International 10 BD 30 DVD Chaplin Box Set (1 Viewer)

http://www.kimchidvd...?good_seq=19505
It's a 10 blu-ray and 30 DVD REGION FREE box set containing everything Chaplin ever produced with the exception of the First National shorts and Countess from Hong Kong. The extras and music scores are different than on the Criterion blu-rays (more piano scores), but the set credits MK2, and the film transfers are exactly the same. The DVDs are really good. I looked at the Mutuals and they include the most recent DVD remastering and the stereo Carl Davis scores, which are my favorites.

It was only $150 shipped to the US, so I took a chance. Haven't had a chance to dig into it yet, but it looks mighty promising and the price is certainly right. Supposedly, MK2 is preparing a set of just the 10 blu-rays for release in Norway (presumably Region B locked) for $50.

It's a great time to be a Chaplin fan!

Amazing is not the word bigshot -- I have to admit I'm a big fan of the mk2 editions of the Chaplin movies -- sadly I got the NTSC Warner versions of their PAL masters with the terrible picture blurring issue, but loved the 5.1 remixes of all the movies especially "The Great Dictator" -- just shows what you can do if one looks after the original materials in both sound and picture (as a Laurel and Hardy fan, you can tell I'm very envious of those who looked after the Chaplin vaults over the years, wish we had them) I note that a few of the blurays in this set have the 5.1 tracks, but not all of them.

I'm in a Region B area so that Norway set certainly does look enticing -- I have dvds coming out my ears so if I can shall avoid 30 more that are in this Korean set but the 10 blurays look very interesting.

Surely this is a pirate set?
Chaplin's entire catalogue is a mixture of PD prints, newly restored and copyrighted PD prints and Chaplin family-owned restored prints. All are licensed to different distributors worldwide and it'd be pretty much impossible for anyone, much less the Koreans, to release a single, career-spanning, fully restored box set...
In fact I'd bet my entire Chaplin collection, including memorabilia, that it's a pirate - and now it's being advertised via HTF!

Brenty said:

Surely this is a pirate set?Chaplin's entire catalogue is a mixture of PD prints, newly restored and copyrighted PD prints and Chaplin family-owned restored prints. All are licensed to different distributors worldwide and it'd be pretty much impossible for anyone, much less the Koreans, to release a single, career-spanning, fully restored box set...In fact I'd bet my entire Chaplin collection, including memorabilia, that it's a pirate - and now it's being advertised via HTF!

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That's my take, even with the mk2 noted. The Korean government supports film piracy.RAH

Robert Harris said:

That's my take, even with the mk2 noted. The Korean government supports film piracy.RAH

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It's weird how many pirated films coming out of Korea fall into the classic category. I would think it would take some research to find prints of everything in that box set. It makes me think that there are criminal gangs in Korea sitting around discussing the pros and cons of arteur theory.

This is not a pirate set. Different markets have different price points. How is it that this set has HD transfers of films that haven't been released in HD anywhere else in the world if this is a pirate set.

You can't judge legitimacy by price. I just bought a region free player because I'm sick of paying twice as much for Region A Criterion and Kino disks that are available in Region B with the same transfers at half the price. American blu-ray buyers are being milked by the studios, that's all.

The beginning of the set has an ad for two other sets... One with 35 Chaplin shorts in HD and another for the First National shorts in HD.

Not trying to get into an argument here, I just can't see how this set can possibly be kosher. What are the "HD transfers of films that haven't been released in HD anywhere else in the world"? If you're talking about any features he produced between 1921-1957, they've all been released on BD in Europe. Believe me: I own all ten of them! Some, the Criterions, obviously exist in totally separate US editions. Yup: got them too!

As for the "HD transfers" of his earlier material that's currently only commercially available in SD, easy: pirateers wouldn't balk at ripping DVDs to BD and claiming it as true HD.

If you want to pick up cheap pirate material on the side that's a matter of personal choice and I wouldn't judge you for it. It is a tad naughty/irresponsible though, posting details and links to buy said material on a site like this without first being certain of what exactly it is you're promoting.

If this is a bootleg, they went to the trouble to create new supplemental material and different piano scores. All of the Criterions I own have orchestral scores on the silents. These have piano scores. If they were going to pirate the movies, why not pirate the scores too?

Honestly, I don't know if it's legit or not. I'm not a lawyer. (I don't even play one on TV.) It isn't my business to worry about. If MK2 didn't license this, they can hop a plane and take care of it. I'm not going to assume it's pirated just because it is a good price. The market in South Korea is totally different than here. It's entirely possible that something might be less expensive there than here. Lord knows I am paying half the price for blu-rays in the UK than the same films and transfers here. Look at the Universal Monsters set and the Hitchcock box. It's not like it's a rare thing.

I'm sure happy I ordered this box, and I want to let people know that it's a reliable retailer and a quality product. Hooray for bargains!

Oh I almost forgot! The Granada Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett! Why would anyone want to pay almost three times as much for a US copy when there is a Spanish release that is region free?

A kind gentleman in this thread just alerted me to the fact the MK2, the official distributor of the Chaplin films has not only licensed the 30 disk South Korean box linked above, but a 12 disk DVD set from India. Both are region free. If you are just interested in the films themselves and not the supplements on the Criterion releases, these are drop dead bargains. Here in the US, we get charged a LOT more than the rest of the world when it comes to older films.

Here is the Amazon link for the Indian box set. http://www.amazon.com/Collection-Contains-Dictator-LimeLight-Monsieur/dp/B00IWT576S

bigshot said:

A kind gentleman in this thread just alerted me to the fact the MK2, the official distributor of the Chaplin films has not only licensed the 30 disk South Korean box linked above, but a 12 disk DVD set from India. Both are region free. If you are just interested in the films themselves and not the supplements on the Criterion releases, these are drop dead bargains. Here in the US, we get charged a LOT more than the rest of the world when it comes to older films.

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How on earth can MK2 license Chaplin material that it doesn't even own? In any single territory. The Keystones, the Mutuals and the Essanays?


I'm sorry but you're having yourself on.

Pre-1923 is public domain. All they need to do is license a particular transfer.

And music score.

From the horse's mouth... http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/contacts/articles/127-MK2-Distribution-Rights

But all the current accredited transfers (not only those approved by The Chaplin estate) , BFI, MK2 etc are held under contemporary copyright.


1923 itself is not a magic button.

Copyright protects new creative works. That means the musical score.


Feel free to pay more just because of the region you happen to live in, but this is the international forum where we compare releases in different regions to determine where the best deals are. MK2 is selling things in Korea and India that cost much more in the US. I own the Korean box and the quality is excellent.