DOCTOR X (1932) coming from WAC

[TravelSteveR]

I got a notice last night that it has been delayed, and they will get it to me as soon as possible.

[sonicyogurt]

I’m sorry to hear that. Unexpectedly, my Best Buy pre-order got here yesterday.

[TwinCitiesBluFan]

Target shipped my copy out today! Should be with me on Friday, in time to watch sometime this weekend.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by ClassicCraig

Amazon says my copy will arrive tomorrow by 10 p.m. However, the tracking detail says, "Delivery appointment scheduled." I didn't ask for an appointment. Anybody know what that means?
(For the record, I tried Googling and couldn't get a clear answer.)
Anyway, it's arrived at a distribution center 14 miles away, so I am expecting it tomorrow, the release date (April 13), as promised.

I've seen that "Delivery appointment scheduled." on a lot of recent Amazon orders. I don't think it means anything beyond that it's their way of stating the expected date for the delivery now.

I received Doctor X earlier today. Just briefly scanning through both versions, the transfers look great. I really look forward to watching it later tonight... haven't even seen this one in years!

[ClassicCraig]

Halfway through right now and got pulled away. Video looks fantastic, although I'm noticing missing frames fairly frequently. The only real problem is the audio -- it's super low. I don't know if it's something about my TV, but I really have to crank it.

UPDATE: This morning, the audio seems OK, but a tad lower than the B&W version. I finished the color version last night and I think the picture quality is more striking than Wax Museum, both color and clarity. I haven't watched MotWM since last summer, so I might be misremembering. Missing frames were less frequent in the second half, it seemed. I watched the opening of the B&W version and its audio level was normal.

[robert kaplan]

Amazon is saying mine is being shipped May 15th!?!?

[jamesbobo]

Amazon has updated my delivery date from April 23 to April 19. If it wasn't for an Amazon gift card I would have ordered this from Best Buy.

[ClassicCraig]

Originally Posted by jamesbobo

Amazon has updated my delivery date from April 23 to April 19. If it wasn't for an Amazon gift card I would have ordered this from Best Buy.

I canceled an Amazon WAC pre-order a few years ago because BB said it would deliver on release date. My order status changed to back-ordered soon after. I don't think BB has any better luck than Amazon when it comes to WAC.

[shill66]

No other disc release this year will beat this one. It's TERRIFIC.

[WaverBoy]

Amazing disc. So happy to have both this and MotWM restored at last!!!

[captainsolo]

I just finished every extra, commentary and both versions in reviewing this disc.
To say they knocked it out of the park is an UNDERSTATEMENT. This is THE disc to beat and is the disc of the year unless something even more stupendous comes along. The work they did in restoring this is absolutely MIRACULOUS in both picture and sound-AND the B&W version looks good without being a standard def afterthought.

My favorite part of the new extras was their discussion of the criminally unknown THE WALKING DEAD which was Curtiz's third and final horror themed film and a great hope for an upcoming WAC title.

[TimeBandit]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

My favorite part of the new extras was their discussion of the criminally unknown THE WALKING DEAD which was Curtiz's third and final horror themed film and a great hope for an upcoming WAC title.

I hope you’re correct about WALKING DEAD. I’ve been holding out on that WAC DVD KARLOFF & LUGOSI HORROR COLLECTION.

[captainsolo]

I have the original dvd pressing of that. I think what they did was take the late release rare LD master and use it for the dvd. In the featurette it’s upscaled.
The Greg Mank commentary on it is worth the cost.

[jamesbobo]

I haven't seen this movie for about 50 years. The only thing I remembered about it was "synthetic flesh". Now that I've seen it again I can see why that's all I remembered. It's not a good movie that you would want to watch repeatedly and can't hold a candle to Wax Museum. It's a good restoration of a boring movie.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by jamesbobo

I haven't seen this movie for about 50 years. The only thing I remembered about it was "synthetic flesh". Now that I've seen it again I can see why that's all I remembered. It's not a good movie that you would want to watch repeatedly and can't hold a candle to Wax Museum. It's a good restoration of a boring movie.

I watched the film recently and I tend to agree. The combination of Horror with a bit of slapstick comedy

[Show spoiler](reporter stuck in thee closet with some skeletons)

didn't work for me. And

[Show spoiler]Fay Wray falling for the reporter seemed unrealistic. I found him annoying.

That said, it had some cool scenes like the blood reaction scene. I wonder if that scene influenced John Carpenter for The Thing. As a companion film, Mystery of The Wax Museum was a much better film.

[rdf8585]

The restoration was great but as a film, I didn't find Doctor X to be anything special.

The pacing was slow and the film was a chore to get through. The 76 minute run time felt much longer. It was a bit creaky and stiff. Jamesbobo is right, it's a great restoration of a boring movie. I say that as someone who often loves old films, especially from the 30s.

I expected a better film given the hype around the release. After getting through it, I regretted not buying another title instead.

While I usually have good luck with blind buys, Doctor X was a swing and a miss. It's great to see these old films get such lavish restorations but it's too bad the film itself wasn't better.

Mystery at the Wax Museum, which I saw for the first time last month, is easily the better of the two films. I enjoyed that one and it's partly what compelled me to give Doctor X a chance.

[shill66]

I'll be a dissenter and say that I've always enjoyed Doctor X much more than The Mystery of the Wax Museum, at the same time recognizing that I'm in the minority and the latter film has far greater critical acclaim.

[yellowcakeuf6]

Originally Posted by rdf8585

The restoration was great but as a film, I didn't find Doctor X to be anything special.

The pacing was slow and the film was a chore to get through. The 76 minute run time felt much longer. It was a bit creaky and stiff. Jamesbobo is right, it's a great restoration of a boring movie. I say that as someone who often loves old films, especially from the 30s.

I expected a better film given the hype around the release. After getting through it, I regretted not buying another title instead.

While I usually have good luck with blind buys, Doctor X was a swing and a miss. It's great to see these old films get such lavish restorations but it's too bad the film itself wasn't better.

Mystery at the Wax Museum, which I saw for the first time last month, is easily the better of the two films. I enjoyed that one and it's partly what compelled me to give Doctor X a chance.

I had seen it several times over the years in B&W, and it wasn't a favorite. I got the Archive release for the 2-strip Technicolor restoration (they aren't growing on trees, you know).

[captainsolo]

You see it the first time and think oh that was interesting but a product of its time.
The second time you like it a bit more.
Suddenly one day you find you really enjoyed it.
I always have to watch both it and Wax Museum as a double feature.


I did a review on my channel so prepare for a lot of gushing.

[ClassicCraig]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

You see it the first time and think oh that was interesting but a product of its time.
The second time you like it a bit more.
Suddenly one day you find you really enjoyed it.
I always have to watch both it and Wax Museum as a double feature.


I did a review on my channel so prepare for a lot of gushing.

Pretty much my experience. Lee Tracy's comedy bits were really hard to take the first time through, but I think I'm ignoring him now and looking at the scenery. His story on the beach seems ad-libbed because he seems to be having trouble getting through it.
The color is distracting, so that helps get past other flaws, too.