Search - Mr. Moto Collection, Vol. 1 (Mr. Moto Takes A Chance / Mysterious Mr. Moto / Thank You Mr. Moto / Think Fast Mr. Moto) (4DVD) on DVD

Unadvertised bonus features and great transfers

Steve Owens | United States | 07/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fox has not publicized the bonus features on this long awaited collections so, for the benefit of those who are curious, here's what is included in this collection:

1. featurettes on Peter Lorre, Director Norman Foster, Producer Sol Wurtzal, and Lorre's personal stuntman Harvey Parry. The same crew that did the excellent featurettes on the Chan collection did these as well.

2. Trailers for two of the films

3. a clip of the Ritz Brothers doing a skit while impersonating Lorre, Karloff, and Laughton (attached to the end of one of the featurettes)

4. Restoration comparison (the prints used for the DVDsare said to look excellent)

Fox has followed up their great Chan box with the even more rare Moto series. Hopefully Moto Vol 2 will be out before the end of the year.

Highly recommended.

"

Interesting and fun, 70 years later

Michael R. Broschat | Arlington, VA USA | 08/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've long been a fan of JP Marquand's Mr Moto novels. Although Mr Moto is Japanese, all stories center on China, and therefore the volatile decade of the 1930s. Japan had taken over part of China in 1931, and took much of China proper beginning in 1937. The Mr Moto stories take place against that background. They are masterfully written by a reknowned American writer, even though clearly for a magazine-type popular readership.

The films have nothing to do with the stories at all, save for a title or two and the character of Mr Moto. That's fine with me. The stories appeal to me for their writing, not for their plots, but I wanted to see what the US film world of the 1930s was doing with this fine fictional character. I was a bit anxious, because I had obtained and watched volume 1 of the Charlie Chan DVD collection, and although I liked the "talking heads" portion of the DVD set, I thought the films only barely watchable.

What a delightful surprise. The films seem to have a slightly higher production value (they're not quite so tied to the soundstage environment of the B movies of the day), but what makes them such a wonderful experience to watch 70 years later is the portrayal of Mr Moto by Peter Lorre. I think that the scripts are better than the Chan movies, too, but time and time again it is the impressiveness of Lorre that saves a hokey scene or adds the necessary touch of seriousness to a situation frought with camp.

I won't get a second volume of Charlie Chan, but most assuredly will buy the second volume of Mr Moto, if it is produced. Might I add that the restoration of the films is also most remarkable. They look better on my widescreen TV than they ever did in the movie theater.
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At Long Last -- The Great Mr. Moto, and Peter Lorre!!!

Jeffrey E. Ford | Terre Haute, IN United States | 05/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At long last, the people at Fox video are opening the vaults to release the classic Mr. Moto films starring the great Peter Lorre. If Fox is releasing the films in order, the films in the set should be THINK FAST, MR. MOTO (1937), THANK YOU, MR. MOTO (1938), MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE (1938), and MR. MOTO TAKES A CHANCE (1938). Since none of the Moto films have ever been offically released (with the exception of 1939's MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING, for some reason in the public domain), this deluxe DVD debut of the Japanese detective/adventurer is a cause for celebration. Hopefully, Fox will show as much care with this set (and as much care with the set of four Charlie Chan films that are also finally coming out from cold storage) as they did with the recent release of their Laurel and Hardy films, with excellent commentaries, notes, and extras. Please Fox, give us the rest of the Moto films soon!"

Mr. Moto Collection

A Lorre Fan | 05/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can't wait to see these films -- which are remastered prints. They are not, however, the first four movies in the Mr. Moto series, but the box-set does include two of the best in the series. These are the films: "Think Fast, Mr. Moto", "Thank You, Mr. Moto", "Mr. Moto Takes a Chance", and "Mysterious Mr. Moto". I hope we won't have to wait too long for the second box-set.
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