Coming Attractions: A Roundup of New Releases

Coming Attractions: A Roundup of New Releases

by Lewis Walker

So far this year we have seen a bumper crop of silent films being released on bluray, and only being half-way through the calendar year leaves me hopeful for the remaining 6 months. Recently there have been some very exciting announcements of upcoming films getting the restoration and releases they deserve.

To begin with, the end of June sees a Hitchcock classic being re-released on bluray by Criterion. The Lodger (1927) is widely considered as Hitchcock’s first masterpiece of the craft he mastered, set in London it tells the story of a landlady who suspects her new lodger is a killer, not unlike Jack the Ripper. The use of the camera is masterful, and shows how easily Hitchcock could bring the suspense and horror from his later work to silent cinema. Also included is another Hitchcock/Ivor Novello collaboration called Downhill (1927) and is a greta opportunity to see two Hitchcock silent’s presented in the impeccable way Criterion manage each time. What’s always exciting is that Criterion have not been as prolific as other distributors in releasing silent films, and while I understand that Hitchcock is very mainstream, it does bode well for more silent films to be released this way.

Flicker Alley continue a truly phenomenal year with a 2K restoration of The Lost World from 1925. Presented here is the most complete version up to this date, drawing on newly found footage. The film was premiered at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and a snippet was released through the Flicker Alley showing a beautifully blue tinted scene of the stop animation dinosaur chasing Wallace Beery and co through a jungle. It also includes a newly commissioned score by Robert Israel, which is also cause for celebration. This is truly a really exciting release, and if its half as good as I expect it to be this could be potentially the best release of the year. Flicker Alley continue to release important and exciting films and if they continue in this vein will have a very large and influential catalog to rival other distributors like Criterion.

Serials were an integral part of silent cinema, enticing the audience back again and again to see how the story would continue. What’s unfortunate about the serials is that it’s extremely hard to find a complete story, as some parts have been lost or destroyed and to get a completed version is extremely rare. Fortunately for us The Sprocket Vault have done just that and will be releasing The Mysterious Airman, a 10 part serial, for our viewing pleasure. This is an important release as its going to be a new type of silent film, and an interesting part of film history. Clocking in at just over 200 minutes the set will be a great addition to any library.

Kino are releasing two new films, which are both very exciting! First is a release that already created some excitement in England through the release from Eureka’s Masters of Cinema features Emil Jannings in Variete (1925). Jannings plays one part of a tiro of trapeze artists, in which a love triangle develops. Seeing any performance from Jannings is a masterclass in acting, and this film is no different. Next is Zaza (1923) starring Gloria Swanson and directed by Allan Dwan. I am a huge fan of Dwan’s work with Douglas Fairbanks, and being able to see him work with another heavyweight of silent cinema in Swanson is very exciting. This is the first time this particular film has been released in the United States and will showcase two heavyweights of silent cinema weaving an entertaining story of love in the jazz age!

Yet again we have an wide array of films presented on Blu-ray and DVD from exciting directors, stars and studios. If 2017 continues like this our libraries will ned considerable more room! I can’t wait to see what the likes of Kino Lorber and Flicker Alley have left for this year, and I’m sure we will be pleasantly surprised!