Customer Reviews

Lon Chaney Collector's Edition

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It costs a lot to properly prepare silent films for video editions. One must obtain the original film, restore the film, prepare a digital video master, and commission music. Thus, purchasers of silent film on DVD usually get what they pay for -- and this "Collector's Edition" is no exception.

Shameless St. Clair Vision has copied "Ace of Hearts" from the TCM/Warner DVD Chaney set, they have copied "Hunchback", "Oliver Twist, "Outside the Law," "The Shock" and "Nomads of the North" from the Image Entertainment DVD editions, "The Penalty" appears to be from Kino's DVD edition, and I strongly suspect but am not certain that "The Phantom of the Opera' originates with a VHS tape from Video Yesteryear (it is the 1929 sound reissue edition run at an appallingly slow 16 frames per second). Of course the tints and musical scores from their source copies have been stripped off, so these editions are somewhat degraded and entirely b&w with often-inappropriate needle-drop scores from old classical recordings.

Consumer Reports once evaluated the Yugo (automobile) and suggested that if it was all a buyer could afford, they should buy a used car of some other brand instead. The same goes for this "Collector's Edition". One you have sampled it, all it will collect is dust. Forget this and wait until you can afford the better editions which St. Clair Vision has robbed and degraded, even if you just find and purchase used copies.

I can't bomb this set.
It is what it is....a bargain DVD set offering half decent to not so great prints of Lon Chaney films from the 20s.
The films include:
Phantom of the Opera(1925)-Not a good print,like most public domain versions.The 1929 rerelease version.
Hunchback of Notre Dame(1923)-Half decent print.Buy the Image version if you really like this movie.
Oliver Twist(1922)-Pretty good print.Image has a better print available,though.
The Trap(1924)-Genuine rare Chaney vehicle is not a horror film but a drama about revenge against a man scorned.
A good Chaney performance.Not available anywhere else on DVD.
The Penalty(1920)-Essential Chaney.Sub-Par print.Go with the Kino edition of this one.
Shadows(1922)-Okay print.Image carries best print.(at 24.95!).
Flesh and Blood(1922)-REALLY rare Chaney film about Chaney's escape from prison and his plot for vengeance.
Good Chaney film,avaiable only on this set.
Ace of Hearts(1921)-Most likely a pirated version of the same one on the Turner DVD set.
Not bad Chaney movie.Good Print.....if it's not stolen!
The Shock(1923)-Good Chaney movie,okay print.
Image has best print,but at 20.00.
Outside the Law(1921)-Tod Browning and Lon Chaney collaboration in this classic crime film.
Pretty good print.Image has best print along with Shadows.
Nomads of the North(1920)-adventure/drama with Chaney as romantic lead(!).
Not always available,Image has this with The Shock.
good print on this DVD,though.
The reason I can't bomb this set is because several of these are not available,and not everyone can shelve out over twenty dollars per film.
You know what your buying when you get one of these sets.
For what it is,pretty decent.

The Chaney fan will probably already have most of these films on authorized editions elsewhere, but you probably wont have Flesh and Blood, this set is merely worth it to pick up this title, as far as I know this is the only dvd available with Flesh and Blood on it, if you do not have the Trap either this is a good place to grab this film as well, The Trap is also avaiable through Alpha Video and is most likely the same print as this. So if you dont have either of these Chaney rarities then this set is worth it, but only buy this set for those two films, Buy the other more well known titles on the authorized editions they are worth the extra money for better transfers.

Another great collection of silent films for a very low price. Not only did I find films that I've only heard about but never saw, there are some I never heard of too. Film quality and music varies but it's mostly good. I love silent films but can't afford remastered versions (if available), so this is the sort of deal I go after and was not disappointed with this one. Great bargain.