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| Griffith Biograph Shorts; there's lots of 'em | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 28 2007, 07:17 AM (638 Views) | |
| panzer the great & terrible | Apr 28 2007, 07:17 AM Post #1 |
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Mouth Breather
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Just finished Vol 1 of Grapevine's issue, which takes us into the beginning of 1909. These were all made before Griffith or anybody else really got the hang of moviemaking, and I don't recommend this DVD to anybody looking for entertainment. "Money Mad" and "Those Awful Hats" are the most nearly fun of the shorts here. Only one of the 11 has a drinking scene, Ig, and it's a primitive example of crosscutting where a rich couple toast each other while a poor woman lies dying on the other side of the tracks. Not up to good Griffith. Volume 2, with "The Drunkard's Reformation" and "What Drink Did" has more promise. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Ignatz Ratzkywatzky | Apr 28 2007, 08:48 AM Post #2 |
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Thanks for the info. |
| IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF! is a movie recommendation site, focusing on forgotten classics, lesser-known gems, and oddball discoveries. https://www.bottomshelfmovies.com | |
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| The Batman | Apr 29 2007, 12:29 PM Post #3 |
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After picking up, and enjoying, Grapevine's recent release: BIOGRAPH PRODUCTIONS (Without D.W. Griffith) Vol.1 (1898-1905), I will definitely be going back for the other volumes available. I really enjoy looking at these early efforts in the world of cinema. Paul, if you are a big fan, I highly recommend you seek out Electric Edwardians: The Lost Films of Mitchell & Kenyon, from Milestone Film & Video. A fascinating look at England in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, via film shorts of everyday people going about their everyday lives. These films would then be shown at the fairs in local towns, allowing people to see their friends, neighbors and themselves on the "big screen". A great window into the past. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Apr 30 2007, 07:10 AM Post #4 |
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Mouth Breather
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Thanks for the tip, Bat! I'll surely pick that up. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| The Batman | Apr 30 2007, 04:52 PM Post #5 |
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When you do, Paul, please let me know what you thought of them. No one will watch them with me, so there's no one to discuss them with. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Jun 27 2009, 08:00 PM Post #6 |
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Mouth Breather
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Where did you find this, Bat? I haven't managed to do it. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| The Batman | Feb 22 2010, 08:42 AM Post #7 |
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Sorry for the late response, Mr P, I did not see you had added to the thread. ELECTRIC EDWARDIANS is available through Amazon, still, here is the link. I hope you take the chance, I don't think you will be disappointed. Electric Edwardians - Amazon page |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Feb 22 2010, 08:58 AM Post #8 |
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Mouth Breather
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OK, I ordered it. Expensive, isn't it? I'll be back to reviewing Griffith pretty soon. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| The Batman | Feb 22 2010, 11:03 AM Post #9 |
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Good stuff. It may be a little pricey, but it is a definite niche title and I have no problem supporting these kinds of releases. They have a whack of footage still to show (I believe) so every disc sold (hopefully) leads to a second release. Once you have received and watched, Mr P, please start a thread about the disc and then you and I can ramble on about it to our heart's content. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| JazzGuyy | Feb 22 2010, 11:59 AM Post #10 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I think I've seen excerpts from that set. I find some of the very early films fascinating in small doses and have selections of some of them on various sets like the American Film Archives series and some others of that ilk. I say in small doses because I'm too used to films that tell stories and that run more than a few minutes. Just watching people promenade through the town square or boarding a streetcar or the like can get old. I can understand though how audiences must have reacted in the early days of film to see people actually moving across the screen and seeing folks you might even know. I remember reading about the early film that was made of an on-rushing train and learning that people fled the theater when it was shown because they felt a train was really coming right at them. Talk about suspension of disbelief. |
| TANSTAAFL! | |
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| The Batman | Feb 22 2010, 12:47 PM Post #11 |
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These aren't on the AFI sets, which I have, too. These are all British "films". I find them fascinating for a number of reasons; primarily as they act as a record of a different era. Not only is it interesting to watch these "first-timers" interact with the camera, but also to see London and other places in England as they looked circa 1900. I love stories, too, but these go beyond that into historical interest. As a bonus, there is a commentary for each short, with background on what is happening and where. Great stuff, you'll love it, Mr P. Edited by The Batman, Feb 22 2010, 12:49 PM.
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| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| JazzGuyy | Feb 22 2010, 01:21 PM Post #12 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I think where I saw the British stuff was in some documentaries about British railroads and trams at the turn of the 20th Century. I know that a lot of early films were tied to railroads, streetcars and the like since those were very important parts of the scene at the time. Maybe not the same as what is on the collection you cite but probably similar in many respects. |
| TANSTAAFL! | |
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| The Batman | Feb 22 2010, 02:00 PM Post #13 |
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That definitely seems more likely. One of the shorts dealt with the railroads, but not all. Many different aspects of British life, circa 1900, are on display in these shorts. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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6:23 AM Jul 11