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I honestly don’t
think there has ever been a cooler show
than “Unsolved Mysteries.” It
ranks right up there with “America’s
Most Wanted” as the ultimate in reality
shows. Week after week, viewers were treated
to dramatizations of such varied situations
as haunted houses, lost loves and bizarre
murders. It was hosted by Robert Stack,
who years earlier had become a TV icon having
played Eliot Ness in the series, “The
Untouchables.” He was the perfect
choice to host the series, as his stoic
visage and recognizable voice lent him a
credibility that would have been hard-pressed
to find in another actor. Viewers felt they
could trust Stack, which made the stories
that much more believable. The series was
so popular that it ran for an incredible
14 years on NBC, and racked up an impressive
list of over 300 ‘solved’ cases.
I used to watch “Unsolved Mysteries”
almost religiously, and often caught stories
that I was familiar with or involved people
I knew personally.
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Though I never helped to solve a mystery myself,
I did know one of the actors that was used in
a dramatization of a guy that had faked his death
in a car crash. What I think elevated the series
beyond that of other similar shows, was the fact
that so many of the mysteries ended up being solved.
Criminals were caught and lost loves and family
members were reunited (the latter often causing
me to tear up a bit…). That was why the
best part of the show was the updates.
I had always wondered if the series would ever
get released on DVD, and if it did how it would
be done. Finally, there’s a studio taking
up the task. First Look Media is banking on the
fact the series was popular enough to warrant
the release of the series on DVD. And I think
they’re going about it the right way. They
are shying away from the full season sets that
have become so popular with TV shows, and are
instead opting to release 4-disc sets that focus
on particular subjects. For example, they have
already released a set devoted entirely to the
best UFO stories as well as another that is all
about Ghosts. They’ve also released on specifically
catering to Miracles.
Now they are releasing 2 more sets, this time
devoted to Bizarre Murders and Psychics. The first
set features stories on some famous killers, such
as The Boston Strangler, while most of the others
have remained beneath the radar of the mainstream
media. But to be sure, these murders are gruesome,
and not without question about their provocation.
The other set, Psychics, focuses its attention
on the idea that there is more to the mind than
meets the eye. Throughout the many stories presented
here, the question arises as to whether or not
it really is possible to predict the future or
communicate with the dead.
The reason I feel this style of release works
is because the subject matter on the series was
so varied that releasing them in full season sets
might not appeal to viewers who only watched the
show for the Ghost stories. In releasing them
by the types of stories, consumers will probably
be more apt to at least pick up the sets that
include the subject they are most interested in.
I don’t have a full set handy for this review,
but from the sample discs I’ve seen it appears
that the packaging will be done using the super
slim cases, which in turn will be housed in a
slipcover. Each set will have 4 discs, which will
generally add up to about 6 hours of materials.
The sample discs I had included several stories
each, and the only complaint I had was that the
chapter stops were not set up after every story.
The chapter stops seemed random and often cut
into the middle of a story. I’m not sure
if this is the case with the final product, but
it would certainly be better if you could jump
to a particular story if you so desired.
Each set is also going to include extra features,
which range from commentaries to featurettes.
But again the sample discs I watched did not have
any of the features so I cannot comment as to
their length or quality.
I hope the sets sell well. If they do, perhaps
all of the stories will eventually make their
way onto the DVD market. And who knows, if you
pick up a set and watch some of the stories, perhaps
you can help solve a mystery.
Hosted by: Robert Stack
Specifications: Full Screen (4:3), Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: First Look Media
Release Date: Available
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Unsolved Mysteries a B.
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