Did anyone else out there pick this one up? I love the time-capsule aspect of the old silents, so I couldn't resist. So far I've watched all of disk one, only 3 more disks to go!
So many of these moving images are iconic by now: The John C. Rice/May Irwin Kiss and the Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze were both featured during the opening montages of the Academy Awards. Probably everyone has seen the footage of Sandow flexing his muscles and Professor Welton's Boxing Cats. It is great seeing these uncut and in their entirety, as short as that is (many of the films are so short they are measured in feet, not time).
There are dancing girls, striptease acts performed on trapeze, and lots of fires being fought. The electrocution of an elephant is shocking (no pun intended), as are the various racist depictions of blacks and other minorities. But it's all here, warts and all, the beauty along with the ugliness of the era. For better or worse, this is a window into an era passed by.
The interviews that are interspersed throughout shed a lot of light on the subjects and make for a more enriching viewing experience. Keep in mind though, these are professors and archivists, not entertainers, so some of the commentary can get long-winded and a bit dry. Still, there is a lot that is fascinating and you really do come away learning a lot of new things about these early fragile silents. For example, I did not know that many of these films were actually recorded frame-by-frame onto a paper strip to be registered at the copyright office. Later this became a way to recover lost films since the paper was hardier than nitrate film.
I wish they had included a booklet with this set, but instead you get pdf files that you'll have to print up on your computer. Or you can go to the official site and view the notes yourself at http://www.kino.com/edison/
This set is not ideally suited for the casual viewer, but it is a treasure trove for any silent film enthusiast. Deep Discount DVD has a great price on the set, it's well worth it.
So many of these moving images are iconic by now: The John C. Rice/May Irwin Kiss and the Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze were both featured during the opening montages of the Academy Awards. Probably everyone has seen the footage of Sandow flexing his muscles and Professor Welton's Boxing Cats. It is great seeing these uncut and in their entirety, as short as that is (many of the films are so short they are measured in feet, not time).
There are dancing girls, striptease acts performed on trapeze, and lots of fires being fought. The electrocution of an elephant is shocking (no pun intended), as are the various racist depictions of blacks and other minorities. But it's all here, warts and all, the beauty along with the ugliness of the era. For better or worse, this is a window into an era passed by.
The interviews that are interspersed throughout shed a lot of light on the subjects and make for a more enriching viewing experience. Keep in mind though, these are professors and archivists, not entertainers, so some of the commentary can get long-winded and a bit dry. Still, there is a lot that is fascinating and you really do come away learning a lot of new things about these early fragile silents. For example, I did not know that many of these films were actually recorded frame-by-frame onto a paper strip to be registered at the copyright office. Later this became a way to recover lost films since the paper was hardier than nitrate film.
I wish they had included a booklet with this set, but instead you get pdf files that you'll have to print up on your computer. Or you can go to the official site and view the notes yourself at http://www.kino.com/edison/
This set is not ideally suited for the casual viewer, but it is a treasure trove for any silent film enthusiast. Deep Discount DVD has a great price on the set, it's well worth it.
