THREE AGES Cohen Media Restoration - Amazon Review

[Ed Watz]

Here's my Amazon review - if you should read it, remember this quote often attributed to Abe Lincoln:
"People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like."

Even more glad now that I have a 16mm print of THREE AGES. No doubt this Cohen Media restoration will be with us for a long, long time, and probably a lot of people younger than myself are going to like it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RPQLPA1 ... eml_rv0_rv

Buster & Blanche.jpg (209.76 KiB) Viewed 11143 times

[Rift Corbitt]

Hi Ed, Which Blu-ray (or DVD) version would you recommend that runs with a bit more pep?

[Ed Watz]

Hi Ed, Which Blu-ray (or DVD) version would you recommend that runs with a bit more pep?

Hi Rift,

Well, I had a fairly long reply written up, got interrupted, and lost everything!

So now, to keep it brief - there are 3 authorized Blu-Rays to date:

1) 2010 Kino on Video - out of print but many copies available online - avoid this, a common complaint was that the source looked no better than Kino's original VHS release in the nineties. Soft focus, excessive brightness. David Shepard slowed the frame rate so a 56-minute screening on film became 63 minutes on video - which somewhat affects the timing though not too excessively. Paired with SHERLOCK JR.

2) 2017 Kino, with a restoration by Lobster Films. Sharper image, better contrast, more grain that makes it feel like you're watching film. More grain also means you see the scratches and occasional lines but it's not a distraction for me. Again a 63 minute running time, probably to keep in sync with a score used on the previous edition. Paired with THE GENERAL in the US, available solo in Europe. In print. This version gets my vote.

3) 2023 Eureka, with Cohen Media's restoration. Thoroughly scrubbed clean in the sections where there is no decomposition. In those scenes the images are vivid, stunning. That said, this version runs 70 minutes. To put things in context: this version is 10 minutes longer than THE NAVIGATOR and 14 minutes longer than SEVEN CHANCES. And it's only 7 or 8 minutes shy of THE GENERAL...

Here's screenshots from the three Blu-Rays in the same order listed above:

Orig Kino Blu-Ray.jpg (228.21 KiB) Viewed 11066 times

Kinos Lobster version.jpeg (196.98 KiB) Viewed 11066 times

Eureka Cohen version.jpg (210.64 KiB) Viewed 11066 times

[Ed Watz]

Here's an excerpt of THREE AGES running at 24 fps, the identical frame rate to 16mm and 35mm film prints. At this speed THREE AGES clocks in at 56 minutes.

If you compare this scene to a Kino or Lobster edition (63 minutes) or the latest Eureka/Cohen edition (70 minutes), you'll immediately see the difference. At 24 fps Buster's performance and gags work beautifully - to me, anyway - but perhaps it's all a matter of taste.

A pity that THREE AGES at 24 fps never saw a Blu-Ray release.

https://youtu.be/baF-ARj21DM

[Rift Corbitt]

Ed,

Thank you for the replies.

I will go with the 2017 as you noted. Then stream (to my smartTV) through a computer media player which allows me to speed playback up. I'm thinking 9 or 10% will do. It wont be totally optimal, but for me it usually is an improvement over slug like playback. Yes the music speeds up too. Faster tempo on the audio to me is not a deal breaker like watching paint dry slow video.


Edit: 2017 ordered!

[Ed Watz]

Ed,

Thank you for the replies.

I will go with the 2017 as you noted. Then stream (to my smartTV) through a computer media player which allows me to speed playback up. I'm thinking 9 or 10% will do. It wont be totally optimal, but for me it usually is an improvement over slug like playback. Yes the music speeds up too. Faster tempo on the audio to me is not a deal breaker like watching paint dry slow video.


Edit: 2017 ordered!

Best of luck, Rift - sounds like you have an ideal plan and the proper setup to execute it. The music on the 2017 should also sound better slightly faster (it's also on the slower side to begin with!).

[Dennis Campa]

Thank you, Ed (way belatedly) for this detailed review and comparison of the various Blu-Rays of Three Ages.

(I've the 2010 disc, and will look for the 2017 edition).


Ed, are the Eureka discs the same transfers as the Cohen Blu-Rays, or different editions all together? I keep seeing them online.

Dennis

[Ed Watz]

Thank you, Ed (way belatedly) for this detailed review and comparison of the various Blu-Rays of Three Ages.

(I've the 2010 disc, and will look for the 2017 edition).


Ed, are the Eureka discs the same transfers as the Cohen Blu-Rays, or different editions all together? I keep seeing them online.

Dennis

The Eureka discs (produced in the UK) are indeed the same transfers as the Cohen Blu-Rays, Dennis. Each of these Cohen editions are eventually released through Kino Lorber in the US.

As I'm sure you're aware, Kino Lorber has been issuing the Keaton-Cohens as double feature sets. Cohen's THREE AGES (released by Eureka this past summer) will debut from Kino next month with Cohen's OUR HOSPITALITY (which Eureka issued in 2021).

Kino Lorber had already issued Lobster Films' restoration of OUR HOSPITALITY in 2019 as a stand-alone. I didn't see any major difference in terms of visual quality between the Lobster version and the Cohen version, even though both Lobster and Cohen indicated that they used different source material.

It would probably take me three weeks to view every Keaton feature iteration that's been issued on Blu-Ray since 2011!

[Dennis Campa]

Many thanks Ed for confirming that the Eureka and Cohen discs use the same transfers.

I bought a huge Keaton set from Kino several years ago that was on sale. The transfers, etc. varied quite a bit but were generally good.

I agree with you the 2019 disc of Our Hospitality didn't seem like a huge upgrade.

And it's head-spinning how many versions of the Keaton silents are available!

Dennis