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DShepFilm wrote:The French release of the new Chaplin Mutuals was rushed at the insistence of the distributor and to take advantage of a subsidy that expired at the end of last year.

Much more work has been/is being done on these films prior to the Flicker Alley release, that will be a dual Blu-Ray/DVD steelbook package with a fifth disc of supplements.

I would suggest that U.S. buyers wait until the set from Flicker is available; it will be much more than a domestic version of the French release.

Meanwhile, perhaps you would like to buy the new version of HUNCHBACK. It does not stutter; that seems to be an equipment issue from a diligent correspondent to this site.

David Shepard

Christopher Jacobs wrote:The bad news (at least for those viewers sensitive to the issue) is that the conversion of the film’s 18 frames-per-second running speed to the Blu-ray standard of 24 progressive frames per second may present the sharpest possible picture but also results in a slight jerky effect whenever there is motion on the screen, sometimes more distracting than others. Different people may be bothered by this technical artifact to various degrees. The DVD (using the NTSC-TV standard of 30 interlaced frames per second) does not exhibit this jerkiness, but also does not have nearly as sharp an image.

martin arias wrote:Thanks for the info, David.

It looks like I'm condemned to buy also the Flicker Alley set when it comes out. But I've already had these 12 films in so many different supports that one more wouldn't kill me. I only hope it would truly be a definitive set, with all of the known missing bits of THE IMMIGRANT and EASY STREET, the ending of THE RINK, a missing close-up on Charlie's face missing from the ending of THE CURE I just noticed is not on the LOBSTER set, and the reel change of THE ADVENTURER properly restored, if it's not much asking. It would truly be inconvenient to be force to buy this stuff once again in a couple of more years!!!!

Also, I just noticed a jump in THE PAWNSHOP which is not on some prints I've seen. When Charlie goes back to the shop to take care of Henry Bergman as the lady with the fish, he jumps over Eric Campbell's hat for a second time and then goes into the shop. On the recent restoration, the scene is cut just when he is avoiding the hat, and the gag's effect is lost.

I'm aware these are tiny details. But as I told you, I've had these films in 8mm, 16mm, various versions on VHS, and as many as appeared on DVD... so in 2014 we should be entitled to have truly definitive versions of these classics.

martin arias wrote:The set contains the best restorations I've ever seen of most of the comedies.

THE FIREMAN contains the missing Leo White/Chaplin bit which was missing from other prints; THE FLOORWALKER also adds the missing footage, ONE A.M. has the long version already on the 90 Anniversary set; THE CURE has the complete film with many missing bits. The same can be said about THE PAWNSHOP.
THE COUNT has no new footage, but is the most beautiful print I've seen.
Most of the films (in fact all but THE RINK) are uncropped versions with the left section of the image intact.

THE RINK, adds a complete routine with John Rand at the beginning of the film that was missing from all previous versions. However, it's still cropped at the left and is still missing the ending, with Charlie falling from the car.

THE IMMIGRANT is presented in a beautiful, sharp, uncropped print, but sadly has none of the many missing scenes, and the same happens with EASY STREET.

THE ADVENTURER is another case. The print is again beautiful and uncropped, and presents various missing bits which I had only seen before in a 16mm print with text cards in both Spanish and French which I had many years ago. One is a small bit at the beach, before Charlie escapes into the sea, another is a short fragment at the very end of the gag with the drinks, showing Charlie pushing Loyal Underwood away. However, a whole bit is missing at the very end of reel 1 and the beginning of reel 2, with Charlie and Edna exiting the hall and going into the yard, which was more complete in all of the Blackhawk and Van Beuren prints. This jump is hard to understand. It was even more complete on the 90th anniversary set.

The set has two soundtracks, one orchestral and one by unaccompanied piano. Both are worth listening and represent a big improvement over the CARL DAVIS ones, which may be musically beautiful, but do not fit at all the mood of these comedies.

DShepFilm wrote:I keep my eye upon the doughnut and not upon the hole.

DShepFilm
I keep my eye upon the doughnut and not upon the hole.

DShepFilm wrote:I don't have all the Blu-Ray discs you mention but I find THE BIG PARADE and THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (and our own HUNCHBACK) quite thrilling. The Lloyd and Chaplin features so far issued by Criterion, and WINGS, transfer at 24 fps.
I think I'm pretty observant but maybe I fail to notice alleged defects because I keep my eye upon the doughnut and not upon the hole.

David

martin arias wrote:Thanks for the info, David.

It looks like I'm condemned to buy also the Flicker Alley set when it comes out. But I've already had these 12 films in so many different supports that one more wouldn't kill me. I only hope it would truly be a definitive set, with all of the known missing bits of THE IMMIGRANT and EASY STREET, the ending of THE RINK, a missing close-up on Charlie's face missing from the ending of THE CURE I just noticed is not on the LOBSTER set, and the reel change of THE ADVENTURER properly restored, if it's not much asking. It would truly be inconvenient to be force to buy this stuff once again in a couple of more years!!!!

Also, I just noticed a jump in THE PAWNSHOP which is not on some prints I've seen. When Charlie goes back to the shop to take care of Henry Bergman as the lady with the fish, he jumps over Eric Campbell's hat for a second time and then goes into the shop. On the recent restoration, the scene is cut just when he is avoiding the hat, and the gag's effect is lost.

I'm aware these are tiny details. But as I told you, I've had these films in 8mm, 16mm, various versions on VHS, and as many as appeared on DVD... so in 2014 we should be entitled to have truly definitive versions of these classics.

scocs wrote:Waver Boy is right about one thing: The Kino blu-ray of Nosferatu DOES have a bad jitter problem that the UK Masters of Cinema blu-ray Nosferatu does not. I did an a/b comparison and couldn't believe my own eyes. How is it possible in 2014 to manufacture two blu-rays from supposedly the same exact sources and one is brilliant and one sucks?!

scocs wrote:Why did Kino do this? Aren't they a professional organization?

EddieLarkin wrote:Whatever algorithm they used to take the 18fps master they had and interpolate it into 24fps obviously messed up spectacularly and adopted a regular pattern of frame deletion. Either no one at Kino noticed or no one cared. The Masters of Cinema disc follows a precise "3 frames, 1 repeat" sequence for the entirety of its runtime and looks perfect.