Flicker Alley

Vinegar Syndrome, Deaf Crocodile, Imprint, Cinema Guild, and more.
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EddieLarkin
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am

Re: Flicker Alley

#776 Post by EddieLarkin » Tue Jun 16, 2015 6:12 pm

Gregory wrote:I'm still not sure either of those two were included in the Image set. I don't remember them, but not trusting my memory I checked the alphabetical and chronological indexes in the booklet and didn't see them.
This was my reference, but it could be wrong.

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Bob Furmanek
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:59 am

Re: Flicker Alley

#777 Post by Bob Furmanek » Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:40 am

The stereoscopic restorations on the McLaren shorts are stunning. The original multi-track audio - as heard at the Festival of Britain on NOW IS THE TIME and AROUND IS AROUND - has been restored as well.

Is this the first release of his work on Blu-ray?

However, these wonderful shorts are not the first examples of 3-D animation. There is an animated segment in KELLEY'S PLASTICON PICTURES from 1922, possibly done by John Norling and/or Jacob Leventhal while at the Bray Animation Studios.

Frame scans and more information can be found here: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/3-d-rarities" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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whaleallright
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Re: Flicker Alley

#778 Post by whaleallright » Sun Jun 21, 2015 4:06 pm

EddieLarkin wrote:For those who perhaps wouldn't usually consider something like this, I was surprised to learn there are 4 newly restored Norman McLaren short films featured on this set (Now is the Time, Around is Around, O Canada and Twirligig).
FWIW: O Canada is credited to Evelyn Lambart, and Twirligig is credited to Gretta Ekman. Both were frequent collaborators of McLaren. Lambart was an important animator in her own right. Ekman was blacklisted for her political activity before she had the opportunity to become a major name.

I bought this release primarily for these NFB shorts. O Canada, though brief, is an absolute stunner, one of the most inventive uses of 3-D I've seen.
Last edited by whaleallright on Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Bob Furmanek
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Re: Flicker Alley

#779 Post by Bob Furmanek » Sun Jun 21, 2015 5:32 pm

We've been asked about the challenges in restoring the wide array of materials in this collection. Here's the story of one film.

The 1940 dye-transfer 35mm safety prints of NEW DIMENSIONS were so brittle, shrunken and curled with vinegar syndrome, they required multiple 4K wetgate passes in order to harvest the full-resolution of the 35mm image. These precious master elements will not be able to scan in another year or two. They are too far gone.

This short is historically significant: it is the first full-color domestic 3-D film.

Greg Kintz than spent weeks doing multiple-edits and image stabilization passes/alignment in order to restore it. The dynamic variable density optical 35mm track was sent to Chace Audio in Burbank for dubbing. Greg took the raw Chace master and did additional work to restore the track, making sure to keep the original EQ and room-tone intact.

Thad Komorowski took the final aligned left/right masters and did additional image clean-up and restoration. We will eventually output back to 35mm film for long-term preservation.

And that's just one short. It was saved just in time and there's a preservation story behind every film in this collection!

Image

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EddieLarkin
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Re: Flicker Alley

#780 Post by EddieLarkin » Sun Jun 21, 2015 7:03 pm

DVD Savant
Animator and experimental filmmaker Norman McLaren directed or supervised four Film Board of Canada 3-D shorts in 1951 and 1952; they're presented here in beautiful color restorations. The minimalist animation makes use of advanced camera techniques, including filming images from an oscilloscope. One of these films is a technical precursor to Douglas Trumbull's Star Gate in 2001: A Space Odyssey, although not quite as psychedelic in nature.
If anyone wasn't sure, the disc contents can of course be played in 2D as well.

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Bob Furmanek
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Re: Flicker Alley

#781 Post by Bob Furmanek » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:40 am

Here are some comments from reviews of 3-D RARITIES:

"3-D Rarities is the most prized Blu-ray in my library of well over 100 3D titles. It is the absolute best 3D title currently available -- and it accomplishes that task without being Avatar."

"3-D Rarities is the demonstration disc that belongs in the collection of every aficionado of 3-D films."

"What an extensive 35-year labor of love. I appreciated how this was laid-out by the producers and the restoration work is extremely impressive. If you are even remotely keen - we give this a VERY strong recommendation!"

"Perhaps the best thing about the 3-D Rarities collection is the curatorship involved. Some of these pictures exist only with flawed elements, and the Archive experts have managed, where needed, to restore and realign each eye."

"This set offers a great mix of quality effects and archival material that cinephiles will want in their collections, presented in terrific quality with some interesting and informative extras."

"The people at 3-D Film Archive have done a magnificent job, performing sometimes miracles on the original faded, damaged and mis-aligned 3D footage."

"3-D RARITIES ranks as not just a gotta-have-it compilation for 3-D enthusiasts, but also one of the year’s top catalog releases of any kind to date."

"This is a great disc for fans of film history and it’s even better for 3D fans. If you have a 3D TV and are interested in film history, you really have to pick up 3D RARITIES."

"We feel the 3-D Rarities collection from Flicker Alley offers an enlightening mix of shorts that give us a greater perspective of 3D history. Once you experience it, you’ll agree that some of this footage deserves its own cult following."

"This is work of cinematic art, resurrected as reminder that James Cameron and his Avatar was not the original pinnacle of 3D."

Check out the complete reviews linked on our website at http://www.3dfilmarchive.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; or the Amazon customer reviews at http://www.amazon.com/3-D-Rarities-Blu- ... B00VGXABLI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Adam
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Re: Flicker Alley

#782 Post by Adam » Wed Jul 01, 2015 1:18 am

The LA 3-D Club, Los Angeles Filmforum, and 3-D Space will have a theatrical screening of the 3-D Rarities, from DCP, at the Downtown Independent Theatre on July 19 at 2:00 pm with Bob Furmanek in person!
If you are in LA, come on down! Discs will be available for purchase, thanks to Flicker Alley.
http://la3dclub.com/3-d-rarities-screen ... -furmanek/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1843442" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Ashirg
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Re: Flicker Alley

#783 Post by Ashirg » Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:03 pm

From Film Noir Foundation - Noir News - July 2015:
FNF Teams with Flicker Alley To Bring Restorations Home

The Film Noir Foundation has partnered with Los Angeles-based Flicker Alley to bring several of its recent restorations to the home entertainment market. Blu-ray editions of Woman on the Run (1950) and Too Late for Tears (1949) are expected to release before the year's end, complete with bonus extras produced by the FNF. "We chose to work with Flicker Alley," said Eddie Muller, "because of its commitment to producing high quality products with what other companies might consider 'marginal' titles. Plus, [Flicker Alley founder] Jeff Masino understood that value of letting us brand these titles as Film Noir Foundation discoveries." The release of more FNF titles will largely be dependent on sales numbers for these first two packages. Repeat Performance (1947), High Tide (1947), and The Guilty (1947) are other candidates for future release, as are some of the Argentine noir films recently resurrected by the FNF.

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domino harvey
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Re: Flicker Alley

#784 Post by domino harvey » Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:18 pm

Sales would probably be great from any other label, but Flicker Alley's releases have absurd MSRPs and are rarely discounted, so don't expect these to fly off the shelves. Still, glad we're getting these two and it sounds like FA is letting Muller et al call the shots with regards to how the films are being presented and stacked with extras, which is a good thing

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swo17
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Re: Flicker Alley

#785 Post by swo17 » Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:25 pm

Years ago, back when there was a place called Borders, I remember they had an indiscriminate 50% off all DVDs sale, which is the only time that I've ever been able to get a good deal on Flicker Alley releases.

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L.A.
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Re: Flicker Alley

#786 Post by L.A. » Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:35 pm

Ashirg wrote:From Film Noir Foundation - Noir News - July 2015:
...as are some of the Argentine noir films recently resurrected by the FNF.
If the titles in question are these, then I'm intrigued. Especially El vampiro negro / The Black Vampire sounds fascinating.

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Bob Furmanek
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Re: Flicker Alley

#787 Post by Bob Furmanek » Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:52 pm

Robert A. Harris on 3-D RARITIES:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/topic/3 ... try4271891" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Flicker Alley

#788 Post by Gregory » Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:32 pm

Flicker Alley has released the updated list of films in Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970

A couple months ago,
swo17 wrote:
Manhatta (1920-21) by Charles Sheeler, Paul Strand
Ballet Mechanique (1923-24) by Fernand Léger, Dudley Murphy
Anémic cinema (filmed 1924-25, released 1926) by Rrose Sélavy a.k.a. Marcel Duchamp
The Life and Death of 9413–A Hollywood Extra (1927) by Robert Florey, Slavko Vorkapich
Skyscraper Symphony (1929) by Robert Florey
Mechanical Principles (1930) by Ralph Steiner
A Bronx Morning (1931) by Jay Leyda
Lot in Sodom (1930-32, released 1933) by J.S. Watson, Jr., Melville Webber, Alec Wilder, Remsen Wood, Bernard O’Brien.
Poem 8 (1932-33) by Emlen Etting
Thimble Theater (c. 1938, unfinished until 1968) by Joseph Cornell
Tarentella (1940) by Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth
The Pursuit of Happiness (1940) by Rudy Burckhardt
1941 (1941) by Francis Lee
Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) by Maya Deren, A. Hackenschmied
Motion-Painting, No. 1 (1947) by Oskar Fischinger
Meditation on Violence (1948) by Maya Deren
In the Street (filmed 1945-46, released 1948, 1952) by Helen Levitt, Janice Loeb, James Agee.
Abstronic (1952) by Mary Ellen Bute, Ted Nemeth
Hurry, Hurry! (1957) by Marie Menken
N.Y., N.Y. (filmed 1949-57, released 1958) by Francis Thompson
A MOVIE (1958) by Bruce Conner
Re-Entry (1964) by Jordan Belson
Castro Street (The Coming of Consciousness) (1966) by Bruce Baillie
Excerpt from Walden: Diaries, Notes and Sketches (1969) by Jonas Mekas
Our Lady of the Sphere (1969) by Lawrence Jordan
Love It / Leave It (1970) by Tom Palazzolo
DL2 (Disintegration Line #2) (1970) by Lawrence Janiak
Transport (1970) by Amy Greenfield
Seasons… (2002) by Phil Solomon, Stan Brakhage

I'm particularly excited to see the Fischinger in HD and the Conner on any form of home video at all.
So they've had to drop:
Motion Painting No. 1 (1947) by Oskar Fischinger
A MOVIE (1958) by Bruce Conner
Re-Entry (1964) by Jordan Belson

But have added:
An Optical Poem (1937, MGM release 1938) by Oskar Fischinger
Four in the Afternoon (1950-51) by James Broughton
Eaux d’artifice (1953) by Kenneth Anger
Bells of Atlantis (1952-53) by Ian Hugo, Anaïs Nin, Len Lye
Evolution (1954) by Jim Davis
Gyromorphosis (1954) by Hy Hirsh
9 Variations on a Dance Theme (1966/67) by Hilary Harri
Film That Rises to the Surface of Clarified Butter (1968) by Owen Land
Sappho and Jerry, Parts 1-3 (1977-78) by Bruce Posner
Ch’an (1983) by Francis Lee
Plus a new score for Manhatta (1920-21) by Charles Sheeler, Paul Strand

Those three losses hurt, especially A MOVIE, but those are some good additions. I know that An Optical Poem will make many happy, and Motion Painting No. 1 is at least available in a good DVD transfer from CVM.


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swo17
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Re: Flicker Alley

#790 Post by swo17 » Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:15 pm

Those Amazon prices are inflated because of Marketplace restrictions (you can find at least a few copies of the set for a lot less at half.com or eBay) but it's a fantastic set and a great deal regardless. Thanks for the heads up!

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jwo17
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2015 9:02 am

Re: Flicker Alley

#791 Post by jwo17 » Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:40 am

I was at Anthology Film Archives a couple weeks back and they were selling the Unseen Cinema 7 disc DVD set for $25 at the box office. Not sure if that deal is still being offered, but if you live in NYC or have a friend who does, that may be the cheapest option.

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Ashirg
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:10 am
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Re: Flicker Alley

#792 Post by Ashirg » Tue Aug 11, 2015 10:32 pm

Image

Chaplin's Essanay Comedies announced for November 10 -

In late 1914, Charlie Chaplin was paid the then-unprecedented salary of $1,250 per week (with a bonus of $10,000) in exchange for signing a one-year contract with the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. The resulting 14 films he created for Essanay find Chaplin further experimenting with new cinematic techniques, while continuing to add complexities and pathos into his celebrated Little Tramp character, soon to become immortalized as the face, hat, and mustache of modern screen comedy.

Flicker Alley and The Blackhawk Films® Collection are proud to present Chaplin’s Essanay Comedies, the third and final installment of the Chaplin Project (lead by Lobster Films and Cineteca di Bologna), a massive, twelve year endeavor to restore all of Chaplin’s cinematic output from 1914-1917. This 5-disc box Blu-ray/DVD box set features 15 newly restored films—His New Job, A Night Out, The Champion, In the Park, A Jitney Elopement, The Tramp, By the Sea, His Regeneration, Work, A Woman, The Bank, Shanghaied, A Night in the Show, Charlie Chaplin’s Burlesque on Carmen, and Police. All were scanned under the aegis of Association Chaplin at a resolution of 2,000 lines from original 35mm prints gathered from archives all over the world, then digitally assembled and restored, a collaborative effort of Lobster Films and Cineteca di Bologna. These editions feature scores from some of the foremost composers and musicians of silent film accompaniment, including Timothy Brock, Robert Israel, and The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

Essanay and Mutual were Chaplin’s laboratory and he later would borrow heavily from the films he created there to craft the masterworks The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) for which he is best known and for which he always will be remembered.

Bonus Materials Include:

- Triple Trouble (1918), an unofficial Chaplin film, edited together from outtakes and footage shot by the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company without Chaplin’s approval
- The Blu-ray/DVD premiere of the newly restored Charlie Butts In, a one-reel film widely distributed in the 1920s assembled from alternate takes of the standard, two-reel version of A Night Out
- The two-reel edits of A Night Out and Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on Carmen, restored and conforming as nearly as possible to the Chaplin’s original intentions for release
- A never-before-seen restoration of Police, including a newly improved final shot
- A 28-page booklet with rare, behind-the-scenes images, and an extensive essay by film historian and author Jeffrey Vance (Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema)

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chatterjees
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Re: Flicker Alley

#793 Post by chatterjees » Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:36 pm

the third and final installment of the Chaplin Project
Just saw the email and immediately placed the order. I was reading the description and got little confused by this part. So, this is the 3rd one and probably Mutual was the 2nd. What was the first one then? Can somebody help? Thanks.

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Gregory
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Re: Flicker Alley

#794 Post by Gregory » Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:39 pm

Image

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chatterjees
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Re: Flicker Alley

#795 Post by chatterjees » Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:44 pm

Thanks a lot. I knew about this release, but was not aware of the fact that this was a restoration project or something like that.

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What A Disgrace
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Re: Flicker Alley

#796 Post by What A Disgrace » Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:57 pm

I'll wait for the BFI.

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chatterjees
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Re: Flicker Alley

#797 Post by chatterjees » Wed Aug 12, 2015 9:35 am

Well, I already had bought their Mutual release even before I knew that BFI might be releasing it. Honestly, I didn't find any fault in their Mutual release/package (except for the inclusion of 3 DVDs). So, I never cared for the BFI release. Hence, I ordered this one too from FA.

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Drucker
Your Future our Drucker
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Re: Flicker Alley

#798 Post by Drucker » Tue Aug 25, 2015 9:58 pm

This is a bit out of nowhere, but are there any great Rene Clair fans on the forum? I tried watching Italian Straw Hat tonight, and while I was honestly a bit restless to begin with, the film really did nothing for me. I was similarly underwhelmed by A Nous La Libertie, and I had high expectations for both films. It seems like they have fallen out of fashion in recent years, but I was wondering if anyone here could point me to what I may be missing? I didn't find the films really funny at all, and nothing visually to grab me in Straw Hat either.

Charley Farley
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Re: Flicker Alley

#799 Post by Charley Farley » Sun Oct 04, 2015 11:16 am

Delighted to find that Ian Hugo's "Bells of Atlantis" in included in the new "Masterworks of the American Avant-Garde 1920 -1970" set from Flicker (which I've already ordered) ~ but what of Hugo's other films? Is there any likelihood of "Jazz of Lights" (also featuring a Louis & Bebe Barron soundtrack) appearing on DVD? Who owns the rights to Ian Hugo's other films?

• Ai-Ye (aka Mankind) (1950)
• Bells of Atlantis (1952)
• Jazz of Lights (1954)
• Melodic Inversion (1958)
• The Gondola Eye (1963–71)
• Through the Magiscope (1969)
• Apertura (1970)
• Aphrodisiac I (1971)
• Aphrodisiac II (1972)
• Ian Hugo: Engraver and Filmmaker (1972)
• Levitation (1972)
• Transmigration (1973)
• Transcending (1974)
• Luminiscence (1977) made with Arnold S. Eagle
• Reborn (1979)

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kidc85
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Re: Flicker Alley

#800 Post by kidc85 » Mon Oct 05, 2015 1:16 pm

FA are releasing an MOD double-bill of SALOME and LOT IN SODOM on Oct 12th. Obviously I'd rather have an actual manufactured disc but I've kept my eye open for a second hand copy of the OOP Image DVD and it's never come up for even a slightly reasonable price, so I'm probably going to bite the bullet on this one.

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