DVD Review HTF REVIEW: "Sunrise" (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Matt<>Broon]

Any news on this being made available in the UK and other places? :frowning:

I can just see my asylum application now -

Reason for claim : Second class DVD service.

 

[Bill Burns]

Sunrise: in a word, magnificent.

I've watched it twice now, once for the original mono soundtrack, and once for the excellent, very analytical commentary track by cinematographer John Bailey (he also provides comments over the outtakes).

The film is inspiring, captivating, truly, deeply beautiful, and very moving: its "melodrama," which Bailey fears some viewers will have to "get past" in order to appreciate the film, is pitch perfect in my book -- without going into details that would represent spoilers, I'll simply say that the film often had me in tears, its original soundtrack serves as a lovely accompaniment (I haven't listened to Carl Davis' score, but hope to soon), and a more tenderly realized, lovingly human story could scarcely be found in cinema. This, along with Kino's The Iron Mask (Brownlow's restoration of the Doug Fairbanks Sr. romantic swashbuckler) and The Gaucho (another Doug Fairbanks film), represent three of the finest films ever made and three of the best DVDs you can find. Sunrise sits at the top of the heap, though, for the grace and class of its presentation: simple, beautiful menus, a fine presentation of the film (a few scenes look a touch fast, with smoke rising a bit faster than I'd expect from candles and what not, but the film is clearly intended for its current speed*, as it syncs with the soundtrack at that speed, and most scenes play just right, suggesting scenes that run a bit fast may have been intentionally undercranked by the filmmakers), a thoughtful and well-researched commentary, an extensive and very welcome retrospective on Murnau's lost 4 Devils (the charming narrator misreads a word or two, assuming her script is the same as what we see on the screen, but generally does a very fine job), and a theatrical trailer! That may not seem like much, but I've watched hundreds of silent pictures (short form and feature, DVD, laserdisc, and cable/satellite), and this is the first silent trailer I've encountered. It's a treat of unexpected power to see what theater audiences saw in anticipation of this picture, and the rarity of this jewel of a supplement is indicated at its end, when we're told just whom we have to thank for its preservation.

Don't miss this one. It's worth its weight in gold. If you love a) the beauty of cinema as a visual storytelling language, b) a great love story, c) a tear-drenched melodrama, or d) all of the above, Sunrise is the film for you.

Those who find themselves swayed toward silents by this picture should also seek out the above-mentioned Fairbanks titles and, for additional melodrama, Murnau's German picture The Last Laugh, available from Kino in a DVD of acceptable, but by no means excellent, quality (it's been a while since I watched it, but if I'm not mistaken a frame line is often visible at the top of the screen, not unlike -- but a bit less obtrusively than -- Image's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, now nicely rectified itself by Kino in a new edition, and the image quality of The Last Laugh doesn't have the range of contrast or shadow depth found on Sunrise). It's worth seeking out, however, as the film itself is excellent (but does not have the emotional power of Sunrise, in my estimation -- it'll still tug the heartstrings, though). For those looking for Nosferatu (forgive me if anyone has mentioned this before), Milestone Home Video is reported to have the Kevin Brownlow restoration of the film on tap for sometime in 2004 (Brownlow's restoration of The Chess Player has already been announced for July of this year, and a deluxe, definitive edition of both the original and re-issue versions of The Phantom of the Opera should be forthcoming soon, along with a few other Brownlow restorations -- all of Milestone's DVD product is released through Image). There are several editions of Nosferatu out there now, including a recent Kino edition that seems, in reviews, to be the best of the bunch (with some minor restored footage and other bonuses), but if Brownlow's restoration of The Iron Mask is any indication (and famed silent restorer David Shepard has indicated that Brownlow's restoration budgets are generally very impressive), the Milestone release will be the one to own. But again, I believe the latest news on that indicated 2004 (correct me if I'm wrong, anyone in the know).

To Fox: really, truly, congratulations. You have produced an astonishing disc. Sunrise is treated as carefully, as beautifully as a major release, and with the extensive supplementation one would associate with a top title. Yet it can be had with the purchase of any three Studio Classic titles (most of which are great films in their own right, also beautifully presented), a check for $2.50 (U.S.), and a postage stamp (37 cents in the U.S.). That's $2.87 for those of us who were already planning on buying several Studio Classic titles, and that is the best DVD bargain I've seen. I hope the title is made available outside the U.S. and Canada soon (my guess is that Fox will launch a silents line in 2004 to coincide with/compete with WB's plans, but that's nothing more than a guess, as I've heard nothing yet to support it; if this comes to pass, I'm sure Sunrise will re-appear at retail), but for those who can get it -- do so. Cherish it. This is one of the best DVDs out there. And if you have a few Studio Classics titles on your shelf, you can have Sunrise for less than most of us spend on lunch. Food for the soul, this pitch perfect "song of two humans."

Now, I have two general thoughts I'd like to pose, and if anyone has any comment, by all means chime in: the disc's restoration information goes out of its way to assure us that, while prints of the "silent" version of the film released to theaters not yet equipped for sound still exist, these were reframed by the cinematographer to use the extra negative space freed up by a lack of soundtrack and are not used in this restoration: the disc tells us that only the synchronized musical score version of the film was used, which means the new elements created from a single surviving print. I could swear a few shots lean toward the left, even a title card or two, suggesting they may be inserts from a silent print cropped to sound, but I may be imagining things. However, I'd love to see the "B negative" silent version of the film for two reasons: 1) Murnau was a silent director who had never worked with sound before, and for all I know didn't work with it here, suggesting that both he and his renowned cinematographer and camera man were more comfortable framing for 1.33:1 than the 1.2:1 or so seen here; I'd enjoy very much seeing the differences between the two versions in this regard.

Additionally, the restoration information tells us that the variant versions of films shot simultaneously with two or more negatives are often edited differently, which was further reason why only the "sound" version of the film was used for the restoration. I presume editorial changes would be purposeful, and wouldn't simply happen by accident, so if the silent version of this picture does indeed sport editorial anomalies, I'd love to see them.

* One last point (this one a question, relating to the asterisk above): once in his commentary, John Bailey says that a magazine of film can only be developed in lengths of 200 feet, and that at this film's 16 frames per second, "rather than" or opposed to 24 fps, that would be a 3 minute shot. I haven't done the math to see if the time corresponds to the frame rate, but this can't be right for Sunrise -- while some late silent films look best a frame or two below sound speed (a personal guess is that this might be accounted for by "protection" cranking by experienced camera operators who knew, despite projection instructions that would likely accompany the film, that hand-cranked silent film projection could vary substantially in frame rates, and undercranking a bit would look fine at the full frame rate, but would protect against slightly slower frame rates? It may also be explained by something as simple as industry variance, with some operators cranking faster or slower by habit, and smaller, B-pictures may have been slower to catch up to what studios were insisting on -- or what equipment was encouraging -- with the normalization of frame rates at the smoother 24 fps in bigger budgeted pictures; these are strictly "common sense" guesses on my part, and if there's another, better defensible reason, I'll gladly scrap them, but the "it's gotta be 24 fps, because the industry was normalizing to this after 1925" late silent "rule" has too many exceptions to work as a rule; many pictures right up to the heels of sound look great at 22 and 23 fps, though the majority of late silents are most accurate at 24 fps, and that sort of anomaly can't be ignored if these films are to find their best possible presentations ... at any rate, films might be 22, 23, or most likely 24 in the late silent period), rates as slow as 16 fps were seen almost exclusively in the early silent days, the 1900's and 1910's. By the Roarin' 20's, most "ideal" projection rates seem to be in the 20-24 range, do they not? If this 1927 film is presented here at 16 fps, it would be the only synchronized sound film I've ever heard of designed for that rate. Is Bailey discussing something bizarre (the rate at which the film is developed, or something odd like that?), or is he talking about the intended projection speed? A 1927 picture at 16 fps would flip my top. I'd love some clarity on his comment, if anyone has given it a listen and knows what he means.

This brings up another point, something I hope all studios will remember: silent films do have a wide variety of correct projection speeds, depending on the country and year in which they were made, and sometimes simply on the individual film. This is generally in the 16-24 range for the entire silent period, with David Shepard sometimes finding very minor alterations (23, for instance, rather than 24) an ideal on video, and there are rare exceptions that might be as fast as 26 or even 28, but early VHS silent film offerings were often plagued by poorly researched presentations sped up to 24 fps, because it was easiest. This ruined a lot of films, and also created good, new soundtracks many now cherish that only synchronize properly at these wrong speeds. One or two companies reportedly over-compensated later by slowing films too much and too uniformly (all silent pictures are not correct at 18 fps! ), also an across-the-board, wrong-headed move ... with each film, I trust the studio will check the records, consult with those who know, and present the film at its proper speed. I'd love for the studios to designate the speed on the box or the DVD's supplements, so those who look for such things will be reassured the film has been done proper justice, and those unfamiliar with this aspect of silent history will have the opportunity to learn about it. When compromises must be made on edits and source materials (as is so often the case with films more than seventy years, and in some cases a full century or more, old), I also hope studios will frankly detail these matters in the DVD supplements, so viewers will know precisely how close this experience comes to the original theatrical experience enjoyed by their ancestors, and why changes have been made when those changes were unavoidable.

Once again -- my heartfelt congratulations to Fox. Sunrise is a standard of presentation we can only hope other major studio silent efforts rise to meet.

For those of you new to silents, and looking for a good list of starter pictures on DVD, I'll offer my own list of the top ten titles available in North America:

From best to least (gauging both film and DVD quality):

1. Sunrise (Fox)

2. The Iron Mask (Kevin Brownlow/Channel 2 Productions restoration only; beware public domain copies of the earlier restoration, which featured narration by Fairbanks' son; Brownlow's restoration restores speech only to the two segments which originally contained it, both narrated by Fairbanks Sr. himself on synchronized records; this restoration is available through Kino, and is one of the finest discs out there, a truly sumptuous representation of the beauty of nitrate; my only caveat is some noticeable motion blur I attribute to a PAL-NTSC transfer, as the Channel 2 Productions restoration was mounted in the U.K.).

3. The Gaucho (Kino; one of my favorite pictures of any year, silent or sound; a great short film with Fairbanks is also included)

4. Treasures From American Film Archives (a four disc boxed set which contains four silent features and many shorts; among the true treasures here is The Toll of the Sea, a Two-Strip Technicolor silent taken from the original negative, which survives with all but the final reel intact; this reel has been recreated with intertitles and a brief new shot of the ocean, made with a working Two-Strip camera; the DVD set itself contains a number of sound works, but it's truly a treasure for silent fans, and a great place to begin developing a sense of the diversity of the silent era).

5. Battle of the Sexes (1928; D.W. Griffith; Image) Very nice transfer from great elements; a good, unassuming film.

6. Cobra (Rudolph Valentino; Image) A fun, simple movie, in a good transfer (a bit rough in the encoding around some dark edges, such as camera irises; otherwise very good). Do not confuse this with the Stallone feature!

7. Intolerance (available from both Image, though I believe this is now out of print, and Kino; the Kino edition is by far the best, with much more open framing and generally excellent picture detail throughout; the two versions represent slightly different edits of the picture, though -- we see what happens to the baby in the Image edition And no, that's not a spoiler -- so seeking out both might not be a bad idea). A good place to start in appreciating the early attempts at "epic" narrative in American filmmaking; Birth of a Nation is also recommended, but its content continues to divide audiences and encourage condemnation, so Intolerance may be a better place to start for those who haven't researched the history of these pictures, or for those who dislike divorcing social content from narrative pleasure and technical prowess; Birth's first half is more or less free of offense (and contains one of the most powerful moments I've ever found in film: a recreation of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln), but it's second bears much controversy and should be approached carefully by new audiences (there are stories of crowds storming projection booths during showings of the last few decades -- seriously). Trivia hounds should note that the man who plays Lincoln in Birth actually directed Cobra, mentioned above (!).

8. Orphans of the Storm (Griffith; available from both Image and Kino, and I'm unsure which to recommend -- the Image edition has a brief section of the picture repeated by accident, which is corrected in the Kino edition, but the Kino edition lacks the pleasant tinting of the Image edition, and also has a brief video encoding error in one frame ... I suppose I'll side with Kino, but only by a margin). A lovely epic of The French Revolution, with the Gish sisters starring; a beautiful, heart-rending film.

9. Milestone's upcoming Phantom of the Opera. Image's current David Shepard edition of the re-issue version is a fine place to start, but Milestone's edition should be the one to cherish for years to come.

10. The Buster Keaton Collection. This 11-disc set (10 discs plus a bonus disc) from Kino is a fantastic journey through silent comedy. Also of great value are Chaplin's Essanay Comedies from Image, a three disc collection of early Chaplin shorts which I believe they're re-packaging, together with their three disc collection of The Chaplin Mutuals and a bonus disc, for release as a massive boxed set. The Mutuals are great, but the transfers aren't as good as I'd like, and they're presented out of order; the Essanays are in chronological order and much more satisfying, in my opinion.

Honorable mention must go to both Kino's Arbuckle and Keaton two disc collection (sold separately) and Image's The Best Arbuckle Keaton Collection two disc set (sold together in one DVD case); the latter is probably best for one-stop shoppers, but there are pluses to the Kino collection that make it worth a look as well (I've only seen the Kino collection to date). Those who find themselves great fans of Roscoe Arbuckle after watching these should also look into Milestone's The Cook and Other Treasures, which restores two films of Arbuckle's long thought lost (one of which, The Cook, also features Buster Keaton). There's a third film on there as well, I believe a Harold Lloyd comedy, but I haven't seen the disc yet.

And so many others. Doug Fairbanks' The Thief of Baghdad, available in a pleasing edition from Image and reportedly forthcoming in another from Kino; the Italian epics The Last Days of Pompeii and Cabiria (both from Kino); Image's beautiful disc of David Shepard's restoration of The Lost World (which generally looks fantastic); Columbia's beautifully restored (and very funny) copy of Frank Capra's The Matinee Idol (note that lovely and energetic star Bessie Love also appears in the short Doug Fairbanks, Sr. film contained on the DVD of The Gaucho) .... Anyway, these and the above are a good starting point. Sorry to go on so long here; my enthusiasm over the prospect of studio silent lines knows no bounds. Congratulations again to Fox for their excellent disc of Sunrise.

And as to why we should watch or how we should enjoy films of so long ago, allow me to put it very simply: if you find energy and beauty in "old" works of literature or "old" music, believe me, you'll find plenty to love in "old" films. It is all but (and perhaps even) miraculous that so much creative genius rose to the occasion of the motion picture form so soon after its invention, but rise it did, and some of these pictures have never been equaled for their striking artistry and timeless pleasure. No one understands the full potential of the motion picture medium until they've explored the silent era, as is evidenced time and again in modern pictures that ignore lessons learned so very long ago about how best to truly dazzle and move an audience. I hope those of you who've never seen a silent film will explore this period of filmmaking with an open mind; I guarantee (no, I offer no refunds ) you'll be amazed at what you'll find with a little digging (you may run across some crap, as would be the case in any group of pictures, but there are gems aplenty to uncover).

 

[Jon Robertson]

Wow, Bill - I'm tired just reading all that! You don't go under the name Mario/Roderick Gauci anywhere, do ya?

But the man talks pure sense, every word. Listen to him, take his advice, and you shall do well.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Jon, I agree with what you are saying about Bill's post there. I am still eagerly and patiently waiting for my copy of Sunrise to appear on my doorstep at some point in time.

Until then, there are other silents out there that are waiting to be purchased.

 

[Matt<>Broon]

Would it be wrong to ask HOW you are obtaining this DVD outside the states?

You can mail me if necessary.

 

[oscar_merkx]

family

 

[Matt<>Broon]

family

Damn. I can see I need to get adopted by some rich Americans.

That might be tricky, I have the advantage of a classical education but I don't look so fabulous sitting on someones knee now I'm in my late 20's.

 

[Bill Burns]

Nope, Roderick and I are two different people -- I've never met him. But I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks, Jon and Oscar, for the kind words. These pictures have me in their thrall ....

 

[Roderick Gauci]

Quote (originally posted by Jon Robertson):

“Wow, Bill - I'm tired just reading all that! You don't go under the name Mario/Roderick Gauci anywhere, do ya?

But the man talks pure sense, every word. Listen to him, take his advice, and you shall do well.”


Jon,

As Bill himself said, I REALLY do hope you meant that as a compliment! Or did you? (By the way, it’s great that both you and Oscar managed to score a copy of SUNRISE [1927] despite Fox’s embargo).

But seriously: my LONG posts on several online Forums seem to be acquiring a sort of legendary status, although I don’t really know if this is purely out of admiration, envy or indifference! I admit to being disappointed when my passionate rants are sometimes followed by just a measly one-line reply but I can’t truly blame anyone for just gasping at the length of my posts and skipping them altogether!

Just for the record, my posts are usually co-written with my brother Mario and we have taken turns in registering under our own real names in the various Discussion Boards we visit daily. When we had previously registered under one combined name (Marrod) in the “old” Criterion DVD Forum, several readers interpreted our use of the plural as a kind of aristocratic eccentricity!

By the way, just yesterday we posted (under the name of Mario Gauci) that which is undoubtedly our longest “review” ever: a 2,300-word, two-part, ecstatic review of the new Blue Underground SE DVD of Harry Kumel’s DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (1971); what can we do, we simply adored the film! If anyone’s interested, you can read it by following these links:

http://www.dvdmaniacs.net/forums/sho...5&pagenumber=1

http://www.dvdmaniacs.net/forums/sho...3978#post93978


Quote (originally posted by Bill Burns):

“Nope, Roderick and I are two different people -- I've never met him. But I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks, Jon and Oscar, for the kind words. These pictures have me in their thrall ....”


Bill, we may be two totally different people but our taste in movies is decidedly similar nevertheless! I simply love Silent films and I presently own 63 DVDs from this wonderful era of film-making and there are probably just as many more which I have yet to buy or which have been announced but have yet to be released.

As for the Top Ten Silent Film DVDs, here’s my list (none of which, surprisingly enough, make your list):

1.THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928) {Criterion} – in my estimation, the greatest Silent film ever made, and one of Criterion’s most outstanding discs ever.

2.HAXAN (1922) {Criterion} – an astonishing film on another remarkable DVD, which also includes the William Burroughs-narrated 1968 US version entitled WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES].

3.DR. MABUSE, THE GAMBLER (1922) [2-Disc Set] {Image} – a seminal two-part action-packed epic thriller which still excites eighty years after it was made; David Kalat’s Audio commentary is priceless.

4.DIE NIBELUNGEN (1924) {Kino} [2-Disc Set] – a tremendous technical achievement in its time which still impresses today; the first part may have been better preserved (or restored) but both films are wonderful.

5.THE BLACK PIRATE (1926) {Kino} – a marvelously entertaining two-color Technicolor swashbuckler with Douglas Fairbanks at his very best; the supplements are the icing on the cake.

6.LES VAMPIRES (1915-16) {Image} – this legendary seven-hour serial is positively the single most expensive disc in my collection ($63!) but it’s worth every penny to me!

7.FANTOMAS (1913-14) [2-Disc LE Set] {Gaumont} (French R2 DVD) – although the disc is in French only (I guess it pays to have studied it at school all those years ago), the film has been beautifully restored and the extensive extras are both informative and entertaining.

8.THE PENALTY (1920) {Kino} – one of Chaney’s best on a comprehensively-packaged and exemplary DVD.

9.THE MARK OF ZORRO (1920)/DON Q, SON OF ZORRO (1925) {Kino} – another two vastly enjoyable Douglas Fairbanks swashbucklers guaranteed to lift your spirits!

10.THE LOST WORLD (1925) {Eureka} (R2) – this is identical to the excellent R1 SE from Image.

By the way, it’s great to learn of your admiration for Douglas Fairbanks’ THE GAUCHO (1927). I almost purchased it a year ago along with a bunch of other Silent film DVDs but I decided against it since the film was not among his best-known work (that politically incorrect short does sound unique though)!


Anyway, just for your information, I have these Silent film DVDs as yet unwatched in my collection:

·THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) [2-Disc Set] {Kino}
·INTOLERANCE (1916) {Kino}
·THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919) {Image}
·THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919) {Kino}
·THE GOLEM (1920) {Kino}
·NOSFERATU (1922) {Image}
·NOSFERATU (1922) {Kino}
·THE GOLD RUSH (1925) {Image}
·METROPOLIS (1926) {Kino}
·THE CIRCUS (1928) {Image}
·CITY LIGHTS (1931) {Image}
·MODERN TIMES (1936) {Image}

And we must not forget these notable upcoming Silent film DVDs, either:

1.CHARLIE CHAPLIN: SHORT COMEDY CLASSICS/
CHAPLIN 'S GOLIATH: IN SEARCH OF SCOTLAND'S FORGOTTEN STAR [8-Disc Set] {Image}
2.BLIND HUSBANDS (1919)/THE GREAT GABBO (1929) {Kino}
3.THE PARSON'S WIDOW (1920) [including two Dreyer shorts THEY CAUGHT THE FERRY (1948) and THORVALDSEN (1949}] {Image}
4.THE ACE OF HEARTS (1921)/ THE UNKNOWN (1927)/ LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT (1927)/LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH (1928)/LON CHANEY: A THOUSAND FACES (2003) [2-Disc Set?] {Warners}
5.FOOLISH WIVES (1922)/THE MAN YOU LOVE TO HATE (1980) {Kino}
6.THE GOLD RUSH (1925) [2-Disc Set] {Warners}
7.THE JOYLESS STREET (1925) {Kino}
8.THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925 & 1929 vesrions) [2-Disc Set] {Image/Milestone}
9.THE CHESS PLAYER (1927) {Image}
10.THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928) {Kino}
11.QUEEN KELLY (1928) {Kino}
12.SPIES (1928) {Kino}
13.TEMPEST (1928) [including VAGABONDING ON THE PACIFIC short subject] {Image}
14.THE WOMAN IN THE MOON (1929) {Kino}
15.MODERN TIMES (1936) [2-Disc Set] {Warners}

There! I just went and wrote another never-ending post but I assure you it wasn’t my intention. It’s just that all this lovely talk on Silent cinema has got me carried away!


P.S. I think it’s ironic that this thing has come up in the SUNRISE thread. Being a Maltese citizen (i.e. a bona-fide European), I had to find other means of acquiring a copy of the Fox Studio Classics DVD. However, while I had made arrangements with one of the moderators over at the “DVD Maniacs” Forum for him to send me his disc, I’m still waiting for it to arrive a full two months later (and I’m not saying he ripped me off, either)! In fact, I’m pretty sure he has sent the disc out to me but I suspect that it somehow got “lost in transit!” Is there anybody else around here willing to give it another try perhaps or should I wait until Fox decide to give it a proper retail release?

 

[Jon Robertson]

No, no - meant entirely as a compliment! Your posts, and Bill's are always exhaustively informative and a genuine treat among the usual posts along the lines of "This movie was pretty good".

 

[Bill Burns]

Aside from some strange "burning" purplish highlights early in the film, you'll love Kino's new edition of Caligari, Roderick (and Mario ). I own both editions as well, but Kino is the clear winner (excepting only the strange qualities of the opening footage), and happily eliminates the frame line troubles of the Image disc by virtue, I presume, of a new master.

I should name another disc neither of us has mentioned: Image's terrific The Sheik / Son of the Sheik, which I find to be a very good release. Much as with Kino's Son of the Sheik, I'm less than thrilled with the image quality of that picture (contrast is rather poor, and frame damage abounds), and it runs a bit too fast, as well (necessitated to ensure it syncs with its vintage soundtrack, but distracting beside the lovely, natural speed of The Sheik). However, The Sheik looks wonderful, and more than justifies the purchase price. Another Valentino film I was very impressed with (even more so) is the David Shepard restoration of The Married Virgin, available from Image, which has been re-edited by Shepard from its more common re-release version(s) to better approximate what was first seen by audiences ... and it's remarkably sophisticated in that narrative structure, telling a rather complex (though, at its heart, simple) story very, very well. Valentino comes off wonderfully, as well, in what was an early role for him. Whether Shepard's re-edit and restoration are precisely accurate or not, I cannot say, but the film plays marvelously in this version.

There are many other films I'd recommend, but I didn't want to overwhelm newcomers to the period. I've skipped Haxan, as the subject matter held no interest for me and would, I'm sure, spoil my ability to appreciate the film's qualities, but aside from that I'd recommend every title on your list, as well, Roderick (though the "floating" English text inserts to some scenes of Dr. Mabuse is an annoyance; I haven't seen Les Vampires yet, though I'd like to, nor Fantomas), and I'd add just a few more for everyone with ... well, deep pockets . These are in no particular order, and I've grouped a number of titles into the paragraph that follows the list, as well:

1. Richard III, from Kino; the earliest surviving American feature, this looks fantastic for its age. It survived in a well-maintained private collection, which undoubtedly explains its remarkable lack of damage or fading.

2. Othello; Kino. A companion release to Richard III, this is a lovely DVD of a well-made, captivating film; it plays particularly well alongside Welles' Othello, from Image.

3. Slapstick Encyclopedia; Image. This massive set of classic short-form comedies from the silent era belongs in every collection, much like the Treasures From American Film Archives set mentioned earlier. David Shepard produced the set for both laserdisc and DVD, and it's a terrific bargain at its price. Most of the content is beautifully presented, aside from a few misprints in the on-screen historical information that precedes each film, and only two or three films in the set -- particularly the early Gloria Swanson/Wallace Beery comedy Teddy at the Throttle -- play faster than I'd like; while chases are all right at caffeinated speeds , there are portions of Teddy that would clearly benefit from a 2-3 frame speed reduction; otherwise, I'd label this set outstanding).

4. Harry Langdon: The Forgotten Clown; Image (Kino, in fact, but released through Image). David Shepard characterized this as a disc that was put out "fast and dirty," without the kind of careful attention bigger budgets allow, but I'm here to tell ya' -- it's a must-own. The Strong Man, in particular among the three films on the disc, will have you doing flips for the beauty of its element(s) and transfer. Those who find Langdon their kinda clown will also delight in the two or three of his films that appear on the Slapstick Encyclopedia set.

5. Jean Epstein's The Fall of the House of Usher; All Day Entertainment. Better than you've heard! Really. I'm not sure if this qualifies as modernism, post-modernism, impressionism, or perhaps simply "abstract" -- but it's a great, simplified telling of Poe's story. Captivating.

6. The Love Trap; Kino. Part-silent, part-talkie, this charming film from director William Wyler is pure gold. The only problem is a brief encoding glitch (two or three frames) somewhere around the scene in which the heroine's dress is dropped from the balcony by her assailant early in the film. Two or three frames somewhere in this scene are riddled with tiny, multi-colored squares, repeatable, and the audio pops as well. You barely notice it while it's playing, but the audio pop in particular is noticeable; freeze-framing it, the trouble becomes evident, and it's repeatable to those frames alone, and stable, a part of the image, telling me it's a problem with the authoring/encoding, and not the pressing of the disc (the surface had a few fingerprints on it when it arrived, brand new and stickered, so I assume some bloke's loading some of these by hand at the factory ; I cleaned it thoroughly to ensure the fingerprints weren't causing the problem, but that had no effect*).

7. Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies, which is accompanied by the silent feature Quality Street; Milestone (through Image). A wonderful disc, and a fine feature in good, but not great, condition. The stills section is a particular treat.

8. Eternal Love, with John Barrymore and the radiant Camilla Horn (both also in The Tempest; see below, and also Roderick and Mario's list of upcoming titles in their earlier post); this Image disc of the restored feature is soft, but lovely, and I adore every minute of it. A great addition to any collection.

Hmmm ... I reckon that's about it. Milestone has a slew of Mary Pickford films available, with more "reportedly" on the way, and I'd recommend looking into those as well. Their most recent addition to this series might be easily overlooked: A Little Princess, which can be found on their DVD of the Frances Marion documentary Without Lying Down. Image themselves also have the Pickford feature The Love Light available in a very pleasing release. Image's Lon Chaney material (provided by Shepard, I believe), of which I've seen Oliver Twist (feels a bit fast, otherwise good) and Outside the Law / Shadows (one of these looks just right, the other a bit fast, but I've forgotten which is which; one also has some noticeable nitrate decomposition, but overall, a good release), would be worth acquiring (a disc I've been meaning to pick up is Nomads of the North / The Shock), and Kino's release of Chaney's The Penalty is highly recommended, as mentioned in Roderick/Mario's list. Let's see ... those looking for Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde in its Barrymore version would do well to stick with Image's edition (which I own); Kino's, reportedly of better picture quality, is a shorter edit of the feature. Barrymore can also be seen in the upcoming The Tempest, from Image, due in early July .... There are many "fair" discs out there (and a few films I just don't much like, such as Valentino's Blood and Sand, to name one), and a number of discs I haven't yet watched (Kino's The Movies Begin set high among them, along with Image's recent releases of Merry-Go-Round and The Life and Passion of Jesus Christ / From the Manger to the Cross), but I think Roderick and I have covered the best of the best between us. There are still more titles out there we haven't covered, however. An interesting release I have not seen is The Garden of Eden, available from a new company, Flicker Alley; it received a very nice write-up at the Digitally Obsessed website, and can be found at Amazon for purchase (other e-tailers may have it as well); here's the DO write-up:

http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/sho...w.php3?ID=4189

Anyway, believe it or not, even after all of this ... we still haven't hit on every good title, and there are more coming every month (Tuesday sees the release of Kino's Erick von Stroheim discs, three in all). As I've said elswhere, I'm absolutely, unabashadly ecstatic about the attention silent films have received on DVD. Much like anime fans (or what I've read of their enthusiasm, at any rate), there's an entire world of great films from this period to savor in our home theaters, thanks to the robust and far-reaching impact of the DVD format.

* My copy of The Good Fairy (a sound picture) arrived sealed and stickered, brand new, directly from Kino, just as did The Love Light, both pre-ordered prior to release ... and then sat on my shelf for several months, unopened. When I finally opened them up, to my horror, The Good Fairy was empty! No bloomin' disc at all! So be aware that Kino's factory packers have made a few mistakes along the way, and discs should be examined as soon as they're bought. I no longer had the receipt, and so given the length of time I never tried to have it replaced; this was the first "missing" disc I've encountered among the many dozens of Kino titles I've purchased, and also the hundreds of DVDs I own in total, so ... not a travesty, but surprising and unfortunate, nevertheless.

Jon wrote:

Your posts, and Bill's are always exhaustively informative and a genuine treat among the usual posts along the lines of "This movie was pretty good".

Well, all I can say is ... your check's in the mail. And some still think publicists are a waste of money ... hmph ....

Ha. My thanks once again, Jon.

Oh, and a final note: I recommend The Gaucho to absolutely everyone! Not only is it among my favorite films (I discovered it on laserdisc in a blind buy of a Kino set), I really believe it has something for just about every film fan: action, adventure, romance, religious parable, social drama, melodrama ... even horror. About the only genre fans likely to find it uninteresting are scifi/fantasy enthusiasts. Rarely have I found a film with so much to offer so many. Kino's presentation is terrific (though it can't match Brownlow's restoration of The Iron Mask).

 

[Brian PB]

Being somewhat of a Murnau junkie, I highly recommend the Kino release of The Last Laugh/Der Letzte Mann (1924). As Bill said, the transfer is not up to the standards set by Fox with Sunrise, but recommended enthusiastically, nonetheless. I am also a big fan of Image's release of Murnau's last film, Tabu (1931) (with contributions by Robert Flaherty, before the two had a falling out). The transfer is excellent to my eyes, and there is also a fine commentary track, extensive outtakes, and a short film about the lead actress, Reri (aka Anna Chevalier).

Here's hoping that Fox will also eventually release Murnau's 1930 film, City Girl/Our Daily Bread.

 

[CraigCA]

I just spotted today that grapevinevideo has
City Girl on DVD-R. I've never ordered anything
from Grapevine, maybe someone in the forum has
some comments on quality of their releases?

Craig

 

[Roderick Gauci]

Quote (originally posted by Jon Robertson):

"No, no - meant entirely as a compliment! Your posts, and Bill's are always exhaustively informative and a genuine treat among the usual posts along the lines of "This movie was pretty good".

Of course, I knew what you meant by your comments from the start. Thanks for your kind words; I’m always glad to be of service! Say, about that e-mail you’ve sent us (to which you’ll get a reply) - you’re not so bad yourself when it comes to lengthy posts!


Quote (originally posted by Bill Burns):

“Aside from some strange "burning" purplish highlights early in the film, you'll love Kino's new edition of CALIGARI, Roderick (and Mario ). I own both editions as well, but Kino is the clear winner (excepting only the strange qualities of the opening footage), and happily eliminates the frame line troubles of the Image disc by virtue, I presume, of a new master.”

I plan to watch both the Image and Kino discs of THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919) and NOSFERATU (1922), along with Kino’s DVDs of THE GOLEM (1920) and METROPOLIS (1926) next week. I hate double-dipping but since the first two are firm genre favorites of mine, I had to have both discs. However, I’m not too happy at the prospect of having to purchase yet another “essential” NOSFERATU DVD edition from Milestone (because of the Photoplay restoration and possibly James Bernard’s score)! The same seems to be the case, unfortunately, with the Image and Kino discs of John Barrymore’s DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1920) – none of which I own at the moment - and the Slingshot DVD edition of THE LOST WORLD (1925)!

From the rest of the Silent film DVDs you mentioned, most of which I already knew about, I have Image’s THE SHEIK (1921)/SON OF THE SHEIK (1926), Kino’s HARRY LANGDON: THE FORGOTTEN CLOWN (1926-27) and All Day’s THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (1928). Frankly, I was rather underwhelmed by the latter given its reputation as an avant-garde classic and the involvement of my all-time favorite film director, Luis Bunuel, in the production of the film; unfortunately, neither the shaky print quality nor the inexistent supplements made up for my disappointment, but perhaps I was expecting a little too much from it. I’m still glad I’ve got it though and am looking forward to a second viewing in the future.


Quote (originally posted by Bill Burns):

“I've skipped HAXAN, as the subject matter held no interest for me and would, I'm sure, spoil my ability to appreciate the film's qualities, but aside from that I'd recommend every title on your list, as well, Roderick (though the "floating" English text inserts to some scenes of DR. MABUSE is an annoyance; I haven't seen LES VAMPIRES yet, though I'd like to, nor FANTOMAS), and I'd add just a few more for everyone with ... well, deep pockets .”

While the film’s subject matter may be off-putting (and the film, despite its age, certainly does not flinch from showing the rites in all their grisly detail!), I can’t image you being disappointed by this on a purely technical, artistic and cinematic level. For what it’s worth, here’s a link to a review of HAXAN (1922) I posted on another Forum after my first viewing of it a year ago:

http://www.mhvf.net/forum/scifihorro...124232083.html

As I said about the two Feuillade serials, they may be too expensive for a “blind” purchase, but I hadn’t watched either of them myself prior to acquiring them on DVD and I’m extremely satisfied with the results. Feuillade was a favorite of the Surrealist Movement and was a definite influence on Fritz Lang’s crime thrillers of the Twenties and Thirties, as well as having Alain Resnais and Georges Franju among his admirers. Personally, I would love to see Feuillade’s three other celebrated serials JUDEX (1916), TIH MINH (1918) and BARRABAS (1920) get a similar DVD release! By the way, in case you’re interested in acquiring the 2-Disc R2 French edition of FANTOMAS (1913-14), please be advised that this set, which came out in 1999, is limited to just 12,000 copies worldwide!


Quote (originally posted by Bill Burns):

”My copy of THE GOOD FAIRY (a sound picture) arrived sealed and stickered, brand new, directly from Kino, just as did THE LOVE LIGHT, both pre-ordered prior to release ... and then sat on my shelf for several months, unopened. When I finally opened them up, to my horror, THE GOOD FAIRY was empty! No bloomin' disc at all! So be aware that Kino's factory packers have made a few mistakes along the way, and discs should be examined as soon as they're bought. I no longer had the receipt, and so given the length of time I never tried to have it replaced; this was the first "missing" disc I've encountered among the many dozens of Kino titles I've purchased, and also the hundreds of DVDs I own in total, so ... not a travesty, but surprising and unfortunate, nevertheless.”

I’m sorry about this, Bill. Maybe you should try writing to Mr. Donald Krim, President of Kino On Video and explain your predicament. I’ve corresponded several times with him via e-mail and he always appreciated my comments and genuine interest in his products. When I received a faulty disc - VCI’s DVD of Mario Bava’s BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964) - and wrote to its President, Mr. Robert A. Blair, he not only sent me a replacement copy but threw in two free discs as well in appreciation of my custom. Who knows, maybe you’ll get just as lucky with Mr. Krim!


Quote (originally posted by Bill Burns):

“Oh, and a final note: I recommend THE GAUCHO to absolutely everyone! Not only is it among my favorite films (I discovered it on laserdisc in a blind buy of a Kino set), I really believe it has something for just about every film fan: action, adventure, romance, religious parable, social drama, melodrama ... even horror. About the only genre fans likely to find it uninteresting are scifi/fantasy enthusiasts. Rarely have I found a film with so much to offer so many. Kino's presentation is terrific (though it can't match Brownlow's restoration of THE IRON MASK).”

Man, the more I hear about this film, the more I want to own it! I’ll definitely have to put out an order for it one of these days!

 

[Derek_McL]

One silent film you haven't mentioned which I think is an underrated classic is DeMille's Joan the Woman. I think it's his greatest film and much better than many of those epics of the 1950s and 60s. Apart from a moment near the start when the picture rolls the DVD looks absolutely stunning for a film made in 1916.

Does anyone have any of DeMille's sex comedies like Male and Female, The Affairs of Anatol and Manslaughter ? Are these any good ?

I also love the films of Douglas Fairbanks Snr. He was truly the King of the Swashbucklers better than Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power.I've got Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad, The Black Pirate and The Iron Mask.

Interesting to read such glowing praise for The Gaucho : I haven't seen that in years maybe I'll invest in the DVD.

Yes there is a great selection of silent DVDs and the number is likely to grow as the years go by as so many of these films are in the public domain. The most surprising thing about that is what remains from the silent era is a minority (a substantial one but a minority nonetheless) of all the films which were produced.

 

[Bill Burns]

I was quite pleased with Male and Female, but it's been years since I've watched it, so I'm not certain how the transfer holds up. I was very disappointed in both the film and transfer of The Affairs of Anatol, though, as a fair warning. I believe DeMille has a picture called Carmen out there from both Image and Kino in combination with other titles (going by memory, it seems the Image edition is paired with Chaplin's spoof of the Carmen story); I've seen the Image transfer, and it's lovely.

I haven't seen Joan the Woman, but I recall news of the release -- after such glowing praise, I'll have to check it out!

Oh, and one more title I should mention is the Origins of Film set, which I believe was put out by the Library of Congress through Image? It's a three disc set that makes a marvelous companion piece to the Treasures From American Film Archives set (though note that the latter uses thin, rather flimsy holders for the discs, so if you find these at a store, give Treasures in particular the ol' "tilt and jiggle" test to make sure the discs aren't loose; I passed up one copy at a local Borders because I could hear a disc sliding around inside, and, happily, after a couple of months, they sold it and got in another copy, this one with no loose discs; the Origins set uses standard keepcase packaging).

As soon as anyone gets their copies of the Erich von Stroheim triple play, I hope they'll start up a thread for them, as I'd love to see these better publicized and read thoughts on the transfers (and particularly how Foolish Wives differs, if it differs at all, from the current Image edition).

Thanks to Roderick for the info on Kino. I'll probably let The Good Fairy slide, as it was months ago now, but if it happens again ... I know whom to write.

 

[Ravi K]

I rented the Sunrise DVD from a local independent store, so that could be an option for those who would like to preview the film. Terrific disc for a silent film, which the major studios haven't represented well on DVD. I didn't watch the entire 4 Devils reconstruction, but it is a nice touch. I'm seriously inclined now to buy 3 of the Studio Classics to have this movie. Too bad Grapes of Wrath has been delayed, apparently with no release date in sight.

Here's a question. Why was the new score recorded when it already had a score?

 

[Seth Paxton]

Peter,

I hadn't heard anymore on the library rights thing. We just had a turnover in the local libary administration so I've been waiting for that to settle down before discussing getting them a copy. Didn't want to start a process that would get lost in the shuffle.

I suppose I might just buy 3 classics and use my mom's address to get another Sunrise disc, and then donate all 4 to the local system.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Sunrise is to appear in R2 on 26 january 2004

http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page...2&title=140246

very good news indeed

 

[John Hodson]

And the full specs for the Eureka R2 release are here

How does that compare with the R1?

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So many films, so little time...