Dr. Strange

I'm old enough to remember when this was first broadcast on TV way back in the day. I haven't seen it since then so I only had vague memories of it as I was watching this DVD. My memories didn't fail me though! This WAS one of Marvel's best efforts when it came to their TV adaptations. While the movie does make some rather significant alterations to the comic book lore, it more or less captures the spirit of Stephen Strange, at least as best as we could have hoped for back in those bell-bottomed day of yore. It is very obvious that this was a pilot for a hoped for television series that never materialized, and we are all the poorer for that loss. I do imagine that if it had gone to series it would have been a short, one season affair. I'd have watched it in any event. I do wish that someone would dig up the original footage and release this on Blu Ray, but I suspect that footage is a decaying video tape and this is the best we will ever get. Still, the disc is very watchable. No extras, except for whatever nostalgia you might bring along, so curl up with a bucket of popcorn, turn off your cynicism and just enjoy it for what it was!

So glad to see this TV pilot finally on DVD. It looks and sounds great! Thank you Shout Factory for remastering it! Aside from The Incredible Hulk TV series this TV effort was one of The best attempts at adapting a Marvel comics character into live action form for television in the 1970s. The special effects are cheesy but Looking at it through a 1970s lens it's pretty impressive. The cast is great! Jessica Walter steals the show camping it up as evil sorceress Morgan Le Fey. Any Dr. Strange or Marvel fan should definitely check this out. It would've been interesting to see where this proposed series would've gone if CBS had picked it up.

BOTTOM LINE: A pretty cool one-shot TV pilot for Marvel Comics' Sorcerer Supreme. Too bad it never went to series. It certainly showed a lot of promise. It's presented here in its original 4:3 aspect ratio and looks & sounds good. No extras, but worth catching to see what could have been. 4 STARS THE STORY: Stephen Strange is a staff psychiatrist working at East Side Hospital in New York. Unbeknownst to him, Strange has been watched over from a distance since childhood by a mysterious elder sorcerer named Thomas Lindmer. Now with the sudden return to our world of an ancient evil, in the form of seductively beautiful but decidedly deadly Morgan LeFay, the old magician must contact Strange and quickly initiate him in the ways of sorcery; a changing of the guards, so to speak. Reluctant at first, when Dr. Strange realizes the apocalyptic threat posed by LeFay, will he embrace his destiny to become Earth's Sorcerer Supreme? THOUGHTS: Yeah, the final costume is hokey, (the first outfit is much better-looking), the special effects aren't so special, the acting is pure hammy 70's... but underneath it all this TV pilot had the makings of something fairly cool and unique. Unlike TV's Spider-Man and the Hulk, who just tripped up small-time crooks & creeps, Dr. Strange took on hellish demons & battled otherworldly forces of Darkness for the fate of Earth in his very first adventure! Peter Hooten was a swingin' 70's ringer for our good doctor: sincere, determined, compassionate. Clyde Kusatsu, as Wong, made for a loyal & fastidious disciple of The Ancient One, replaced here by none other than Merlin the Magician himself! (though they never say so by name), played by rascally John Mills. Villainous Morgan LeFay is brought to life by sultry Jessica Walters, in a delicious, scenery-shewing performance. Rounding out the primary cast is Anne-Marie Martin (bizarrely billed here as Eddie Benton) as Strange's presumably future girlfriend and confidant, Clea Lake. The effects, while tame by current standards, at least tried to give us a show. They are admittedly trippy, and do convey the idea that these folks are wielding some serious magical might. Special mention to the cool stop motion demon (Dormammu?) who controls Morgan LeFay and sets her loose on Lindmer & Strange. I had never seen this movie before buying this DVD and found it to be quite entertaining, in its own 1970's way. Certainly it would have been something to have had Dr. Strange go to series and eventually perhaps team up with Spider-Man, Captain America and The Incredible Hulk in a retro TV version of The Defenders. (The fevered dream of many a 10 year old, back in the day.) THE DVD: Shout!Factory gives us a decent yet regrettably barebones standard-def release of 1978's DR. STRANGE. Picture is steady & solid, with a mostly clean image. Some fading is present, but Universal likely didn't take very good care of this particular film. Audio is strong and the soundmix is level. Zero bonus content. English subtitles for hearing impaired viewers is accessible on the main menu screen.

This is a very cool 1970's adaptation of Dr. Strange (the Marvel character who is Master of the Mystic Arts). I saw it when it originally came out. It is a more or less wholesome movie (so you don't have to worry about cringe-worthy Game-of-Thrones-type-Red-Wedding scenes causing your family members to be grossed out or inundated with gratuitous foul language, just for shock value). These were the days when writers knew that Good defeats Evil, and the hero saves the fair maiden (instead of the other way around, like today's "superheroes" who the writers portray as all too often needing the fair maiden, or the supporting character, to save them!). Peter Hooten does a great job as the cool physician who is destined to become a hero. You might also check-out Dr. Mordrid, starring the great Jeffrey Combs (a.k.a. Weyoun of Star Trek Deep Space Nine fame, who also totally triumphed in the role of the blue-skinned Andorian in several episodes of Star Trek Enterprise!). Best Regards, PG

Marvel may dominate DC in films today, but back in the 1970s it was a different story. Still, I had to add this to my collection for completion purposes. To my surprise, my memory of watching this originally left my expectations so low that it was actually better than I remembered and I found it quite enjoyable.

I wish that Peter Hooten would have a Cameo in the Doctor Strange 2016 one!

I just found out that this movie existed a few weeks ago and the reviews that I read were quite positive. Being a comic book geek with a brand new Christmas gift card, my decision to purchase the movie was an easy one. Well, I wasn't at all disappointed. The cast and script were very good and the production value was terrific. Again, my review is in the context of this being a 1970s TV superhero movie but there are far worse ways to spend 90 minutes than by checking this flick out.

Was a gift and was much appreciated

For the time it was filmed , not as bad as I thought . Quite enjoyed it . Quality of the DVD was good too ...

was an old classic that was entertaining

Cleaned Up Copy of the 1978 original movie. Just the film!! - nothing else a BARE BONES Release - Skip It!!!.....