Warner Archive has unveiled the entire run of Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles—a mere 18 hour-long episodes—newly remastered from likely 35mm elements. Given how rarely the show has been officially distributed (beyond occasional reruns or old VHS), it’s a treat to see these episodes meticulously restored in high-definition. The result is a crisp, bright, 1080p image that underscores the bold linework, saturated color palette, and Toth’s stylized shapes. If you recall fuzzy old prints or battered recordings, you’ll be stunned by how vibrant it looks on Blu-ray.

Hanna Barbera took a weird step in the mid 1960s

By 1966, Hanna-Barbera had found a winning formula for Saturday morning cartoons, dominating the kids’ airwaves with anthropomorphic comedic characters. But the mid-’60s also brought a surge in superhero mania—Batman was big on TV, Marvel comics soared in popularity, and H-B had begun capitalizing with shows like Space Ghost and Dino Boy. Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles fit right into this wave. Debuting on CBS in fall 1966, it offered an hour-long block that was split into two distinct segments:

1. Frankenstein Jr.: A giant robot hero assisting a teen genius.
2. The Impossibles: A beatnik rock band who moonlighted as shape-shifting super-spies.

Alex Toth worked on these shows?

It was the perfect pitch for a time that adored zany adventure, comedic spoofery, and modish pop references. And it also boasted the design genius of Alex Toth, a revered comic artist who lent sharp, streamlined visuals to H-B’s ventures into costumed heroics.

The Alex Toth charm

For animation enthusiasts, Alex Toth’s involvement is reason enough to watch. Toth was a master of streamlined design—his silhouettes, color choices, and dynamic angles set the bar for TV cartoons’ visual economy. From Frankenstein Jr.’s bold chest emblem to The Impossibles’ modish suits, the show demonstrates Toth’s knack for pure pop-art flair. You can see echoes of these designs in 90s and 2000s cartoons that sought a “retro” look, reaffirming Toth’s overshadowed but enormous influence on the style and approach of subsequent superhero or action-comedy toons.

Who are the Impossibles?

Where Frankenstein Jr. embraced a typical “boy-and-his-robot” hero formula, The Impossibles careened into modish pop territory: a band of three long-haired, color-coded rockers who, between sets, used secret transformations to fight crime. Their manager or a commanding voice would dispatch them whenever a new global threat emerged, leading to comedic chases and flamboyant battles reminiscent of James Bond parodies and the comedic style of the Beatles’ Help!

What is Frankenstein Jr?

Frankenstein Jr. revolves around Buzz Conroy, a nerdy wonder-kid who (with some offscreen, improbable engineering savvy) built “Frankenstein Jr.,” a towering, blocky mechanical guardian. Donning bright green trunks and sporting a clunky metal head, “Frankie” soared through the sky to battle all manner of comedic baddies, from diabolical inventors to marauding monsters. But unlike some comedic sidekick dynamic, Buzz actively participates—zipping around on a rocketpack, offering mechanical fixes or strategic advice, always brimming with that enthusiastic “Yes, we can solve this with science!” vibe that marked 1960s optimism.

Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles may not top lists of “Greatest Hanna-Barbera Cartoons,” but for those who remember that faint memory of a giant green robot flattening giant monsters or a trio of shape-shifting rock stars saving the day, it’s a joyful rediscovery. Even if you’ve never heard of the show, it’s a delightful snapshot of 1960s cartoon experimentation—mashing superhero motifs, comedic spy riffs, and rock band mania into an exuberant (if narratively thin) swirl. The comedic innocence, rapid pacing, and Toth’s design panache ensure each short is a vivid jolt of pulpy color and retro charm.

Let’s talk about that Warner Archive Blu-ray

Frankenstein Jr and The Impossibles come to Warner Archive Blu-ray with quite the release. The sole special fature is a featurette about the show and its cult legacy. But, how about that A/V Quality? You can watch these half-baked but wholeheartedly enthusiastic superhero stories the best they’ve ever looked. Freed from grainy or poorly transferred syndicated prints, the bright lines and bold shapes pop as originally intended.

The DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono track captures the snappy voice acting from the era’s top talents—Dick Beals, Don Messick, Paul Frees, Hal Smith—with minimal hiss or distortion. The show’s playful theme songs, bridging episodes, sound better than ever. Meanwhile, transition stings, mechanical whirs, and comedic “pow!” sound effects ring with a pleasing clarity. Fans are sure to rejoice that this “forgotten” slice of cartoon history gets the star treatment.

Frankenstein Jr and The Incredibles: The Complete Series is now available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive at MovieZyng

Reader Rating0 Votes

0

87

Buy it!

MovieZyng

Nora Prentiss isn’t a typical “crime caper” noir about gumshoes or tough guys with guns. Instead, it’s one of those quiet, slow-burn stories where the real tension emerges from moral compromise, secret longing, and the inescapable sense that, once the line is crossed, there’s no turning back. In short, it’s vintage 1940s Warner Bros. melodrama spiced with a film noir edge.

Think Scarlet Street (1945) or The Reckless Moment (1949)—films that revolve around how “ordinary” people get consumed by extraordinary wrongdoing. Nora Prentiss stands shoulder to shoulder with such titles, distinguished by its haunting atmosphere, top-shelf craftsmanship, and a mesmerizing central performance by Ann Sheridan as Nora, the night club singer who becomes an unwitting catalyst for one man’s downfall.

Tell me more about this Nora Prentiss

Set in San Francisco, Nora Prentiss revolves around Dr. Richard Talbot (Kent Smith), a respectable middle-aged physician trapped in a loveless marriage to the cold, controlling Lucy (Rosemary DeCamp). Burdened by routine and emotional stagnation, Talbot finds a spark of life when the vivacious Nora Prentiss (Ann Sheridan) bursts into his world.

She’s introduced as a seen-it-all nightclub singer, pragmatic but not cynical, harboring her own battered dreams of happiness. Sparks fly almost immediately. The sincerity in Nora’s eyes beckons Talbot from his repressed existence, teasing him with the promise of a more fulfilling life. Their relationship blossoms into a clandestine affair—a decision that triggers devastating reverberations.

Nobody knew how to drive cars in the 30s and 40s

When Nora is gravely injured in a car crash, a panicked Talbot makes the fateful choice to fake his own death so he can vanish from his old life and start anew with her. This is where the film tips from a simmering love story into full-blown noir territory.

Posing as a deceased man is no small matter, and soon the couple lives in perpetual fear—haunted by the knowledge that the truth would ruin them both. As the police, family acquaintances, and Talbot’s own guilt close in, the tension escalates. The moral weight of that one desperate act sets them on a collision course with fate.

Vincent Sherman carefully unspools each step of their downward spiral, letting the audience sense how easily illusions of happiness can crumble under guilt’s relentless pressure. By focusing on the dread of being discovered, the film invests everyday moments—like a doorbell’s ring or a chance street encounter—with nail-biting suspense. This is not about lurid violence or hardened criminals. The real threat is the couple’s own conscience, gnawing at them while illusions of freedom slip through their fingers.

Vincent Sherman directs films for the Ladies

Vincent Sherman was known for films like Old Acquaintance (1943) or Harriet Craig (1950), typically starring big female leads. With Nora Prentiss, he merges the moody stylings of film noir—angled shadows, moral anxiety, creeping fate—with the heartfelt emotional arcs typical of woman-centered melodramas. The result is a unique hybrid: part crime story, part tragic romance.

Sherman uses subtle mise-en-scene to highlight the emotional claustrophobia. Scenes in Dr. Talbot’s house or office come across as stifling, shot with ominous angles or half-shrouded in gloom, symbolizing his entrapment. Meanwhile, moments with Nora on stage exude a haze of nightlife glamour tinged with sadness, capturing the film’s blend of heartbreak and hope.

Let’s talk about that Warner Archive Blu-ray

Nora Prentiss comes to Warner Archive Blu-ray looking rather strong. Nora Prentiss leaps from the shadows in pristine 1080p detail. The disc’s commentary and extras provide ample context for how the film merged classical melodrama with the era’s creeping cynicism.

In many ways, it’s a stepping stone from the more straightforward soapiness of 1930s/early-40s Hollywood to the sharper, more psychologically unsettled terrain of postwar noir. Its legacy is that mixture of lush romantic heartbreak and raw moral terror, an uneasy union that’s distinctly mesmerizing.

The audio side is similarly well-preserved. The DTS-HD MA track reveals crisp dialogue, letting you catch every pointed remark and hush. Franz Waxman’s mesmerizing score resonates with new fullness, its ominous orchestral swells underscoring the film’s moral desperation. Scenes in nightclubs hum with ephemeral authenticity, capturing the hum of conversation and the smoky ambiance. No, it’s not a dynamic stereo experience, but for a 1947 mono mix, it’s impressively clear and robust.

The special features range from a classic WB Cartoon, a classic WB short and a trailer as the sole supplemental material. It’s great to have on hand and makes for a fun trip back to the lighter of the Noirs era. If you’re curious, I’d recommend a purchase.

Nora Prentiss is now available on Warner Archive Blu-ray at MovieZyng and other outlets

Reader Rating0 Votes

0

87

Buy it!

MovieZyng

Set primarily in Italy during the unsettled mid-1970s, A Night Full of Rain revolves around Lizzy (Candice Bergen), an American journalist who’s carved out a life in Rome, and Paolo (Giancarlo Giannini), an Italian reporter whose worldview is shaped by witnessing the Vietnam War firsthand. When they’re thrown together during a relentless downpour, their ideological differences and personal baggage clash, fueling a relationship that is at once passionate and acrimonious. The film’s original Italian title, La fine del mondo nel nostro solito letto in una notte piena di pioggia, translates loosely to “The end of the world in our usual bed on a night full of rain,” capturing the cataclysmic emotional stakes that swirl around them.

What is A Night Full of Rain?

Although at first glance it’s “just” a story of two mismatched lovers stuck in an apartment during a torrential rainstorm, Wertmüller uses that claustrophobic scenario to address bigger themes. The Vietnam War’s aftermath looms over Paolo, coloring his cynicism and repressed trauma, while Lizzy’s fervent feminist ideals draw conflict with Paolo’s old-school machismo. Through flashbacks, arguments, and dreamlike interludes, the film explores the friction between postwar disillusionment, second-wave feminism, and the uneasy bridging of American and Italian worldviews in the mid-1970s. The result is a swirling cinematic tapestry: part political allegory, part love story, part existential freak-out.

Lina Wertmüller was never shy about blending multiple styles: comedic satire, raw melodrama, and sometimes outright farce. In A Night Full of Rain, she pushes that impulse even further, weaving in abrupt flashbacks, fantasy sequences, and heated monologues. Scenes pivot between gritty realism—arguments in a cramped Rome apartment or in a dingy trattoria—and flamboyant surrealism reminiscent of Fellini’s more outlandish moments. Meanwhile, the handheld camera and improvisational feel evoke something akin to John Cassavetes—where emotional truth trumps tidiness. The result can be jarring, with abrupt shifts in tone that either thrill or frustrate the viewer.

I forgot how much this film plods at points

When A Night Full of Rain hits its stride, it’s mesmerizing. Scenes of Lizzy and Paolo locked in soul-baring arguments, or forging fleeting tenderness, sparkle with the messy authenticity of a real relationship. Wertmüller’s willingness to let them be contradictory, to jump from love to near-violence in a single breath, brings a truthfulness that might be painful. The drenched city exteriors—sodden squares, neon reflections—lend a near-dreamlike vibe that underscores the precariousness of their bond.

It’s also fair to say the film can feel overstuffed. Wertmüller’s penchant for abrupt flashbacks or surreal interludes can disrupt the narrative flow, leaving some viewers adrift in a swirl of images and monologues that don’t always cohere. The film’s thematic reach is enormous—addressing feminism, war trauma, cultural identity, romantic disillusionment—so the script sometimes feels weighed down by “issues” overshadowing emotional clarity. Even the climactic moments risk veering into melodrama. For those who prefer a straightforward love story or a tight thematic focus, A Night Full of Rain might be too sprawling and chaotic.

Warner Archive dipping its toes into Criterion style waters

Now that Warner Archive has upgraded the film to a crisp Blu-ray, the battered old prints are replaced by a better-preserved look at Wertmüller’s color palette and Tovoli’s camera magic. The sound design—throbbing rain, off-kilter jazz, impassioned arguments—comes through with sharper nuance in the DTS-HD 2.0 mono track. And while the disc might not overflow with extras, it’s important to have films like A Night Full of Rain restored for future generations.

A Night Full of Rain has long been MIA on home video, so fans have had to rely on murky VHS or imported discs with questionable transfers. The new Warner Archive Blu-ray is a major step up, likely sourced from a 2K or 4K scan of original film elements. The improvement is visible: the color palette’s subtle nighttime blues and warm interior tones are more accurate, and the constant rain no longer turns into a muddy blur. Scenes shot in low light—like the dim corners of Lizzy’s apartment—still show occasional graininess, but that’s presumably inherent to Tovoli’s cinematography. The film’s “soggy, atmospheric sheen” is intact, offering a pleasing sense of texture that suits the raw aesthetic.

Final thoughts on A Night Full of Rain hitting Blu-ray

Ultimately, if you’re open to a 70s swirl of romantic angst, socio-political commentary, and fearless cinematic style, A Night Full of Rain offers a singular ride. It’s part love story, part ideological battle, part feverish arthouse experiment. And though it may not rank among the director’s most beloved, it stands as a testament to Wertmüller’s daring spirit—one that leaves you drenched in the friction of love and war, even after the final credit rolls.

A Night Full of Rain is now available on Warner Archive Blu-ray at MovieZyng

Reader Rating0 Votes

0

87

Buy it!

MovieZyng