Really looking forward to THE LOST WORLD on Blu-ray, as well as SHERLOCK HOLMES and an alternate release of THE BIRTH OF A NATION (presumably with a different score as well as different extras), not to mention Chaplin's Essanay shorts in HD. Of course the 3-D rarities on Blu-ray will be a must-buy!
I know the people at Flicker Alley have been somewhat disappointed in Blu-ray sales over DVD sales in terms of net return vs. expenses, since there is already a limited niche market for their titles and libraries/schools generally all opt for DVD versions, so I try to support their Blu-ray releases as much as possible to encourage more to come. Their French Masterworks set looks so good on their DVDs that it's frustrating they released only one of the titles on Blu-ray (an interesting one but not necessarily the best) with no plans for the rest on Blu.
They just got a bunch of sales from me. I put my pre-order in for 3D Rarities and then decided to get all the Cinerama's, Hunchback and Most Dangerous Game at the same time. Expensive impulse purchase, I already planned on getting all the Cinerama's (although it was going to be one at a time) and figured I'd support the restoration work for Hunchback and Game to encourage other such efforts even if I won't watch them very often.
Lost World and Sherlock Holmes will be a future purchase too if they're similar quality.
In commemoration of the 99th anniversary of the film s original release, Flicker Alley along with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and la Cinémathèque française is proud to present the Blu-ray/DVD premiere of one of the holy grails of lost films: William Gillette s Sherlock Holmes.
Long considered lost until a complete dupe negative was identified in the vaults of la Cinémathèque française last year, this William Gillette film is a vital missing link in the history of Sherlock Holmes on screen. By the time it was produced at Essanay Studios in 1916, Gillette had been established as the world s foremost interpreter of Holmes on stage having played him approximately 1300 times since his 1899 debut. This newly-restored edition, thanks to the monumental efforts of both the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and la Cinémathèque française, represents the sole surviving appearance of Gillette s Holmes on film. Presented with optional French and English intertitles and an original score composed and performed by Neil Brand, Guenter Buchwald, and Frank Bockius, Flicker Alley is honored to bring Sherlock Holmes onto Blu-ray and DVD for the first time ever.
The film faithfully retains the play s famous set pieces Holmes s encounter with Professor Moriarty, his daring escape from the Stepney Gas Chamber, and the tour-de-force deductions. It also illustrates how Gillette, who wrote the adaptation himself, wove bits from Conan Doyle s stories ranging from A Scandal in Bohemia to The Final Problem, into an original, innovative mystery play.
Film restorer Robert Byrne says, It s an amazing privilege to work with these reels that have been lost for generations. William Gillette s Sherlock Holmes has ranked among the holy grails of lost film and my first glimpse of the footage confirms Gillette s magnetism. Audiences are going to be blown away when they see the original Sherlock Holmes on screen for the first time.
Bonus Materials Include:
- Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900): Courtesy of the Library of Congress and presented in HD, this is the earliest known film to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes.
- A Canine Sherlock (1912): From the EYE Film Institute, the film stars Spot the Dog as the titular character.
- Più forte che Sherlock Holmes (1913): Also from the EYE Film Institute, this entertaining Italian trick-film owes as much to Méliès as it does Doyle.
- HD transfers from the Fox Movietone Collection: Interview with Arthur Conan Doyle and outtakes from a 1930 broadcast with William Gillette showing off his amateur railroad (University of South Carolina). - A PDF manuscript of the 1899 Sherlock Holmes play by William Gillette.
- A PDF of the original contract between William Gillette and the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company.
- A booklet featuring images from the film and information about the restoration project.
I am wondering how their mod program is going to translate to a possible Blu Ray releases (ie they had man with a movie camera as a mod now it gets a full blown release, their early Griffith titles, Possibly a second Mack Sennet Collection, and if at all possible any more of the CINERAMA titles.
so I called today to check on my order that is listed as shipped, and while I had the guy on the phone, I ask a very important question, Mack Sennett Vol 2, he stated that it is being worked on..... that is enough to know that they are giving their titles effort, and this only works with consumer support, if you are a fan of Sennett comedies and haven't purchased, then you are missing out.
from the mod's I would like to see some blu ray releases, the Griffith years of discovery sets, The Sheik & Son of the Sheik, if you are interested in in Humphrey Jennings title that they have, my suggestion is get the BFI Blu, it is region free and they have 3 volumes, all worth it
Flicker Alley, in association with the Blackhawk Films® Collection, presents Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, a newly restored collection of 15 classic films.
Release Date: November 10, 2015
(Los Angeles, CA - August 11, 2015) - Flicker Alley and the Blackhawk Films® Collection invite you to experience the evolving genius of Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, the Blu-ray/DVD premiere of 15 cinematic treasures as you've never them before.
Chaplin's Essanay Comedies (1915)
5-Disc BD/DVD Box Set
M.S.R.P. $59.95
In late 1914, Charlie Chaplin was paid the then-unprecedented salary of $1,250 per week (with a bonus of $10,000) in exchange for signing a one-year contract with the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. The resulting 14 films he created for Essanay find Chaplin further experimenting with new cinematic techniques, while continuing to add complexities and pathos into his celebrated Little Tramp character, soon to become immortalized as the face, hat, and mustache of modern screen comedy.
Flicker Alley and The Blackhawk Films® Collection are proud to present Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, the third and final installment of the Chaplin Project (lead by Lobster Films and Cineteca di Bologna), a massive, twelve year endeavor to restore all of Chaplin's cinematic output from 1914-1917. This 5-disc box Blu-ray/DVD box set features 15 newly restored films - His New Job, A Night Out, The Champion, In the Park, A Jitney Elopement, The Tramp, By the Sea, His Regeneration, Work, A Woman, The Bank, Shanghaied, A Night in the Show, Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on Carmen, and Police. All were scanned under the aegis of Association Chaplin at a resolution of 2,000 lines from original 35mm prints gathered from archives all over the world, then digitally assembled and restored, a collaborative effort of Lobster Films and Cineteca di Bologna. These editions feature scores from some of the foremost composers and musicians of silent film accompaniment, including Timothy Brock, Robert Israel, and The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
Essanay and Mutual were Chaplin's laboratory and he later would borrow heavily from the films he created there to craft the masterworks The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) for which he is best known and for which he always will be remembered.
Bonus Materials Include:
Triple Trouble (1918), an unofficial Chaplin film, edited together from outtakes and footage shot by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company without Chaplin's approval
The Blu-ray/DVD premiere of the newly restored Charlie Butts In, a one-reel film widely distributed in the 1920s assembled from alternate takes of the standard, two-reel version of A Night Out
The two-reel edits of A Night Out and Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on Carmen, restored and conforming as nearly as possible to the Chaplin's original intentions for release
A never-before-seen restoration of Police, including a newly improved final shot
A 28-page booklet with rare, behind-the-scenes images, and an extensive essay by film historian and author Jeffrey Vance (Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema)
Film Contributors Include:
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, CNC, BFI National Archive, Blackhawk Films® Collection, Dan Bursik, Cinemathèque française, Cinemathèque Royale de Belgique, Danish Film Institute, Library of Congress, and the Museum of Modern Art.
About the Blackhawk Films® Collection
Blackhawk Films® was founded in 1927 as a producer of film advertising for merchants and as a distributor of regional newsreels. The company made its mark as a nontheatrical distributor with the advent of 16mm sound film in 1933, establishing several regional offices before WWII. In 1947, Blackhawk expanded into sales of used film and soon thereafter began distributing new 8mm and 16mm prints of Laurel & Hardy comedies from Hal Roach Studios as well as titles from such other suppliers such as Fox Movietone, Killiam Shows, and National Telefilm Associates. David Shepard joined Blackhawk as Vice President (1973-1976) and after founding Film Preservation Associates in 1986, acquired the Blackhawk Films® library which now comprises some 5,000 titles.
Pro-B
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 08-12-2015 at 05:38 AM.
Flicker Alley, in partnership with the Film Noir Foundation and UCLA Film & Television Archive, has announced that it will release on Blu-ray two newly-restored noir classics: Too Late for Tears and Woman on the Run. The two releases will be available for purchase on April 12.
Too Late for Tears (1949)
Rescued and preserved after a five-year crusade by the Film Noir Foundation, this 1949 classic is at long last available in a clean digital version, transferred from a 35mm print painstakingly restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive.
When a pair of film noir icons like Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea collide, sparks are sure to fly. Jane Palmer (Scott) and her husband Alan (Arthur Kennedy) mysteriously have $60,000 literally dropped in their laps. The circumstances seem mighty suspicious to Alan, who wants to turn the money over to the police. But in a materialistic rapture, Jane won't let it go. She doesn't care where it came from, or what danger might ensue-not if it will bring her the luxury she craves. Enter shady Danny Fuller (Duryea, as cocky and menacing as ever), who claims the money belongs to him. Let the games begin! Roy Huggins' snappy script (adapted from his novel) is a complex, breezy and black-hearted homage to James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler. Rapacious housewife Jane Palmer is one of the juiciest female villains in Hollywood history, and Liz Scott's best role ever.
Flicker Alley is excited to present this world-premiere Blu-ray/DVD dual-format edition of Too Late For Tears, restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive, and passionately championed by the Film Noir Foundation, with special thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Together with Woman on the Run, this film marks the first collaboration between Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary Track - By writer, historian, and film programmer Alan K. Rode.
"Chance Of A Lifetime: The Making of Too Late For Tears" - Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation and featuring Eddie Muller, Kim Morgan, and Julie Kirgo, this mini-doc offers a behind-the-scenes examination of the film's original production.
"Tiger Hunt: Restoring Too Late For Tears" - Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation, this is a chronicle of the multi-year mission to rescue this "lost" noir classic.
"Noir City" - A short documentary directed by Joe Talbot about the annual Noir City Film Festival presented by the Film Noir Foundation at San Francisco's historic Castro Theatre.
24-Page Souvenir Booklet - Featuring rare photographs, poster art, original lobby cards, and an essay by writer and noir-expert Brian Light.
Woman on the Run (1950)
Thanks to the efforts of the Film Noir Foundation, this terrific 1950 film noir, the only American print of which was burned in a 2008 fire, has been rescued and restored to its original luster. Join the wild chase around San Francisco as a man goes into hiding after witnessing a gangland execution. Police bird-dog his wife Eleanor (Ann Sheridan), certain she'll lead them to her husband, whose testimony against the killer could bring down a crime kingpin. But Eleanor and her hubbie are Splitsville-she never wants to see him again. When roguish newspaperman Danny Legget (Dennis O'Keefe) charms Eleanor into helping him track down the hidden husband-there are unexpected, stunning, and poignant results. This nervy, shot-on-location thriller is a witty and wise look at the travails of romance and marriage, and perhaps the best cinematic depiction ever of mid-20th century San Francisco.
Flicker Alley is honored to present this world-premiere Blu-ray/DVD dual-format edition of Woman on the Run, completely restored by the Film Noir Foundation in conjunction with UCLA Film & Television Archive, with special thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Charitable Grant Trust and the British Film Institute. Together with Too Late For Tears, this film marks the first collaboration between Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary Track - By author, historian, and "noirchaelogist" Eddie Muller.
"Love is a Rollercoaster: Woman on the Run Revisited" - Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation, this mini-doc offers a look into the making of the film, from script to noir classic.
"A Wild Ride: Restoring Woman on the Run" - Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation, this stranger-than-fiction document of the film's restoration is a thriller in itself.
"Noir City" - A short documentary directed by Joe Talbot about the annual Noir City Film Festival presented by by the Film Noir Foundation at San Francisco's historic Castro Theatre.
24-Page Souvenir Booklet - Featuring rare photographs, poster art, original lobby cards, and an essay by the one and only Eddie Muller.
Pro-B
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 01-22-2016 at 05:25 AM.
Got an email blast today stating FA is going to start doing MOD blu-rays. First two titles are
Timothy's Quest (1922)
Poet and Publisher featuring Robert Frost (1961) & A Publisher is Known by the Company He Keeps (1961)
Quote:
Manufactured-On-Demand (MOD) BLU-RAY is Coming to Flicker Alley!
Bringing Film History to New Audiences on More Platforms than Ever Before.
When we launched our Manufactured-On-Demand (MOD) DVD program last year, we affirmed our commitment to making cinematic gems accessible and affordable to the public on as many platforms as possible. Today, we're excited to announce that we will be expanding our MOD catalog to include select titles on Blu-ray.
Two HD World Premieres Will Kick Off MOD Blu-Ray Program:
Timothy's Quest (1922) is charming pastoral about two unwanted children finding acceptance and love. This rare, cinematic gem is based on a novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm), who was then known as "America's best loved author of stories about children." Director Sidney Olcott - a true pioneer who was General Manager of Biograph - went on to direct many important productions starring the likes of Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino, George Arliss, Richard Barthelmes, and Marion Davies. In the film, Joseph Dew plays the orphaned Timothy. In a touching and coincidental act of 'stranger-than-fiction' kindness, Olcott actually adopted and raised the handsome, young Joseph Dew, whose parents were killed in a boarding house fire when he was about 7-years-old.
Poet and Publisher includes Robert Frost (1961) and A Publisher is Known by the Company He Keeps (1961): two documentaries that present an intimate look at two luminaries of the literary world.
The lovely color film Robert Frost was shot over the course of a year, mostly in the region of Robert Frost's solitary mountain cabin in Vermont. Probably the most celebrated American poet of the twentieth century, Frost in his mid-eighties is seen in three seasons walking the landscape while he is heard reading from about twenty-five of his poems inspired by what is shown.
Alfred A. Knopf and his wife Blanche founded the publishing house bearing his name in 1915. He claimed that he never published an unworthy book, and the Knopf catalog includes 17 winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature and 47 Pulitzer Prize winners. Knopf (1892-1984) maintained a close personal friendship with many of his authors, and in 1926 he bought a Bell & Howell 16mm camera and began to film them. These home movies form the heart of A Publisher is Known by the Company He Keeps.
So does anyone know if MOD means BD-Rs in this case, or simply very limited runs of pressed discs?
I'd say very likely it means BD-R's. If they were regular pressed discs then they wouldn't need to make any announcement regarding MOD. Seems they are starting to crop up more and more these days as a way to make movies feasible to distribute on Blu-ray. I'm glad they are doing it.
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