In Search Of… – The Complete Series (1976 – 1982, 2002/Millennium/VEI DVD Box Set)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: A-
In Search Of… Those words conjure up the voice of Leonard
Nimoy as well as a lot of unexplained phenomena. When I was a little boy this TV show was in
syndication and the first episode I saw (on Channel 9 WWOR out of NY) scared
the devil out of me - and I guess that's ironic considering the episode
was In Search Of… The Amityville Horror.
But we'll get back to that episode and
move on to what the In Search Of… DVD box set is all about. Here’s a little background first…
The show
was originally on CBS from 1976-1982 followed by a long shelf in syndication
where two generations discovered it. Most
recently it was on The History Channel in the late 1990s ending in 2002. Every episode looked at a mystery or some form
of strange phenomena as Leonard Nimoy would narrate and appear (in most
episodes he appeared but not all). The music, narration, and subjects of discovery
all added to the mystique and eeriness of the proceedings (Moon Madness has some great music…at least to the hardcore fan).
The DVD
box set from VEI (Visual Entertainment Inc.) contains all 6 seasons, that's 144
episodes, as well as 2 original pilot episodes that featured Rod Serling - and
the Mitch Pileggi 8 episode revival from 2002. But real, hardcore fans are not getting this
for Serling or Pileggi - this is all about Nimoy and Co. as they go around the
world and try and inform us, while also scaring us.
In Search
Of… looks the best it ever has as the episodes have been cleaned up, not
remastered but at least touched up. They are all presented in their original TV
format at 1.33:1, filmed on 16mm stocks.
The lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is as good as it is going to get in
this codec, but it is fine as expected. There is some grain here and there on the
episode prints throughout the set, but this is as good as a show from the 1970s
should look. In fact, some of the
graininess adds to the scare factor. And
every episode is original - not the truncated versions that appeared on A&E
or The History Channel down to the original opening and closing credits. The good news is that these episodes look a
little 'brighter' than they did on cable, especially later syndicated prints
which could be very dull.
There are
no extras (unless you count the Rod Serling or 2002 episodes, but we will not),
but having the entire series is a big enough treat. (Note: there were many rumors that the Lee
Harvey Oswald episode might not be included for copyright reasons but here it
is!) Look, the way I see it is you're
either a fan or not. And I'm a huge fan.
A lot of these episodes hold up and are
really cool to watch. Some of the
highlights of the series include:
--The
Bermuda Triangle (a strange caller calls a radio station and spooks the hell
out of him and trust me, this will freak you out as well!)
--The
Lost Dutchman Mine (this lost treasure in Arizona's
Superstition Mountains is still unaccounted for)
--Michael
Rockefeller (did he drown off the coast of New Guinea? was he captured by
headhunters? is he still alive in the wild?)
--Bermuda
Triangle Pirates (spooky and sad as modern day pirates kill and plunder, almost
like a precursor for Unsolved Mysteries)
--The
Amityville Horror (this episode is scarier than the movie, there is some scary
stuff going on here, don't say I didn't warn you about the dolls eyes!)
--Jimmy
Hoffa (lots of great insight into the man and the mystery surrounding his
disappearance)
--Abominable
Snowman (the Yeti is high up on many fans list as the creepiest of the creepy
episodes)
--D.B.
Cooper (the mystery of the infamous skyjacker, still unsolved & still
intriguing)
--Lee
Harvey Oswald (a look at the man and the JFK assassination, featuring theories
still around today)
--Moon
Madness (this was always a favorite - do people really go insane when the moon
is full and the tide is high?)
--The
Ultimate Disaster (a classic episode - why? - because according to this we
should all be dead now)
--Some
other highlights are: Jim Jones, MIAs, Nostradamus, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy,
The Missing Heir, and the San Andreas Fault.
And high up on the scare meter are Jack the Ripper, Haunted Castles,
and UFO Captives.
If you
are a fan - go grab this set - which from what I can tell is only available
online at either Amazon or through VEI directly. If you're not a fan, try and check it out -
you won't be disappointed. The shows are
cool, the subjects intriguing, and Leonard Nimoy is along for the ride lending
the right mix of knowledge and cool to each episode. So, if you'll excuse me, it's time to go In Search Of…
- H.M. Vons
