The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection

Description

The hunt for those seemingly countless Little Rascals
releases is over. For the first time ever, all 80 of Hal Roach’s original
1929-1938 classic shorts featuring Buckwheat, Spanky, Alphalpha, and the rest
of Our Gang-from the era before Roach sold the rights to MGM-are available
here in one package. Included among this complete collection of uncut,
remastered, and restored episodes are numerous contributions of various types
from noted film historians, an additional 10 silent shorts from Hal Roach’s
personal library, several documentaries including a look at racism as it
pertains to the show, a special where are they now update featuring some of
the surviving cast members, and much more…. Children, with their
fusion of innocence and mischief, can be natural comedians, and The Little
Rascals plunders youthful exuberance for all it’s worth. This series of short
films (a.k.a. Our Gang) is most famous for a handful of glorious imps: Spanky,
the scheming ringleader; Alfalfa, the softhearted second-in-command; and
Buckwheat, with his skeptical sideways looks and big smiles. But over the
years there were dozens of Rascals, and The Little Rascals: The Complete
Collection features just about all of them, spanning 80 talkie shorts (with
three silent shorts included in the extra features). Historians and
nostalgists speak fondly about how natural the kids were, but that’s nonsense
–the kids that stand out are the ones who act like little adults, such as
when Jackie and Chubby compete for their pretty schoolteacher’s affections, or
when Spanky and Alfalfa conduct the He-Man Woman Haters Club like middle-aged
Shriners, or when the kids all put on a show (the Our Gang Follies in 1936 and
1938 are pretty impressive theatrical spectacles). The earlier years were
rougher in structure and more improvisational, but as the series went along it
became more scripted and shaped. Contemporary audiences are likely to prefer
these later productions. The Little Rascals can also righteously claim to be a
racial groundbreaker, with its depiction of African-American and white kids
playing together, with black kids–particularly Matthew “Stymie” Beard–
frequently taking the lead in the shenanigans. Nonetheless, viewers should be
prepared for stereotypes, all common to the era and without any real malice,
but hardly pleasant. This painful element gets addressed in several of the
bonus features; in one of four interviews with surviving Rascals, Dickie Moore
reflects acutely on the racism of the time and tells some powerful anecdotes.
All of these interviews are fascinating and among the best reasons for any fan
of The Little Rascals to own this set–though this incredible abundance of
Little Rascals material seems pretty must-have for anyone with fond memories
of watching these kids, either on TV or the big screen. –Bret Fetzer

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Comedy
• Format: Multiple Formats, Mono, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC
• Contributor: Little Rascals, Na
• Language: English
• Number Of Discs: 8
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 15.2 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 81205
• Director ‏ : ‎ Na
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Mono, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 22 hours and 52 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2008
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Little Rascals