Search - Pufnstuf on DVD

It's about time they reissued this!

Orange Drink | Asheville, NC USA | 07/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw a bootleg letterboxed copy of this about seven or eight years ago at a friend's house up in Northern California, and I was astonished. All this is, really, is a 90-minute "H.R. Pufnstuf" episode, but it's one of the best ones ever conceived. In keeping with the times (and, quite possibly, the film's "real" potential audience) there are quickly intercut visual effects that look like they were stolen from the "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" section of "2001" throughout. It's a little thin plotwise (who watches this stuff for plot, anyway?), but there are plenty of musical numbers to keep the viewer entertained and amused. It's worth the price of admission alone to see Mama Cass Eliot (she plays Witchiepoo's friend Witch Hazel - yuk yuk) talking on the telephone while sitting in a bathtub full of food! Sadly, there's no "See You Next Week!" sign-off at the end of the movie, which may disappoint some. That's just a small quibble, though. Fans of Sid & Marty Krofft's work shouldn't miss out on this, and it also deserves shelf space in the collection of any fan of camp or Psychotronic stuff. Incredible."

The DVD is heavily cropped

Mopsy | 09/08/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Near the start of the film, when Jimmy is walking the white picket fence, the top and bottom of the lamppost are missing. They were always there before. When he runs through the gate at school, the roof of the building is cut off as is much of the foreground. It's this way throughout the entire film. There should be a warning on this that it has been modified to remove much of the original image. It's really a shame to dishonor such a terrific movie this way."

Great to see this movie in widescreen!

Paul Schneider | 05/24/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I will start by saying I grew up on H.R. Pufnstuf. And I saw this movie in a theatre when I was eight years old. So it's a big blast from the past for me.

The film is great. Not anything Oscar-worthy, but it's highly entertaining from start to finish. The music is really good, in a groovalicious sort of '60s way. Not generic, either. I still hum these melodies and sing the lyrics nearly 40 years after its release! The solid music score and songs are topped off by the outstanding "Different" sung by Mama Cass. What a great number! This is her one and only feature film as an actress, and at least she makes a memorable impression. She's genuinely funny as the gossipy, over-the-top, jealous Witch Hazel. And her scenes with Billie Hayes (Witchipoo) are the best in the movie. Then there's Jack Wild, who manages to be "sincere" in this crazy world of oversized puppets, painted flat sets, and piano-wire special effects.

As for the DVD---it's a very strong release. Picture quality is highly respectable for the most part, even if it's not a fully remastered print. The colors are vibrant and true, and the picture is clear even with some (expected) film grain throughout. And the 2.0 mono mix is strong. The music and dialogue sound rich and clear. The best part is that this DVD has been mastered in anamorphic widescreen (aka "enhanced for 16x9 TVs). I have not seen this movie in widescreen since I was eight. And it really feels like a movie now, rather than an expanded episode of the TV show.

Minor quibbles: There are times throughout the film where it goes out of sync. Only for certain shots or scenes, most notably during the big "Living Island" production number toward the very beginning. In that case, it's pretty distracting, but in other cases, it's only slightly questionable. I'm surprised this happens, since most of the film is in sync. I'm not sure why it loses sync only at random moments. I realize they used ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) for the costumed actors whose voices were replaced with dubbing, but I'm speaking about Jimmy, Witchipoo, etc. It's very strange. Fortunately, except for the one big production number, whenever it happens, it's not too terrible.

Other than that, it's a little surprising to see all the seams in the costumes, the wires used for flying shots, and the uneven lines and seams in all the makeup. Things I never noticed before. But because it's blown up on a big screen on DVD now, they are suddenly noticeable.

Bottom line: I recommend this movie and this DVD for anyone who has seen it before, and anyone who has ever loved Pufnstuf or the Krofft Saturday morning TV shows. You're in for a real treat!

Extras: There are some forced trailers at the beginning, including the hilarious new trailer for the film version of "Land of the Lost" starring Will Farrell. And there is also a vintage trailer for "Pufnstuf" the movie. That's it. But having the movie in widescreen after all these years is reason enough to shell out the (very reasonable) expense!"

Childhood Memories Come Alive

Paul Schneider | 11/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just bought the video. I remember this television show with fond memories and was so looking forward to this movie finally coming on video. I saw it years ago on the Disney Channel. Now all these years later it still hasn't lost any of it's charm. My only complaint is that on the video box it list Martha Raye as the original Witchiepoo but as anyone who is a Pufnstuf fanatic will know that it is a misprint and Billie Hayes is and will always be Witchiepoo. Now I wait for it to come out on DVD."