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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The Mountaineer’s
Honor
(1909)
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This Biograph short, directed by D.W. Griffith, stars Mary Pickford, Arthur Johnson and Owen Moore, with Kate Bruce, James Kirkwood and George O. Nicholls.
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 VCI Entertainment
2023 Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition
Stella Maris (1918), black & white and color-tinted black & white, 83 minutes, not rated, with The Mountaineer’s Honor (1909), color-toned black & white, 15 minutes, not rated.
VCI Entertainment, distributed by MVDVisual,
VCI9109, UPC 0-89859-91092-0.
One single-sided, single-layered, Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at 35.8 Mbps average video bit rate; Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 512 Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); and 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 7.2 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); LPCM 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 1.5 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); 12-page insert booklet; standard two-disc BD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 12 December 2023.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 8 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 8.
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This Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition has been mastered from an archival 35mm print, which is substantially speckled, with some emulsion chipping and scuffing, thin vertical scratches, schmutz, frame instability, and other print flaws. This is certainly the clearest picture of all home video editions of the film.
The DVD picture looks good but (of course) is not as clear as the BD. Mastered from the same files as the BD, this DVD presentation is marred by the same print flaws. Still, this disc looks better than all of the other home video editions of this film.
The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed on synthesizers by the Graves Brothers.
Supplemental material includes audio commentary by film historian Marc Wanamaker; a 1909 D.W. Griffith short film starring Pickford; a stills gallery (42 images); and a 12-page insert booklet with notes on the film by the Mary Pickford Foundation.
This is our recommended home video edition (both Blu-ray Disc and DVD) of the film.
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USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com.
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Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca.
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This
Regions ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 0 NTSC DVD edition is also available directly from . . .
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 Grapevine Video
2007 DVD edition
D.W. Griffith, Director, Volume 5 (1909-1910), black & white, 113 minutes total, not rated, including The Mountaineer’s Honor (1909), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10257-8.
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 subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); insert sheet; standard DVD keepcase; $16.95 (reduced to $14.95).
Release date: 2007.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 3 / additional content: 3 / overall: 3.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from the same fair 8mm reduction print as the earlier Grapevine edition noted below. The print is quite blurry and dark in its shadow areas, with a significant amount of dust, speckling, schmutz, visible splices, and other print flaws. The video transfer runs a bit faster than a natural pace. Pretty tough going here.
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting low-fidelity music recordings.
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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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 Grapevine Video
2004 DVD edition
The Idol Dancer (1920), black & white, 92 minutes, not rated, with The Mountaineer’s Honor (1909), black & white, 13 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10119-9.
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 4.4 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; no chapter stops (within the film); standard DVD keepcase; $19.95 (reduced to $14.95).
Release date: 2004.
Country of origin: USA
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 3 / additional content: 3 / overall: 3.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from a fair 8mm reduction print. which is quite blurry and dark in its shadow areas, with a significant amount of dust, speckling, schmutz, visible splices, and other print flaws. The video transfer runs a bit faster than a natural pace.
The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting low-fidelity music recordings.
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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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 Silent Hall of Fame Enterprises
2017 DVD edition
Mary Pickford Rare Shorts III (1909-1910), black & white, 125 minutes total, not rated, including The Mountaineer’s Honor (1909), black & white, 17 minutes, not rated.
Silent Hall of Fame Enterprises, 197, unknown UPC number.
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 subtitles; chapter stops; slimline CD jewelcase; $34.99 (raised again to $44.99).
Release date: 2017.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm and/or 8mm reduction print.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
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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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Other silent era D.W. GRIFFITH films available on home video.
Other silent era MARY PICKFORD films available on home video.
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Mary Pickford filmography in The Progressive Silent Film List
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