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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The Man
Who Laughs
(1928)
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The highly-regarded Paul Leni film The Man Who Laughs (1928) stars Conrad Veidt as the disfigured Gwynplaine, hero of Victor Hugo’s novel.
The character is the acknowledged inspiration for Batman villain, The Joker.
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 Flicker Alley
2019 Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition
The Man Who Laughs (1928), black & white, 110 minutes, not rated.
Flicker Alley, FA0062, UPC 6-17311-68629-0.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region A Blu-ray Disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (1920 x 1080 pixels) progressive scan AVC (MPEG-4) format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Mbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 8-bit 2.0 stereo sound; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; and one single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 8-bit 2.0 stereo sound; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc BD keepcase; $39.95.
Release date: 7 June 2019.
Country of origin: USA
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This dual-format Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition has been scanned at 4K high-resolution from a 35mm composite fine-grain positive held by Universal Pictures that was struck in 1954 from the original nitrate negative. Under their silent film restoration initiative, the NBCUniversal’s restoration team scanned, stabilized, deflickered, and removed scratches, dust and speckling from the picture. The results are excellent.
The film is accompanied by a newly-recorded orchestral score performed by students of the Berklee School of Music. As an alternative accompaniment, the film is also presented with its sound rerelease Movietone synchronized soundtrack.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Support Silent Era.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc / Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Support Silent Era.
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 Masters of Cinema
2020 Blu-ray Disc edition
The Man Who Laughs (1928), black & white, 110 minutes, BBFC Certification PG.
Eureka Entertainment,
EKA70393 (MoC 236), unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region B Blu-ray Disc; 1.20:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at ? Mbps average video bit rate; LPCM 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate (Berklee music), and LPCM 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate (Movietone music); English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; insert booklet; standard BD keepcase; £14.99.
Release date: 17 August 2020.
Country of origin: England
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This Region B Blu-ray Disc edition has been scanned at 4K high-resolution from a 35mm composite fine-grain positive held by Universal Pictures that was struck in 1954 from the original nitrate negative.
The film is accompanied by a newly-recorded orchestral score performed by students of the Berklee School of Music. As an alternative accompaniment, the film is also presented with its sound rerelease Movietone synchronized soundtrack.
Supplementary material includes a featurette on the production of the film; a video essay by critic David Cairns and Fiona Watson; an interview with horror historian Kim Newman; and an insert booklet with writings by Travis Crawford and Richard Combs.
Sight unseen, we recommend this edition for European collectors. North American collectors will need a region-free Blu-ray Disc player to view this edition.
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United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region B Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
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 Kino on Video
2003 DVD edition
The Man Who Laughs (1928), black & white, 110 minutes, not rated.
Kino International, K310, UPC 7-38329-03102-2.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), 7.0 Mbps average video bit rate, 192 Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 8-bit 2.0 stereo sound; English language intertitles, no subtitles; 15 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 30 September 2003.
Country of origin: USA
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Kino International has produced this DVD edition from a recently-restored version of the film that combines two English language and Italian language nitrate original prints. Most of the intertitles have been inserted from a soft 16mm reduction print.
The DVD features a 20-minute documentary, informal footage of Veidt, Greta Garbo, Emil Jannings and Camilla Horn, a photo gallery, and exerpts from an Italian version of the film with hand-painted intertitles.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
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This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .
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 Alpha Video
2024 DVD edition
The Man WHo Laughs (1928), black & white, 110 minutes, not rated.
Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 8618D, UPC 0-89218-86189-4.
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; standard DVD keepcase; $8.98.
Release date: 25 June 2024.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm or 8mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
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This
Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Sunrise Silents
2004 DVD edition
The Man Who Laughs (1928), color-tinted black & white, 144 minutes, not rated.
Sunrise Silents,
TMWL-N (NTSC) or TMWL-P (PAL), no UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC or PAL DVD-R disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $21.95.
Release date: October 2004.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition from Sunrise Silents includes the original Movietone soundtrack of synchronized music and sound effects.
The film is likely accompanied by a music score performed on MIDI synthesizer.
If you own a copy of this disc please consider loaning it to us to review for documentation purposes. We pay postage both ways.
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SUNRISE SILENTS has discontinued business and this edition is . . .
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Other silent era CONRAD VEIDT films available on home video.
Other HORROR FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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