TSM Silent Sunday Nights is becoming a joke (1 Viewer)

[Jo_C]

Yes indeed. It seems lately TCM has been showing very bad prints of its silent films. One indication of this is the organ or piano score accompanying the films. Well, seeing that most of the silent films TCM shows are in the public domain, I guess they have no choice.

Last night they showed a very bad print of 1916's "Intolerance". What a joke. There's supposed to be a fully restored and remastered version out there with new orchestral score by Carl Davis...TCM could have used that. Oh, well, it's as bad as they come.

Not next week...they'll show a REAL silent classic, and one of my all-time favorites..."Love" (the 1927 version of "Anna Karennina", with Greta Garbo). As I told you before the "live" soundtrack is outstanding, like you're right there with the audience.

Other than that, Silent Sunday Nights have become Stupid Sunday Nights. Worse than "Adam Sandler's 8 Crazy Nights".

 

[Bill Street]

I'm not sure, but I think that might have been the "restored" Intolerance they played last night (at least the footage. It seemed like they had added back correct tinting to the film. I recorded it the last time they played it on TCM and I will go back and check. I know the last one I recorded was the restored version.

As for Silent Sunday Nights being a joke, well I'd rather have a joke than nothing at all. That being said, I really don't think the offerings have been a joke. It's just not feasible to restore every silent movie, no matter how much I wish they would.

Bill S

 

[Brian Kidd]

Nitrate film deteriorates over time, even in the best of storage conditions. It's a miracle these films exist AT ALL. Over 90% of silent films are gone forever. I applaud TCM for showing ANY print they can get their hands on.