Silent Films & Early Talkies on DVD: A Classic Movie Fan's Guide

Silent Films & Early Talkies on DVD: A Classic Movie Fan's Guide
Customer Review: A Comprehensive Survey of Silent Masterpieces and Entertainments
A few years ago, finding a silent movie on DVD was akin to discovering the philosopher's stone: Next to impossible! Now, however, over 500 silents are available. True, a great number of these are either collections of shorts or duplicates of titles already available. Nonetheless, in the space of a few years, silent films and early talking features are no longer a rarity. They can be obtained! This handbook not only provides a general survey of many of the feature films currently on offer, but also cast and credit details, plus, most importantly, the DVD distributor and the technical quality of his product. In other words, this is a book that will save DVD buyers and collectors money -- not to mention the disappointment of finding a DVD "treasure", paying out good money for it, and then discovering the quality was so poor, the movie was virtually unwatchable. As with my other movie books, such as those in the "Hollywood Classics" series like Hollywood's Classic Comedies featuring Slapstick, Romance, Music, Glamour or Screwball Fun! and SCIENCE-FICTION & FANTASY CINEMA: Classic Films of Horror, Sci-Fi & the Supernatural or GREAT HOLLYWOOD WESTERNS: Classic Pictures, Must-See Movies and 'B' Films, I have gone to a great deal of trouble not just to feature the familiar titles we all know, but to search out the more obscure movies that yet offer equally fabulous entertainment. Three of the many discoveries in this book, for example, are "No Man's Law" (1927), guaranteed to shock the most experienced viewer out of his socks; "The Notorious Lady" (also 1927), masterfully directed by King Baggot, a gem of silent cinema; and "Hotel Imperial" (also 1927), an absolutely stunning experience, directed by the great Mauritz Stiller. And the really good news is that all three of these wonderful movies are available on DVD in absolutely beautiful copies. This book provides an invaluable guide not only to the movies you want to see like "Safety Last" and "Thief of Bagdad" and "Phantom of the Opera" (with details as to which of the available versions are of the finest quality and/or offer the most fascinating bonus items), but those you ought to see if, like me, you watch movies principally for entertainment.