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The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection Review

I've owned this Real Ghostbusters set now since November 2008 and watched all 25 discs in the spring of 2009. I would like to preface my review by saying that I am a huge 80s cartoon collector and this set is by far the nicest in its overall design that I own. The set is a compact collection and fits ever so nicely on a bookshelf - it's about five regular dvd cases wide. If you own the Shout! Factory G.I. Joe and Transformers Complete Sets it is nothing near the size of those beasts. Some may actually look at the RGB set and exclaim how small it is. As soon as I opened it in November 2008 I know I did, because back then I had paid over a 0 for it - "I paid 0 for this little thing!" At first glance it didn't seem worth the coin but as I started to view the collection, and upon finishing it in May of 2009, I can tell you it was worth every penny. And now here you can get it for 3, free shipping, and no tax in some states! This price almost temps me to buy another to keep sealed and have place in a bank deposit!

What you get:
The set includes all 147 episodes of The Real Ghostbusters (which include all episodes from Slimer! And The Real Ghostbusters) on 24 dvds - 5 dvds each in cases 1-4 and 4 dvds in case 5 and then there is the bonus 25th dvd in a cardboard cd-type sleeve w/ artwork. Each "case" is a very nice steelbook case with clear dvd tray inserts so you can see the artwork on the inner-back-side of the steelbook. Steelbooks are very strong and I believe are made from some sort of aluminum but with plastic dvd tray inserts. The disc art is basically the same for each case - the four Ghostbusters on the first 4 dvds per case and then Slimer or Janine (or both) on the 5th dvd, and this is repeated but with different background colors for each case.
The episodes are supposed to be restored and uncut. I've seen nothing to dispute the latter, but the former is suspect. These Real Ghostbusters episodes, picture-wise, are some of the worst I own, except maybe Transformers. Each episode has a lot of snap, crackle and pop, grain and some times the colors are wonky. If you've ever watched BCI's He-Man or Shout's GI Joe set and are expecting that type of picture....I'm sorry. But, truly, I don't mind. The look really brings you back to the 80s and gives off that 80s feel. And just to throw this out - I run my cartoons via a 360, over HDMI, into a Samsung 46" 1080p LCD - this may factor into what I'm seeing. I guess I just feel that Time-LIFE was misleading when they marketed the set as "restored". However, maybe they looked much worse and they were truly restored. Also, some of the episodes have audio that either runs slightly too fast or slightly too slow and this may drive some fans nuts. And I didn't find one episode that had glitches either.

MISC:
Over 12 hours of bonus features are peppered throughout the set but the actual bonus disc is a treat. The bonus dvd has the original promotional pilot for The Real Ghostbusters - this thing is about 4-5 minutes long and was used to sell the show in a boardroom. I believe the disc has all of the interviews (found throughout the set) uncut here as well - J. Michael Straczynski (creator - Babylon 5) is probably the most well known and most entertaining to watch.
In the set there are 21 on-camera commentary tracks with producers, voice actors, writers, animators and production personnel, 5 exclusive documentaries, 86 episode introductions (that are down-right goofy - Straczynski's are the best though), and the set comes with, depending on how you count pages, a 48-page booklet that includes episode synopses, trivia and art for every episode. There is some minor fluff too but it's not a worth mention.

Pros:
You get every episode of The Real Ghostbusters and Slimer! And The Real Ghostbusters, uncut, in one sturdy, compact box-set that takes up little room in your dvd collection but adds great value. The bonus material is more than a fan could ever want and then some, and can be downright overwhelming at times, especially if you watched the video commentary too.

Cons:
If I were Time-LIFE, and if money and time were not a factor, I would have really tried to have the episodes cleaned up better (has anyone seen the Shout! Factory G.I. Joe Complete Set...WOW!), and have the audio correct on those episodes that have an audio-speed issue. The other thing I would change is the disc's cover art. I know why the disc art is the way it is, because Time-LIFE wants to sell each volume (case) individually, but I think it would have been awesome for the complete set if there was special disc art with a prominent/sub character having their own disc. Here's my list - a Peter Venkman disc, Egon Spengler disc, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully, Slimer, Walter Peck, Stay Puft, Sandman, Samhain, Cathulhu, Boogieman, Grundel, Boogaloo, Ghostmaster, Ghash (Mr. Ugly), Furnace Monster, Precious, Wat, Toy Ghost, Killerwatt, Morganan, Professor Dweeb and the bonus disc would just have the logo.

Overall, this is a must have for Real Ghostbusters fans. Period.

The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection Feature

• Brand new and sealed.

The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection Overview

Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 09/29/2009

The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection Specifications

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 13, 2009 05:59:12

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