Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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Lightnin’
(1925)
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This comedy-drama, directed by John Ford, stars Jay Hunt and Madge Bellamy, with Edythe Chapman, Wallace MacDonald, J. Farrell MacDonald, Ethel Clayton, James Marcus, Otis Harlan and Brandon Hurst.
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 Loving the Classics
2018 DVD edition
Lightnin’ (1925), black & white, 104 minutes, not rated.
Loving the Classics, no catalog number, no UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.20:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at 5.2 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 384 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; closed captions; 20 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $14.95.
Release date: 2018.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 4 / audio: 7 / additional content: 0 / overall: 5.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from a VHS videotape off-cable recording of an AMC Film Preservation Festival presentation of the Museum of Modern Art’s very-good preservation print. The image is only good due to the low resolution of VHS videotape. Periodically, the AMC Film Preservation Festival logomark appears in the lower right-hand corner of the picture. Given the apparent quality of the source material, it is surprising that no one has issued a high-quality home video edition of the film.
The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed on digital piano.
Not a great presentation but, hey, this is the only home video edition of the film we are aware of.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Silent Hall of Fame Enterprises
2022 DVD edition
Lightnin’ (1925), black & white, 104 minutes, not rated.
Silent Hall of Fame Enterprises, 249, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; slimline CD jewelcase; $34.99.
Release date: 2022.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a VHS videotape copy of a 35mm or 16mm reduction print (as might be surmised from the publisher-provided still frame above).
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
Reluctantly, this is our recommended home video edition of the film and we still criticize this publisher for their overpriced offerings that give the consumer as little value as possible.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Other silent era JOHN FORD films available on home video.
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