Posts From Brent Reid
Charlie Chaplin Collectors’ Guide: A Burlesque on Carmen (1915)
Two big budget, dramatic versions of Carmen hit cinemas in 1915, inspiring Chaplin’s brilliant spoof But immediately on completion Chaplin’s original version disappeared, destroyed for decades Only mangled reissue edits
Beware of Pirates! How to Avoid Bootleg Blu-rays and DVDs, Part 4
Parodies and Bootlegging News It’s not all grim: the world of piracy and bootlegging provides much fodder for comedy Amazon and eBay are thieves’ global storefronts, but things are slowly
Beware of Pirates! How to Avoid Bootleg Blu-rays and DVDs, Part 3
Pirates and Their Victims Speak Behind the vast statistics of stolen films, real peoples’ livelihoods are being ruined Ultimately supporters of piracy pay twice for the price of condoning theft
Beware of Pirates! How to Avoid Bootleg Blu-rays and DVDs, Part 2
Pirate Companies and Distribution There are seemingly endless numbers of pirate labels, all hiding in plain sight Pointing the finger at those hardest to spot: those based in the Western
Multiple-Language Version Film Collectors’ Guide, Part 3
1933–1938 Films The international solution to language-restricted talkies passes its peak years However, many classics were yet to be made before the advent of WWII ended the practise The advent
Nosferatu: History and Home Video Guide, Part 8
The Many Faces of Orlok: Restored Versions on Blu-ray and DVD Count Orlok’s saga has metamorphosed through a bewildering variety of versions The restored releases have a total of seven completely different
Nosferatu: History and Home Video Guide, Part 7
Serenading the Undead: So Many Scores Count Orlok’s misdeeds have had countless live and recorded scores over the years The original 1922 première score no longer survives but there are
Nosferatu: History and Home Video Guide, Part 6
1995 and 2006 Restorations Nosferatu’s metamorphosis continues: two new versions, many new sets of intertitles Both are equally complete and the only ones available on Blu-ray and HD digital video
Nosferatu: History and Home Video Guide, Part 5
David Shepard and Eureka Versions After years of cult popularity, Nosferatu finally made its quality home video début Its source was the same print that spawned the so-called “public domain
Nosferatu: History and Home Video Guide, Part 4
1981–1987 Restorations Orlok’s resurrection begins: finally brought back to life after lying dormant for decades Third time’s the charm: after two earlier efforts, the film was returned to première length After