Heath Benedict

Adventures of Captain Marvel [VHS]
$9.99
"The Adventures of Captain Marvel" is often considered, in many quarters, the best serial ever produced. I think I have to agree. The clunkiness of the 1930s serials, though charming (think Flash Gordon and those little space ships on strings), is gone and it wouldn't be until the 1950s when serials started looking a little threadbare and dry of ideas. In between all that is Captain Marvel ... a lavish, smart and genuinely exciting cliff-hanger involving a masked villain, an Egyptian arheological dig, men in pith helmets and, of course, Captain Marvel, played by Tom Tyler with few words but lots of brawn. Young Billy Batson is given the power to summon tons of superpowers whenever he utters the word "Shazam!" That's when smoke appears and young Batson is turned into the tights-donning, cape-wearing Captain Marvel. He flies (and the flying looks really terrific, even today) and he pummels and he basically gives the hat-wearing, gun-toting, cigarette-smoking thugs beatings they won't soon forget. What's so funny about this superhero serial (in fact, just about all superhero serials) is the fact that the un-superheroed Billy Batson fights just as much as his alter ego and does just about as well, so you wonder why he even needs to utter "Shazam!" Go back to the Batman serials and Captain America and you'll see the same thing ... guys who are superheroes but don't really need the costumes because they fight pretty well in their sportcoats and fedoras. But it's all great fun, and Captain Marvel is greater fun than most. Real craftsmanship went into this one, from jaw-dropping special effects, to a script that actually displays some wit. Even today, Captain Marvel has the power to ... well, marvel.

Adventures of Captain Marvel [VHS]
$19.98
"The Adventures of Captain Marvel" is often considered, in many quarters, the best serial ever produced. I think I have to agree. The clunkiness of the 1930s serials, though charming (think Flash Gordon and those little space ships on strings), is gone and it wouldn't be until the 1950s when serials started looking a little threadbare and dry of ideas. In between all that is Captain Marvel ... a lavish, smart and genuinely exciting cliff-hanger involving a masked villain, an Egyptian arheological dig, men in pith helmets and, of course, Captain Marvel, played by Tom Tyler with few words but lots of brawn. Young Billy Batson is given the power to summon tons of superpowers whenever he utters the word "Shazam!" That's when smoke appears and young Batson is turned into the tights-donning, cape-wearing Captain Marvel. He flies (and the flying looks really terrific, even today) and he pummels and he basically gives the hat-wearing, gun-toting, cigarette-smoking thugs beatings they won't soon forget. What's so funny about this superhero serial (in fact, just about all superhero serials) is the fact that the un-superheroed Billy Batson fights just as much as his alter ego and does just about as well, so you wonder why he even needs to utter "Shazam!" Go back to the Batman serials and Captain America and you'll see the same thing ... guys who are superheroes but don't really need the costumes because they fight pretty well in their sportcoats and fedoras. But it's all great fun, and Captain Marvel is greater fun than most. Real craftsmanship went into this one, from jaw-dropping special effects, to a script that actually displays some wit. Even today, Captain Marvel has the power to ... well, marvel.

Adventures of Captain Marvel
$14.98
"The Adventures of Captain Marvel" is often considered, in many quarters, the best serial ever produced. I think I have to agree. The clunkiness of the 1930s serials, though charming (think Flash Gordon and those little space ships on strings), is gone and it wouldn't be until the 1950s when serials started looking a little threadbare and dry of ideas. In between all that is Captain Marvel ... a lavish, smart and genuinely exciting cliff-hanger involving a masked villain, an Egyptian arheological dig, men in pith helmets and, of course, Captain Marvel, played by Tom Tyler with few words but lots of brawn. Young Billy Batson is given the power to summon tons of superpowers whenever he utters the word "Shazam!" That's when smoke appears and young Batson is turned into the tights-donning, cape-wearing Captain Marvel. He flies (and the flying looks really terrific, even today) and he pummels and he basically gives the hat-wearing, gun-toting, cigarette-smoking thugs beatings they won't soon forget. What's so funny about this superhero serial (in fact, just about all superhero serials) is the fact that the un-superheroed Billy Batson fights just as much as his alter ego and does just about as well, so you wonder why he even needs to utter "Shazam!" Go back to the Batman serials and Captain America and you'll see the same thing ... guys who are superheroes but don't really need the costumes because they fight pretty well in their sportcoats and fedoras. But it's all great fun, and Captain Marvel is greater fun than most. Real craftsmanship went into this one, from jaw-dropping special effects, to a script that actually displays some wit. Even today, Captain Marvel has the power to ... well, marvel.

Adventures of Captain Marvel [VHS]
$9.99
"The Adventures of Captain Marvel" is often considered, in many quarters, the best serial ever produced. I think I have to agree. The clunkiness of the 1930s serials, though charming (think Flash Gordon and those little space ships on strings), is gone and it wouldn't be until the 1950s when serials started looking a little threadbare and dry of ideas. In between all that is Captain Marvel ... a lavish, smart and genuinely exciting cliff-hanger involving a masked villain, an Egyptian arheological dig, men in pith helmets and, of course, Captain Marvel, played by Tom Tyler with few words but lots of brawn. Young Billy Batson is given the power to summon tons of superpowers whenever he utters the word "Shazam!" That's when smoke appears and young Batson is turned into the tights-donning, cape-wearing Captain Marvel. He flies (and the flying looks really terrific, even today) and he pummels and he basically gives the hat-wearing, gun-toting, cigarette-smoking thugs beatings they won't soon forget. What's so funny about this superhero serial (in fact, just about all superhero serials) is the fact that the un-superheroed Billy Batson fights just as much as his alter ego and does just about as well, so you wonder why he even needs to utter "Shazam!" Go back to the Batman serials and Captain America and you'll see the same thing ... guys who are superheroes but don't really need the costumes because they fight pretty well in their sportcoats and fedoras. But it's all great fun, and Captain Marvel is greater fun than most. Real craftsmanship went into this one, from jaw-dropping special effects, to a script that actually displays some wit. Even today, Captain Marvel has the power to ... well, marvel.