SCOOBY-DOO WHERE ARE YOU! VOLUME 4: SPOOKED BAYOU
(not rated)
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The fourth volume of the original “Scooby-Doo Where Are You!” series is available on DVD in an affordable single-disc. Going back to the start of the entire Scooby-Doo phenomenon in 1969, these original shorts launched a franchise that has spanned decades. The disc includes the episodes “Which Witch Is Which?,” “Go Away Ghost Ship,” “Spooky Space Kook” and “A Night of Fright Is No Delight.”
WHAT I LIKED
I grew up in the 1970s, so I remember watching these episodes of “Scooby-Doo Where Are You!” only a few years after they were made. There were few choices between this and later incarnations, so if you didn’t like these shows, you were out of luck. Fortunately I liked these shows, and I was in luck.
These are some of the earliest episodes of the series, featuring all the now-famous cliches… people trying to scare away folks so they can profit from land development, Shaggy and Scooby overeating (and not in a vegetarian way, as voice actor Casey Kasem later demanded) and several versions of the “I would have gotten away with it too…” lines.
The episodes are crudely animated, taking advantage of the bargain production style of Hanna-Barbera back in the day. The video transfers are not remastered and are as dusty as Joan Rivers’ panties, but these are still a joy to watch, especially for someone like me who grew up with the series.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
My only complaint with these short volumes is that they feature episodes that can be found on many different releases. I’ve seen “Which Witch Is Which?” in multiple collections, so there’s a loss of exclusivity. Still, the saving grace to this is that these volumes are very affordable for the parents to buy their kids. They may not feature the most up-to-date animation style, but they’re still awesome in my book.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD features a few trailers for other Warner Bros. cartoon releases and video games. The only real bonus material beyond that is an episode of the “Shaggy & Scooby Doo Get a Clue” series (easily the worst modern incarnation of the series) called “Lightning Strikes Twice.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Scooby-Doo fans who want to go back to the beginning.