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| Hollywood (1980); silent movie documentary series | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 4 2008, 09:31 PM (267 Views) | |
| shelbyvinje | Aug 4 2008, 09:31 PM Post #1 |
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I purchased a set of HOLLYWOOD, a 13-part documentary series from 1980, which was produced in England with narrator James Mason. It's fantastic. Probably one of the best documentaries on silent movies I have ever seen. I am up to episode seven and it's great! Apparently the series was released in the UK only and weeks after release, was pulled due to some rights issues. I was lucky enough to buy a set and then use my computer to convert it from PAL to NTSC and it was worth the price. Especially since it's not available anymore. Not that I am trying to tease anyone, but if you can get a copy somewhere (cough, cough) I recommend you do so and watch the series. Top 10 best documentaries. |
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| igsjr | Aug 5 2008, 03:52 AM Post #2 |
Nostalgia blogger
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Those rights issues are still holding up any potential release of Hollywood on DVD. Network DVD originally had plans to release it (at the same time they put Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow) on Region 2 and then pulled it before the street date (I had pre-ordered a copy at Amazon.co.uk). |
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"Life is in color--but black-and-white is more realistic..." -- Samuel Fuller, director So many DVDs...so little time... | |
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| shelbyvinje | Aug 5 2008, 09:08 PM Post #3 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I assumed it was VERY difficult to get a copy. I must have been lucky cause I got my copy from amazon.co.uk and it arrived timely, but other people told me they ordered it and never got the item, and never got charged for it. I have since converted it to NTSC from PAL and eliminated the region code. It plays perfectly on my DVD player and no complaints. Certainly worth the money I spent. |
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| Ignatz Ratzkywatzky | Aug 6 2008, 03:03 PM Post #4 |
Charter Member
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I used to own the set on laserdisc. I'd pick it up in a heartbeat if it were released domestically on DVD. By the way, Kevin Brownlow's Cinema Europe DVD set complements Hollywood quite nicely. I'd also recommend Brownlow's afore mentioned Buster Keaton documentary and Unknown Chaplin. |
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| shelbyvinje | Aug 11 2008, 03:54 PM Post #5 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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If it's not available now on DVD in the UK, it doesn't sound liek you'll be getting the DVDs here in the States, either. Best way is to get the laserdiscs and transfer them to DVD, or get a copy of the UK release, convert from from PAL to NTSC and the region code and burn them on DVD-R format and avoid compression. I would make a copy of what I have for anyone, but I hesitate since there is a legal issue holding the originals up. I am done watching the series and it's definately worth seeking out. |
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| stacia | Aug 11 2008, 06:53 PM Post #6 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Is the UK version for sale anywhere at all? I went to buy the set a few days ago, thinking it was still for sale at Amazon UK, only to discover it was pulled months ago. Buying the VHS copies is somewhat prohibitive, and I'm not sure I want them if I won't be able to easily dub them to DVD. |
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| igsjr | Aug 11 2008, 08:31 PM Post #7 |
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Nostalgia blogger
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If I've read shelbyvinje's post correctly, it would appear that Hollywood was released briefly on Network DVD and a few copies slipped out to customers before it was then pulled when the thorny issue of copyrights came up. I don't intend for this to sound like sour grapes, but it was my understanding that they never actually released the 4-DVD set but instead cancelled all pre-orders (I ordered a copy on Amazon.co.uk). Obviously, as Bogart observes in Casablanca (1942), "I was misinformed." Here's a link to a photo of the front cover of the DVD. This situation reminds me of the Fox DVD release of Boomerang! (1947) where, once again, several copies were sold until the lawyers stepped in and put a halt to those proceedings...allowing those individuals who bought extra copies to sell them at inflated prices on eBay. (What I have difficulty understanding is, who would have the foresight to buy a bunch of these discs unless they had the inside track that the release was going to be pulled shortly thereafter...?) I forked up an arm and a leg for my copy...and then, of course, they decide to properly release (or re-release) the damn thing a couple of years afterward. For what it's worth, you can get a copy of the Hollywood documentary series here at Yammering Magpie Cinema; it's not going to have the same visual quality as the Network release, natch, but they do thrown in Marion Davies' classic silent comedy The Patsy (1928) as a bonus. I've bought two discs from this company: copies of Crime Without Passion (1934) and To the Ends of the Earth (1948). Earth was not in the best of picture quality (it was quite washed out; the Magpie people give it a B which I think's a bit too high) but Passion is a bit better, except that the image is a little too soft and fuzzy. (I became so engrossed with the movie that after a while I didn't mind it so much.) Hollywood gets an A- so it's possible someone just made copies from the Network discs. I have a situation similar to the Hollywood/Boomerang! DVDs: last year around this time, a company named Televista released Laurel & Hardy's Laughing 20's (1963) to DVD but from what I've been able to glean they had to pull the release because the film is still under copyright to MGM. As luck would have it, I have an unwrapped copy; I'm not sure if it's worth anything and I've done searches on eBay to see if anyone else is selling it but have come up empty. So I'm not sure if I have a real treasure here or just a dog turd masquerading as one. |
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"Life is in color--but black-and-white is more realistic..." -- Samuel Fuller, director So many DVDs...so little time... | |
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| shelbyvinje | Aug 13 2008, 06:16 PM Post #8 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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The cover for the DVD box set of HOLLYWOOD is the same that I have. I have two on the shelf. One is the original and the second is a copy I had transferred to NTSC. I know if anyone wants a copy, Rodney has it listed on his site for "this month only." As for BOOMERANG, I can't get a copy even through Netflix (which sometimes and still does, offer DVDs that were pulled). If anyone can make a copy, I'd reimburse them (provided it's not an arm and a leg). Wasn't it released on VHS once? If so, I can seek out the VHS but the DVD would certainly have better picture and sound and clarity. I have Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20s. And I got that, too, from Rodney when he was offering Laurel and Hardy films on his site. It's not the greatest film on my list because it's nothing too original, but worth watching. TCM is playing Laurel and Hardy all day marathon soon! |
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| rodney | Aug 14 2008, 04:31 AM Post #9 |
Charter Member
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Yeah, I was just going to point out that I just "came into" a couple of copies of this. We're offering it ONLY until September 1st. No orders after then will be accepted. It's $40 for the set. FOX is releasing Boomerang (finally) really soon, I believe. |
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| Chief Thunder Cloud | Aug 15 2008, 07:49 AM Post #10 |
Charter Member
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Hollywood 13 Part Documentaqry was released here in Canada on VHS by HBO Home Video. I bought my copy sealed brand new at Mike Orlando's Hollywood Canteen in Toronto, Ontario, Canada shortly after it had been first released on Home Video in the VHS format. The official title of this documentary series is: "Hollywood A Celebration Of The American Silent Film." The individual titles are: 1. The Pioneers 2. The Beginning 3. Single Beds & Double Standards 4. Hollywood Goes To War 5. Hazards Of The Game 6. Swanson & Valentino 7. The Autocrats 8. Comedy - A Serious Business 9. Out West 10. The Men With The Megaphone 11. Trick Of The Light 12. Star Treatment 13. End Of An Era I have since transferred the entire series onto 6 DVDS. I have the DVDS in 2 cases that will hold 3 DVDS each. I scanned the front, back and spine of the VHS slipcovers for Volume 1 and Volume 13 and e-mailed them to a friend of mine to make a DVD Cover for each of the 2 DVD Cases. They look FANTASTIC!! My cousin who lives in England tried to get me the DVD Set from Network in England but all copies had been pulled from the video stores etc. I'm very pleased to have this great documentary on the silent film era in my video library. |
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| shelbyvinje | Aug 23 2008, 06:41 PM Post #11 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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The commercial release is great quality. Problem with transferring a series from VHS - the transfer technology evolved over the years.. While some shows like I LOVE LUCY were available on commercial VHS, the DVD releases are better quality than the commercial VHS. The DVD box set from the UK is better than the VHS only because the transfer itself was improved. I have some of the VHS videos and compared them to the DVDs and there is no room for comparison. While the VHS is good, and no complaints, the picture looks like something from the 1970s where the DVD print looks like it was shot yesterday. Big difference. Wherever you get the series, it comes with my recommendation. |
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