Being a child in the ‘90s (fully aware I’m dating myself here) and being a product of my generation and growing up with a home theatre, satellite tv, not being athletic, and spending more time in a movie theatre or in front of a screen than I did breathing, I was exposed to a lot of Scooby-Doo. As an adult, Scoob and the gang have been a constant in my life and I even adore Scrappy Doo (fight me), so when Warner Archive slowly and surely started releasing some of the all-time bonafide hits, I knew I had to get my hands on as many of them as I humanly could.
Now, looking at this duo pack of Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost and Scooby-Doo! and the Alien Invaders may seem like a *weird* double bill other than dealing with supernatural elements, but there is something more in common with these two titles that, as an adult, I appreciate more than I did as a child. I don’t want to go ahead and spoil 24-25-year-old movies, because that’s not right, but these movies break the mold of Scooby-Doo films with their endings. If you’ve seen them, you know exactly what I am talking about, and if you haven’t, you’ll certainly find out sooner rather than later. What I will say though, despite breaking the molds (and most likely the reason why these didn’t stick with me as much as more-classic capers did as a child), at their core, they’re still a Scooby-Dooby Doo mystery and have a level of heart, especially in Alien Invaders, that hasn’t always been seen.
Let’s get into the grit of things: the quality of the transfer of these 25-year-old movies. If you were a ‘90s child or were a kid at heart, you probably wore these tapes to death and repurchased or were gifted your favourites on DVD in the early 2000s. These 1080p Blu-ray transfers look arguably better than some 4K UHD movies out there today. The way these movies have gotten a second life and pop and look so spectacular never ceases to amaze me or completely blow me away. These movies which were so meticulously crafted and made with such love, care, and attention, are given new life with the vibrance of a new HD transfer and the allowance for these to pop and truly be admired for the special pieces of cinematic ecstasy that they are. Maybe I am biased, but Scooby-Doo adventures are just the quintessential happy place; they’re never exceedingly long, they warm the soul, and the new presentation just captures that childhood innocence and lack of care as you get swept away in the gang’s mystery so effortlessly.
Now, here is where Velma loses her glasses, so to speak, and everyone has a collective eye roll and we eventually move on moments later. The special features are practically non-existent, which is on par with most of Warner Archive’s releases. It is all legacy features with nothing new added, so we have two making-of features which stand at 10-odd minutes collectively. Seeing some behind-the-scenes moments (specifically off of Witch’s Ghost) with Tim Curry (Muppet Treasure Island) and Billy Ray Cyrus (Spy Next Door) was a blast from the past and fun, but added absolutely nothing to the viewing experience. At the end of day, if you’re purchasing these Warner Archives of Scooby-Doo (or anything really), you’re looking for the quintessential viewing experience and are less bothered, while it may be nice, by the lack of special features. The old, dimmed, faded DVDs are most likely easily accessible, but you’re losing the ability to see the vibrant and beautiful essence and soul of these classic tales.
Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost and Scooby-Doo! and the Alien Invaders are two classic Mystery gang adventures that capture the heart and imagination of their viewers. While the features lack, the massive upgrade in quality is more than enough to get audiences to open their wallets and solve the mystery of what to do with their disposable income. Be sure to grab this Mystery Inc. duo pack to truly appreciate and love the chaotic adventures of a pup named Scooby-Doo and his gang of mystery solving friends on beautifully restored Blu-rays!
Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost and Scooby-Doo! and the Alien Invaders Special Features:
- Making of Scooby Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost
- Music Video (Witch’s Ghost)
- Promo Trailer
- Making of Scooby Doo! and the Alien Invaders
- Promo Trailer
Available on Blu-ray August 13th, 2024.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation
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