Author Archives: chipkaufmann

Here comes another outstanding silent film release from the folks at Flicker Alley. First there was THE GARDEN OF EDEN a very obscure film from director Lewis Milestone with Corrine Griffith. Next came JUDEX a celebrated serial from Louis Feuillade which was unavailable for decades and now there is F.W. Murnau’s PHANTOM which was madeContinue reading “PHANTOM (1922): Murnau Rarity Is Another Outstanding Flicker Alley Release”

Kino has just released a Region 1 edition of the restored version of F. W. Murnau’s FAUST as part of a new series of Murnau titles along with an upgraded and updated box set. This so called German version of the film has been available in Europe for quite some time but now it’s comeContinue reading “FAUST (1926): German Version Now On Region 1”

This film by the great F.W. Murnau is far from his best. Not quite a three star effort but better than a two. One review states that the original was two hours long. If that was the case, I don’t think the extra length would have helped as this version, at 77 minutes, seems longContinue reading “GRAND DUKE Is Far From Murnau’s Best”

It is extremely rare to be able to see a silent film that looks as good as this one does much less one of this vintage (1921). The movie looks as if it were shot yesterday and that’s without a ton of restoration work. Only David Shepard’s 1999 release of Rudolph Valentino’s COBRA (1925) looksContinue reading “THE HAUNTED CASTLE (1921): A 2 Star Film With A 4 Star Print”

Is SUNRISE the greatest silent film ever made? Many polls consider it so but to me comparing it with a handful of other silents such as NAPOLEON or BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN or GREED (not to mention the comedies of Chaplin and Keaton) is like comparing apples and oranges. What is without question is that SUNRISE: AContinue reading “SUNRISE (1927): The U.S. Blu-Ray / DVD Release Is Cause For Celebration”

The story of Lois Weber is one of the saddest in all of early American cinema. One of two prominent women producer-directors to emerge during the silent era (the other Alice Guy Blache’ has a very similar story), she was at one time considered to be the equal of D.W. Griffith and by 1916 wasContinue reading “LOIS WEBER: The Female D.W. Griffith”

D. W. Griffith only got to make 2 sound features before his directorial career was terminated and they are both on this DVD. Walter Huston, however, is not in both movies. He is only in ABRAHAM LINCOLN playing the title role. Now that that has been cleared up, let’s take a look at each filmContinue reading “ABRAHAM LINCOLN / THE STRUGGLE: D.W. Griffith’s Last Two Movies Were His Only Sound Features”

Conventional wisdom says that D.W. Griffith didn’t make a good movie after he lost his Mamaroneck studio in 1924. Between SALLY OF THE SAWDUST with W.C. Fields (1925) and THE STRUGGLE (1931), Griffith made 6 feature films for United Artists and Paramount. Most of these have been dismissed out of hand since they first appearedContinue reading “THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES Is Much Better Than Its Original Notices”

While the focus of this DVD is on actresses Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh, it is Robert (Bobby) Harron who is of prime interest to me after watching these two films. Harron is best known for his role in Griffith’s INTOLERANCE as the young man who is falsely imprisoned in the Modern Story (also withContinue reading “TRUE HEART SUSIE / HOODOO ANN: A Bobby Harron Double Bill”

I have already seen all of the features in this set previously released on VHS. They were high quality tapes to begin with and were put out by Kino as well (with the exception of THE AVENGING CONSCIENCE). It’s great to have an upgraded version of CONSCIENCE but I wish the set had also includedContinue reading “D.W. GRIFFITH – PART 2: This Box Set Is Essential Viewing”