Dr. Mabuse Collection
by Harald Reinl, Hugo Fregonese, Victor De Santis
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Daliah Lavi, Fausto Tozzi, Gert Fröbe, Lex Barker, Werner PetersDirector: Harald Reinl, Hugo Fregonese, Victor De Santis
Brand: Image Entertainment
Writer: Alexander Welbat
Writer: Artur Brauner
Writer: Ladislas Fodor
Writer: Marc Behm
Writer: Norbert Jacques
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Black & White, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 270 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-01-09
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Dr. Mabuse Collection
Movie Review: Not what we'd like -- and yet the movies shine through...
Summary: 4 Stars
I hope I'm as much a Dr. Mabuse fan as any American can be -- or maybe I should say "mind-controlled slave of Dr. Mabuse." I relish the wonderful All-Day versions of 1,000 Eyes (The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse) and the Testament remake (Testament Of Dr. Mabuse/ The Crimes Of Dr. Mabuse), the definitive Criterion Testament (The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse - Criterion Collection), and any one of the many dips from Image of the original (Dr. Mabuse - The Gambler). I've also devoured Kalat's scholarly book on the series (Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse: A Study of the Twelve Films and Five Novels). So like some of the disappointed reviewers above, I was initially elated to see three more Mabuse films appear from Image -- and then really let down when I realized this collection was of the truncated, pan/scan, English-dubbed T.V. versions.
But here's my four-star twist: Once I purchased this can't-argue-with-the-price collection and actually sat down to watch -- and once my inner critic stopped grumbling over the off-putting voice coming out of Gert Frobe -- I found myself really enjoying these films, especially Return of Dr. Mabuse. Yes, the three Fritz Lang films show Lang at his pulpy best, and yes, the other editions are far more satisfying from a DVD collector standpoint. And, just as Kalat notes in his writing and his many Mabuse commentaries, the series indeed becomes a stream of quickie, low-budget, no-star knock-offs. But this disc reminds me that I love those kinds of films as well -- I've got plenty of Hollywood noir and cheapo sci-fi silliness with less production value. And there's never been a villian as compelling as Mabuse to carry fear and loathing through so many years and incarnations. Even with the cheap sets and cheap Lang-imitation direction, I still found myself drawn into these stories. So my four stars are in consideration of that -- for a Mabuse fan on the Region 1 side of the universe, this is still a treat, and likely the best we'll see for a long time.
If I could have Mabuse-style power over the DVD execs, I'd actually push them for a "Collection Volume 2" that included "Dr. Mabuse vs. Scotland Yard" and the Jess Franco "Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse" before I'd force them to redo this one -- yes, I'd take even bad U.S. prints of those. That's my feeling, anyway. (Or what the man with the microphone is TELLING me to feel. It's hard to be sure.)
Summary of Dr. Mabuse Collection
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