REVIEW: CHAPLIN MUTUALS & MACK SENNETT V1

[Paul E. Gierucki]

The great Jordan Young weighs in on the Sennett Collection via Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/licker- ... o-releases


Flicker’s Mack Sennett, Chaplin-Mutual sets top vintage home video releases
by Jordan Young
September 11, 2014

It’s no exaggeration to say Flicker Alley’s recently issued 3-disc Blu-ray set, “The Mack Sennett Collection: Volume One,” is likely the most highly prized vintage film release of the year. Some of the comedy pioneer’s best work is represented here by fully restored versions of 50 films dating from 1909-1933, reconstructed and remastered from 35mm negs and archival materials in public and private collections. In a word… wow!

Charles Chaplin (in the long-lost 1914 short “A Thief Catcher,” from the dawn of his career), Harry Langdon, W. C. Fields, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, Ben Turpin, Syd Chaplin, Carole Lombard, Gloria Swanson, Billy Bevan, Ford Sterling, and Sennett himself are among those who appear.

Though some of the films are well-known (Fields’ “The Dentist,” Lombard’s “Run, Girl, Run”), many are quite rare and virtually unseen since their original release. Outtakes, trailers, newsreel footage of parties and reunions, “Mack Sennett on the Air” (a 1939 radio show), and “This is Your Life: Mack Sennett” (a 1954 TV program) are among the many bonus features.

But wait, there’s more! Namely new scores (round up the usual suspects), commentary tracks by a gaggle of film historians, memorabilia galleries, and a 28-page booklet. The lion’s share of the credit for this extraordinary package goes to Paul Gierucki of Cinemuseum, who’s currently at work on a new bio of Arbuckle and a major DVD release of his work.

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[Paul E. Gierucki]

The entire production team has been bowled over by the critical reception of this collection.
We are all deeply grateful to everyone who has taken the time to watch, review, recommend,
and help promote the project. Thank you!

PG

[Richard M Roberts]

We got a review from something called HI-Def Ninja, he obviously is not immersed in this stuff, but he admits learning a lot and gave us a five-star review:

http://www.hidefninja.com/2014/09/24/ma ... ay-review/

We'll take it.

Speaking of which, didn't any of you folk by the damn set? We haven't heard anything from any of the Mafia on this. We're waiting.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Gary Johnson]

Let's see.....8 mm, 9.5 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm, Super 8 mm, BetaMax, VHS, Laserdisc, DVD and now Blu-Ray.......

I"M WORKING ON IT!!!!!

[Richard M Roberts]

Apparently Thomas Britt is trying to out-blather Jim Neibaur in terms of nonsense on the Sennett set in his Pop Matters review:


http://www.popmatters.com/column/186880 ... me-one/P0/

But where else will you find A BIRDS A BIRD being compared to ERASERHEAD and hear about Billy Bevan's "sisyphean character"? Ah well, I guess it's all just part of "The Impenetrability of Film as a Form", the impenetrability of this review more like.


RICHARD M ROBERTS (and no, it is not "debatable" whether or not Paul Mular's off-the-mark individual "guage-calls" on the films were a waste of time, there's no question to it at all)

[Gary Johnson]

I feel for anyone who reviews a 1924 film (GALLOPING BUNGALOWS) and dismisses it as a retread because it features bathing beauties, a house by the sea and mustaches. If that's the narrow criterion he follows, he won't be able to enjoy anything made after 1916.

[Richard M Roberts]

I feel for anyone who reviews a 1924 film (GALLOPING BUNGALOWS) and dismisses it as a retread because it features bathing beauties, a house by the sea and mustaches. If that's the narrow criterion he follows, he won't be able to enjoy anything made after 1916.

And if he can't see the brilliant chase sequence in that film for what it is, he needs his glasses fixed.

What can we expect from someone who says that, in "theory" W. C. Fields character should not be funny? What "theory", the "theory" of a humorless person?


RICHARD M ROBERTS

[Pasquale Ventura]

Richard M Roberts
And if he can't see the brilliant chase sequence in that film for what it is, he needs his glasses fixed.

GALLOPING BUNGALOWS is one the the most ingenious and excellently executed sight gag comedies imaginable. One of Del Lords funniest. The chase is built on a type of timing these silent comedy film makers like Lord and others of this era knew how to do. One mishap after another that builds a climax on top of another climax, expertly edited to give the whole comedy a tempo that creates the laughs. Billy Bevan, Andy Clyde, Sid Smith all had the comic know how to perform these outrageous Del Lord sight gags making it look effortless adding to the comedy.

What can we expect from someone who says that, in "theory" W. C. Fields character should not be funny? What "theory", the "theory" of a humorless person?

Sounds like one of those highly educated snobs who are clueless to understand real good comedy.

Pasquale Ventura

[Paul E. Gierucki]

Our friend Leonard Maltin has mentioned THE MACK SENNETT COLLECTION Volume One on his marvelous MOVIE CRAZY blog. Check it out:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmalti ... d-20141021

Paul E. Gierucki