Tag Archives: The Flintstones

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The Bootleg Files: The Flintstones on Ice

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BOOTLEG FILES 931: “The Flintstones on Ice” (1973 television special mixing the Bedrock bunch with ice dancing).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Who knows?

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Nope, sorry.

Back when I was a kid in the 1970s (yes, I am that old), the only time that ice skating appeared on television was during the Winter Olympics or in an occasional special anchored on an ice dancing spectacular production. In 1973, the Hanna-Barbera fun factory licensed their Flintstones characters for a one-shot ice skating special. The resulting work was among the most bewildering but strangely entertaining specials to air on 1970s television.
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The Bootleg Files: A Weighty Problem

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BOOTLEG FILES 907: “A Weighty Problem” (1980 educational filmstrip featuring characters from “The Flintstones”).

LAST SEEN: A restored version is on YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Educational filmstrips have no perceived commercial reissue value.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely, unless a documentary on the subject is made.

If you were a K-12 student in American schools during the 1960s and 1970s, you probably remember the use of filmstrips in your classes. Filmstrips were a spool of 35mm film that featured still photographs on each frame. The filmstrips were shown via a hand-operated projector, with one frame at a time projected on a screen while a soundtrack recording on either an album or a cassette tape provided narration or character dialogue to match the images. The soundtrack recording would offer a beep or a ding, which was the cue to the projector’s operator to turn the spool to the next image.
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Every WWE Studios Film Ranked

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When you think of WWE, you immediately think of the wrestling ring. But the company has also been an active participant in the movie world, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of its foray into cinema.

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The Bootleg Files – Energy: A National Issue

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BOOTLEG FILES 721: “Energy: A National Issue” (1977 educational animated film narrated by Charlton Heston and starring Fred and Wilma Flintstone).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It seems to have fallen through the proverbial cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

Last week’s column served up the worst production in “The Flintstones” canon. This week, we serve up the second worst.
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The Bootleg Files – The Flintstones: On the Rocks

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BOOTLEG FILES 720: “The Flintstones: On the Rocks” (2001 made-for-television animated film).

LAST SEEN: On the Internet Archive

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It seems to have fallen through the proverbial cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

In 1960, ABC premiered “The Flintstones” as the first animated sitcom to air in prime time. The show was a riff on “The Honeymooners” set in prehistoric times, and it immediately resonated with viewers who kept it on the air for a six-season run.
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The Return of Crackpot Christmas Movies

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Santa teaming with Merlin the Magician to defeat Satan? Charlie Brown’s Christmas with a Rudy Ray Moore-worthy soundtrack? And why are the prehistoric Flintstones celebrating a holiday rooted in the birth of Jesus? Facebook’s funniest man, Anthony “Kingfish” Vitamia, returns to roast the silliest, most violent and least likely holiday movies of all time in this encore presentation of “The Online Movie Show.”

The episode can be heard here.

The Flintstones’ New Neighbors (1980)

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At only twenty four minutes I wouldn’t have minded more of Fred Flintstone adjusting to his new neighbors, but we get much more of the Frankenstone family down the road. One of the later additions to the Flintstones lore, the Frankenstones are an odd new family, but they’re at least funnier than The Great Gazoo. Surprised to learn that a new family is moving in to the neighborhood, Fred is horrified when the family is non-traditional monsters that are menacing, but very sweet, and neighborly. An obvious ode to “The Addams Family,” The Frankenstones seek to make friends with Fred and Wilma and Fred is flabbergasted at the way they live.

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