The Addams Family - Volume 2

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: B+     Episodes: B

 

 

They’re Creepy.  They’re Kooky.  And they are now back on DVD.  The Addams Family: Volume Two has eerily arrived in the format as The Adams Family: Volume Two finishes up Season One and makes it a third of the way through Season Two (leaving about 20 episodes left for a Volume 3).  The Addams Family was Goth before Goth was ‘cool,’ and in many ways did pave the way for Tim Burton inspirations as well as most of the junk you can buy at Hot Topic.  Each episode of The Addams Family is extremely creative and entertaining, and it is sad that the series has not gained the recognition or popularity as the more recent Addams Family films (though they are good too).  Maybe these DVDs will bring the original Addams Family series to the foreground as the innovative series that it is.

 

The sad reality of The Addams Family series is that there are not many left to tell the tale.  All but John Astin (Gomez), Ken Weatherwax (Pugsley), and Lisa Loring (Wednesday) have passed on to that creepy mansion in the sky.  The other greats of the television series and Hollywood like Carolyn Jones (Morticia) who died of cancer and Ted Cassidy (Lurch) who died of a heart issues are fondly remembered and will always be admired for what they contributed to film and television alike.

 

The Addams Family series is always original and entertaining.  Here are the episodes that appear on this set:

 

1)     Thing is Missing

2)     Crisis in the Addams Family

3)     Lurch and his Harpsichord

4)     Morticia, the Breadwinner

5)     The Addams Family and the Spaceman (guest star Vito Scotti)

6)     My Son, the Chimp

7)     Morticia’s Favorite Charity

8)     Progress and the Addams Family

9)     Uncle Fester’s Toupee (guest stars Elisabeth Frazer)

10)  Cousin Itt and the Vocational Counselor

11)  Lurch, the Teenage Idol

12)  The Wishing of Morticia Addams (guest stars Lee Bergere and Jan Arvan)

13)  My Fair Cousin Itt

14)  Morticia’s Romance (Parts I & II with guest stars Margaret Hamilton)

15)  Morticia Meets Royalty

16)  Gomez, the People’s Choice

17)  Cousin Itt’s Problem

18)  Halloween – Addams Style

19)  Morticia, the Writer (guest stars Peter Bonerz)

20)  Morticia, the Sculptress

 

 

The technical features on the double sided, 3-disc, DVD set are adequate but definitely need some work.  The picture is OK in its 1.33 X 1 Full Screen format, but could have used some digital remastering and possibly an anamorphic widescreen treatment.  The picture does occasionally have a light or faded appearance due to the Black & White filming, but overall the black and white is classic and crisp.  The sound is once again in Dolby Digital Mono and has little issues, but can sound compressed at times as well as having a bit of grain.  The sound for its age however is pretty good.

 

The extras on this MGM release are admirable.  Extras include such great features as ‘Mad about the Addams Featurette: Experts discuss the history and impact of the show’ that is very insightful and well made, ‘Thing and Cousin Itt Commentaries: Watch two kooky characters comment as you view their favorite scenes’ that is interesting and fun, ‘Guest Star Séance Interactive Featurette: A magical crystal ball conjures guest star clips an trivia’ that is humorous and fun, trivia, and commentaries by author Stephen Cox.  Overall, the extras are scarily good and will make many fans happy.

 

So until Volume Three, snap your fingers, pet your cousin, and wear some black.

 

 

-   Michael P Dougherty II