Starring:
Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster
Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster
Al Lewis as Grandpa
Pat Priest as Marilyn Munster (1964-1966)
Butch Patrick as Edward “Eddie” Wolfgang Munster
Special Features:
America’s First Family of Fright
Fred Gwynne: More Than a Monster
Yvonne DeCarlo: Gilded Lily
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa
Other Info:
Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound
Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 13 Hours 45 Minutes
Synopsis:
The Munsters second season originally aired in 1965-1966. The following is from the DVD cover:
“America’s first family of fright is back on DVD with all 32 outrageous second-season episodes and hilarious new bonus features in The Munsters: The Complete Second Season! Reunite with the wacky and weird Munster clan: Herman, devoted dad and “working stiff;” Lily, the homemaker with sass; Grandpa, a former Count who still loves to take a bite out of life; Marilyn, the “black sheep” of the family; and Eddie, a little boy who always loves to have a howling good time. It’s spooky fun that everyone will be screaming about in the Golden Globe-nominated adventures of the frighteningly funny family from Mockingbird Lane.”
The Munsters: The Complete Second Season is not rated.
The Series:
I used to watch The Munsters on re-runs when I was a kid and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was funny and it was great summertime afternoon entertainment. So I was curious to see what my kids would think of The Munsters. Sure enough, when I sat my 1st Grade daughter in front of the TV, she was instantly hooked. Her younger brother wandered in and out watching bits here and there, but they both thought it was fun. Despite that fact that it was in black and white, they were still entertained.
Let’s face it, The Munsters is really for kids. They are the ones who will enjoy it most, so it’s hard to look at it with a critical eye. Fortunately, the stories are still funny and even modern kids, apparently, will find hours of entertainment with the DVDs. So if you need to keep a kid busy for a while or if you’re looking for a bit of nostalgia, The Munsters DVD is one worth adding to your collection.
The Extras:
There is a really good selection of bonus features on this DVD. They start with “America’s First Family of Fright”, a documentary on the overall making of the series. They discuss how The Munsters was created to compete with The Addams Family, the casting, Marylin’s departure from the show, Yvonne DeCarlo’s controversial casting, and more. The documentary even covers the follow-up movies and repeated attempts to revive the series. All of the surviving cast members are interviewed, too. At 45 minutes, it’s a well-made and thorough look at the making of the series.
The “making of” feature is followed up by three incredible biographies: “Fred Gwynne: More Than a Monster”, “Yvonne DeCarlo: Gilded Lily”, and “Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa”. These biographies document the actors’ full careers from birth to today. They give a candid look at Gwynne’s children and his lack of involvement with them. They show all the major Hollywood stars that Yvonne DeCarlo was attached to. They highlight Lewis’ vaudeville days and his more recent wacky escapades. These are just very, very good documentaries well worth checking out if you enjoyed The Munsters. They all clock in at over 45 minutes each.
The Bottom Line:
The Munsters: The Complete Second Season is a great addition to the collections of Munsters fans as well as kids.
