Flicker Alley
- SpiderBaby
- Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:34 pm
Re: Flicker Alley
Awesome release news and prob my fav of the year so far.
- Murdoch
- Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:59 pm
- Location: Upstate NY
Re: Flicker Alley
Fantastic, getting this on day one.
- knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
Re: Flicker Alley
I know this is selfish, but damnit just when BFI releases it too. Too many editions of a movie though is probably not something worth complaining about.Ashirg wrote: Victor Turin's Turksib (1930)
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Re: Flicker Alley
Five, I believe, of these titles were previously released on VHS, when David Shepard released through Kino, and the fact that two of them (does anyone know which?) still have burned-in English subs suggests those at least are using the same or similar prints. It will be interesting to see how By the Law (one of the Kino VHS releases) compares with the restoration from Filmmuseum (who will also release Trubnaya), and how Turksib - here with English-only titles (as on VHS) - compares with the forthcoming BFI, and any others the latter release. Incidentally, The Fall of the Romanoff Dynasty was issued on DVD by Eureka in pre-MoC days, using I think the Shepard edition.
I'm not pouring cold water on this release - a brave and impressive one in these times - just suggesting the possibility that some titles may be, or soon become, available elsewhere in superior editions (and the BFI series will be Dual Format of course).
I'm not pouring cold water on this release - a brave and impressive one in these times - just suggesting the possibility that some titles may be, or soon become, available elsewhere in superior editions (and the BFI series will be Dual Format of course).
- What A Disgrace
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:34 pm
- Contact:
Re: Flicker Alley
The only complaints I could manage about this set are that it isn't in Blu-ray, and that there's only eight films in the set instead of eighteen. Only the Melies set is a more titanic accomplishment. Bravo, I know what I want under my Christmas tree.
- YnEoS
- Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 10:30 am
Re: Flicker Alley
Heh, a bit upset now that I just recently got the Filmmuseum release of By the Law, but everything else in the set is new for me, so I'm definitely snatching it up when it comes out.
- htdm
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 3:46 am
Re: Flicker Alley
I literally cannot wait for this.
I can finally retire my old image laserdiscs now.
I can finally retire my old image laserdiscs now.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
Re: Flicker Alley
For the record, the BFI edition of Turksib will also have English intertitles only.
The purpose of the BFI edition is to trace the links between Turksib and the 1930s British documentary movement, so for scholarly reasons it was considered important to present the film in exactly the form that John Grierson and his colleagues would have seen it.
That said, I have no idea whether it's the same version as the one on Flicker Alley's edition - and in any case the BFI edition comes with enough unique content (lots of British documentaries including Night Mail's HD debut, a hefty context-setting booklet) to make double-dipping relatively painless. I'll certainly be getting both myself.
The purpose of the BFI edition is to trace the links between Turksib and the 1930s British documentary movement, so for scholarly reasons it was considered important to present the film in exactly the form that John Grierson and his colleagues would have seen it.
That said, I have no idea whether it's the same version as the one on Flicker Alley's edition - and in any case the BFI edition comes with enough unique content (lots of British documentaries including Night Mail's HD debut, a hefty context-setting booklet) to make double-dipping relatively painless. I'll certainly be getting both myself.
- perkizitore
- Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:29 pm
- Location: OOP is the only answer
Re: Flicker Alley
Amazon Pre-orderAshirg wrote:LANDMARKS OF EARLY SOVIET FILMWhat A Disgrace wrote:So how 'bout that box of Soviet silents I heard about, eh?
A 4-Disc DVD Collection of 8 Groundbreaking Films
- Telstar
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:35 pm
Re: Flicker Alley
If you're willing to fiddle with deepdiscount or dvdplanet, pre-order price is $12 cheaper there.perkizitore wrote:Amazon Pre-orderAshirg wrote:LANDMARKS OF EARLY SOVIET FILMWhat A Disgrace wrote:So how 'bout that box of Soviet silents I heard about, eh?
A 4-Disc DVD Collection of 8 Groundbreaking Films
- jsteffe
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:00 am
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Flicker Alley
I just pre-ordered the set from Flicker Alley. Be aware that they charge when the item is ordered, not when it is shipped. Personally I don't mind this, but I thought you all would appreciate a heads-up if you haven't ordered from them before.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
Re: Flicker Alley
Bright Lights Film Journal on Laila:
While much of the melodrama on display in this extravagantly plotted Norwegian film must've seemed archaic even in 1929, I can imagine audiences being won over then, just as I am now, by its emotional honesty and sheer visual gorgeousness. Virtually unknown today, Laila, thanks to the folks at Flicker Alley, emerges as a classic.
- What A Disgrace
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:34 pm
- Contact:
Re: Flicker Alley
That you aren't being swamped with rave reviews over Landmarks of Early Soviet Cinema; here or otherwise, is a crime against humanity, and frankly a little baffling. It truly gives the Melies box a run for its money, and I hope its not the last time Flicker Alley flirts with the Reds.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
Re: Flicker Alley
From the Front Row.What A Disgrace wrote:That you aren't being swamped with rave reviews over Landmarks of Early Soviet Cinema; here or otherwise, is a crime against humanity, and frankly a little baffling. It truly gives the Melies box a run for its money, and I hope its not the last time Flicker Alley flirts with the Reds.
- otis
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:43 am
Re: Flicker Alley
Any chance you could post some screen caps? I'd be especially interested to see how By the Law and The Old and the New compare to the respective German discs.What A Disgrace wrote:That you aren't being swamped with rave reviews over Landmarks of Early Soviet Cinema; here or otherwise, is a crime against humanity, and frankly a little baffling. It truly gives the Melies box a run for its money, and I hope its not the last time Flicker Alley flirts with the Reds.
- jsteffe
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:00 am
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Flicker Alley
I think the Front Row review gives a fair assessment of the box. It's a mix of great-looking new transfers and some recycled old ones.
The Old and the New is a slightly different cut--the German disc is the version entitled The General Line. The German disc tends to be darker; you can see more detail in the Flicker Alley transfer, but at times it's a little milky to my eyes. Picture quality, I'd say that they're ultimately a tossup, which means that the Flicker Alley disc is also pretty good. Personally, I like the orchestral score for the German version.
By the Law is the old transfer that was released on laserdisc years ago. I haven't seen the German restoration, but I suspect it will look better.
I think the selection and quality of the newer transfers make the box more than worth getting, though I wish they had fixed the chroma noise problems in some of the older transfers.
The Old and the New is a slightly different cut--the German disc is the version entitled The General Line. The German disc tends to be darker; you can see more detail in the Flicker Alley transfer, but at times it's a little milky to my eyes. Picture quality, I'd say that they're ultimately a tossup, which means that the Flicker Alley disc is also pretty good. Personally, I like the orchestral score for the German version.
By the Law is the old transfer that was released on laserdisc years ago. I haven't seen the German restoration, but I suspect it will look better.
I think the selection and quality of the newer transfers make the box more than worth getting, though I wish they had fixed the chroma noise problems in some of the older transfers.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
Re: Flicker Alley
What's the source for Turksib? I assume the print itself is the Grierson-supervised English version?
(Which is notionally fine, since by all accounts the rhythmic use of intertitles is more effective than in the original Russian version, but I haven't seen it myself).
(Which is notionally fine, since by all accounts the rhythmic use of intertitles is more effective than in the original Russian version, but I haven't seen it myself).
- What A Disgrace
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:34 pm
- Contact:
Re: Flicker Alley
According to their Twitter, the release of Hugo has resulted in a surge of interest in Melies, prompting their boxed set to go temporarily out of print!
- matrixschmatrix
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm
Re: Flicker Alley
I was wondering about that. Great news, really- I wouldn't be surprised if creating a renewed interest in Melies was one of the reasons Scorsese took that project.
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:49 pm
Re: Flicker Alley
Looks like they're including the Melies Encore films in the newly-published set:matrixschmatrix wrote:I was wondering about that. Great news, really- I wouldn't be surprised if creating a renewed interest in Melies was one of the reasons Scorsese took that project.
http://flickeralley.com/fat_melies_01.html
They were probably blindsided by the sudden rise in interest. Really nice to see though.
- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Re: Flicker Alley
Is this true? If I'm not mistaken, in addition to looking much better, the Filmmuseum restoration is a good 15-20 minutes longer than the old Image (?) VHS/laserdisc. That might be due to the FPS, but I think there might be more footage in the Filmmuseum version.By the Law is the old transfer that was released on laserdisc years ago. I haven't seen the German restoration, but I suspect it will look better.
If it is true, then I imagine all of these films are taken from the same David Shepard/Blackhawk Films collection, which means they aren't recent restorations. In some cases that may not be a problem.
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Re: Flicker Alley
I haven't compared the editions of By the Law but an Amazon reviewer apparently has:
There's also a (sort of) comparison on the Silent Era site which states the Filmmuseum is actually five minutes shorter than the Flicker Alley, but that's probably just a frame rate difference. The Filmmuseum edition does have an 18-minute extra.This is a good set, but ... though it pains me to criticize Flicker Alley, and always taking into account the possibility that my copy might be in some way flawed or defective (please do correct me if I'm wrong!), the version of BY THE LAW that is included in this box is so mutilated as to be unwatchable. I'm not talking about the natural damage prints of this film will necessarily have suffered, nor about a poor restoration or transfer or any of the other, expected flaws to be found on a DVD of early film. BY THE LAW is cropped here to be missing what looks like nearly a quarter of the frame on the left, and if I'm not mistaken a little on the right as well--MR. WEST, by contrast, looks fine. When there is a stunningly beautiful DVD of BY THE LAW available from Edition Filmmuseum (region 2), which contains not only the full, uncropped frame but at a far better resolution and with deeper blacks and better detail, I can't understand why so poor a version of this essential film should have been included in an otherwise praiseworthy collection. Perhaps the German print used for the Region 2 disc was unavailable to Flicker Alley, or was too expensive to license or convert--or who knows. There are manifold difficulties and compromises in any publishing venture, particularly in the home-video world. In this case, however, omitting BY THE LAW would have been the better decision. So: beware.
- vertovfan
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 7:46 pm
Re: Flicker Alley
The Flicker Alley By the Law is indeed a couple minutes longer than the Filmmuseum, but I suspect that's due to frame rate issues. Honestly there's no comparison between the two - the Flicker Alley version looks like a transfer of an old VHS release, with big burnt-in subtitles blocking out the bottom third of the screen. The picture quality on the Filmmuseum version is miles better. As for the rest of the Flicker Alley set, it's a mixed bag. House on Trubnaya, The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West, and Stride Soviet are all excellent, with great picture quality and optional subtitles. Turksib is significantly shorter than the recent dual-format BFI release, and has a much inferior picture. Salt for Svanetia and Fall of the Romanov Dynasty are old video transfers, with burnt-in subs on Salt for Svanetia and English intertitles on Fall of the Romanov Dynasty. Old and New is comparable to the Films Sans Frontieres version (where it's paired with Battleship Potemkin), with an interesting difference - the Flicker Alley version is the "Stalinized" version, with a different ending (a parade of tractors vs. a montage of Marfa's transformation). For me, the set was well worth the investment for Trubnaya, Mr. West and Stride Soviet alone. I can only speculate that better transfers of the other films simply weren't available...