Kino/Lobster Max Linder Collection

[Richard M Roberts]

Well, I know this will come as no big surprise, but Serge Bromberg and David Shepard have managed to suck the life out of some classic comedy once again with this new Kino/Lobster Max Linder Collection with their trademark slide-presentation film speeds. As always, a real pity, as the prints look good, and you do have the opportunity to see a complete BE MY WIFE. I had actually hoped that having to cram all three features and the Essanay short MAX WANTS A DIVORCE onto one DVD might force them to pick up the pace a little, but no avail. These three Linder American features, all running around five reels, and short five reels at that, now come in around an hour or so apiece, and drag, drag, drag. At least they don’t have the herky-jerkiness, so you can hit the 1.5 speed and they are almost moving at a comedy pace, but again, this historically incorrect concept of “natural speed” (Natural? Perhaps out in space or under the ocean, certainly not for anyone on Planet Earth who isn’t seriously overdosing on Quaaludes.) rears it’s ugly head. Poor Max, he deserves better.

No extras, none, not a scrap of paper in the flimsy packaging apart from the cover, this is the low-rent nature of the dying home-digital business these days. Music fair, only Donald Sosin’s score for MAX WANTS A DIVORCE exceptional, and he’s still having to work against the drag of the pace. Glad I have prints of two of these features, will probably 1.5 speed BE MY WIFE again some time.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Pasquale Ventura]

After watching MAX WANTS A DIVORCE I noticed it ran 27 minutes and thought that was much too long for a two reel short. Then realized they must have transferred it 18 or 20 FPS. Can't figure out what the problem letting the films run at 24FPS. These are comedies after all.
Even with that It was nice seeing the features complete and really enjoy the tinted THE THREE MUST GET THERE'S, my favorite of the films. What's with the screeching clarinets on some of these scores?

Would like to see more of his earlier shorts. Had a VHS of them but it's no where to be found.

Pasquale