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LAist Review: Swamp Thing DVD Series
So when LAist agreed to review the Swamp Thing DVD that was released on Tuesday, we thought we were going to review an old-school, cheesy, black-and-white B movie. But we were wrong. What we got was 25, half-hour episodes of a not-that-old school, cheesy, colorized B TV series. And we immediately thought two things:
>> They had three seasons of this show?
>> We can't believe that this comic book spinoff about a “humanoid mass of plant matter [that] comes to life and fights evil in the swamp, protecting the environment and humanity from the supernatural and evil threats that dare enter the swamp” has already spawned an animated series, a 1982 Wes Craven version and a 1989 follow-up Return of the Swamp Thing.
From the first episode of the latest DVD release, which had Swamp Thing (the former Dr. Alex Holland) saving his arch-nemesis Dr. Anton Arcane from a Voodoo curse, we could have sworn that the show must have been from the ’70s or ’80s. But nope. The series ran from 1990-93 on the USA Network.
We must admit that we were surprised at the TV show for its pure schlock-y, hokey entertainment value. Pardon the cliché, but it really was one of those so bad it's good experiences. It's best viewed after a 2 am after a last call.
The DVD set is definitely not for everyone (though all 10 of you who watched it when the show first came out will be totally stoked despite the lack of any extras worth mentioning). But if we're in the mood (aka really bored), we'll watch what we can get during the summer of lame TV. (There's only so many times we can watch the same episodes of Project Runway.)
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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