Wonderful surprise!
Added 9/23/2009
After recently viewing this movie all I can say is we LOVED it! Buster Keaton was brilliant, and now we want to see all of his movies. KINO did such a terrific job - the film looks new & the music is perfect. What a wonderful discovery!
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The General
Added 9/14/2009
This story brings out the Civil War in its humorist best. The detail accuracy of the railroads of the 1860's is quite amazing! Buster Keaton adds to this historical drama a bit of comedy as it should be.
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Buster Proves Himself, Again!
Added 5/20/2009
I liked this a lot more on the second viewing, the first on DVD. It wasn't that the print was so much better (which it is) as I just appreciated Buster Keaton's humor and physical prowess more today than I did back when I first saw this film.
Keaton plays "Johnny Gray," a railroad engineer who signs up for the Confederate army when the Civil War breaks out. However, they reject because the South felt he could be far more valuable to their cause if he remained in his occupation than as a soldier. However, because his girlfriend wants him to sign up, and her brothers all did, she thinks he's a coward because he's not fighting for his kinfolk (obviously not knowing why they turned him down). So, things look bleak for our hero. (Note: true love never seems to be shown in these Keaton films. Buster always has to prove himself to these fickle women, who demand either heroes or tons of money from their men.)
****possible spoilers**** Anyway, Buster is chased down the tracks by the Northern army train for much of the film. He tries to hold them off and keep his own little train running....and rescue his girlfriend who was accidentally abducted by the enemy and is being held hostage in one of the cars. It's not as chaotic as I am making it sound, but it's fast-moving and entertaining film for most of the 75 minutes.
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Little humor found.
Added 5/8/2009
This is a simple, silent story of Buster Keaton pursuing men who have stolen his train. There is very little humor in the film and none that is exceptional. Buster Keaton has some exceptional stunts in other films, and more humor in other films. If you love steam trains; you will enjoy this film. The story begins with some drama, but the drama does not go anywhere. The picture quality was fine. The music does not fit the story and is very annoying in parts, but you can just mute it.
I recommend the better silent-films: Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last", "The Freshman", "The Kid Brother"; Laurel and Hardy's "Big Business" or "Soup to Nuts", or Charlie Chaplain "Gold-Rush", "Limelight", "Circus". I will search for the better Buster Keaton scenes I know are out there.
I am mystified by the 5-star reviews; they must be steam-train buffs, and like the movie for the train rather than the script.
0 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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OUT OF SYNC SOUND
Added 4/27/2009
The print is gorgeous, and although I generally dislike tints, this one is good. It is a great idea to give us 3 different sound tracks. None of them are great soundtracks. The orchestral version is very fine and noble--not at all right for a comedy. The organ version seems to be playing to a different movie. That leaves the Robert Israel sound track, which is pretty good. It misses the whimsy much of the time, but it does generally follow the drama, and there are a few musical sound effects. Incomprehensibly, it is all out of sync from the movie. Sometimes as much as OVER TWO SECONDS OUT OF SYNC! So we still have to wait for someone to create a soundtrack to make the drama and comedy of this film truly come alive. Alas, someone did just this in the 1970s, and believe it or not, I think it was the folks who put together Fractured Flickers, although in this case everything was delicately and perfectly done; sometimes there was no music at all: when Keaton is sitting on the cow-catcher holding the rail-tie, there was only the sound of the train and then two perfectly-timed and realistic sound effects--it was stunning and the audience gasped at the climax of the shot.
I would have to say that of all the canned soundtracks I've heard so far, the Robert Israel is the best, but being out of sync is really maddening. If you must have this movie, then buy this version... but please don't show it to all your friends; the soundtrack here still grossly undercuts the spectacular nature of the visuals, especially Keaton's magnificent acrobatics and pantomime. Your friends will just think the movie's pretty good, and then turn on the next re-run of "Friends" and laugh themselves dopey.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Southern Comfort
Added 11/11/2009
This is a remarkable blu-ray from Kino. The image is crystal clear without any digital hardness and the fine grain of the film is retained to boot. The various scores offered (Carl Davis' being first up on the list and the perfect one to listen to)and all the suppliments from the DVD edition are offered here. The simple menu design and the directness with which the blu-ray loads are all a sharp slap in the face to the majority of lesser films released in the format that have unbearably convoluted and tediously clever menus that load slowly and ultimately result in having to shuffle through endless onscreen paperwork.
THE GENERAL is a remarkable film, more epic even than GONE WITH THE WIND, it is truly not only one of the greatest silent films ever made, but one of the greatest American films ever made, despite whatever the idiot AFI might think (they left it off of their first 100 Greatest Films of All Time list, in fact not a single Buster Keaton film made it to that list, as well as Murnau's SUNRISE). This is action/adventure of the highest order, as thrilling as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and even better, for it's all really there - the dam breaking, the ensuing flood, the long tracking shots with the trains chasing each other, people running through fire and exploding shells, the collapsing bridge - all of it is done in real time before the camera, no minitures, no cgi. Outstanding film, very funny, and full of jaw-dropping sequences that are enacted for real. A Buster Keaton, and an American, masterpiece.
4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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One of the Best Silent Comedies
Added 11/11/2009
The General is an absolute comedy classic - even in front of a modern audience this movie draws more laughs than newer "comedies". If you aren't familiar with Buster Keaton this is a great place to start. His amazing athleticism and timing are on full display here, and the train scenes (basically the whole movie) are a veritable ballet.
As for the blu-ray itself, I've never seen the movie look better. You won't be using it as a demo disc for your system, but the detail and clarity are top notch. I consider this a must buy for a serious movie collector!
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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The General blu-ray
Added 11/3/2009
you should change your description of The General. Johnny Grey (buster) is NOT 'rejected as unfit' in this movie. They don't let him into the confederate army because they think he is more valuable to the South as an Engineer.
BIG difference. Don't bust on Buster.
1 out of 8 people found this helpful.
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