Pufnstuf (1970) from Code Red - Blu-ray Forum

Jar Jar Stinks · 06-13-2021, 05:08 AM

Code Red has revealed that it is preparing a Blu-ray release of Hollingsworth Morse's comedy Pufnstuf (1970), starring Jack Wild, Billie Hayes, Martha Raye, Cass Elliot, Allison McKay, Sharon Baird, and Billy Barty. The release, which will be distributed by Kino Lorber, is expected to arrive on the market later this year.

Plot: This children's fantasy is based on Sid and Marty Krofft's popular 1960s kiddy show H.R. Pufnstuff, which combined giant puppets and live action players. In the story, a young lad (Jack Wild) with a magical flute travels to a magic island where inanimate objects and animals talk. There he encounters the amiable dragon Pufnstuf, the mayor of the island. When the wicked Witchiepoo steals the flute so she can be named "Witch of the Year" by her cronies, the boy, the dragon, and their pals must somehow get it back from her enchanted castle.

whiteberry · 06-13-2021, 05:52 AM

WaverBoy · 06-13-2021, 07:47 AM

I wish the series would hit Blu. It was shot on film so it would definitely benefit. I wish the rest of the Krofft shows (shot on videotape) would all be re-released complete on DVD as they’re all out of print and some were either incomplete or not released at all.

lemonski · 06-13-2021, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteberry

[Show spoiler]

I might have bought this out of a sense of nostalgia - I remember seeing PufnStuf as a kid (the golden talking flute gave me the creeps) - but after watching the trailer....yeah, nah

theJcfreak92 · 06-13-2021, 11:17 AM

I honestly think I'm going to blind buy this, just out of sheer curiosity. I'm too far removed from the Krofft shows to have any sense of nostalgia for them. I don't even think my parents watched this. It's just such a bizarre idea to me that kids back in the day would eagerly await watching these garbage-bag clad monstrosities sing and zip around on wires on a poorly lit set every Saturday morning. How can I NOT buy it?

gunnerg · 06-13-2021, 01:59 PM

Finally!! Awesome announcement. And I love this whole, being able to pick up Code Red releases in walk-in stores now. Kino!!

Jar Jar Stinks · 06-13-2021, 03:55 PM

I didn't realize that Allan Melvin (Sam the Butcher, Magilla Gorilla) took over the voice of Pufnstuf from Lennie Weinrib. I wonder why.

Zarak · 06-13-2021, 04:21 PM

8traxrule · 06-13-2021, 05:45 PM

The songs in this are killer- I have the album on 8-track! I first saw this movie on TV late and night shown from a faded 16mm print. Universal was really slow to get this out on the home market- they put out a VHS when DVD had already taken hold, then a DVD to tie in with the "Land of the Lost" movie but no Blu-Ray.

hasslein · 06-13-2021, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

I didn't realize that Allan Melvin (Sam the Butcher, Magilla Gorilla) took over the voice of Pufnstuf from Lennie Weinrib. I wonder why.

Yeah, it kind of takes me out of the movie because he sounds different, but will definitely upgrade...

edwoodjr · 06-13-2021, 06:36 PM

Really excited for this one! A fun touchstone from my childhood TV rerun days.

bigshot · 06-13-2021, 08:20 PM

I was around when this came out and I can explain its appeal. Saturday Morning TV had been a staple of every kid's life. We would get up early to see the season debut every September and figure out which of the three networks had the best shows at each hour of the morning. We'd flip channels back and forth and decide what we'd watch for the rest of the season.

In 1969, cartoons on SatAM TV took a nosedive in quality. Filmation and Hanna-Barbera were playing limbo to see who could make the cheapest show... Chatanooga Cats, The Archies, Hot Wheels, Dastardly and Muttley, Adventures of Gulliver... it was all bottom of the barrel.

NBC took a huge risk by breaking precedent and introducing full size human puppets... Pufinstuf and the Banana Splits. It was weird looking, and nothing like what we expected, but at least it was fun. I remember as a kid switching channels on premiere day and thinking, "I like cartoons, but these puppet shows are better than the cartoons this year." A lot of other kids thought the same.

H.R.Pufinstuf spun out a bunch of other shows over the next few years... Lidsville, Siegmund and the Sea Monsters, Bugalloos, Krofft Superstars... and in a different style, Land of the Lost, which led to Shazzam and Isis. Pufinstuf was the beginning of live action on SatAM TV.

gambit64 · 06-13-2021, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshot

I was around when this came out and I can explain its appeal. Saturday Morning TV had been a staple of every kid's life. We would get up early to see the season debut every September and figure out which of the three networks had the best shows at each hour of the morning. We'd flip channels back and forth and decide what we'd watch for the rest of the season.

In 1969, cartoons on SatAM TV took a nosedive in quality. Filmation and Hanna-Barbera were playing limbo to see who could make the cheapest show... Chatanooga Cats, The Archies, Hot Wheels, Dastardly and Muttley, Adventures of Gulliver... it was all bottom of the barrel.

NBC took a huge risk by breaking precedent and introducing full size human puppets... Pufinstuf and the Banana Splits. It was weird looking, and nothing like what we expected, but at least it was fun. I remember as a kid switching channels on premiere day and thinking, "I like cartoons, but these puppet shows are better than the cartoons this year." A lot of other kids thought the same.

H.R.Pufinstuf spun out a bunch of other shows over the next few years... Lidsville, Siegmund and the Sea Monsters, Bugalloos, Krofft Superstars... and in a different style, Land of the Lost, which led to Shazzam and Isis. Pufinstuf was the beginning of live action on SatAM TV.

My favorites were Pufnstuf, Siegmund and the Sea Monsters, and Land of the Lost!

merlinjones · 06-13-2021, 09:00 PM

The Awesome Cass Elliott:

OneWayFilms · 06-14-2021, 03:36 AM

I have this on DVD along with the entire series collection. Such a wonderful "trip" down memory lane. LOL.

I want to see Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, Far Out Space-nuts, and Land of the Lost get released on bluray as well.

Jar Jar Stinks · 06-14-2021, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

I have this on DVD along with the entire series collection. Such a wonderful "trip" down memory lane. LOL.

I want to see Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, Far Out Space-nuts, and Land of the Lost get released on bluray as well.

Seeing the name "Far Out Space-Nuts" reminded me of another Sid & Marty show, "The Lost Saucer."

RScottyL · 06-29-2021, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

Seeing the name "Far Out Space-Nuts" reminded me of another Sid & Marty show, "The Lost Saucer."

The Lost Saucer - 894X2RY713, I Love You (Pilot) - Sid and Marty Krofft - Jim Nabors - YouTube

I grew up watching just about all of the Sid & Marty Krofft shows. I think Land of the Lost was probably my favorite out of all of them, but they were all really good....at least back then!

RScottyL · 06-29-2021, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneWayFilms

I have this on DVD along with the entire series collection. Such a wonderful "trip" down memory lane. LOL.

I want to see Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, Far Out Space-nuts, and Land of the Lost get released on bluray as well.

IIRC, most, if not all of them were shot on video.

If that was the case, they would not be able to get above their current resolution.

Actually, they might could use one of those AI programs and go that route, but it would be a different process than what you would do for a film source!

Jar Jar Stinks · 06-29-2021, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RScottyL

IIRC, most, if not all of them were shot on video.

If that was the case, they would not be able to get above their current resolution.

Actually, they might could use one of those AI programs and go that route, but it would be a different process than what you would do for a film source!

Yeah, with the exception of H.R. Pufnstuf, they were shot on video. And, you're right; AI sharpening can recreate lost detail in video. It's a real game changer for upping video resolution. I expect studios will start widely using it to repurpose shows from the 80s and 90s.

OneWayFilms · 06-30-2021, 02:13 AM

I LOVE Pufnstuf.....but I think I'm fine with this title being on DVD. But I'm glad to see it get the love and respect it deserves.

06-13-2021, 05:08 AM	#1
Jar Jar Stinks Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Aug 2011 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Digital collection:- Trading Score:246	Pufnstuf (1970) from Code Red Code Red has revealed that it is preparing a Blu-ray release of Hollingsworth Morse's comedy Pufnstuf (1970), starring Jack Wild, Billie Hayes, Martha Raye, Cass Elliot, Allison McKay, Sharon Baird, and Billy Barty. The release, which will be distributed by Kino Lorber, is expected to arrive on the market later this year. Plot: This children's fantasy is based on Sid and Marty Krofft's popular 1960s kiddy show H.R. Pufnstuff, which combined giant puppets and live action players. In the story, a young lad (Jack Wild) with a magical flute travels to a magic island where inanimate objects and animals talk. There he encounters the amiable dragon Pufnstuf, the mayor of the island. When the wicked Witchiepoo steals the flute so she can be named "Witch of the Year" by her cronies, the boy, the dragon, and their pals must somehow get it back from her enchanted castle.

06-13-2021, 07:47 AM	#3
WaverBoy Blu-ray Knight Member since:May 2013 Location:Seattle, WA Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:5	I wish the series would hit Blu. It was shot on film so it would definitely benefit. I wish the rest of the Krofft shows (shot on videotape) would all be re-released complete on DVD as they’re all out of print and some were either incomplete or not released at all.

06-13-2021, 11:17 AM	#5
theJcfreak92 Junior Member Member since:Apr 2020 4K collection:99 Blu-ray collection:1119 DVD collection:165	I honestly think I'm going to blind buy this, just out of sheer curiosity. I'm too far removed from the Krofft shows to have any sense of nostalgia for them. I don't even think my parents watched this. It's just such a bizarre idea to me that kids back in the day would eagerly await watching these garbage-bag clad monstrosities sing and zip around on wires on a poorly lit set every Saturday morning. How can I NOT buy it?

06-13-2021, 01:59 PM	#6
gunnerg Senior Member Member since:May 2015 Location:Bar Harbor, Maine 4K collection:179 Blu-ray collection:804 DVD collection:211	Finally!! Awesome announcement. And I love this whole, being able to pick up Code Red releases in walk-in stores now. Kino!!

06-13-2021, 03:55 PM	#7
Jar Jar Stinks Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Aug 2011 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Digital collection:- Trading Score:246	I didn't realize that Allan Melvin (Sam the Butcher, Magilla Gorilla) took over the voice of Pufnstuf from Lennie Weinrib. I wonder why.

06-13-2021, 05:45 PM	#9
8traxrule Power Member Member since:Jul 2009 Blu-ray collection:1	The songs in this are killer- I have the album on 8-track! I first saw this movie on TV late and night shown from a faded 16mm print. Universal was really slow to get this out on the home market- they put out a VHS when DVD had already taken hold, then a DVD to tie in with the "Land of the Lost" movie but no Blu-Ray.

06-13-2021, 06:36 PM	#11
edwoodjr Active Member Member since:Jun 2015 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:-	Really excited for this one! A fun touchstone from my childhood TV rerun days.

06-13-2021, 08:20 PM	#12
bigshot Blu-ray Knight Member since:Aug 2010 Home Theater Gallery:12 Blu-ray collection:82 Blu-ray reviews: 3 Trading Score:3	I was around when this came out and I can explain its appeal. Saturday Morning TV had been a staple of every kid's life. We would get up early to see the season debut every September and figure out which of the three networks had the best shows at each hour of the morning. We'd flip channels back and forth and decide what we'd watch for the rest of the season. In 1969, cartoons on SatAM TV took a nosedive in quality. Filmation and Hanna-Barbera were playing limbo to see who could make the cheapest show... Chatanooga Cats, The Archies, Hot Wheels, Dastardly and Muttley, Adventures of Gulliver... it was all bottom of the barrel. NBC took a huge risk by breaking precedent and introducing full size human puppets... Pufinstuf and the Banana Splits. It was weird looking, and nothing like what we expected, but at least it was fun. I remember as a kid switching channels on premiere day and thinking, "I like cartoons, but these puppet shows are better than the cartoons this year." A lot of other kids thought the same. H.R.Pufinstuf spun out a bunch of other shows over the next few years... Lidsville, Siegmund and the Sea Monsters, Bugalloos, Krofft Superstars... and in a different style, Land of the Lost, which led to Shazzam and Isis. Pufinstuf was the beginning of live action on SatAM TV.

06-14-2021, 03:36 AM	#15
OneWayFilms Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Mar 2010 Location:Mississippi 4K collection:16 Blu-ray collection:970 DVD collection:759 Digital collection:457 iTunes collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:5	I have this on DVD along with the entire series collection. Such a wonderful "trip" down memory lane. LOL. I want to see Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, Far Out Space-nuts, and Land of the Lost get released on bluray as well.

06-30-2021, 02:13 AM	#20
OneWayFilms Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Mar 2010 Location:Mississippi 4K collection:16 Blu-ray collection:970 DVD collection:759 Digital collection:457 iTunes collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:5	I LOVE Pufnstuf.....but I think I'm fine with this title being on DVD. But I'm glad to see it get the love and respect it deserves.

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