Oksana
At 12:47 PM 6/4/02 -0700, you wrote:
>In fairness to Transit it should be noted that they are also subject to the
>whims of the film market. Alas a new restored version of NOSFERATU ( full
>disclosure as Kino will be releasing this in the US) still sells ten times
>more copies than rare Lubitsch films. As someone all to familiar with the
>vagaries of the silent film market, I confess that I am always very, very
>disappointed at how FEW copies of silent films most libraries, particularly
>public libraries carry in their collections. Basically they not only carry
>the same dozen titles, the majority of them often carry rotten , cheap BAD
>copies of things like BIRTH OF A NATION, THE GENERAL, THE GOLD RUSH etc. I
>find it terribly depressing that the library market has been so indifferent
>to silent films. It was perfectly understandable that Blockbuster was not
>going to carry this but with tens of thousands of Public and University
>Libraries out there , you would THINK that there would be more interest in
>rare and good silent films.
>
>The cost of making high quality masters, packaging, promotion etc for videos
>and DVD's is substantial. At Kino we figure that roughly 1000 copies is the
>BREAK even point on an "average" silent film ( one where there were not
>additionally high rights or materials costs) and sadly we can rarely justify
>putting out "smaller" if better silent films. Truthfully some of our "big"
>releases basically subsidize smaller ones and if we did not love this stuff,
>we could make a lot more money putting out bad seventies action films.
>
>My rant of the day
>
>Jessica
>--
>Jessica Rosner
>Kino International
>333 W 39th St. 503
>NY NY 10018
>jrosner@kino.com
>
> > From: Oksana Dykyj <oksana@vax2.concordia.ca>
> > Reply-To: videolib@library.berkeley.edu
> > Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 12:10:51 -0700 (PDT)
> > To: Multiple recipients of list <videolib@library.berkeley.edu>
> > Subject: Re: Transit Film Germany
> >
> > Thanks for the information but looking at the silent titles in the video
> > series, it's always the same familiar films. Other than Asphalt I'm not at
> > all excited by the offerings. A great number of Lubitsch's silents have
> > already been restored and they are among the most interesting silent films
> > I have ever seen. THESE should be made available rather than Nosferatu and
> > Caligari etc. Shoe Salon Pinkus, When I Was Dead, The Oyster Princess, The
> > Doll, Romeo and Juliet in the Snow, The Wildcat, are great Lubitsch
> > candidates for expanding the knowledge of German silent film. Goethe
> > Institute co-sposored their screenings several years ago...
> >
> > Oksana
> > At 10:52 AM 6/4/02 -0700, you wrote:
> >> Dear videolibbers,
> >>
> >> concerning my last mail about Metropolis dating from the 23rd of May
> >> Transit-Film has contacted me and told me that my not very kind words
> >> about Transit are not correct. And they are right as I see now. They
> >> will promote a lot of german silent films during the next months. That's
> >> good news for german video librarians. Many important german silent will
> >> be restorated within the next two years and will be published also in
> >> foreign countries. Please take a look on their website:
> >> http://www.murnau-stiftung.de/en/03-00-00-projekte.html
> >> A package of 10 silent films will be available this year via the Goethe
> >> Institutes (see the bottom of this site:
> >> http://www.murnau-stiftung.de/en/04-00-00-news.html )
> >>
> >> With kind regards
> >> Peter Delin/Videolektorat
> >> http://www.zlb.de/index.html
> >
> > __________________________________________________________________________
> > Oksana Dykyj voice: 514-848-3443
> > Head, Visual Media Resources fax: 514-848-3441
> > Faculty of Fine Arts
> > Concordia University
> > H-335, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W,
> > Montreal, Quebec
> > Canada H3G 1M8
> > __________________________________________________________________________
> >
__________________________________________________________________________
Oksana Dykyj voice: 514-848-3443
Head, Visual Media Resources fax: 514-848-3441
Faculty of Fine Arts
Concordia University
H-335, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W,
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H3G 1M8
__________________________________________________________________________