8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Although aired on television in the 1950s under the popular Little Rascals brand, these comedy classics are presented in their original uncut "Our Gang" theatrical editions.
Comedy | 100% |
Family | 47% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
ClassicFlix is continuing its travels through the often sweet and charming world of The Little Rascals, having already offered fans both The Little Rascals Volume 1 and The Little Rascals Volume 2. This volume continues ClassicFlix's chronological approach to releasing these beloved shorts, this time offering eleven offerings from 1932 and 1933. Probably of more interest than production years, though, is the fact that this volume also introduces one of the most fondly remembered characters in the annals of The Little Rascals, George "Spanky" McFarland.
The Little Rascals, The ClassicFlix Restorations Volume 3 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of ClassicFlix with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.38:1. The restoration comparison featurette on this disc, while different from the one included on , does offer the same background information on the transfers and restorations:
Original nitrate film elements for the iconic Hal Roach "Our Gang" film series, later to be known as "The Little Rascals", have languished in studio vaults for decades without any urgency or desire to preserve, restore and release these beloved short subjects with presentations worthy of their status in popular culture.I'd rate this Volume 3 a general if slight step up from Volume 2, though there are still some "baked in" issues that the restoration hasn't been able to completely eliminate. There is some really appealing fine detail on display throughout many of these shorts, with things like patterns on clothing or textures of fabrics being rendered with appealing precision. As with the two other volumes in this set, clarity and general detail levels can ebb and flow between shorts, and frankly at times even within any given short. ClassicFlix tends to do an excellent job balancing the needs for cleaning up badly damaged source elements with attempts at preserving a natural, organically filmic appearance, and if things can look just slightly soft and even filtered on occasion, there is certainly a grain field in evidence and all in all, my hunch is fans of The Little Rascals will be generally well pleased with the results.
ClassicFlix has endeavored to right this wrong by seeking out and finding the best available film elements for each short in this collection.
The Little Rascals, The ClassicFlix Restorations Volume 3 offers another round of DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks that are very much in keeping with what was heard on the first two volumes. As I mentioned in our The Little Rascals Volume 2 Blu-ray review, the sound restoration here, while perhaps not as immediately visceral as the video presentation, is remarkable in its own right, and things like large pops and cracks have been dutifully dealt with. The tracks are still very much of their time period, when sound technology was still in its infancy, which can lead to thinness in music and an overall pretty shallow sound. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Between Spanky, Stymie and Dickie (and, for dog lovers, Pete), the "cuteness quotient" of this set of shorts is almost incalculable. ClassicFlix is continuing its commendable offering to fans of a nice chronological tour of the Little Rascals shorts in versions that, while perhaps not practically perfect in every way, are generally much nicer looking and sounding than any previous versions I've personally seen. Recommended.
The ClassicFlix Restorations
1922-1938
The ClassicFlix Restorations
1922-1938
The ClassicFlix Restorations
1922-1938
1922-1938
1922-1938
Hal Roach's Rascals / Our Gang from 1922
1922-1938
1968
1993
2003
1995
1997
2003
2010
2007
2004
2018
1984-1992
2003
2006
1997
2023
2013-2014
1962-1971
1989
2020
1987