“The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection” is an excellent DVD set containing hours of hilarious, comedic fun...
Volume 3, Disc 1: "Speedy" (1928), "Hot Water" (1924), "Never Weaken" (1921), "Haunted Spooks" (1920), Disc 2: "Movie Crazy" (1932), "For Heaven's Sake" (1926),
"I Do" (1921), "Among Those Present" (1921), "A Sailor-Made Man" (1921), "Get Out and Get Under" (1920), "Number Please?" (1920),
Extras Disc: There are handful of extras on the first 6 discs, including optional audio commentary on some of the films, a few featurettes and production galleries. Disc 7 includes a plethora of extras including interviews, featurettes, Lloyd´s 3D photography and much more.
Video
Presented in full frame 1.33:1 the video transfers look superb. Considering there are about 80 years between when the films were first made until there release on DVD, it´s a wonder how they kept them looking so good. Any of the films could easily have been made a few months ago, let alone 80 years ago. The contrast is solid all around, but there is some difference in the different black and white hues (blue versus sepia), however this difference is negligible. The images come across crisp and clear and are absolutely fantastic to look at. There are a few spots where there are scratches but there are very few other flaws on these transfers.
Audio
The audio is another wonderful achievement. New scores accompany the films and they sound brilliant. The talky films have even had their sound restored for the transfer. There is no distortion in any places as the music comes across wonderfully. The stereo mix is finely done and in some cases there is even a choice between the new scores and the old. These new orchestral scores fit seamlessly into the films and would have made Lloyd proud, this is the way silent films are supposed to be experienced.
Extras
Audio commentary on "Safety Last!" is a nice little film school/history of Lloyd and silent era comedy. Leonard Maltin and Lloyd archivist Richard Correll go into detail about Lloyd´s talent s as silent comedian, as well as the differences between him and Chaplin and Keaton. They also discuss the locations used in the films and how many of them can still be seen today.
The first volume also contains a production still gallery and a short 8 minute look at the locations used in Lloyd´s films ("Harold Lloyd´s Hollywood"). It´s interesting to explore the locations employed in the films and their modern day counterparts. The featurette is reminiscent of Kevin Brownlow´s book "Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood through the Films of Buster Keaton," which explores Keaton´s favorite filming locations and compares them to their modern day counterparts.
Every volume in the set comes with its own extras. Included are production galleries and featurettes, along with some audio commentaries on select films. Most of the commentaries are filled with nice tidbits of information regarding the film and Lloyd´s work, though some of the information is repetitive at times.
Included in the volume specific extras are "Scoring for Comedy" which is a look at how some of the composers approached scoring the various films. There is also a look at Greenacres that provides the viewer with some contemporary footage, spliced in with home movies from Lloyd´s private collection.
The boxed set also comes with a seventh disc loaded to the brim with extras. These include a series of interviews with the likes of Kevin Brownlow, Debbie Reynolds, John Landis and members of Lloyd´s family. The disc has featurettes that look at virtually everyone who was ever seriously involved with Lloyd and his films. The disc is "hosted" by Leonard Maltin and information can be navigated in various ways. There is a DVD-ROM feature that even allows you to search for specific content throughout the disc. There are even clips of Lloyd´s appearances at some social functions including USC´s tribute to Harold Lloyd, hosted by Jack Lemmon and Steve Allen.
Final Thoughts
Not quite the physical comedian as Keaton, Lloyd was very much the athlete, as proven by the countless physical stuns he performed throughout many of his films. Where Chaplin and Keaton had their distinctive personas that were exaggerated, clown types, Lloyd came with a visage that was just as distinct as Chaplin´s tramp or Keaton´s stone face, though not as over the top. His trademark glasses and straw hat was a look that could be pulled straight from people in his audience. "The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection" is an excellent DVD set containing hours of hilarious, comedic fun and enough extras to provide a film schools worth of knowledge on silent era comedy. Providing a wealth of wonderful films, the set is a testament to Lloyd´s genius.
"I Do" (1921), "Among Those Present" (1921), "A Sailor-Made Man" (1921), "Get Out and Get Under" (1920), "Number Please?" (1920),
Extras Disc: There are handful of extras on the first 6 discs, including optional audio commentary on some of the films, a few featurettes and production galleries. Disc 7 includes a plethora of extras including interviews, featurettes, Lloyd´s 3D photography and much more.
Video
Presented in full frame 1.33:1 the video transfers look superb. Considering there are about 80 years between when the films were first made until there release on DVD, it´s a wonder how they kept them looking so good. Any of the films could easily have been made a few months ago, let alone 80 years ago. The contrast is solid all around, but there is some difference in the different black and white hues (blue versus sepia), however this difference is negligible. The images come across crisp and clear and are absolutely fantastic to look at. There are a few spots where there are scratches but there are very few other flaws on these transfers.
Audio
The audio is another wonderful achievement. New scores accompany the films and they sound brilliant. The talky films have even had their sound restored for the transfer. There is no distortion in any places as the music comes across wonderfully. The stereo mix is finely done and in some cases there is even a choice between the new scores and the old. These new orchestral scores fit seamlessly into the films and would have made Lloyd proud, this is the way silent films are supposed to be experienced.
Extras
Audio commentary on "Safety Last!" is a nice little film school/history of Lloyd and silent era comedy. Leonard Maltin and Lloyd archivist Richard Correll go into detail about Lloyd´s talent s as silent comedian, as well as the differences between him and Chaplin and Keaton. They also discuss the locations used in the films and how many of them can still be seen today.
The first volume also contains a production still gallery and a short 8 minute look at the locations used in Lloyd´s films ("Harold Lloyd´s Hollywood"). It´s interesting to explore the locations employed in the films and their modern day counterparts. The featurette is reminiscent of Kevin Brownlow´s book "Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood through the Films of Buster Keaton," which explores Keaton´s favorite filming locations and compares them to their modern day counterparts.
Every volume in the set comes with its own extras. Included are production galleries and featurettes, along with some audio commentaries on select films. Most of the commentaries are filled with nice tidbits of information regarding the film and Lloyd´s work, though some of the information is repetitive at times.
Included in the volume specific extras are "Scoring for Comedy" which is a look at how some of the composers approached scoring the various films. There is also a look at Greenacres that provides the viewer with some contemporary footage, spliced in with home movies from Lloyd´s private collection.
The boxed set also comes with a seventh disc loaded to the brim with extras. These include a series of interviews with the likes of Kevin Brownlow, Debbie Reynolds, John Landis and members of Lloyd´s family. The disc has featurettes that look at virtually everyone who was ever seriously involved with Lloyd and his films. The disc is "hosted" by Leonard Maltin and information can be navigated in various ways. There is a DVD-ROM feature that even allows you to search for specific content throughout the disc. There are even clips of Lloyd´s appearances at some social functions including USC´s tribute to Harold Lloyd, hosted by Jack Lemmon and Steve Allen.
Final Thoughts
Not quite the physical comedian as Keaton, Lloyd was very much the athlete, as proven by the countless physical stuns he performed throughout many of his films. Where Chaplin and Keaton had their distinctive personas that were exaggerated, clown types, Lloyd came with a visage that was just as distinct as Chaplin´s tramp or Keaton´s stone face, though not as over the top. His trademark glasses and straw hat was a look that could be pulled straight from people in his audience. "The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection" is an excellent DVD set containing hours of hilarious, comedic fun and enough extras to provide a film schools worth of knowledge on silent era comedy. Providing a wealth of wonderful films, the set is a testament to Lloyd´s genius.
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[release]17286[/release]