Silent Film on DVD and BD

[Tommaso]

Schreck, I just posted a similar question in the feedback section before I read your post here.

If, and that means if it cannot be recovered (which I still very much hope for), would it be useful to move this version 2 of the thread to "International Dvds" instead, and perhaps explicitly change the title to "Silent Film on DVD and TV"? It was, as you say, very much about discs from all around the world, and also contained lots of screencaps from and announcements for TV broadcasts, too. Just an idea, and certainly not terribly important. Far less than recovering the old thread.

Oh, and as I saw your post while typing myself, Skuhn, there's nothing with which I so heartily agree as with your second paragraph.

[HerrSchreck]

See the Suggestion Box thread from yest. & today. I announce this with considerable heartbreak (and certainty)-- it was one of my first threads here, which I started years ago as my first attempt at serious smoking out of like-minded souls... result of which I found to my total surprise and joy there were many, quite a number of whom realy knew what the hell they were talking about on the subject and enlightened many (myself included) with their knowledge..

EDIT: Tom, I see what you're saying re the International v R1-- it's a tricky thing to do, but I always felt that the orientation of the forum, given that it's American in it's orientation (CC line), that threads with "International" in their title meant exclusively non-region one... i e a place to discuss r2-4 DVDs for those outside the US and those wih all-region players.

I think that the thread was pretty ok the way it was-- I think everyon understood that the topic was the topic title, and not the subforum that it exists within. (notwithstanding the vast bulk of silent discs are probably still released in R1).

[domino harvey]

As sad a loss as this is, I don't think it's fair to even suggest that anyone intentionally deleted the thread, as you hint in your first post.

[HerrSchreck]

Heh? You smoking floor wax? I said very specifically in my post that it was done either intentionally or by accident. I don't know why it was deleted and I made no accusation or suggestion.

Stir muck elsewhere Domino. We're not a gang of teenagers whispering behind one another's back. The reason the question is open ended is the fact that non-stickied threads get housecleaned regularly. The admins delete threads as a matter of neccessity, whether you're aware of it or not.

[Tommaso]

EDIT: Tom, I see what you're saying re the International v R1-- it's a tricky thing to do, but I always felt that the orientation of the forum, given that it's American in it's orientation (CC line), that threads with "International" in their title meant exclusively non-region one... i e a place to discuss r2-4 DVDs for those outside the US and those wih all-region players.

I think that the thread was pretty ok the way it was-- I think everyon understood that the topic was the topic title, and not the subforum that it exists within.

Yes, no problem, as I said, it was just an idea probably coming from my Germanish demand for orderliness. But perhaps more people will read the thread if it is/remains in the R1 section, which of course would be desirable. As long as we can still discuss arte TV there...

[Scharphedin2]

The thread may well have disappeared at the same time as several of the threads in the filmmakers' section, Kino annotated catalogue, etc. were truncated during a software upgrade.

If that is the case, Chris has saved a back-up of the site before the upgrade, and he has been very excellent about re-instating missing content. I am sure he can salvage the thread. The other option is to find and re-instate through google. I could not personnaly find the threads that I was looking for, but someone mentioned it was possible.

[cdnchris]

Managed to retrieve the old thread

EDIT: Just noticed I still have to fine tune a couple of things...

EDIT: I think I have it restored. Unfortunately the tags within the post aren't rendering correctly. They'll have to be manually edited and re-submitted by the looks of it.

[cdnchris]

topic restored...

[Tommaso]

Wonderful Chris, many thanks!

I started re-editing my posts in the thread. It's really easy and quick to do, and I would ask others to do the same if they can find the time. It not only looks better, but things are much easier to find with the tags and links actually working. Especially important for posted screen caps, of course.

[Tommaso]

Now that it's back again (thanks again, Chris), let me revive this thread first with the ubiquitous arte announcement. While the last few months only saw transmissions of films already out on disc ("Phantom Carriage", "Intolerance", "Großherzog"), this time they picked a true rarity.

"Wenn die Abendglocken läuten" (1930) is a film by Hanns Beck-Gaden, one of the pioneers of the so-called 'Heimatfilm' genre (which really got popular only in the 50s and is not to be confused with the 'Bergfilm' genre of Fanck and Trenker, though they share some similarities). According to the descriptions in German or French,this looks like some interesting, perhaps slightly melodramatic story all set and filmed in the Swiss alps. It's probably too much to hope for something rivalling Kirsanoff's "Rapt", but who knows...? Anyway, broadcast is on Monday 23, late in the night at 00.45 local time (so it's actually Tuesday early in the morning). Recorder programmed, of course.

Secondly, a few words on two more silents which I don't think have been mentioned here before. Both of them are released by the Austrian newspaper 'Der Standard' in collaboration with filmarchiv austria, in a huge series of discs of Austrian Films, perhaps comparable to the better known SZ-Cinemathek from Germany. These two films are the only silents in the series. They are not expensive, and can be ordered from the filmarchiv. The discs have German titles but no subs, but I think they are too interesting not to mention them here. Though the materials show their age, both are in good shape and transfers are flawless, though there are no extras apart from some quite informative Eclipse style short essays on the packaging itself.

First, we have "Sodom und Gomorrha" (1921/22), directed by Michael Kertesz (much better known in later years as Michael Curtiz), or rather, the reconstruted 95 mins. of what was once a three-hour film and surely the first Austrian 'super-production'. As the title indicates, this is a somewhat pulpy but nicely fin de siècle 'moral tale' revolving around a femme fatale-figure who wreaks havoc on quite a few men's lives, and who is only 'reformed' when she has a nightmare about the biblical story which gives the film its title, and which is then of course acted out in full splendour in "Intolerance" fashion. Well, not a film that will change your world, but if you like silents which have great set designs and are clearly over-the-top in their depiction of 'decadence' vs 'holiness', all filmed in competent, though somewhat derivative fashion (everything from 'realism' to expressionism in here you could imagine), this will surely entertain you. I sensed a visible delight in Kertesz when bringing down his Sodom sets in "Last days of Pompeji" fashion...
That so much of the film is missing is sad, of course, but it's only really noticeable in the beginning which is paced much too fast in this version. The film is accompanied by a fittingly dramatic orchestral score by Helmut Imig.

Some caps:





Secondly, there is "Café Elektric" (1927), the first film by Gustav Ucicky (who was the cameraman on the Kertesz film) and starring a VERY young Marlene Dietrich as the female lead. This is also not complete, with the last reel missing, but what we have is quite impressive. The film seems to be a sort of Austrian variant of the social realism by then already firmly established in Germany, though the impact here is never really gritty (which is why this reminds me more of Pabst's "Abwege" than, say, "Freudlose Gasse"). Anyway, it's your usual story of petty crimes, the bourgeoisie vs the poor and aspiring, and it's perhaps best appreciated as a somewhat sensationalist entertainment (including an attempted rape) rather than as social critique. In any case, we get wonderful views of the Vienna nightlife, stylish young people, and well, Marlene already quite steals the show here. Definitely recommended!

Caps:

[HerrSchreck]

Many many thanks, Chris-- much obliged. Lots of good stuff, and references, saved!

[Oggilby]

Looks like a lot of the MK2 R2 UK DVDs of Charlie Chaplin films are OOP. The complete box set, The Great Dictator, Modern Times, The Kid, and The Gold Rush are all kaput,. The rest of the individual releases seem to be fine... I guess it has to do with those four titles making up the first box set which is also OOP. All of the R2 French releases are also OOP except for the complete box set. Doesn't seem to affect R1 since everything is still in print here.

MK2's set of Buster Keaton features is also OOP.

[Tommaso]

Arte's Silent of the Month:

Carl Theodor Dreyer: "Die Gezeichneten"

Monday, March 30, at 23.20 o'clock.

The newly restored version (2006). Details in German here.

Silent of the year, rather.

(cross-posted in the Dreyer Filmmakers thread, too).

[Knappen]

Cool.



The film may not be vintage Dreyer, but it's interesting in any case.

The Norwegian Film Institute restored the superior Glomdalsbruden in the mid 90s and should certainly consider making a DVD release.

[htdm]

Sorry for the double post - DVDTalk on Poil de Carotte.

[Tommaso]

More or less for completeness sake:

Divisared have just released Murnau's Phantom with the Robert Israel soundtrack and German titles.

Well, about two years too late to be an alternative now, with the MoC disc forthcoming, if the recent MoC twitter isn't misleading. And even if the MoC "Phantom" will not be available on its own but with another film that one might already have, all things considered - especially the horrendous shipping costs from Spain - the MoC will still be cheaper and needless to say will have far better extras, though I suppose the image on the divisa will be very strong considering their last Murnau efforts.

But it's good to see that divisa continue with their silent film work; for the record: they also just released Dreyer's "Michael" and Pabst's "Pandora". Now I only wish for some unreleased Lubitsch from them, but I guess they have to rely totally on what FWMS are giving them.

[Tommaso]

And another one, this time probably rather obscure:

LWL-Medienzentrum Westfalen (that's not even a label, but a regional governmental organization) have released "Die Hermannschlacht", directed by Leo Koenig in 1923. Apparently it's a loose filmic reconstruction of the so-called Varus-battle that the Germans fought against the Roman troops and which in this film seems to be a direct comment on the relations of Germany and France after WW I. It seems to have been a rather successful film in Germany at the time, but was completely forgotten afterwards and thought to be lost before it was found at Gosfilmofond.

Anyway, it looks like a good edition with piano score and a substantial booklet and at a reasonable price (14,90 Euros), available here.
There's also a trailer up there.

I don't think the edition is subbed, though, and have no idea whether they will sell to places outside Germany.

[L.A.]

Noored kotkad (1927)

War film from Estonia. Available on DVD with English subtitles.

[Zazou dans le Metro]

Gaumont are bringing out a vol 2 of Le Cinema in October, included are Emile Kohl and Jacques Feyder (presumably the comic shorts he did for Gaumont between 1915-1917 pre L'Atlantide.

[Scharphedin2]

Gaumont are bringing out a vol 2 of Le Cinema in October, included are Emile Kohl and Jacques Feyder (presumably the comic shorts he did for Gaumont between 1915-1917 pre L'Atlantide.

Strange!? They are releasing this as another box set? The Emile Cohl material was released as a double-disc set about a year ago by Gaumont, and already then labelled as vol. 2.

Thanks for the heads up, of course, Zazou!

[denti alligator]

Gaumont are bringing out a vol 2 of Le Cinema in October, included are Emile Kohl and Jacques Feyder (presumably the comic shorts he did for Gaumont between 1915-1917 pre L'Atlantide.

when will they get going on the rest of the Feuillade serials?

[Tommaso]

Talking of which, "Tih Minh" should really have first priority. Maaannnn.... I perhaps liked this even better than "Les Vampires", though it's less immediately jaw-dropping. Like "Judex", the individual episodes are not 'closed' as in "Les Vampires" or "Fantomas", but form part of a long, extended narrative. But whereas "Judex" seems to be somewhat over-long to me, "Tih Minh" never failed to capture my attention; the constant feeling of 'surveillance', of some complex net (work) of forces, whose motivations are somewhat beyond the achievement of 'mere' crime, makes this an even more direct ancestor to "Mabuse" than the other Feuillades for me.

[tojoed]

Apparently Karl Grune's "The Street" is available on DVD from Video Yesteryear. Does anyone have a copy and can comment on it?

[Jonathan S]

Apparently Karl Grune's "The Street" is available on DVD from Video Yesteryear. Does anyone have a copy and can comment on it?

I don't have it but this edition was recently sold on eBay (by a seller I personally know to be honest) and it was pictured without any case artwork (edit: confirmed by Amazon in fact). The disc label - which very much suggests a DVD-R to me - states, "Copyright: Video Yesteryear 1983". So I suspect it's one of their old video masters they previously released on VHS. My experience of their VHS releases is that they are basically PD quality transfers from 16mm masters, often running too slow. I have this film from an old East German TV broadcast, where it runs (admittedly a bit too fast) 72 mins. against Yesteryear's 102 mins. The correct speed is probably somewhere between these.

[tojoed]

Thanks Jonathan, probably not worth getting then, as I have a boot which runs about 75 minutes, too.