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The Buster Keaton Chronicles (6 Disc Box Set)


RRP: £29.99
Our Price: £39.75 (subject to change)

Warning:
Review date: 2008-01-23 Rating: 10 out of 10

Do not let word get out you've got this boxset if you know more people than will fit in front of your telly. It could lead to arguments, violence, or trampling among your friends + relations. Also, you could end up feeling that they only want you for you DVDs, which is a bit depressing.
Seriously - As a few other reveiws have said, some of the films are in quite bad condition; but none are unwatchable, + most are very clear. Other than that, there's really nothing not to love about this collection. No endless mazes of menu screens, no superfluous commentaries + cutting-room sweepings that you'll never get round to watching taking up valuable disc space, even the scene select function has been put to good use.
Oh yes, + all those films are worth a look, as well. As you're probably aware. + Buster Keaton himself was a very talented, creative, + (dare I say it) pretty individual who I could write a whole essay on, but for this 1000 character limit. + there's lots of funny little old cars + hats + telephones + things, which I also find facinating. But perhaps it's just me, no-one else has mentioned it.
+ £18 for 6 discs of historically informative entertainment is... fantastic.

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Reviews


Great Films Awful Copies
Review date: 2007-07-21 Rating: 4 out of 10

Let's Get this straight Buster's Films are wonderful but these copies are not
if these copies were the only ones available it wouldn't be so bad but they aren't, there are vastly better copies out there the complete Buster Keaton short films for example or Cinema clubs set of Steamboat Bill Jnr, Collage & 3 Ages. Why we still have to be flogged these dire old prints is beyond me. Buy this set for fairly good copies of 7 chances, battling butler, the navigator, our hospitality, go west and the saphead but get the other features elsewhere. Get the 2 DVD set of the General from Cinema club a better print and lots of good extras through you don't get the carl davis score, about half the shorts are also dire prints so get the complete Buster keaton short films

The Best Keaton (Region 2) Collection So Far!
Review date: 2006-09-11 Rating: 10 out of 10

This DVD collection is essential for all Keaton and silent comdedy fans. As Amazon haven't listed the films, here is the complete list:

ONE WEEK, THE SAPHEAD, CONVICT 13,
THE SCARECROW, NEIGHBOURS, THE HAUNTED HOUSE,
THE GOAT, THE BOAT, THE PLAYHOUSE,
THE PALEFACE, COPS, MY WIFE'S RELATIONS,
THE BLACKSMITH, THE FROZEN NORTH, THE ELECTRIC HOUSE,
DAY DREAMS, THE BALLOONATIC, THE LOVE NEST,
THE THREE AGES, OUR HOSPITALITY, SHERLOCK JR,
THE NAVIGATOR, SEVEN CHANCES, GO WEST,
BATTLING BUTLER, THE GENERAL, COLLEGE
STEAMBOAT BILL JR

There is one extra - THE GREAT STONEFACE. An 88 minutes, 1968 documentary by Vernon Becker.

It's virtually the Buster's complete silent film body of work (see the other reviews). The only feature film omissions I'd have liked to see are THE CAMERAMAN (1928) and SPITE MARRIAGE (1929) both made by Buster under a new and ultimately disastrous MGM contract. Other reviewers have pointed out that some of the prints such as those from the Rohauer collection are not good. Well we're lucky to have them at all condidering the state of decomposition they were found in around 1954 by James Mason and Raymond Rohauer. Someone will have to restore them all fully eventually, using modern digital and computer image processing, but this is very expensive. At the low price Network are charging I'm not complaining as the films are still 1170 minutes of brilliant entertainment.



Brilliant Value
Review date: 2006-07-27 Rating: 10 out of 10

I bought this Keaton set expecting the prints too be poor, because f the very low price. I was very wrong. About half of the films in this collection appear to be from "The Art of Buster Keaton" that costs $200 in America.
This 6-DVD set includes almost all of Keatons finest films (it misses the High Sign and Hard Luck) including the Saphead. The best features in this set are the General, College, Our Hospitality, the Navigator and the Saphead. The two best shorts are probably Neighbours and the Love Nest.
Most of the features in the collection are in excellent condition, apart from College and the Tree Ages, both of which are from the Rohauer Collection and suffer from focus and contrast problems. The General and Our Hospitality are the Thames Silent versions that are beginning to look dated (but still have the brilliant Carl Davis scores).
Most of the music is very good especially the jazzy Sherlock Jr. score.
The shorts in this collection generally look OK, but many of the films do not fill the screen or are not really restored. Once again the prints from the Rohauer collection are quite poor.
The only extra is a 1968 documentary, "The Great Stone Face" which does not offer much but contains most of Fatty at Coney island. Overall a very good set.

keaton at his best.
Review date: 2006-05-29 Rating: 10 out of 10

this is the kind of dvd release i have been waiting for, and here it is.
presented here for the first time, is every major film from the best period of "the great stone face" buster keaton.
observing these short and feature films, i can understand keaton rivalling chaplin as a genesis in silent slapstick and film-making. it amazes me how a man can take all the risks and endure the pain with his various stunts and live to tell the tale.
to really compliment this dvd set, a documentary about buster keaton was released on the same day, entitled " a hard act to follow." i have it on video and makes for a fascinating two and a half hours.
network have done an exceptional job of digitally remastering footage as old as this. i really hope they give harold lloyd the credit he deserves, and dedicate a dvd set of his films.
in the meantime, buy the keaton collection and treasure it.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Renée Adorée
Henry Morgan
Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle
Buster Keaton
Glen Cavender

Creators:
Buster Keaton (Primary Contributor)
Henry Morgan (Primary Contributor)
Vernon P. Becker (Producer)
Vernon P. Becker (Writer)
Mel May (Producer)
Richard Gordon (Producer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Network
Manufacturer: Network
EAN: 5027626241445
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 6
Format: Black & White, Dolby, Mono, PAL,
Release date: 2006-02-27
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 1170 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)

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