Clyde Bruckman's - The General - Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review Clyde Bruckman The General Buster Keaton DVD Review

directed by Clyde Bruckman
USA 1927

The General is perhaps Buster Keaton's finest film and shows the great comic of the silent era at the height of his powers. Keaton's talent lay in his slapstick ability and his famous stoney face expression which he gave at moments of great confusion. Currently much of his work is being re-appreciated at the true extent of his comic genius re-evalued. Unfortunately for Keaton's career, after the introduction of sound, no one was interested in his comic abilities anymore. His brand of slapstick humour was most appreciated during the silent era when he and his contemporaries Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd ruled the screen but after sound all of their careers went into decline although their influence can still be seen today on comedians such as Steve Martin and Jim Carrey although fun as they are they are nothing compared to Keaton who should be enjoyed here at his best .

Excerpt of the Review by Alicia Forsyth at the Edinburg University Film Society website located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 5 February 1927

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DVD Comparison:

MK2 - Region 0 - PAL (2 disc) vs. Eureka (SE) - Region 0 - PAL vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Kino - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Per-Olof Strandberg, Bram Blijleven and Gregory Meshman for the Image Screen Caps!

(MK2 - Region 0 - PAL TOP LEFT vs. Eureka - Region 0 - PAL 2nd vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - 3rd vs. Kino - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

The MK2 is also available in a 10 DVD Boxset - REVIEWED HERE - which Includes: College / Battling Butler / Our Hospitality / Seven Chances / The Navigator / Sherlock, Jr. / Go West / Three Ages / Steamboat Bill, Jr. / The General

Distribution

Mk2 + Lobster Films

Region 0 - PAL

Eureka

Region 0 - PAL

Image

Region 0 - NTSC

Kino
Region 0 - NTSC

	Mk2 + Lobster Films Region 0 - PAL	Eureka Region 0 - PAL	Image Region 0 - NTSC	Kino Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:15:29	1:14:55	1:15:03	1:14:54 Total disc = 1:56:26
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: XX.X mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: XX.X mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.57 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.1 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: mk2
Bitrate: Eureka	Not Available
Bitrate: Image
Bitrate: Kino
Audio	English (Silent) (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) - 1995 Robert Israel score OR English (Silent) (Dolby Digital 5.1 Mono) - by Joe Hisaishi	DD 2.0 STEREO	Dolby Digital 2.0	English (Silent) (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Silent) (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Portuguese, None	none	none	none
Features	Release Information: Studio: MK2 - Region 0 - PAL Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: DISC 1 • Introduction by David Robinson. A 8 min clip about the recording of the score and a 2 min restoration comparison. DISC 2 • THE RAILROADER and BUSTER KEATON RIDES AGAIN. A 1 minute 'Making of The General' clip. a 7 min extract from the tinted version. A 11 min Keaton filmography with pictures. An 11 minute Orson Welles introduction (made for TV). A 11 min 1962 film RETURN OF THE GENERAL. The trailer for THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE, THE IRON MULE (Al St John 1925, 13 min) and a Disney Alice comedy ALICE'S TIN PONY 6 mins. • A 20 page booklet is included with the DVD which is in French. DVD Release Date: September 7th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters 21	Release Information: Studio: Eureka - Region 0 - PAL Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Keaton shorts: The Ballonitic (1921) (22:08) and Cops (1922) (18:11) DVD Release Date: Feb, 19th, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 17	Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Double feature with Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) - FULL LENGTH • Music by The Alloy Orchestra DVD Release Date: October 21, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 19	Release Information: Studio: Kino on Video Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Keaton shorts: The Playhouse (1921) (23:00) and Cops (1922) (18:00) • Music by Robert Israel DVD Release Date: October 26, 1999 Snap Case Chapters 19

Comments

ADDITION - MK2 (September 2004) - Well the newly restored MK2 project will not disappoint. No more sepia tones and the image is as sharp as ever been available on DVD - tack onto that an original score and a 5.1 option (by Joe Hisaishi), plus a whole 2nd disc filled with Extras. For Keaton fans this is the one!

NOTE: It shows all three previous version to be heavily cropped on the right edge!

- Gary Tooze

NOTE:

In your Comparison of "The General" you say the Eureka has PAL/NTSC ghosting, but it looks as though it is interlaced - perhaps because it is playing back the original movie at something other than 25 frames per second? (I'm not sure what frame rate is correct for "The General" - here's a link to a detailed discussion: http://www.geocities.com/cinemamuto/gen-cues.html ) I would expect that the Eureka DVD will probably play without any ghosting problem on many displays.

Conrad McDonnell

This is pretty hard. The Eureka has NTSC ->PAL 'ghosting', the Kino has the most apparent damage (see first capture) and the Image Entertainment disc is dark. The Kino is slightly cropped on both sides. Overall the Image disc is the sharpest. You may want to turn the brightness up on your system, but the Image is the better quality picture. All have further Keaton shorts as Extras - the Image disc has Steamboat Bill, Jr. , the Eureka has Cops and Ballonatic and the Kino has Cops and The Playhouse - all four shorts are worthy for Keaton fans. I can't comment on the sound only personally owning the Kino (Gregory own the Image, Pepsi owns the Eureka). I am troubled by the darkness of the Image DVD as background information is often removed from the film. I would suggest Keaton fans get all three discs (for the Extra features) and I still hope another, better DVD comes out for the main film.

- Gary Tooze

NOTE: The Eureka disc is an officially licensed transfer of the Kino (despite slightly different extras).

DVD Menus

(MK2 - Region 0 - PAL TOP LEFT vs. Eureka - Region 0 - PAL 2nd vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - 3rd vs. Kino - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM RIGHT)

Screen Captures