Buster Keaton: 3 Films (Volume 3: Our Hospitality, Go West, College) Limited Edition

[apperson051]

The Masters of Cinema Series presents three more films directed by and starring Buster Keaton from brand new restorations.

Our Hospitality (1923) – Often cited as one of his most significant films—as well as one of his funniest—1923’s Our Hospitality, which Keaton co-directed with John G. Blystone, is his take on the notorious feud between the Hatfield and McCoy clans (here renamed the Canfields and the McKays). Keaton is luckless William McKay, who must journey down South to view his lacklustre inheritance, only to be seduced along the way by one of the Canfields, Virginia, who lures him to her family’s house so that the men of the clan can shoot him down. But William knows that the Canfield men won’t kill him as long as he’s in their house, so he endeavours to stay put there, against all obstacles. With its attention to 19th-century period detail and emphasis on integrating the gags into the storyline, Our Hospitality was not just a breakthrough in Keaton’s career, but it was also noted even during its release as an advancement in the medium, with Variety proclaiming, “It marks a step forward in the production of picture comedies.” From a 2K restoration

Go West (1925) – Keaton is at his most stone-faced as the memorably named “Friendless” in Go West, an irresistible blend of deadpan darkness and spectacular comic set-pieces. Friendless abandons city life to ride the rails to an Arizona ranch, where his ineptitude at almost everything only makes his nickname even more accurate. But when his one beloved companion, a cow named Brown Eyes, seems to be headed to a slaughterhouse fate, Friendless intervenes, and the resulting cattle stampede through the streets of Los Angeles is one of Keaton’s most understandably famous and acclaimed sequences. From a 4K restoration

College (1927) Keaton follows up The General with a higher education comedy that seems to take a cue from Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman (1925). Keaton is bookworm Ronald, whose high school girl Mary ditches him for someone with the athletic prowess that Ronald lacks. Determined to win her back, Ronald enters college with an eye on sports, but two left feet. From a 2K restoration



SPECIAL FEATURES

• Limited Edition Hardbound Slipcase [3000 copies]
• Our Hospitality – new audio commentary by silent film historian Rob Farr
• “Hospitality” [55 mins]: a shorter work-print version of Our Hospitality, presented with optional commentary by film historian Polly Rose
• Making Comedy Beautiful [26 mins]: video essay by Patricia Eliot Tobias
• Go West: new audio commentary by film historians Joel Goss and Bruce Lawton
• Go West – A new video essay by John Bengtson (Silent Echoes / Silent Traces / Silent Visions) on Go West’s filming locations
• A Window on Keaton [28 mins]: new video essay by David Cairns
• Go West [1923, 12 mins]: short film
• College: video essay by John Bengtson on College’s filming locations
• The Railrodder [1965, 24 mins]: produced by the National Film Board of Canada and starring Buster Keaton in one of his final film roles
• The Railrodder: optional audio commentary with director Gerald Potterton and cameraman David De Volpi
• Buster Keaton Rides Again [1965, 55 mins]: documentary feature produced concurrently with, the filming of The Railrodder
• Q&A with Gerald Potterton [55 mins]: audio recording of a post-screening Q&A with The Railrodder director Gerald Potterton, and David De Volpi
• Stills Galleries
• PLUS: A 60-PAGE perfect bound collector’s book featuring new writing by Philip Kemp; essays on all three films by Imogen Sara Smith; a piece by John Bengtson on the filming locations of Our Hospitality; Gerald Potterton’s original treatment for The Railrodder; and an appreciation of Keaton and The Railrodder by writer and silent cinema aficionado Chris Seguin

[LordSummerIsle]

I cannot wait for this! I wish the box was a little less "busy."

[martinouchou]

No news about a standard edition for Vol 2 ? Might have to take their limited ones if they wait too long to release the standard.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by LordSummerIsle

I cannot wait for this! I wish the box was a little less "busy."

Busy? Nah, I prefer the design of this to the previous one (the first set was by far the best though).

Originally Posted by martinouchou

No news about a standard edition for Vol 2 ? Might have to take their limited ones if they wait too long to release the standard.

They won't announce one at least until the Limited Edition version sells out, so that could be a while. Took them ages to reissue the first volume!

[dr727]

Originally Posted by rapta

Busy? Nah, I prefer the design of this to the previous one (the first set was by far the best though).

100%

[jackranderson]

What a stunner!

[-shadow-]

I still need the last set, I should hurry!

[koberulz]

I have the huge Kino set, are these worth getting?

[Flash3000]

Buster Keaton was an absolute pure genius

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by koberulz

I have the huge Kino set, are these worth getting?

That set is from older restorations. These UK MOC Keaton sets are the SAME restorations as the US Cohen Film Collection 4K restorations.

[StarDestroyer52]

Looking super forward to this. Might be until the end of next month when I place an order but I was super impressed with the Keaton 3 Film Set released in late-March and the reissue of the first 3 Film set. With Criterion releasing The Cameraman this is the year to be a Buster Keaton fan.

[havalina]

Wonder if I'll still need to hold onto that old DVD of The General now, think the Railrodder & Buster Keaton Rides Again extras were the main things justifying it.

[mattyl149]

Originally Posted by havalina

Wonder if I'll still need to hold onto that old DVD of The General now, think the Railrodder & Buster Keaton Rides Again extras were the main things justifying it.

I've got a couple of Keaton DVD releases which I want to get rid of, but I'm sure there's bits on those that haven't appeared elsewhere. I might check again

It's like with the Chaplin films. I've got the UK DVD releases and was disappointed that both when Park Circus put them out on Blu-ray and then Artificial Eye, that they never carried over all the extras

[jackranderson]

I just wish I was able to get the first LE set so I have them all (reissue aside).

[Caladriusse]

I am waiting for them to release the standard edition of Volume 2, as I have the standard edition of Volume 1. I will also buy the standard edition of this volume. I wish Eureka would give us the choice from the get go. Get buying guys!

[gap]

Originally Posted by jackranderson

I just wish I was able to get the first LE set so I have them all (reissue aside).

This exactly. I did not expect the first one to sell out so fast. Didn't risk it with Vol 2 and won't risk it with Vol 3.

[Ste7en]

I'm more than happy to pick up the regular editions.

Volume 1 and volume 2 didn't match so it would have bugged me... honest!

[RazorwireRyan]

I've asked Eureka on Twitter a couple of times if the Railrodder and Buster Rides Again are in HD but have had no reply. Here's hoping, being able to own those two wonderful films on disc in general is great, and especially with the commentaries! So excited for this one.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim142

That set is from older restorations. These UK MOC Keaton sets are the SAME restorations as the US Cohen Film Collection 4K restorations.

I'm not familiar with those.

[ASLAN]

Does this mean that Eureka won't be doing an upgrade of Three Ages? That's the only Kino feature that has not been upgraded.