So the other evening I'm on the phone with a friend reminiscing about watching Scooby-Doo as a kid... I recall being mildly scared by whatever haunted setting the Mystery Machine had happened upon, and getting hoodwinked every time by the identity of the culprit: this time I know for sure it's a ghost and not some guy in a costume. Oh, for a return to those innocent times...
This five episode DVD collection unquestionably holds appeal for both Gen-X parents (those fond of filtering the show through an ironic, unmistakably nineties sensibility--the types who insist that Fred and Velma are gay and that Shaggy is a pothead; "Gilligan's Island" is subject to a similar wringer) and their wide-eyed offspring; be aware that viewing multiple reruns of "Scooby-Doo Where Are You!" as an adult makes for a nostalgic and fun but also somewhat repetitive flashback.
A Scooby-Doo mystery plays like this, with minor variations:
- A ghost or monster goes into hiding
- The Mystery Machine pulls up to the location where we just saw the ghost/monster
- Scooby-Doo wanders off on his own, returns with fear in his eyes as Daphne and Fred are doing the twist (Scooby may tackle Shaggy at this point, who is inevitably about to shove food in his mouth)
- Fred declares, "It looks like we've got ourselves a mystery. C'mon gang!"
- The gang acquires a lead, asks him questions
- The gang splits up to cover all bases of the castle
- A Scooby snack is used to bribe Scooby-Doo for his impending bravery
- Shaggy makes himself a sandwich using fresh ingredients from the pantry
- Scooby spots the ghost/monster
- Scooby tackles Shaggy and/or Velma
- Velma loses her glasses, mistakes the ghost/monster for Shaggy or Scooby
- Followed by running
- Scooby catches the ghost/monster, whom Fred unmasks: it is the same person they questioned earlier
- A policeman and/or Fred explain away the so-called ghost/monster's motive for donning a costume and frightening teenagers. (In most cases, I noticed, the villain's only crime was just that.)
- Scooby gets the last laugh and barks to the camera, "Scooby-Dooby-Doo!"
A couple of notes on this package: it includes the first five "Scooby-Doo Where Are You!"s ever made (circa 1968), all of which are introduced by the mellower, "Archies"-style theme song. "A Clue for Scooby-Doo" takes place underwater, and is the dullest of the bunch (out of their trademark clothes and into orange diving suits, the show suddenly becomes "Johnny Quest" with a laugh track.) My favourite is the pilot, "What a Night for a Knight", a hilarious prototype for all future adventures--amazing how little the mythology evolved from there.
Picture quality is consistently average across the board. Persistent scratches clear up by "Decoy for a Dognapper"; none of the transfers are a drastic improvement on their broadcast counterparts in this regard. Colours appear washed-out during the opening credits of all, but black level and saturation improves when the action proper begins. "What a Night for a Knight" is darker than the remaining episodes, perhaps necessitating a quick adjustment in brightness. Sound is DD 1.0--all info goes to the centre speaker. Have no fear, the brilliant vocal stylings of Casey Kasem (as Shaggy) ring loud and clear.
Extras include: an advertisement for Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost, disguised as a music video for an updated version of the original theme; four Scooby-related snippets from Rhino's "Snack Tracks" CD; recipes for, among other culinary delights, "Shaggy's Super Duper Hero Sandwich" (step 3: "Snarf sandwich down in less than five bites"); and a ridiculous trivia game that consists of four questions and no prizes, not even an Easter egg. One other minor annoyance: the episodes are not individually chapter-encoded.-Bill Chambers
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