The General / Three Ages (1923-1927) (Remastered)

[RazorwireRyan]

Kino Lober have confirmed that they will release on Blu-ray the recent 2K restorations of Buster Keaton's films Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), College (1927), Three Ages (1923), and The General (1927). The releases will be available for purchase on February 7.

The General

Consistently ranked among the greatest films ever made, Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL is so brilliantly conceived and executed that it continues to inspire awe and laughter with every viewing. This Kino Ultimate Disc Edition was mastered in HD from a 35mm archive print struck from the original camera negative.

Rejected by the Confederate army and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), young Johnny Gray (Keaton) is given a chance to redeem himself when Yankee spies steal his cherished locomotive. Johnny wages a one-man war against hijackers, an errant cannon and the unpredictable hand of fate while roaring along the iron rails. "Every shot has the authenticity and the unassuming correct composition of a Mathew Brady Civil War photograph," wrote film historian David Robinson, "No one - not even Griffith or Huston and certainly not Fleming (Gone With the Wind) - caught the visual aspect of the Civil War as Keaton did."

Special Features:

• NEW 2K restoration by Lobster Films
• NEW Audio commentary by film historians Michael Schlesinger and Stan Taffel
• Orchestral score by Robert Israel
• Orchestral score by Joe Hisaishi
• Introduction by Orson Welles
• Introduction by Gloria Swanson
• "Return of The General," a vintage short film on the restoration of the legendary locomotive

Three Ages

A brilliant historical satire teeming with inventive flourishes, Buster Keaton's THREE AGES is a silent comedy of truly epic proportions. This clever parody of D. W. Griffith's INTOLERANCE follows Buster's hard-luck romantic adventures throughout world history: form the dawn of man in the Stone Age, through the gladiatorial arenas of Ancient Rome, to the city streets of the American Jazz Era.

By flavoring the ancient stories with bits of modern comedy (e.g. the "spare tire" with which Buster repairs his chariot, the "home run" that he scores against an angry caveman), Keaton not only won raucous laughter from the audience but forged an original approach to history, humor, and cinema that clearly foreshadowed the Mel Brooks and Monty Python films that followed half a century later.

Special Features:

• NEW 2K restoration by Lobster Films
• Music by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra
• Music by Robert Israel
• Vintage Alka-Seltzer commercial, starring Buster Keaton
• Candid Camera television segment, starring Buster Keaton
• Man's Genesis (1912) a prehistoric drama by D.W. Griffith, parodied in Three Ages

This came out yesterday, has anyone picked it up? I've seen no reviews for it anywhere whatsoever, no thread, no one talking about it, what gives!

[benricci]

Originally Posted by RazorwireRyan

This came out yesterday, has anyone picked it up? I've seen no reviews for it anywhere whatsoever, no thread, no one talking about it, what gives!

It doesn't have superheroes or come in a Steelbook. So no love around these parts...

[RazorwireRyan]

Hahaha, well, this is far more exciting to me than most general releases. Eager to see what the transfer is like, packaging etc. Mainly as Eureka are releasing The General this year too, and while I'd happily triple dip on one of my favourite films of all time, I'd still quite like to just stick to a double. The key selling point for me is actually the Hisaishi score, so if Eureka don't license that, I'll be all over this release. Just surprised that there's been no info ANYWHERE in the weeks leading up to this coming out, and now it's out, and still not a peep.

[bigshot]

Wasn't Kino's previous blu-ray tinted, not sepia? I seem to remember night scenes in blue

[RazorwireRyan]

The previous Kino release was sepia toned yes, and I do believe the night scenes were tinted blue also. I think I prefer this, though I have no idea how the film was originally presented. Thanks for the review link mctell! Though this "DISCLAIMER: The still images and screen captures on this page are decorative and do not represent the Blu-ray under review. " doesn't inspire much confidence in the transfer, but it does confirm it isn't sepia toned which I was especially interested in. If Eureka go with the Cohen 4K restoration then it might be worth grabbing this just to be completely completist (lol) but it still makes me chuckle that every single Buster Kino release has a nice slipbox except for The General, including this new release.

[Vidya]

Does anyone know how this 2K restoration compares with the Cohen 4K restoration? I believe the 4K restoration has been available for some time in Spain.

[bigshot]

No, I believe the version of the General available in Spain is the same as the old Kino transfer. It's excellent, but it isn't the Cohen/Cineteca Bologna restoration. That isn't complete yet.

[Vidya]

Originally Posted by bigshot

No, I believe the version of the General available in Spain is the same as the old Kino transfer. It's excellent, but it isn't the Cohen/Cineteca Bologna restoration. That isn't complete yet.

It is the Cohen 4k restoration which I believe was completed in 2013. Check out the screenshot of back label.

[bigshot]

Well, I'll be. I'm the guinea pig. I just ordered it. I'll let folks know how it compares.

[Vidya]

Divisa also released Steamboat Bill, Jr. Interestingly, it appears as though they may have used the 2k restoration for that release. I can't find scans of the back label but the front does include the "nueva restauracion" text and the Kino Classics logo.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Vidya

Divisa also released Steamboat Bill, Jr. Interestingly, it appears as though they may have used the 2k restoration for that release. I can't find scans of the back label but the front does include the "nueva restauracion" text and the Kino Classics logo.

Bootleg

[Vidya]

What makes you think it's a bootleg?

[1godzillafan]

Originally Posted by benricci

It doesn't have superheroes or come in a Steelbook. So no love around these parts...

As someone who loves both Buster Keaton AND superheroes, I resemble that remark!

[HuggyBear73]

So The General will eventually be released by Cohen? Any others?

[bigshot]

Cineteca Bologna is partnered with Cohen and others to restore all the Keaton films, just like they did with Chaplin shorts.

[1godzillafan]

I've been curious about this for a while, is there an intention to release a Chaplin at Keystone blu-ray set, or should I suck it up and buy the DVDs?

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by 1godzillafan

I've been curious about this for a while, is there an intention to release a Chaplin at Keystone blu-ray set, or should I suck it up and buy the DVDs?

I would love to see a Blu-ray edition of the complete Chaplin at Keystone. A large portion of the films survive in lower-quality prints that won't really look any better than the DVD. However many others look so good on DVD that they're just crying out for a Blu-ray. I would certainly buy even just a "best of" Blu-ray that includes all the highest-quality prints in good HD transfers (which I'm pretty sure were already done at 2k for the DVD set).

As far as THE GENERAL goes, Kino's previous release already looks excellent, but I'm still tempted to get the new one for the commentary and another alternate score.

[KCota15]

These are some strange releases. For some reason, Kino hasn't included the same scores on The General as the previous disc, and Steamboat Bill loses quite a bit of extras (including the alternate cut of the film).

The General also loses its tint which is off putting since I've always seen it tinted, but who knows what's accurate.

The picture quality is great, but I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be. I don't have the old releases so I can't say how much better they are. But I'm not too sure what Kino was going for with these releases (other than to make another quick Keaton buck before the Cohen discs come out).

[happydood]

Originally Posted by KCota15

These are some strange releases. For some reason, Kino hasn't included the same scores on The General as the previous disc, and Steamboat Bill loses quite a bit of extras (including the alternate cut of the film).

The General also loses its tint which is off putting since I've always seen it tinted, but who knows what's accurate.

The picture quality is great, but I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be. I don't have the old releases so I can't say how much better they are. But I'm not too sure what Kino was going for with these releases (other than to make another quick Keaton buck before the Cohen discs come out).

Yeah, I don't know- I thought the sepia and tinting were accurate to the intentions of the theatrical release- but I'm willing to be corrected. I've always seen it that way up to and including the previous blu release which I adore. I'm glad this is out there and getting some tiny bit of press- maybe it'll turn up as 'suggested for you' on Amazon when somebody orders a Captain America: Civil War steel book.

I think I'm gonna stick with my last release. I kinda treasure it.

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by 1godzillafan

I've been curious about this for a while, is there an intention to release a Chaplin at Keystone blu-ray set, or should I suck it up and buy the DVDs?

Before he passed away, David Shepherd said that there were no plans to release that on blu-ray, and if they did want to do that, they would have to start all over with new transfers. Not likely. If you want the complete Chaplin Keystone comedies, the DVDs are the way to go. They're working on a volume 2 of the Mack Sennett collection, so there will certainly be Chaplins mixed in there. If you don't want all of them, the best ones will turn up there.