 | Bela Lugosi starred in several serials for Mascot, Republic, Universal, and independent producers in the 1930s; although S.O.S. Coast Guard is generally considered the best of them, The Phantom Creeps (1939) has always held a special place in the hearts of his fans. Made at Universal, the scene of Bela’s greatest screen triumphs (Dracula, The Black Cat, Son of Frankenstein), The Phantom Creeps offers its star a juicy part as nutty Dr. Alex Zorka, bent on conquering the world. |  |
 | Amongst the weapons of mass destruction used by Zorka are exploding mechanical spiders, a colossal grimacing robot, and Monk, a hapless sidekick dressed in a chauffeur's uniform. This is undoubtedly the most popular of Lugosi's serials, partly because of that iconic bronze giant and partly because it was lampooned hilariously on TV's Mystery Science Theater 3000. |  |
 | The Phantom Creeps was originally entitled The Shadow Creeps, but the owners of The Shadow knew what evil lurked in the hearts of men, and put the kibosh on that title. One wonders why Lee Falk and the folks behind The Phantom didn't raise a fuss. The serial also stars Robert Kent, Regis Toomey, and Bela's old nemesis Edward Van Sloan. |  |
 | The VCI DVD includes a bonus cartoon, Porky's Midnight Matinee, in color. Since the dawn of the home video era nearly 30 years ago, serial, monster, and Lugosi fans have been searching for a decent copy of this particular chapterplay; every version we’ve seen In The Balcony appears to have been shot through a dirty screen door. Thankfully, though, VCI remedies that with this new DVD. |  |
 | Also coming from VCI in February is a 1942 chapterplay starring the Dead End Kids, one of a series they made at Universal, usually playing street urchins rescued from a life of petty crime by banding together with a considerate G-Man to fight saboteurs. Despite the title, Junior G-Men of the Air isn't really a sequel to the earlier Junior G-Men serial. |  |
 | The DVD includes a bonus cartoon, Daffy the Commando, plus an animated photo gallery. Like The Phantom Creeps, all 12 chapters are presented on a single DVD and retails for $19.99. |  |
 | In this one, Lionel Atwill is the leader of the Japanese spies who have infiltrated this country, and Turhan Bey is one of his assistants. No, this is not a picture of Turhan. He was a good actor, but not THAT good an actor. The cast includes Frank Albertson and Kathryn Adams. |  |
 | The Dead End Kids in this serial are, L. to R., Gabriel Dell, Billy Halop, Bernard Punsley, and Huntz Hall. The other two original Dead End Kids, Bobby Jordan and Leo Gorcey, are absent. We only mention all those names because we love to brag that we can rattle off all six of the Kids without a second thought. We love those guys, most of whom later became the East Side Kids and then morphed into the Bowery Boys. |  |