German Filmmuseum Edition

[TMDaines]

I'm just hoping Nathan der Weise gets added back to the Other Weimar pack.

[Minkin]

Thanks for the responses. I found out that they charge through Paypal, so that will work. Glad you caught Die elf Teufel.

Seems like they've been quite delayed on releases- if Nathan still says a March release target.. Has there been any word about this and the other releases?

[Minkin]

Well, Nathan der Weise has been resolved.

Sold out. New edition with additional features: June 2010

I just hope that similar fates don't befall Von morgens and Der Bettler.

[Minkin]

I just hope that similar fates don't befall Von morgens and Der Bettler.

They have been moved back to June.

Could somebody explain the Edition Film + Text. I see that 7 & 8 are available on their website but the only other reference to the series I could find was an Amazon listing for Cocl & Seff: Edition Film + Text | 11 Was this series replaced with the regular Filmmuseum? Or did the books being in German limit the appeal?

[Gregory]

I'm just hoping Nathan der Weise gets added back to the Other Weimar pack.

I confirmed this on the previous page.

[TMDaines]

I just hope that similar fates don't befall Von morgens and Der Bettler.

They have been moved back to June.

Could somebody explain the Edition Film + Text. I see that 7 & 8 are available on their website but the only other reference to the series I could find was an Amazon listing for Cocl & Seff: Edition Film + Text | 11 Was this series replaced with the regular Filmmuseum? Or did the books being in German limit the appeal?

http://filmarchiv.at/shop/

It's an Austrian label that they just seem to stock, like Flicker Alley I guess. A lot of them date back to the times of VHS and Book though. Sadly a lot of them are quite pricey.

[Minkin]

I finally placed my order (13 hours ago). I do have one issue though. I went through the steps, hit the final tab, which took me to German Paypal, I paid there and and the money order went through. The page then went back to the Filmmuseum page, which told me to login. Upon my login, the screen showed my cart with everything I had just ordered as if I had never ordered. I never received any confirmation from Filmmuseum (although Paypal has confirmed my payment). They have also yet to respond to my email inquiry about this (would be fast of a response, but the business day is over). I'm not calling foul or anything but wondered if I might have missed a step somewhere or should be worried at all (or if I should be a little more patient). Would anyone also know how long to expect shipping to the US to be?

This has since been resolved. The problem was with my internet browser, not Filmmuseum

[zedz]

Filmmuseum are pricey but efficient and friendly. I wouldn't be concerned if your Paypal has gone through. They were very helpful and forthcoming via email when I had a minor query a while back.

[tojoed]

Same here. It's true that they are pricey, but they are amazingly fast delivering.

[Minkin]

So I received an email saying that I never confirmed my order (which apparently happens after the last paypal screen). As it turns out, Opera (my internet browser) decided to not want to make that smooth transition. So Filmmuseum did nothing wrong. I did find an odd solution. I looked up my page history, found the checkout page it was supposed to take me too, logged in before hand on Internet Explorer, entered in the page... and it said my order is complete! I now have the order listed in the orders section and everything appears to have gone through. Sorry for any bad press Filmmuseum!

Update:

So, my package shipped on Tuesday morning and I now have it in my hands right now (to the West coast US)! I can't believe it. I tried to see about using Fedex back to Germany and it was $170 and took four days. Everything was packaged perfectly as well. Now to get started on this Kluge box. *insert several hand clapping smiles*

[Hofmeister]

(so I wouldn't believe that "Bettler" and "Morgens bis Mitternacht" come in May before they actually have a release date).

I'm very glad to confirm that Von morgens bis mitternachts is ready, the restoration was screened last week at the filmmuseum, and the DVD (with two scores) will be available within the month. Just posted this with a little additional information at http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=6433" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .
Here's the item page: http://www.edition-filmmuseum.com/produ ... achts.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ASIDE: The new edition of Nathan der Weise presents an improved transfer following HD restoration. Personally, I tend to agree that Nathan is not necessarily a prime candidate for preferential treatment, but I also believe that the sum of the efforts (http://nathan-der-weise.info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) mounting the 'tolerance initiative', the exposition, the new score and the HD restoration should not go unnoticed and be reflected in the home video version.

I'd love to hear your opinions on Von morgens bis mitternachts in this new incarnation.

[Hofmeister]

These are the latest developments at Edition Filmmuseum:

• July 16 is the official street date for EF 55, Karlheinz Martin's Von morgens bis mitternachts (The item page in English? This way please.)
• EF 47, Ferdinand Khittl's Die Parallelstrasse, is available now (see English item page at the other end of this link)

EF47 DIE PARALLELSTRASSE
Die Parallelstrasse is a unique experiment, awarded in international film festivals, but hardly shown in German cinemas. It was produced by GBS, a production company for innovative industrial and promotional films, and directed by Ferdinand Khittl (1924-1976), one of the pioneers of the innovative German films of the early 1960s. Robert Benayoun wrote in Positif: "It is films such as Die Parallelstrasse which give contemporary cinema its intellectual dignity and bestow on it a true function. Die Parallelstrasse is a philosophical thriller, a meditative western which makes up for a whole year of unavoidable manifestations of idiocy." Jacques Rivette put it on his list of the most important films of 1968. The DVD presents for the very first time this "unjustly forgotten masterpiece of the New German Cinema" (Martin Brady) as well as several shorts by Khittl and documents about the films.

[Tommaso]

Have now received the dvd of "Von morgens bis mitternachts", and as expected, it's stunning. I posted a few first impressions in the 20s list thread, so only a few words about the edition itself here. The film was nicely restored and intertitles recreated in a fittingly expressionist design, and the transfer is of filmmuseum's usual perfection although this is only a DVD-5 (but the film only lasts 73 minutes anyway). The only extra on the disc is a brief portrait of the percussion group who made one of the two soundtracks here, and it's not very substantial. However, the booklet is more than excellent. Four different and very knowledgeable essays in three different languages, so if you can read German, English and French you really get a wealth of background information on this very unique film.

As to the music: the percussion score might be quite allright, but I switched to the chamber music score by Yati Durant after 10 minutes or so. This one's really excellent, much in the style of early atonal music which was around at the time the film was made, and fitting the film like a glove.

So, another indispensable disc from Filmmuseum, and as it has optional English subs, every silent film fan should get this as soon as possible. Here are some screencaps:

[HerrSchreck]

Is this the first time you've seen the film Tom? I'm curious as to your response. For me the expressionist art direction, as wild as it was, always seems completely dislocated from the narrative... as opposed to reflecting and commenting on the goings on a la Waxworks or Golem or Caligari... even the Carl Mayerian strangeness of Genuine seemed to benefit from the oddball design-- inasmuch as it was merely a rushed "sequel" of sorts to Caligari-- more than Morgen did. But I'll still be checking this restoration out without doubt. And kudos to Ed Filmmuseum.

[Tommaso]

Yes, it was the first time. I knew the Filmmuseum disc was coming so I didn't bother to get the blurry version that was/is floating around. I share your sentiment about the incongruity of setting and narrative; that's why I think it is after all not in the same league as "Caligari"; one could have told the exact same story in a more 'conventional' style and would have ended up with something like "Phantom", for instance, whereas "Caligari"'s story is simply unimaginable in any other way than it is. Still, as an experiment in style and in nearly abstract filmmaking, I find "Morgens bis Mitternachts" absolutely worthwhile.

[Knappen]

Fantastic news.

I'll be the Spender of the week when entering the Berlin DVD shops come late September. So many Filmmuseum discs to pick up.

[JAP]

Two new titles available:
#51 - The expected Werner Schroeter double-disc of Eika Katappa / Der Tod der Maria Malibran
#62 - And the (totally?) unexpected Michael Pilz double-documentary Himmel und Erde I & II

[zedz]

I've been telling myself for some time now that I'll have to do a fresh Filmmuseum order when the Schroeter finally gets released - maybe next month.

That Pilz documentary sounds fascinating - has anybody seen it?

[Gregory]

This got my attention in the specs for the Pilz film:

Music by: Konrad Bauer, Konrad Reiter, Norbert Wallner, Oswald Wiener

I assumed it was the trombonist Konrad Bauer, and film music by him would be something else. Trying to verify this, I found a file of articles, reviews, etc. in English. No Bauer, unfortunately; the film just contains a song by someone named Konrad Bayer. Anyway, I thought some might be interested in reading the file, which gives a lot more information. It does sound like an interesting film.

[stereo]

Just got my complete Kluge set along with Joyless Street, the Vertov set, and of course, the Schroeter set, which looks great. Of note (this may be on the website somewhere too) on the Schroeter DVD in the coming soon section, 2 more Schroeter titles in one set are planned for further release: Willow Springs and The Kingdom of Naples.

I do wish they had attempted subs of the libretto on the first disc as there were no subs on either Maria Callas Portrait (where there is text displayed toward the end in German) or on Eika Katappa. The packaging says there are subs, but there are none, likely because none are arguably needed. It's a feast of imagery and music and the Italian dialogue is sparse. Death of Maria Malibran does have subs though and looks amazing. There are some digital artifacts present once you get into deep blacks, but overall the image is quite pleasing. Recommended.

I should also note that Argila may actually be the real treasure here (w/subs); it looks and sounds gorgeous. Also, the Schroeter interview (subbed) is extremely useful in unpacking his aesthetic with a lot of discussion about his relationship with Foucault.

[HerrSchreck]

My god, I'm just going through my doubledisc Ruttmann set, with the restored BERLIN as well as MEDLODIE DER WELT, and all I can say is fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu....

This set is gorgeous, I love the comprehensive nature of the collection, the extensive shorts, commercials, etc....... but more than everything else is the revelation of the Edmund Meisel score for Berlin!!!! I was petrified of having to watch this film without my Timothy Brock score, and I haveta say-- I haven't listened to the whole thing yet-- this Meisel score is one of the most outrageously impressive silent film scores I've ever heard. Incredibly, each shot seems to have it's own specific piece of music, the score changes completely, albeit sometimes subtly, with each edit, this most impressively and noticeably at the start of the film after the train deposits us in Berlin and we go shot by shot through the early morning streets with shots a few seconds each having their own corresponding score, with a mood and a feel directly reflecting that of the shot. One of the most thoughtfully and conspicuously corresponding scores I've ever heard.

BRAVO!!!

[HerrSchreck]

Going through the equally impressive LUDWIG II double-disc set... Dieterle's film is a revelation!

Ed. Filmmuseum just keeps getting better and better!

[Tommaso]

Yes, the Dieterle is a very concentrated version, perhaps the one that shares most with the melancholic assessment of theme by Visconti, which remains my favourite of all the film adaptations of this story. Dieterle of course isn't as operatic, but I liked how he stripped the story of all the usual ho-hum concerning, for instance, Richard Wagner (the Raffé version is quite different in presenting a much more conventional look at the king) and gives us a psychological portrait of the man Ludwig instead. Quite a few striking visuals here, too, of course.

I also liked the long documentary by Christian Rischert. Very informative and very well made. And ditto on everything you said about Ruttmann/Meisel.

[Tommaso]

Now announced as being among the next releases (spine #63), without any further information yet:

Po zakonu (Lev Kuleshov, 1926)

This is known internationally as "By the law", and has been formerly available on a dvd-r from Grapevine only.

[Jonathan S]

There was also a Kino VHS of By the Law produced, I think, by David Shepard. I wonder if it might be among the titles in his forthcoming Soviet set for Flicker Alley.