Three Stooges, 2 Pack

Starring:Everett Brown, Vernon Dent, Larry Fine, Moe Howard, Shemp Howard, Johnny Kascier, Frank Lackteen, George J. Lewis, Joe Palma
Director: Jules White
Studio: Madacy Records
Product Type: DVD

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

Average customer rating:

THIS REAL FAN PREFERS THE COLOR - A TESTAMENT
What a mistake
The law of diminishing nyuks?
Curly in color. Amazing feat.
GOOD JOB ON THE COLOR- BIG SURPISE!

The Three Stooges - Goofs on the Loose / Stooged & Confoosed (Colorized / Black & White)
Starring: Curly Howard , Larry Fine , Moe Howard , Al Thompson , and Dick Curtis
Director: Charley Chase , Jules White , and Del Lord
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Three Stooges: Stooges on the Run
The Three Stooges - Stooges and the Law
The Three Stooges in Color
The Three Stooges: Stooges at Work
The Three Stooges - Three Stooges in History

ASIN: B0002A2WFO
Release Date: 2004-08-10

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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.

Average customer rating:

4-star shorts, but we've all seen them.
Beware non-Columbia Stooges videos
If it seems too good to be true...

Three Stooges, 2 Pack
Starring: Everett Brown , Vernon Dent , Larry Fine , Moe Howard , and Shemp Howard
Director: Jules White
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00000IC84
Release Date: 2000-02-01

Customer Reviews:

4-star shorts, but we've all seen them........2002-02-03

Don't get me wrong, all four of these shorts are great, but haven't they been released enough? DISORDER IN THE COURT, MALICE IN THE PALACE, SING A SONG OF SIX PANTS, and BRIDELESS GROOM have been released on about fifty different videos, and now on DVD. BRIDELESS GROOM, SING A SONG, and DISORDER have been released in better quality by Columbia once or twice, but Shemp's most famous short MALICE IN THE PALACE is not on any Columbia Tristar collection yet. I like these shorts, but DVD's should be better that videos and need different shorts. After all, Columbia still hasn't released 55 of the Stooges films.

Beware non-Columbia Stooges videos.......1999-12-13

The four movies included in this set -- 'Disorder In The Court', 'Malice In The Palace', 'Sing A Song Of Six Pants' and 'Brideless Groom' -- are in the public domain, which means anyone with recording equipment and a copy of the movie can release their own video. Frequently, the results are of poor video/audio quality (although the movies themselves are quite good -- 'Brideless Groom' is one of the funniest Stooge comedies ever). Columbia has just released an 'official' Stooges DVD (with six of the films on one disc) -- hopefully the first of many. Stick with Columbia, and avoid these cheap knock-offs.

If it seems too good to be true..........1999-12-08

The selection of shorts is only fair, the video quality poorand there are just two 25-minute shorts on each DVD! Almost enough todissuade me from trying other Stooge DVD's.