Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917-1923

Now I have read a lot of complaints about this set....shame on you! We are privalaged to have had not just one but TWO blu-Ray releases of Keaton's solo shorts!Sadly Laurel & Hardy have not had such luck and not truly had a fully comprehensive silent DVD release, let alone a blu Ray collection...please lobster restore all the L&H silents, please!!Anyway I digress, this set is superb in my opinion. I owed the Masters of Cinema DVD release I owned the Art of Buster Keaton DVD set and all the Kino blu Rays including the first short films collection 1920-23.First of all the Arbuckle/Keaton shorts have never looked better and are all accompanied by entertaing and fitting scores.Some people have complained about the "modern" compositions and the vocal elements used in Coney Island. If we want future generations to enjoy and love Keaton like we do and I'm only 29 myself we need to move them in to the modern era and using more modern orchestrations I think is a positive if it is done well, which I believe it has been, in this collection.I have no complaints what so ever about the Arbuckle/Keaton shorts the films are steady played at the right speed and are beautifully restored and the music compliments it all superbly.When it comes to the Keaton shorts, again some people have negative views on some of the prints used.Although I do agree that some of the prints like One Week look a little bit white and does not have as much grey scaling as the previous blu Ray release. The prints themselves all look clean clear and and at times astounding...My Wife's Relations, The Love Nest, Neighbors to name a few.If the images appear softer to some people that is because they have been digitally restored. Removing as many film blemishes as possible and sadly one of the affects of this is it slightly softens the picture. Yet every film has more detail than any previous collection.I loved the previous Kino shorts release but looking at it now I can see film jumps, inaccurate speeds and so much dirt and not quite as much clarity in the films.The scores on the Keaton solos are fantastic I particularly enjoyed the music for The "High" Sign, One Week, Cops, My Wife's Relations, The Love Nest and The Playhouse.It is so exciting to see an alternate and as the booklets notes confirm, definitive version of Keaton's The Blacksmith...at last we get to see this film and admire it as a classic and not as a lesser short.The new version is for me is the only version I will watch now although well done to Lobster for giving us two full versions.We have the most complete versions of Convict 13, Day Dreams and Hard Luck and they all feature improved footage and of course we have the ending of Hard Luck on blu-Ray...at last!!!!!!Plus I also prefer the much funnier ending of My Wife's Relations, it is hilarious.These are all the most comprehensive and complete films we have ever had of Keaton's shorts and I believe it will be the most comprehensive for a long time.In conclusion aside my very minor quibbles over the lack of grey scaling on a couple of the pictures this collection is crisp, clean, clear, complete and with the best soundtracks I've heard, they truly bring these films to life like never before!Buy this set! For sure if you're a Keaton fan and if you are a movie buff or have interests in silent cinema you should own this collection!!!Lobster did a superb job with Chaplins - Keystone, Essanay and Mutual films and they have done fantastic work on so many other great silent films, it's film preservationalists like them that set the standard and why we get to see these once thought lost films in HD and looking amazing!That's my review I will stop waffling now.Buy!!!

No one will ever replace Keaton! Comedy genius and always great to drive the blues away. Generations should see these silent comedians as newer ones stand on the shoulders of these giants. Let kids watch these, they will laugh like crazy!

This is one of the best early silents of comic master Buster Keaton. You won't be disappointed in these hilarious silent shorts. They don't make them like this anymore!!!!

Kino Lobster films has put together an outstanding release of these classic Keaton shorts. The visual quality of these are the best I've seen, although naturally some of the film doe exhibit the ravages of time. These folks at Kino Lobster put tremendous effort in researching and finding the best film source materials to transfer these films to DVD. Indeed in some cases scenes that were missing or shorts thought to best are here for us to enjoy. I was very impressed with the Arbuckle / Keaton shorts, they made some real gems, and their collaborative efforts together shine.You get a real favor of each mans talents and can tell on screen which creative force was behind the gags. You see Keaton develope and polish his technique as he embraced the film medium more and more. In fact I'd wish they made more films together. The Keaton shorts continue to impress me, Keaton's unique approach and perspectives to life situations amaze me. My favorites are 'HardLuck' , 'The Paleface' , 'the Boat', 'One Week' . There are no let downs in this collection. Any who has or has never seen these films , needs to get this DVD collection, this is the set available and perfect introduction of Keaton and Arbuckles talents. You'll watch these shorts over and over again.

This 5-disc collection contains the shorts that Buster did with Roscoe Arbuckle and then the shorts he did later at his own studio. Buster is athletic, funny and very clever and the shorts just get better and better as you go! The Cook that Buster did with Roscoe and The Scarecrow are my favorites so far!If you are a Buster Keaton fan you should have this collection for sure for it has films that he did when he had the most creative control during his career.

Nice

my nephew Steve and myself love the old silent movies.....especially Buster Keaton. This is only the start of what we will purchase of his silent and sound movies. I wish that there was a documentary available on his life. Excellent

Item arrived as described and on time!

Bought as a gift. Compilation shows the difference in how his work evolved from his early days as an Actor, to an Independent Actor/Director. He was an extraordinary man who took chances in a time when Movie Stuntmen weren't the thing. He pushed himself and his desire for a quality movie to the limits. Really very very good. If this is an era of movies your interested in, then this is a must have. Buster Keaton is the master of the craft.

Una excelente colección de cortos del maestro del slapstick, Buster Keaton.Los primeros dos discos son cortos de Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle, en los que aparece (y, en algunos, coprotagoniza Keaton). Aunque algunos son disfrutables, ninguno llega a la talla de aquellos dirigidos por Keaton mismo (que son los otros tres discos de la colección). Aquí Keaton trabajaba como independiente, haciendo lo que mejor le pareciera, y los resultados son increíbles. Es Keaton llegando a puntos que nadie volvería a alcanzar. Excelentes comedias. Completamente.En cuanto a la remasterización, muchas de las películas han sido conservadas muy pobremente. Me parece que se han logrado los mejores resultados posibles, viendo el lamentable estado de las copias físicas. Un enorme trabajo de remasterización.Al final, está es una enorme labor de recopilación y remasterización que recupera los excelentes esfuerzos de Keaton en cortometrajes, antes de comenzar a realizar largometrajes, en un altísimo punto creativo. Una joya para quien sea que disfrute de la comedia silente.

収録作品は以下。Disc1ファッティとキートンのおかしな肉屋（デブ君の女装）（The Butcher Boy , 1917)デブ君の入婿 (The Rough House, 共同監督, 1917)デブ君の結婚 (His Wedding Night, 1917)デブ君の医者 (Oh Doctor, 1917)ファッティとキートンのコニー・アイランド（デブ君の浜遊び） (Coney Island, 1917)ファッティとキートンのアウト・ウェスト（デブ君の出稼ぎ） (Out West, 1918)Disc2デブ君の給仕 (The Bell Boy, 1918)デブ君の巌窟王 (Moonshine, 1918)ファッティとキートンのグッドナイト・ナース（デブ君の入院） (Good Night, Nurse!, 1918)デブのコック (The Cook, 1918)デブの舞台裏（ファッティとキートンの初舞台） (Back Stage, 1919)飼葉の種 (The Hayseed, 1919)デブの自動車屋 (The Garage, 1919)Disc3キートンのハイ・サイン (The High Sign, 共同監督, 1921)文化生活一週間（キートンのマイホーム） (One Week, 共同監督, 1920)キートンの囚人13号（ゴルフ狂の夢） (Convict 13, 1920)キートンの案山子（スケアクロウ） (The Scarecrow, 共同監督, 1920)キートンの隣同士 (Neighbors, 共同監督, 1920)キートンの化物屋敷 (The Haunted House, 共同監督, 1921)キートンのハード・ラック（悪運） (Hard Luck, 共同監督, 1921)Disc4キートンの強盗騒動（悪太郎） (The Goat, 1921)キートンの即席百人芸（キートンの一人百役） (The Playhouse, 共同監督, 1921)キートンの船出（漂流） (The Boat,兼脚本, 共同監督, 1921)[18]キートンの白人酋長（キートンの酋長、キートンのハッタリ酋長） (The Paleface, 共同監督, 1922)キートンの警官騒動 (Cops, 1922)キートン半殺し（キートンの猛妻一族、キートンの飴ン棒、キートンの華麗なる一族） (My Wife's Relations, 1922)Disc5キートンの鍛冶屋 (The Blacksmith, 1922)キートンの北極無宿 (The Frozen North, 共同監督, 1922)成功成功（キートンの白日夢） (Day Dreams, 共同監督, 1922)キートンの電気屋敷（電気館） (The Electric House, 共同監督, 1922)キートンの空中結婚（キートンの昇天） (The Balloonatic, 1923)捨小舟 (The Love Nest, 共同監督, 1923)1917年から1923年までの作品が収録されている。キートンが監督した作品は全て収録、出演のみで欠損があるが、現存していない可能性がある。画質は綺麗に修正されており、それぞれ画面に寄り添った音楽が付けられていて、日本の会社が販売したモノよりはるかに観やすい。改めて拝見して、セットの大掛かりさに驚かされます。チャップリンが最下層のルンペンからのドラマであることに対し、手に職をつけた中流階級からのドラマを見せてくれる。なので、何かを考えさせられることなく単純に笑いとアクションを楽しむ作品群です。

Most of these Buster Keaton shorts are either 100 or close to years old, beautifully remastered. Time has not dimmed, but rather enhanced their appeal, this man was one of the few true geniuses of film, funnier and more innovative than Chaplin in my opinion! Sadly, after the silent era was over it appears no studio was willing to give him full creative control over any film, so that genius was lost. Decades later toward the end of his life it finally dawned on people how great he was, and he's been rightfully revered ever since and thankfully his early works have been lovingly restored. Anyone who loves great film, should have this set in their collection, along with 'The General' and his other features!

As the liner notes explain in this boffo five disc set of Buster Keaton's works with his mentor and good friend Roscoe Arbuckle,and his own works thereafter,these films are not copies of past releases but totally reconstructed elements/films from around the world.For instance we have two versions of The Blacksmith.The one we thought was the original turns out was a test/preview print that was never intended for general release.Now we finally get that version AND the released version,with about four minutes of entirely different footage.Then there is the original ending of Coney Island.As Keaton would use a similar gag in his Seven Chances years later,for some reason in this set they use the film version we are all familiar with(instead of inserting at the end where it should be) and have opted instead to have you view it as a stand alone bit of footage.That I cannot understand.Speaking of Coney Island,I should tell you also that the producers have opted to have a singer accompany the musicians on this track.All the songs are period pieces mostly relating to Coney Island.While I was aware that this was something usually smaller theatres did back in the day,this might catch many off guard who might never have heard it done before.I thought it worked fairly well.You will not get Keaton's early works in any better condition and completeness than you see them here.Heretofore to buy all of these shorts in previous sets(and not nearly in the condition they are presented in here) you would have had to have paid a kings ransom.Now they are here all together and in great condition at a relatively reasonable price.It is a set no Keaton fan or silent film buff should be without.