GurlyIamBeach
Instant Favorite.
Majorthebys
Charming and brutal
Solidrariol
Am I Missing Something?
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Spooks!" is a 16-minute black-and-white short film from 1953, so this one will have its 65th anniversary next year. If the names White and Adler don't tell you already what to expect here, then the names Howard² and Fine definitely should. This is another Three Stooges short movie, but despite the age it is far from one of their early ones. The days of War were long over already, so no anti-German propaganda in here and at that time Curly was also dead already and Shemp was his permanent replacement after his own untimely death. The story here with slight not too creepy horror elements was nothing too usual for the gang, but it worked very well I must say and had a bit of a cartoon touch to it. Moe, Larry and Shemp need to save a damsel in distress from a mad scientist, his assistant brute and a hairy gorilla. Lots of mayhem ensues, but also a funny scene here and there next to the usual overthetopness. I am generally not a huge Stooges fan, but I somewhat liked this one here. One of my favorites from the gang and looking at how many of their works I have seen, this means quite something. Oh yeah and I also realized how much Moe and Shemp resemble each other physically. All in all, I enjoyed the watch and I give this quarter of an hour a thumbs-up. Worth checking out.
mmcgee282
This is the continuing blog of the Blu ray 3D Mad Magician,which include this short.Back in 75 I had gotten the 8mm 50 foot version.This was the first time I saw the movie in 3D at home .I saw the full sound version in 3D on t.v. back in 82.This version ,the print, was so digitally cleaned up that it revealed the special effect techniques that the film maker did not want you to see.In the Anaglyph version,in the beginning title,you saw a black black ground and the three stooges heads floating to the camera and back.In the digital version their bodies wearing black sheets are revealed ,in three Dee ,and you see that they are walking up to the camera and walking back.I did not see this in that Anaglyph version.That is what I call clarity.It's a typical story about kidnapped girls and the boys being detectives, with mad scientist and gorilla added to and a 3D pie throwing .The scene where the mad scientist, played by Philip van Zandt, is chasing the boys with a needle.I did not realize until I saw this clear version that it was large one for the 3d effects It had the typical burlesque violence in a 3d coming out at you style.It was shot in Vitascope ,actually 1:85:1Presnted this way in it's ratio.Fun. 01/15/16
dbborroughs
The Stooges play detectives hired by a rich man to find his missing daughter. They go to a run down (read haunted) house dressed as pie salesmen (I don't know) and search the house. In the basement a mad doctor, his assistant and a gorilla are holding the young woman captive. Its a thread bare plot which purely an excuse for haunted house mayhem and for things to be thrust at the camera. As with all 3-D films some of the effects work better than others with things like Moe's fingers, his foot or a thrown pen not working well, while pies (They are pie salesmen) and other objects fare better. For the most part this is the better of the two 3D shorts since there is at least some attempt at a plot. In all fairness this probably would have been better longer since the film never amounts to more than an excuse for mayhem. I've only seen this as a 3D film (I had this as an old 8MM high light reel) and I doubt this would work as anything other than a 3-D film. Worth a look for 3-D fans.
Movie Nuttball
On a local Television station I saw this funny Three Stooges in true 3D! There was another one in 3D called Pardon My Backfire! Spooks! was really already in 3D like when Moe would do his stuff like kicking Shemp or when one of the bad guys did something it would come right into the screen! What I mean by true 3D is that it had the color like the famous colors! It was a cool experience!Spooks! is a good one! Philip Van Zandt and Tom Kennedy played their parts very good! The gorilla is funny! It has a very spook nature like some of the other Three Stooges shorts which like them, Spooks! is great to watch around Halloween time! Like the other 3D short, this too has the different introduction with the stooges doing it live instead of the usual intro! With the 3D experience or without it Spooks! is a very funny Three Stooges to short watch!