ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

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Paul E. Gierucki
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ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Paul E. Gierucki » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:51 am

SET YOUR DVR! This Sunday night, October 18th, Turner Classic Movies will be hosting the world television premiere of CineMuseum's new restorations of two Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle features: THE ROUND-UP (1920) and THE LIFE OF THE PARTY (1920)!

If you have seen these films at an archival screening, be prepared for a very different experience. THE ROUND-UP is an excellent western drama with some light touches of comedy. This was Arbuckle's first feature film appearance and it marks his "graduation" from short subject slapstick to broader dramatic roles, and a more sophisticated style of light comedy. The film itself looks amazing, it features the restored tints, and has a cracking new piano score from noted accompanist / composer Donald Sosin.

THE LIFE OF THE PARTY was reconstructed from a nearly complete Czech reissue print, with Czech subtitles, and Paramount's two surviving reels of the American version. This, hands down, was the single most difficult reconstruction CineMuseum has ever attempted. It is being presented here, in nearly complete form, for the first time since its original release in 1920. Rodney Sauer, of MontAlto Orchestra fame, provided the wonderful new piano track with synchronized sound effects.

These HD restorations were struck from 35mm archival materials which were generously provided by the Paramount Pictures Archive, and The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation. Additional materials used in the reconstruction process were provided courtesy of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Margaret Herrick Library, and Roscoe Arbuckle's personal archive.

Both of these features and other rare materials will be available as part of the Arbuckle Anthology coming soon from CineMuseum, LLC.

Richard M Roberts
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Re: ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Richard M Roberts » Mon Oct 19, 2015 10:32 am

Well, it was an interesting evening of silent film watching on TCM last night, and one would hope a lesson in proper digital film restoration for anyone actually willing to learn it. After the slo-mo slogs that were the restorations of THE GRIM GAME and SHERLOCK HOLMES (a seven reel-picture that limped in at just short of two hours!), it was like a breath of fresh air to see the properly paced prints of THE ROUND-UP and LIFE OF THE PARTY suddenly bring the evening to life. They looked beautiful, and showed all how a silent film should look and move, apart from being wonderful movies as well. Kudos Paul. I now await for the general clueless internerd idiot population to whine that they looked too fast.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Gary Johnson
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Re: ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Gary Johnson » Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:02 pm

Alright, everyone. No one whine. It will drive Roberts crazy....

Richard M Roberts
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Re: ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Richard M Roberts » Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:30 pm

Gary Johnson wrote:Alright, everyone. No one whine. It will drive Roberts crazy....



Johnson, if you could stop the whining on the Internet, even for a moment, the sea levels would drop, the tectonic plates of Earth would sharply shift from the sudden drop of vibration, and Facebook might crash from the total loss of momentum......

It won't happen.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

Gary Johnson
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Re: ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Gary Johnson » Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:55 pm

You're lucky you're smaller than me or I'd box your ears in.

Richard M Roberts
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Re: ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Richard M Roberts » Mon Oct 19, 2015 10:26 pm

Gary Johnson wrote:You're lucky you're smaller than me or I'd box your ears in.



Stop standing on the barstool.


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Pasquale Ventura
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Re: ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Pasquale Ventura » Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:59 am

Had the DVR set for these over a week ago. Just finished watching THE ROUND UP, what a pleasure seeing this for the first time, it was like watching a brand new film. In a sense it is, the restoration was beautiful. Looking forward to LIFE OF THE PARTY later on.

Pasquale Ventura

Richard M Roberts
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Re: ARBUCKLE RESTORATIONS ON TCM

Postby Richard M Roberts » Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:31 am

You know, with all of the TCM nonsense and hoopla about Houdini's THE GRIM GAME being a rediscovered "lost " film, no one has bothered to point out that William K. Everson had a print of the film for decades:

http://www.nyu.edu/projects/wke/notes/t ... imgame.php


RICHARD M ROBERTS


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