I too agree that Kino's MOVIES BEGIN is probably the best compilation of
early films.  The prints are crisp and clean, and there are many important
and diverse films.  TREASURES FROM AMERICAN FILM ARCHIVES is very nice too,
but not as comprehensive in terms of early film history, and many of the
prints do not seem to have been preserved or restored very well.

Tim Shary
Clark University



on 9/13/06 10:17 AM, Jessica Rosner at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Um I hate to toot my ( or rather my company's) own horn but the single best
> compilation of early films is Kino's Five volume DVD set
> THE MOVIES BEGIN. It has Melies, Lumiere, Edison, Porter, Griffith, etc
> 2 Volumes are from material from the BFI and 3 from film
> historian/preservationist David Shepard. As it was an "early" DVD release
> straight from the previous VSH no real extra's though there are few narrated
> Docs from the BBC on it. Here is the link to the info
> 
> http://www.kino.com/video/item.php?product_id=694
> 
> We also have a terrific VERY elaborate 4 volume set of Edison films
> Done with MOMA  & LOC material. Alas our great Lumiere DVD is out of print
> 
> 

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