once and you should be automatically taken to a snippet of Lou Scheimer talking about his feelings on nepotism that's pretty funny.
As far as the picture quality goes on these episodes, it's not so hot, maybe a 3 out of five or so. The show looks like it was shot on video and there are plenty of scenes that are hazy with some ghosting and light trails. Nothing that isn't common for TV shows of the 60s and 70s. Like the WKRP set, there's not much restoration work that can be done with video so the quality is about the best it's going to get and probably isn't that far gone from how it looked when it originally aired.
As far as the show itself I was pleasantly surprised. Having missed out on most of the live action children's shows of the late 60s and 70s I've always been curious to see what these shows were like, mostly because it's the sort of programming that my sister grew up with. The show is very campy and crazily over acted, but it's totally on par with stuff like Sesame Street or the Electric Company, though with a lot less education and a lot more laughs. In fact it's a little bit more like Land of the Lost, though obviously not on such an epic scale but it's more about entertaining kids than teaching them anything. Actually the show reminds me a lot of a live action Scooby Doo, only on limited sets with less characters. Tracy is very much cast from the same mold as Scooby Doo, except he grunts and snorts instead of "ralking rike riss."
There are basically three main stars in the show, Forrest Tucker as "Jake" Kong, the leader of the group of ghost busters, Larry Storch plays Spencer, Kong's sidekick and comic foil, and rounding out the group and bringing a little bit of absurdity into the mix is Bob Burns as Tracy the gorilla, playing Harpo Marx to Tucker & Storch's Groucho & Zeppo. Both Storch and Tucker are playing off of the same dynamic that they used in the show F-Troop, so it's certainly refined and comfortable. In a silly twist, Burns is credited as the trainer for Tracy, which lead many people to believe that Tracy was a real gorilla and not Burns in his Gorilla costume.
Each show opens on the same graveyard set where the ghost or creature would introduce themselves and layout the basic plot, typically in search of something in the nearby house or castle. This would then fade into the credits sequence which introduces the Ghost Busters.
Coming from a studio that specialized in animation it was interesting to see Filmation using some animated sequences to bridge the gap between sets, in particular a nicely painted and pretty spooky scene of the nearby old house.
All of the episodes used more or less the same format. A ghost is introduced before the credits roll, then there would be a silly scene with Storch, Tucker and Burns in the Ghost Busters HQ that inevitably ended with Kong ordering Spencer and Tracy out to get their weekly mission from the mysterious Zero. These mission gathering sequences kind of stand out from the rest of the show because they were the only ones shot on location instead of on set. These sequences for all 15 episodes were shot back to back and then edited into the various episodes later to save on production costs.
In each episode, Spencer and Tracy would pull up to a junk shop where Tracy would get an object that would have a hidden secret mission in it from Zero. Playing off of shows like Mission Impossible and Get Smart the object would always self-destruct 3 to 5 seconds after the tape ended blowing up in Tracy's face, a gag that was later utilized in the Inspector Gadget cartoon. Sometimes the message is hidden in a rubber chicken, sometimes in a bike or cake, and it always explodes with a silly effect. The rest of the show would play out with the Ghost Busters bumbling their way in perfect slapstick style to a confrontation with the ghost or creature which would then be dispatched with their ghost dematerializer.
All 15 episodes were written my Marc Richards, and in many cases overnight as the production schedule was rushed for monetary reasons on the show. Because of this the shows all feel very much like they were written in a template style, but honestly it works perfectly for the audience they were shooting for. Yet even with these threadbare plots, insanely over the top visual gags, and bad puns there was also a certain amount of creativity and subtlety. In the first episode, The Maltese Monkey, the resident ghost is a character named Big Al, a gangster who is more or less the mirror twin of Spencer (right down to the cool colored zoot suit and is obviously also played by Storch.) Storch hams up the Big Al character by doing his best Marlon Brando Godfather impression, yet later in the episode when the Spencer character goes under cover as Big Al, Storch switches to his James Cagney, a gag to be sure, but something that would completely go over the head of the target audience. It sure as heck isn't Shakespeare, but it's a welcome bit of good acting and humor that surprised me nonetheless.
The production values on the show were pretty good considering how fast and cheaply it was shot. I believe there were only about five or six sets (a graveyard, a castle, a few rooms, and the GB HQ) and only one actual location (for the "accepting the mission" scenes), and the costume work was decent. They managed to do up a pretty good Frankenstein's monster, thought he runner mask on the wolfman left a little bit to be desired. Then best part of the show though was the gorilla suit that Bob Burns brought with him to the show. In particulat it has an awesome mask that was custom made to fit to Burns' head and face and therefore he can really bring it to life. To this day it's still one of the better gorilla suits I've ever seen.
There were also a nice cadre of guest stars including Billy Barty and Ted Knight who both turn in relatively fun if not crazily over the top performances.
Being a BCI Eclipse box set, the Ghost Busters DVDs have their fair share of special features produced by Andy Mangels.
Included in the special features are interviews with the show's producer and Filmation head honcho Lou Scheimer as well as Bob Burns who both provided the Tracy costume and preformed in it. Burns recalls the story of how he got the gig on the DVDs as well as on his website. Basically he was friends with a lady who was associated on the Ghost Busters project who knew he had a gorilla suit and suggested he try out for the role. Burns is also well known in horror, sci-fi and fantasy circles for his stunning collection of movie props and memorabilia including such sought after treasures as the original armature that served as the skeleton for the original King Kong movie. Peter Jackson sought Burns' help when working on his remake and even gave both Bob and his wife cameos in the film.
The set also features some more basic features including production and behind the scenes photo galleries, trailers, DVD Rom scripts, and an nice collection of trailers from other Filmation DVD sets (already available or upcoming.) The interviews were a little weird as you can see above that the screen was shrunk down to a little box with Ghost Buster imagery behind it. Typically these interviews, shot against green screen like this, are then composited into a show style background like the graveyard or something, and it almost seems as if these were rushed and just dumped on the DVDs.
By far though one of the best special features, and one of my favorite special features that I've seen in recent years, is a bonus episode of the animated spin-off show from 1986. It's interesting to compare and contrast the style of the 70s Filmation style with that of the 80s. The episode included on this set is titled, "I'll be a son of a Ghost Buster" which serves as the origin episode and ties the new series to the old.
All in all, this set, which retails for between $20-$30, is more or less produced with a specific audience in mind, those that grew up with it and want to recapture some childhood nostalgia, so it probably won't appeal to most people, in fact I think most people would probably hate it. But it does have a lot of appeal for those of us that enjoy monster related entertainment, in particular fans of the sillier stuff like Scooby Doo, the Groovie Goolies, the Milton the Monster Show, the Munsters, or the Addams Family. It'll also be of interest to anyone who really digs the 1986 cartoon and wants to know a little bit more about that show's roots.
DVD Review: The original Ghostbusters
Summary: 4 Stars
A long time ago a friend of mine told me that that there was an old Ghostbusters show that was played on Saturday mornings during the seventies. He remembered that the show was something special and felt that the movie made in 1984 had more than a passing glance to this show. Being a fan of the movie, I was tempted to check it out and what sold me on it was the it had Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker from F-Troop. I was pleasantly surprised that this show contains some of the best work from these two actors. I'm not forgetting Bob Burns who plays Tracy, he does well enough for a man dressed in a gorilla suit. The TV show is obviously made for kids, filled with very cheap sets that are used repeatedly from episode to episode, all with similar gags. It is a cross between Scooby Doo and Get Smart. With ghost chases through multiple doors and secret exploding messages from an informer named Zero.
Despite its target audience and low budget, many times the show's cleverness overcomes its handicaps. After watching it, I understood what my friend meant by the movie having more than a passing glance at this show. I cannot believe that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis did not see this show before making the movie. Especially when it comes to the personalities of the three heroes, the sight gags, and their ray gun. If you're a fan of F-Troop this show is a must see. If you're a fan of the Ghostbusters movie it is something that should be checked out. This show is actually a lot of fun and does cause a chuckle every now and again. But don't look for a lot of special effects and high production values.
DVD Review: Awesomely Awesome!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
After YEARS of trying to convince everyone I know that the movie Ghostbusters was not the original and NO one believing me for still more years that this tv series even existed (to the point I almost thought I dreamed it at 10 years old) I finally have DVD proof!! I had not seen a single episode of this since originally aired in '75.
This is goofy at it's best the slapstick/gags are still funny and entertaining.
All I could remember was being irritated as to why the gorilla was named Tracy and the other guy Kong??
This is worth every penny and the interview with Bob Burns is very charming so check it out!
Now if we could only get the original 'Monster Squad' on dvd my life would be complete!!
THIS JUST IN!! The Monster Squad Complete Series will be released June 3rd I suppose my diet of paint chips paid off!
Description of The Ghost Busters - The Complete Series (Filmation, Live Action) (1975)
When trouble calls The Ghost Busters answer! From their run-down office Spencer Tracy and Kong take on assignments no mere mortal could face. Good thing that Spencer and Kong have the super-smart gorilla Tracy on their team! In the super-secret missions assigned to them by the mysterious "Zero" the trio of bumbling detectives confront phantoms vampires werewolves Frankenstein's monster mobsters Vikings magicians and even a devilish dummy! Larry Storch Forrest Tucker and Bob Burns star. Extras include interviews bonus episode rare footage photo galleries Easter eggs episode guide plus trivia & fun facts DVD-ROM scripts for all episodes and more.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:?TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC:?787364722891General DVDs
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in General DVDs
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Full-Screen Edition)Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
![Quantum of Solace [Blu-ray] Image](/images/Quantum-of-Solace-Blu-ray-B001PPLIFU-X.jpg)
Quantum of Solace [Blu-ray]MGM HOME VIDEO (UNDER FOX); Release date: 2009-03-24; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Lost: The Complete Fifth SeasonRelease date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $36.99
Price in other shops:
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Single-Disc Edition)PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2009-10-20; DVD
Best price: $12.25
Price in other shops:
Terminator Salvation (Widescreen Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2009-12-01; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
![G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] Image](/images/G-I-Joe-The-Rise-of-Cobra-Two-Disc-Edition-Digital-Copy-Blu-ray-B002NXSRX4-X.jpg)
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2009-11-03; DVD
Best price: $18.90
Price in other shops:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Two-Disc Limited Special Edition + Digital Copy)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Widescreen Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
![Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy & BD-Live) [Blu-ray] Image](/images/Harry-Potter-and-the-Half-Blood-Prince-Blu-ray-DVD-Combo-Digital-Copy-BD-Live-Blu-ray-B000ZELISO-X.jpg)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Blu-ray/ DVD Combo + Digital Copy & BD-Live) [Blu-ray]Warner Brothers; Release date: 2009-12-08; DVD
Best price: $15.99
Price in other shops:
Star Trek (Single-Disc Edition)PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2009-11-17; DVD
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
The Monster Squad: The Complete Collection (2pc)Monster; Release date: 2009-06-23; DVD
Best price: $21.24
Price in other shops:
Space Sentinels: The Complete Series & The Freedom Force: The Complete SeriesBCI ECLIPSE LLC; Release date: 2006-08-22; DVD
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Mission: Magic! - The Complete SeriesBCI; Release date: 2007-05-08; DVD
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
The Secrets of Isis - The Complete SeriesBCI ECLIPSE LLC; Release date: 2007-07-24; DVD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Groovie Goolies: Saturday Mourning CollectionBCI ECLIPSE LLC; Release date: 2006-10-24; DVD
Best price: $11.88
Price in other shops:
Jason of Star Command - The Complete SeriesJason; Release date: 2007-05-08; DVD
Best price: $16.96
Price in other shops:
Ark II: The Complete SeriesBCI ECLIPSE LLC; Release date: 2006-11-07; DVD
Best price: $13.86
Price in other shops:
Space Academy: The Complete SeriesBCI ECLIPSE LLC; Release date: 2007-01-16; DVD
Best price: $5.24
Price in other shops:
Filmation's Ghostbusters - The Animated Series, Vol. 1BCI ECLIPSE LLC; Release date: 2007-02-27; DVD
Best price: $9.94
Price in other shops:
Filmation's Ghostbusters - The Animated Series, Vol. 2BCI ECLIPSE LLC; Release date: 2007-07-03; DVD
Best price: $4.98
Price in other shops: