How do you watch your silent movies ?

[KeyserSoze]

obviously they should be silent !


but the thing is, i havent really watched any silent movies. Now i like the idea of an orchestral score in the background, but as most of you know some of these can suck real bad.

so how many of you watch the movies with music and how many watch it without ?

[Tiffany Bradford]

I always watch them with sound. As long as the DVD Silents with mono are fairly hiss-free and not terribly tinny, I don't have a problem with them. I own the 399 minute Silent ten-chapter serial Les Vampires which has the orchestral score presented in stereo and it is just brilliant.

[Gary Couzens]

I don't know of any DVDs of silent movies that don't have a music track, though Criterion's <i>The Passion of Joan of Arc</i> does have a silent option, along with the <i>Visions of Light</i> choral piece and a commentary.

I'd always watch them with the soundtracks provided: after all, this is how they would have been presented in cinemas. Some bigger-budget films even had their own scores composed!

[Michael Brooke]

As ever with these sweeping questions, they're impossible to answer - some music scores are stunning, others are dreadful (and dreadfully inappropriate) so, as ever, it depends entirely on the individual film and DVD.

To follow up Gary's point about <I>The Passion of Joan of Arc</I>, the silent film extracts on some of Ruscico's DVDs (most notably <I>Viy</I>) are presented "silent", but with a faint projector whirr to add authenticity.

[Cirrus888]

Metropolis 1927 will be released by Kino soon ... restored to 1hr 55mins and remastered with the original soundtrack.

However Giorgio Morodor 89 min cut with a rock and pop soundtrack and tinted colour is apparently very popular.

[Narshty]

How do you watch your silent movies ?

Without speaking!

Where's my coat?

[stephen]

How were they shown in cinemas in the first place? Did they provide sheet music to each cinema along with the print?

[DuncanWardle]

There where silent movies ?

[Michael Brooke]

Originally posted by stephen
How were they shown in cinemas in the first place? Did they provide sheet music to each cinema along with the print?

As per my previous answer, it depends on the film and it depends on the cinema. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the accompaniment would be improvised piano, but occasionally there'd be more ambitious showcases involving larger instrumental groups and pre-composed scores. Composers like Saint-Saëns and Honegger wrote music for silent films, while Shostakovich started his career as a silent film pianist.

[KeyserSoze]

ive just noticed ive never experienced a live orchestra :eek:

i would love to some day, and having while watching a silent movie would be nice as well.

any good cinemas aroudn the london area that show silent movies with live orchestra from time to time ?

[stephen]

Originally posted by DuncanWardle
There where silent movies ?

If you go to the Hollycoombe steam collection in Liphook, Hampshire they have got a fully working reconstruction of a fairground cinema (can't remember the name they give it) When I went they showed a good selection of early silent films including a few charlie chaplin ones and a few showing early special effects, all accompanied by an automatic piano that takes punched paper. It's quite interesting if you pass near, it's all set up in the middle of a field powered by a traction engine.

I managed to pick up an 8mm projector the week after I went for £5 with a copy of Charlie Chaplins "The Cop" in the box :)

[Adamant]

I have watched them all with the sound on bar 1. Sometimes, the soundtrack is excellent on them - the latest Eureka version of Nosferatu for example with a new 5.0 score, although apparently it it.

The one that is unwatchable with the musical score is Der Golem, as it is not scene specific so actually detracts from the film.

Originally posted by Tiffany Bradford
I always watch them with sound. As long as the DVD Silents with mono are fairly hiss-free and not terribly tinny, I don't have a problem with them. I own the 399 minute Silent ten-chapter serial Les Vampires which has the orchestral score presented in stereo and it is just brilliant.

Wow! I am very interested, if only for the novelty value. What is it like, and what's it about. Can you recomend any other Vampire/horror silents? (good only please - to sit through another Hunchback of Notre Dame or the Golem remake would be torture!)

[Tiffany Bradford]

Originally posted by Adamant
Wow! I am very interested, if only for the novelty value. What is it like, and what's it about. Can you recomend any other Vampire/horror silents? (good only please - to sit through another Hunchback of Notre Dame or the Golem remake would be torture!)

Hi Adamant,

I am almost finished with a review of Les Vampires for DVD Times, and when I finish I will e-mail it to you along with other Vamp/horror silents suggestions. :D

[KeyserSoze]

the eureka version of Nosferatu, is that the 2 disc set ?

ive heard the soundtrack isnt too great. And the BFI version is better.

this Les Vampires sound interesting, hurry up with the review already !! ;)

[Adamant]

Thanks Tiffany. Is it more like implied vampires rather than real vampires?

KeyserSoze - The Eureka version is the 2 disc set. The soundtrack is very, erm, different and might put people off who want a traditional score.

I am curious about the BFI version and might buy it as it's tinted differently with a different restoration and apparently excellent score, but the score is in 2.0 and the disc doesn't have the excellent video extras and commentary from the 2 disc version.

[Mario Gauci]

Quote:

“I own the 399 minute Silent ten-chapter serial Les Vampires which has the orchestral score presented in stereo and it is just brilliant.”

I am glad to know that there has been at least one other member of this Forum who did not shrink from spending her money on an expensive disc featuring what many would dismiss as a “hellishly lengthy ancient relic”. Adamant, believe me when I tell you it is worth every penny! It had been a dream of mine for a long time to catch sight of these legendary Silent serials. Thank God that DVD came along to grant me my wish! Personally, I loved this movie and it is now firmly placed among my most prized (and priced!) possessions.

By the way, Tiffany, I don’t know if you are already aware of the existence of a 2-Disc Limited Edition of Louis Feuillade’s earlier serial, FANTOMAS (1913-14) on Region 2. It is entirely in French without any subtitles (which may be a handicap for those not familiar with the language), but the package in itself is superb: a beautifully restored print, ingenious menus, an attractive layout, informative articles about famous French crimes, booklet, a filmed interview between original co-author of the Fantomas books, Marcel Allain and film director Georges Franju, etc. Now all I want is similar DVD editions (on either Region) of Feuillade’s other great serials of the period: JUDEX (1916), TIH MIHN (1918) and BARRABAS (1919).

Quote:

“This Les Vampires sounds interesting. Hurry up with the review already!!”

For those of you who have shown interest in learning more about this landmark release, I have provided links to numerous reviews of the Water Bearer DVD of LES VAMPIRES (1915-16), released through Image Entertainment:

http://www.50footdvd.com/movies/v/les-vampires.html
http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue09/reviews/lesvampires/
http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=413
http://www.dvdangle.com/reviews/review.php?Id=777
http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_2/lesvampires.htm
http://www.silentera.com/DVD/lesVampiresDVD.html

Quote:

“Can you recommend any other Vampire/horror Silents? (good only please - to sit through another Hunchback of Notre Dame or The Golem remake would be torture!)”

The following are the Silent DVDs I have watched so far, in order of acquisition. Only a few of them are horror films but all, in my opinion, are practically indispensable:

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (CRITERION)
HAUNTED SPOOKS/THE CAT AND THE CANARY (IMAGE)
HARRY LANGDON: THE FORGOTTEN CLOWN [FEATURING TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP/THE STRONG MAN/LONG PANTS] (KINO)
THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD (IMAGE; THE EUREKA R2 EDITION FEATURES AN AUDIO COMMENTARY AND A KINO R1 EDITION IS IN THE WORKS)
THE BLACK PIRATE (KINO)
THE LAST LAUGH (KINO)
FAUST (KINO; THE EUREKA R2 EDITION FEATURES AN AUDIO COMMENTARY)
DR. MABUSE, THE GAMBLER [2-DISC SET] (IMAGE)
THE PENALTY (KINO)
THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (BFI) (R2)
THE SAPHEAD/THE HIGH SIGN/ONE WEEK (KINO)
THREE AGES/THE GOAT/MY WIFE'S RELATIONS (KINO)
OUR HOSPITALITY/SHERLOCK JR. (KINO)
THE NAVIGATOR/THE BOAT/THE LOVE NEST (KINO)
SEVEN CHANCES/NEIGHBORS/THE BALLOONATIC (KINO)
GO WEST/THE SCARECROW/THE PALEFACE (KINO)
BATTLING BUTLER/THE HAUNTED HOUSE/THE FROZEN NORTH (KINO)
THE GENERAL/COPS/THE PLAYHOUSE (KINO)
COLLEGE/THE ELECTRIC HOUSE/HARD LUCK/THE BLACKSMITH (KINO)
STEAMBOAT BILL JR./CONVICT 13/DAYDREAMS (KINO)
KEATON PLUS (COMPILATION DISC OF BUSTER KEATON RARITIES) (KINO)
EL DORADO (R2) (GAUMONT) [LIMITED EDITION IN FRENCH ONLY]
THE INDIAN TOMB (IMAGE)
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (ALLDAY)
CHARLIE CHAPLIN - A FIRST NATIONAL COLLECTION: SHOULDER ARMS/SUNNYSIDE/A DAY'S PLEASURE/THE IDLE CLASS/PAY DAY/THE PILGRIM/NICE AND FRIENDLY (IMAGE)
A KING IN NEW YORK/A WOMAN OF PARIS (IMAGE)
THE LOST WORLD (EUREKA) (R2)

I have several other Silent film DVDs in my collection which I have yet to watch, and a few more on order. It can truly be said that DVD has given the Silent era a new lease of life!

Finally, it should be noted that Kino will release a "Classic Horror Collection" Box Set containing THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919), THE GOLEM (1920), NOSFERATU (1922) and WAXWORKS (1924). Personally, I have not previously purchased copies of the R1 Image Special Editions of CALIGARI and NOSFERATU to see what Kino have to offer in their upcoming 4-Disc Set!

[KeyserSoze]

thanks Mario.

also, every single on of your posts seems to be of epic proportions :D

[Tiffany Bradford]

Originally posted by Mario Gauci
By the way, Tiffany, I don’t know if you are already aware of the existence of a 2-Disc Limited Edition of Louis Feuillade’s earlier serial, FANTOMAS (1913-14) on Region 2. It is entirely in French without any subtitles (which may be a handicap for those not familiar with the language), but the package in itself is superb: a beautifully restored print, ingenious menus, an attractive layout, informative articles about famous French crimes, booklet, a filmed interview between original co-author of the Fantomas books, Marcel Allain and film director Georges Franju, etc. Now all I want is similar DVD editions (on either Region) of Feuillade’s other great serials of the period: JUDEX (1916), TIH MIHN (1918) and BARRABAS (1919).


Thank you SO much for answering Adamant's questions Mario! I am looking for the Fantomas R2 as I type this. My French has improved dramatically, so the lack of subtitles won't be a problem! Thanks for backing me up on Les Vampires - it was money VERY well spent!

[ScreachingWeasel]

Speaking of silent films, has anyone picked up the Uk release of G.W. Pabst's "Pandora's Box"? I would like to know how the quality is compared to other silents like "Diary of a Lost Girl". If it is in at least that quality range I think I'll pick it up. Thank's in advance for any input.

[Idle Child]

just to add: i have the Buster keaton Boxset and was toying with the idea of putting on my favourite dance bands (prodigy/chemical brothers/etc) to act as an instrumental score to accompany the shannigans on screen.. not tried it yet though... but i would expect some good results..

[Gary Couzens]

I don't know if the offer is still on, but I picked up several of Eureka's Russian silents from HMV in three 2-for-£15 deals. A bargain especially considering that "niche" products tend to be more expensive than mass market items.

I bought:

<i>Strike</i>
<i>Battleship Potemkin</i>
<i>October</i>
<i>The Fall of St Petersburg</i>
<i>Storm Over Asia</i>

I haven't had a chance to watch any of these DVDs yet, and apart from <i>Potemkin</i> I haven't seen any of the films before. On a first glance, picture quality seems quite reasonable given the materials' age. The three Eisensteins are dual-coded for Regions 2 and 4; I haven't yet checked the Pudovkin discs.

(In case you're wondering what the sixth disc I bought in the offer was, it was Eureka's <i>The Blue Angel</i> which isn't silent. It does contain both the German-language and English-language versions of the film on the disc. Rather oddly, it's region coded 1-5. Quite why Region 6 - China - is excluded I don't know.)

[KeyserSoze]

does anyone know where to get reviews for the Eureka 2 disc Nosferatu ?

its £7 so i might go for it.

[Pete George]

Speaking of silent films, has anyone picked up the Uk release of G.W. Pabst's "Pandora's Box"? I would like to know how the quality is compared to other silents like "Diary of a Lost Girl".

The recent DVD release of Pandora's Box is very good. It is the full length version of the film running 131 minutes. The picture quality is good. There is some slight damage and the image, once or twice, goes slightly out of focus, but for the most part the print looks remarkably clear and sharp. The DVD also has a good hour long documentary looking for Lulu.

I would also like to endorse the favourable comments on Feuillade's Les Vampires and Fantomas. Both films are truly memorable experiences. Fantomas, for me, was something of an epic as I had to translate each and every title card with the help of a dictionary which meant the film lasted over 10 hours. There is a website dedicated to Fantomas which provides a useful synopsis of each episode. It can be found at:

www.fantomas-lives.com


Pete George

[Art Vanderlay]

I remember going to see Cabinet of Dr Caligari as a double bill with Creature from the Black Lagoon (which was in 3D :) ) at Manchester Uni film society

Caligari was completely silent which was quite an eerie experience in a room full of people.

It was only when Black Lagoon came on and that was silent too that they realised there should have been an orchestral track and they just hadn't turned the amp on.

[Boink!]

Originally posted by Idle Child
just to add: i have the Buster keaton Boxset and was toying with the idea of putting on my favourite dance bands (prodigy/chemical brothers/etc) to act as an instrumental score to accompany the shannigans on screen.. not tried it yet though... but i would expect some good results..

I am sorely tempted to get this, where did you purchase yours from?

Thanks,

JOn

[hatchejd]

Originally posted by Michael Brooke


As per my previous answer, it depends on the film and it depends on the cinema. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the accompaniment would be improvised piano, but occasionally there'd be more ambitious showcases involving larger instrumental groups and pre-composed scores. Composers like Saint-Saëns and Honegger wrote music for silent films, while Shostakovich started his career as a silent film pianist.

On a related note, are there any cinemas left in the UK with a working piano/orchestra pit that rises from the floor?