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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Gypsy Blood
[Carmen]
(1918)
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This early drama from director Ernst Lubitsch features Pola Negri as Carmen.
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 Grapevine Video
2006 DVD edition
Gypsy Blood [Carmen] (1918) [1921 USA release version], black & white and color-toned black & white, 80 minutes, not rated, with The Vagabond (1916), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10241-7.
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 foreign language subtitles; 12 chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $19.95 (reduced to $14.95).
Release date: 2006.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition from public-domain home video company Grapevine Video has been transferred from a good to very-good 16mm reduction print of the edited version prepared for release in the United States in 1921, which features English language intertitles. The source print is, as is to be expected, soft of image detail, contrasty with blasted-out highlights, some speckling and dust, and a higher than usual amount of schmutz at the edges of the frame early in the film. The picture is jittery throughout. The video master has been transferred at slightly faster than natural speed.
The film is accompanied by a music score of abruptly-edited prerecorded orchestral and Spanish-style guitar music.
To be sure, this isn’t an ideal edition of the film, with its OK visual quality and edited American source print, but it is likely the better of the available home video editions.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is also available directly from . . .
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 TeleVista
2009 DVD edition
Gypsy Blood [Carmen] (1918), black & white, 65 minutes, not rated.
TeleVista, unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD 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 foreign language subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $19.95.
Release date: 9 June 2009.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print.
Don’t expect much. We would be very surprised if this edition looked better than the Grapevine Video edition noted above.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.
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United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.
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Other silent era ERNST LUBITSCH films available on home video.
Other silent era POLA NEGRI films available on home video.
Other GERMAN FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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