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Help Wanted: Power Rangers Direct-to-Video Specials - Preserving the Pain

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I have a confession to make: I was a jumbo-sized Power Ranger fan way back when. I had an army of toys and a large stockpile of video. I have since given them away to children who would enjoy them more. The Rangers are still going strong on the ‘net, it seems, as I can find both movies and just about every episode on torrent sites. There are a few that the fans seemed to have overlooked, though. I am speaking of several direct-to-video specials produced in the series’ infancy. A couple have already made their way to the 'net. One, “The Good, the Bad, and the Stupid: The Misadventures of Bulk and Skull” has a self-explanatory title (mostly stock footage of their best gags with a new frame story). Another, the “Power Rangers World Tour Live On Stage” was the official video of a stage adaptation of the series. Then, of course, there was the unaired pilot that was shown on TV during the sixth season. Two others, however, I have been unable to find. Other than these, I don’t think any other in-character (i.e. not making-of) specials have been made, but if you know of any others, feel free to say so.

1.) Alpha’s Magical Christmas
BARF!!! This is unbelievable. Alpha feels lonely on Christmas because the Rangers are off helping Santa Claus get ready to make his yearly trip (as opposed to, say, saving children from a burning building or stopping mass deforestation). So what does Zordon do? He teleports some kids to the Command Center (you know, the one that’s supposed to have SECURITY CLEARANCE) so they can sing Christmas carols with Alpha! It is notable that the action is nearly nonexistant in this little rough among diamonds.

2.) Lord Zedd’s Monster Heads: The Greatest Villains of the Power Rangers
This is the single biggest con in the history of the show! Nowhere else will you find a piece of Power Rangers media made COMPLETELY out of stock footage! There are a few instances of new dialogue over the title character’s footage, but the rest is just a selection of the best of PR’s worst. Hey, at least someone gets hit in this one.

Well, there’s the shopping list, but where’s the goods? If anyone on the OT forums is a reformed PR fan, would you check your old collection and see if you can get these on the 'net somehow? You would have the gratitude of myself and everyone else who clings to childhood memories for dear life.

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Originally posted by: johnboy
1.) Alpha's Magical Christmas
BARF!!! This is unbelievable. Alpha feels lonely on Christmas because the Rangers are off helping Santa Claus get ready to make his yearly trip (as opposed to, say, saving children from a burning building or stopping mass deforestation). So what does Zordon do? He teleports some kids to the Command Center (you know, the one that's supposed to have SECURITY CLEARANCE) so they can sing Christmas carols with Alpha! It is notable that the action is nearly nonexistant in this little rough among diamonds.


Sadly, I own this tragic piece of crap (having acquired it when I was younger), and yes, it really IS that bad. I can't copy it to DVD or anything, but if you can get it onto a DVD or know someone who does, give me an address and I'll ship it to them, post-haste.

The unedited pilot is available, as I know because I downloaded it, but it's probably on one of the big torrent sites packaged with the first or second season. If I remember correctly, it was aired on Fox with a special bumper by the guys who played the Black and Red Rangers.

I've seen the stage show, and it's terrible. At one point, the audience was required to shine their "Sprite
Cards" at a giant inflatable model of Lord Zedd in order to make him blow up. So cheesy.
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I have Monster Heads, but I don't have a capture card, if anyone is willing to do it I will send it to them!
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Originally posted by: johnboy
Then, of course, there was the unaired pilot that was shown on TV during the sixth season.

3.) The Official Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Fan Club Video
I can't say much about this, as it is one of the few tapes to have escaped my grasp, but a few sources say that it is basically an expanded history of Zordon and Rita, some improvised "interviews" with characters from the show (who don't seem to mind giving their secret identities away to some random dude with a camera) and some good ol' "moral of the day" tripe.


There are two versions of the original pilot. The aired version that was shown on TV was edited down due to "violence" they also changed what was said during the megazord sequence utilizing dialoge from the official pilot. They had to edit out the word droid. The real un-aired pilot can be viewed via Youtube.

Also, the fan club video I have but, it was a behind the scenes of the power rangers. They didn't set it up as "these are the power rangers", they set it up as "these are the actors that play the power rangers". Anyone who thought they were trying to convince the kids that they weren't actors clearly wasn't paying attention. They had the actors name on the screen during the interviews not the characters. I currently have it in storage though so, I can't put it on the web.


http://twister111.tumblr.com
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Originally posted by: twister111

There are two versions of the original pilot. The aired version that was shown on TV was edited down due to "violence" they also changed what was said during the megazord sequence utilizing dialoge from the official pilot. They had to edit out the word droid. The real un-aired pilot can be viewed via Youtube.

Also, the fan club video I have but, it was a behind the scenes of the power rangers. They didn't set it up as "these are the power rangers", they set it up as "these are the actors that play the power rangers". Anyone who thought they were trying to convince the kids that they weren't actors clearly wasn't paying attention. They had the actors name on the screen during the interviews not the characters. I currently have it in storage though so, I can't put it on the web.




Wow... edited for violence? They have people kicking each other's brains out in EVERY frickin' episode! What did they do, strap the a putty to a chair and cut its Achilles' tendon?

Thanks for the correction about the fan club video. That sounded a bit strange to me, since two similar videos (those of the official Karate Club) are out-of-character. Still, it might be interesting simply for the Zordon/Rita backstory, but I'm taking it off the list.
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Originally posted by: johnboy

Wow... edited for violence? They have people kicking each other's brains out in EVERY frickin' episode! What did they do, strap the a putty to a chair and cut its Achilles' tendon?

Thanks for the correction about the fan club video. That sounded a bit strange to me, since two similar videos (those of the official Karate Club) are out-of-character. Still, it might be interesting simply for the Zordon/Rita backstory, but I'm taking it off the list.


I don't know what was cut out for the aired version as, I've never seen it. The changes I said were what I've read. The version on youtube however, seems to be the one before the alterations since the megazord sequence has the word droid intact. Also, there's a lack of Fox Kids logo.

Also, I don't really remember anything about a Zordon/Rita backstory. However, I haven't seen it in a while.

Oh, and some behind the scenes stuff I found on youtube.

http://twister111.tumblr.com
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My info regarding the fan club video came from this site:

http://www.pop-arena.com/articles/rangerfans.html

Either he's lying for no apparent reason or we're thinking of different videos.
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Originally posted by: johnboy
My info regarding the fan club video came from this site:

http://www.pop-arena.com/articles/rangerfans.html

Either he's lying for no apparent reason or we're thinking of different videos.


My memories very fuzzy on the video. I just don't remember a lot about it. However, I remember pausing the video to see Jason David Frank's name while he was talking about Kata. I also, remember behind the scenes shots of the actors getting make up on for the show. Although, I tottally forgot about the in-character interviews. I also, tottally forgot about the history of Rita and, Zordon thing. Basically, I only remember a little bit about the tape. Hence, why I said I haven't seen it in a while.

<edit>Oh, and, I found the aired version of the first pilot.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
</edit>

http://twister111.tumblr.com
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