New Chaplin Warner Releases
Scanz
released by Warner/MK2. One would have to assume the following:
A Dog's Life
Shoulder Arms
Sunnyside
A Day's Pleasure
The Kid
The Idle Class
Pay Day
The Pilgrim
A Woman of Paris
The Gold Rush
The Circus
City Lights
Modern Times
The Great Dictator
Monsieur Verdoux
Limelight
A King in New York
A Countess from Hong Kong
Then it was recently announced that there would be 10 2-disc sets in the
Warner/MK2 series. Does anyone know how they intend to squeeze 18 films on 10
releases? You would assume that every film after "The Pilgrim" would stand on
it's own and that 10 right there. I believe that The Chaplin Revue was also
listed as a release so that would be 11 with plenty still remaining.
Any thoughts?
Scanz
Mr. Moose
Countess from Hong Kong is not in the deal - I believe that is being
released seperately.
I would not assume that "Woman of PAris" would stand on it's own - who
would buy it? It would probably be matched with another film.
Mark
RFCSAC627N
>Countess from Hong Kong is not in the deal - I believe that is being
>released seperately.
COUNTESS is owned by Universal, and was given a bare-bones release (with a
fine anamorphic transfer) a couple of months ago.
Richard Carnahan
Scanz
True....I for one have never seen it nor do I want to.
So I guess we'll probably see a multiple film First National DVD set as with
the Image release.
Right now, I'm only considering The Gold Rush set since it will include the
original version. I have all of the Image releases and unless the MK2
transfers are exceptional, I'll probably just hang onto them. Not to mention
that the Warners will have the Chaplin changes made to them.
Scanz
Bill Brasky
being released. But I thought the 2-disc announcement was in reference
to most of the main feature-length releases (Great Dictator, Modern
Times, City Lights, etc) being released with an original documentary.
DShepFilm
picture and sound quality are flabbergasting. The quality is simply beyond any
everyday superlative. This is the same version that Warner Bros will be
releasing in the USA.
I produced the 1992 versions for CBS/Fox of the Chaplin First National and
United Artists films which were later issued on DVD by Image. At the time
everyone associated with them was terribly proud of the beautiful results.
Well, video technology has come a long, long way in ten years. I compared our
THE GREAT DICTATOR with the new one and was ashamed! Take it from me, the new
edition makes our earlier one look and sound like cheap VHS by contrast.
Folks, if clarity and other aspects of technical quality mean anything to you,
you're gonna have to buy all these films again.
David Shepard
(who has no financial stake in the new editions)
Mr. Moose
David -
Any plan to re-encode and reissue the Chaplin Mutuals? They look good,
but the moment you zoom in, it's clear that that were encoded with
software now considered inferior, though probably the best at the
time, so long ago (four years!)
Just curious - a box set would be a wonderful thing! Especially with
the current Warner reissues.
Mark
Rick Deerfield
Thanks for the insight to the new Chaplin dvd's and thanks for all the
great work you've done for film restoration.
Have you seen the "new" 1925 Gold Rush? I'm sure many of us are
anxious to find out if it is indeed the original story-line (ie: the
note from Georgia).
Any info?
Thanks...
Rick Deerfield
dshe...@aol.com (DShepFilm) wrote in message news:<20030410004654...@mb-ch.aol.com>...
Scanz
Hi David,
I was afraid you were going to say that. Having purchased all of your
versions, I was hoping to get away with just buying The Gold Rush for the
silent version. Based on my respect of your opinion, and the simple fact that
I must have the best of my obsessions (Chaplin being one of them), it looks
like I'll be buying again.
By the way, you shouldn't be ashamed at all. Your versions still stand
well above all the Madacy and Koch versions. I'm sure those who can't afford
the Warner releases will be extremely happy owning your versions.
I guess my copies will soon be available at my local DVD re-seller.
Scanz
In article <20030410004654...@mb-ch.aol.com>, dshe...@aol.com
Derek Gee
1925 edition. Even if the new transfers look better, if the Chaplin Estate
is only going to issue the silent films in the step-printed versions done
while Charlie was alive, then I probably won't buy the others unless
packaged with some significant extras that would make me want to own both.
Derek Gee
"DShepFilm" <dshe...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030410004654...@mb-ch.aol.com...
Scanz
Could someone please explain step-printed to me?
Scanz
In article <9Qpla.83706$0X.16...@twister.columbus.rr.com>, "Derek Gee"
Rick Deerfield
I believe step-printing (or stretch-printing, as I've heard it refered
to) is the practice of replicating every third frame to make up for
the increased speed of sound projectors. If you watch an older release
of "A Dog's Life", the movements all seem jerky. It's VERY annoying to
watch. The re-issued First Nationals have been beautifully restored.
It's like seeing a different film.
Rick Deerfield
mas...@attbi.com (Scanz) wrote in message news:<0%pla.85468$ug3.1...@rwcrnsc51.ops.asp.att.net>...
Smiley
Hi David,
I bought most of the CBS/Fox versions (First National up to The Great
Dictator) on LaserDisc 10 years ago (for $80 each) and I still enjoy those
versions.
They were almost the main reason for me to buy a LaserDisc player in the
first place (the Deluxe Pinocchio set had something to do with it too).
Since I do not make a habit of buying DVD titles I already have on LaserDisc
(like the Art of Buster Keaton sets and the Chaplin Mutuals), I only planned
to order the Gold Rush (for the 1925 version).
However, after reading your expert view on M2K's The Great Dictator I might
buy all of them again.
Thanks for your review,
Ron
Constance Kuriyama
Chaplin step-printed the films in _The Chaplin Revue_ (including
_A Dog's Life_) when he re-released them in the 1970s. He also recut
them slightly, and added a soundtrack. The only effect that I notice
in them is a slight blurring of the image in some scenes where the
action is rapid, which I suppose is caused by duplicating the frames.
He did do some selective speed adjustment using step printing, but I'm
not sure he did it consistently
every third frame through the entire film.
As for speed, the Image releases of the First National films also run
a bit slowly to my taste, and they are also slightly longer. In the
case of
_The Pilgrim_, I prefer the 1970s recut, which tightens up sequences
such as
the one involving the monstrous child to good effect. The occasional
blur
is a relatively minor problem for me.
Connie K.
Glenn and Mary Pniewski
You have nothing to be ashamed of.
Anything you do is gold.
Glenn
Constance Kuriyama
I was planning to get them in any case, but it's good to know they're
so excellent. Thanks for generously recommending them.
Connie K.
--
"Our century is inconceivable without its . . . inconclusive mob of isms."
DShepFilm
a box set of the Chaplin Mutuals, the Chaplin Essanays, and the Scottish
documentary on Eric Campbell called "Chaplin's Goliath."
They are the same versions previously issued (except, of course, the
documentary which was only in a limited-edition VHS). However, several of the
individual Essanay and Mutual albums have been out of print, so now everything
will be available again and at an attractive price.
EASY STREET will also appear in a new album called SLAPSTICK MASTERS with new
(and IMHO excellent) music by the Alloy Orchestra. This version of EASY STREET
has some additional and re-located intertitles based upon an original print I
found a couple of years back. SLAPSTICK MASTERS also includes ONE WEEK from a
much better source, CHASING CHOO CHOOS and BIG BUSINESS. I think the fresh
music and nice prints in this little potpourri will make a nice discovery of
silent comedy for people who wouldn't be ready for one of the 10-18 hour box
sets.
David Shepard
Mr. Moose
Will the video be re-encoded with newer, and now better, software? The
originals were good, but there was a lot of digital noise (normal for
the time) on the Mutual discs.
Mark
Ulrich Rüdel
DShepFilm wrote:
> I've seen the new French DVD of M2K's edition of THE GREAT DICTATOR and the
> picture and sound quality are flabbergasting. The quality is simply beyond any
> everyday superlative. This is the same version that Warner Bros will be
> releasing in the USA.
By the way, does anyone happen to know whether the films were mastered in NTSC or
PAL (or both, separately)? I couldn't wait and ordered the French DICTATOR several
months ago when it came out (and besides the stellar transfer, it has TRAMP AND
THE DICTATOR plus the complete color footage to offer!), but with the other
releases I'll need to decide whether to get the PAL or the NTSC version.
Normally, for whatever reasons R1-NTSC transfers seem to be slightly superior than
their R2-PAL equivalents (and that impression of mine is confirmed by a number of
comparison son www.dvdbeaver.com), even though PAL ought to be the superior
technology (aside from the minor speedup). But if the Chaplin films were mastered
in PAL that may be a different story...
Uli
Ulrich Rüdel
DShepFilm wrote:
> In reply to a question somewhere in this thread, Image will be issuing in July
> a box set of the Chaplin Mutuals, the Chaplin Essanays, and the Scottish
> documentary on Eric Campbell called "Chaplin's Goliath."
Wonderful news! Just the other day I had the VHS of GOLIATH (which I believe was
only sold via the LIMELIGHT publication -- whatever became of that?) in my hands
and thought, will that ever re-appear on DVD?
I guess that, and upgrading my Mutuals from LD will perfectly justify purchase of
the set for me even though I have the Essanays, though I'm sure some will find this
a "Keaton plus-" or "Sunrise-situation".
Uli
RFCSAC627N
I can't imagine Warners >not< doing separate NTSC transfers. The restored
CITIZEN KANE was first released in a French PAL DVD, and months later in a
separate American NTSC release.
Richard Carnahan
DShepFilm
Warners is now in discussion with M2K, trying to get them to do them over in
NTSC. The jury is still out, as each party wants the other one to pay for it.
My experience has been that with current technology there is virtually no loss
in standards conversion, but there is that 4% speed-up coming off of PAL.
David S
DShepFilm
I don't know, it is up to Image. If I had to bet, I'd bet on new stampings
from the same masters. But I will put the question to Image. Thanks for the
suggestion.
David S
Mr. Moose
Thanks David! I can ask no more...
Mark
Derek Gee
Sounds like they're just itching to give me another reason to skip
purchasing the rest of the new DVD's. Someone has to pay for the NTSC
conversion at some stage. Maybe they could split the difference in cost or
something? We are talking about one of the most famous comedians of all
time here - you'd think they could spring for the best transfer possible.
Derek Gee
DShepFilm
Essanay and Mutual comedies will be new pressings from the existing stampers.
Compression and authoring on these were originally done at Warner Bros and
Image has no data on them, nor has the time to start over and make our July
release date.
Chaplin's Goliath will be new, of course. We are starting from the DigiBeta
master we were furnished by Scottish TV.
David Shepard
Ulrich Rüdel
Derek Gee wrote (in response to "DShepFilm" <dshe...@aol.com>)
> > My experience has been that with current technology there is virtually no
> loss
> > in standards conversion, but there is that 4% speed-up coming off of PAL.
> >
> > David S
>
> Sounds like they're just itching to give me another reason to skip
> purchasing the rest of the new DVD's.
Not really. I agree it would make sense for Warner to have a separate NTSC
transfer done for optimal quality -- after all that was what my original post
was about, i.e. which transfer would promise to be the better one -- if ever so
slightly. That's because I agree the difference would most likely be really
minor: I just A/B'ed a scene from an Allday Mabuse DVD (from the 60s remakes
series -- nice Euro 'krimis'), mastered from a PAL-to-NTSC conversion, to its
German equivalent which is original PAL from the same master. And actually
Allday's disc looks slightly better, probably it is more carefully authored /
compressed. But we're talking direct comparisons here, or decisions which of two
fairly equivalent releases to get (the Mabuses have different extras), not
buy-or-don't buy decisions.
For my part, I'll get the DVDs -- US or French -- and shelve them nicely next to
David's edition, which I'm sure will still have the occasional extra not
replicated in the new edition. (Hey I still have all the LaserDiscs, too -- they
have those nice "Chapters and Verses" tables.)
By the way, the neat design of the US discs is pretty much the same as the
French one. You can see cover scans at www.digitalbits.com.
Uli
RFCSAC627N
>For my part, I'll get the DVDs -- US or French -- and shelve them nicely next
>to
>David's edition, which I'm sure will still have the occasional extra not
>replicated in the new edition. (Hey I still have all the LaserDiscs, too --
>they
>have those nice "Chapters and Verses" tables.)
Same here. I'm buying the Warner discs, but I have no intention of eBaying
my David Shepard laserdiscs or DVDs.
Richard Carnahan