Renee Fleming’s new CD, “Broadway”, reminds everyone why she is a goddess

September 8, 2018 alanwp

She is a goddess. Really.
Currently wowing audiences with her Tony-nominated performance in Carousel, Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming has released Broadway (Decca Classics), a CD celebrating musical theatre. The album features a diverse array of songs for the stage by composers including Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Pasek & Paul, and Rodgers & Hammerstein, as well as a special guest duet with the Hamilton, television and film star, Leslie Odom, Jr.

Says Fleming, “The great, classic Broadway musicals were central to my childhood. I sang Eliza Doolittle twice before I was even out of high school. This repertoire is so rich, and the sheer quality of the music is so high, that it’s been a joy to record these songs. And along with the growth of popular music, the sound of musical theater has evolved over time. Composers like Jeanine Tesori, and Pasek and Paul, and even popular music icons like Sting, have enriched the genre. It’s a living art form, enjoying a real boom right now, and it was a thrill for me to be able to include phenomenal songs that are absolutely current.”

The new recording features a wide range of Broadway hits from the ’20s to the present, in sumptuous orchestrations, many commissioned specially for this album.

Among the songs are “The Sound of Music”, “The Glamorous Life” from A Little Night Music; “Tell Me on A Sunday” from Song and Dance; “Wonderful Guy” from South Pacific; “Fable” from The Light in the Piazza; and “So Big So Small” from Dear Evan Hansen. Fleming’s collaborators include Rob Fisher as music supervisor and conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, as well as the incomparable bassist and jazz great Christian McBride, rising star pianist Dan Tepfer and Grammy-winning producer David Frost.

Listen closely: Listen and you will understand why she is a goddess.

DVDs, Movies

MVD Rewind Collection continues to release camp classics with relish

August 19, 2018 alanwp

Since launching in December of 2017 with the Blu-ray release of D.O.A., MVD Rewind Collection has quickly established itself as one of the premiere labels in the home video market.

Already in release are Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God…Be Back by Five. This story about a pair of friends looking for a third childhood friend that they fear may be homeless and mentally ill was co-written, produced and stars ’80s icon Jon Cryer. The plot is loosely based off on a true story involving Cryer and a former classmate he heard was homeless.

Swamp Thing sprouted from the pen of Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson and took root in the pages of his award winning DC Comics’ series. Dr. Alec Holland, noble scientist out to cure the ills of our ravaged planet Earth, is caught in a powerful explosion that coated him with his bio-restorative formula and set him ablaze. Jumping into a nearby swamp for relief from the flames, Alec Holland was transformed into everyone’s favorite muck-encrusted half-human/half plant Swamp Thing. Dick Durock starred as Swamp Thing in both the original movie and The Return of Swamp Thing. Trapped in his monstrous physical form, Alec Holland retained his intellect, emotions, and capacity to love. That love appears in the form of Abigail Arcane (Heather Locklear), step-daughter to the world’s maddest scientist, Dr. Anton Arcane.

Abby owns a plant store, and is more comfortable talking to her plants than to men in the local singles bar. When she meets Swampy she sees beyond the horror of his physical form and falls in love with Alec Holland. Swamp Thing has to single-handedly battle the evil Dr. Arcane, his security forces, and his army of mutant creatures in order to rescue Abby. Both BR and DVD were created from a brand-new HD transfer made from the original internegative, released now for the first time ever. Directed by Jim Wynorski.

Pierre De Moro’s Savannah Smiles. In this charming family comedy the young daughter of a politician runs away in an effort to get some attention from her parents. She ends up hiding in a car that belongs to a pair of two-bit criminals and what could turn into an awful nightmares becomes an unlikely bonding experience between the three.

Released in 2006, Abominable is easily the newest film to see entry into the MVD Rewind Collection but don’t let that fool you – all the old-school, retro appeal that you’ve come to expect and love with this collection is very much present in this one.

A paraplegic convinced he was attached by the legendary Bigfoot returns to his cabin in the woods hell-bent on proving all those that called him crazy wrong. This fun monster movie features horror icons Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen and Dee Wallace.

Claude Van Damme appears in the MVD Rewind Collection with the release of 1990’s Lionheart. Van Damme stars as a paratrooper legionnaire that is forced to return home to Los Angeles after his brother is seriously injured. With his brother’s family desperately needed money, Van Damme decides to earn it the only way he knows how – entering an underground fighting circuit.

Often overlooked in the Van Damme catalogue, Lionheart is every bit the action classic as the more popular Bloodsport and Kickboxer films. Lionheart is also notable for being the first time Van Damme showed his signature buns onscreen.

By the mid-80’s Nicole Kidman was well on her way to becoming a star but she was still considered to be a child actor. In 1986, at the age of 19, she started to shed that image as she starred in first film aimed at adults with the romantic comedy Windrider. The film co-stars Tom Burlinson as an enthusiastic surfer attempting to develop a new, high tech surfboard. Along the way he meets and begins to fall in love with a rockstar played by Kidman. MVD Rewind Collection is proud to present Windrider on special edition Blu-ray this July, given the film its debut home video release in North America.

CDs, Music

Sony Classical releases important Oscar Levant Box Set

August 19, 2018 alanwp

At the height of his popularity, Oscar Levant was the highest-paid concert artist in America. He outdrew Horowitz and Rubinstein, with whom he shared the distinction–rare among classical pianists–of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He performed under conductors including Arturo Toscanini, Sir Thomas Beecham, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Fritz Reiner and Eugene Ormandy, and was the definitive interpreter of his friend George Gershwin.

Levant’s 1945 recording of Rhapsody in Blue with Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra topped the Billboard classical chart and remained one of Columbia Records’ best-selling albums for a decade. That classic interpretation and all his other recordings for the label, spanning the years 1941 to 1958, have now been collected in a new Sony Classical eight-disc box set.

https://youtu.be/nVOl49AHD6Q

The vast majority of them are appearing for the first time ever on CD, in a 10″ x 10″ fully illustrated 124-page hardcover book. The book contains previously unseen photographs and images of facsimile documents and covers. The edition sees the first ever release of Levant’s own composition Blue Plate Special, which only exists in his 1947 recording and would otherwise have been lost forever. It reflects his compositional style and musical eccentricity at its best. The other world premiere is Levant’s recording of Bach’s Partita No. 1, the only example of him playing Bach. According to his daughter Lorna, the Partita was a piece Levant loved and played often at home.

Levant’s Columbia recordings, on which his fame as a pianist has always been based, began with Gershwin, as they do in this new Sony complete collection. From 1942 there are the Concerto in F with André Kostelanetz conducting the New York Philharmonic along with the Three Preludes. That applies as well to the 1945 Rhapsody in Blue with Ormandy, which is also here, of course, together with the famous 1949 recordings of theSecond Rhapsody and “I Got Rhythm” Variations with Morton Gould and his Orchestra.

Among the other CD premieres are Levant’s 1949 recording of Honegger’s charming Concertino with Reiner conducting the Columbia Symphony Orchestra as well as many solo performances from the 1940s and 50s of pieces by Beethoven (including the “Moonlight” Sonata), Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff and Copland (selections from the ballet Billy the Kid, arranged for piano by Lukas Foss). There is also a track of Levant playing his own music, a jazzy, almost manic little piece called Blue Plate Special, recorded in 1947.

Another rarity is taken from Warners’ 1946 movie Humoresque, one of the few films centered around classical music. Franz Waxman received an Oscar nomination for his original score and arrangements. The young violinist hero is portrayed by John Garfield, his wealthy older lover by Joan Crawford, his confidant and pianist by Oscar Levant, and his violin playing by Isaac Stern. The movie climaxes with one of the glories of 40s cinematic kitsch. As she listens to the strains of Wagner’s Liebestod being played by the Garfield character on the radio, the distraught Crawford character drowns herself in the Pacific. On the soundtrack, it is Stern and Levant who are revelling in Waxman’s irresistibly schmaltzy Wagner arrangement for violin, piano and orchestra. No Oscar Levant set would be complete without it.

“In some situations I was difficult, in odd moments impossible, in rare moments loathsome, but at my best unapproachably great.” Music lovers now have an unprecedented opportunity to judge Oscar Levant’s self-adulating, self-abasing appraisal for themselves.

DVDs

Donald Petrie serves a most tasty “Little Italy”

August 19, 2018 alanwp

As an Italian (or “Eye-italina” as people from the Bronx would say) I love when I hear two words: Little Italy . . . as in Little Italy, the romantic comedy starring Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen. Get the DVD and On Demand on Friday, September 21 from Lionsgate.

The director of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Miss Congeniality (Donald Petrie) serves up a delicious new comedy topped with passion, playfulness and pepperoni. Former childhood pals Leo (portrayed by Hayden Christensen) and Nikki (Emma Roberts) are attracted to each other as adults—but will their feuding parents’ rival pizzerias put a chill on their sizzling romance? The tasty all-star cast also includes Alyssa Milano, Danny Aiello and Andrea Martin.

Mangia!

Books

TAKE A FEW LESSONS FROM ADDIE GUNDRY AND LIFE WILL BE AWFULLY TASTY!

August 19, 2018 alanwp

You can dress it up or dress it down—on the grill, in a sandwich, soup or salad, glazed, baked, pan-seared, fried, kid-friendly, decked out on the holiday table or as an appetizer on game day. Is there any food so versatile as chicken?

In her newest cookbook Easy Chicken Recipes: 103 Inventive Soups, Salads, Casseroles, and Dinners Everyone Will Love (St. Martin’s Griffin, $19.99), Food Network Star finalist Addie Gundry approaches a chicken like a blank canvas, bursting with possibilities. For any occasion, for any cuisine, from French to Indian, Chinese, Mexican and everything in between, chicken will always prevail. Gundry skillfully shows home cooks how to master and reinvent it.

From a perfectly golden roaster chicken surrounded with herbed potatoes to soups, salads, and casseroles that make myriad uses of the resulting leftovers, Easy Chicken Recipes is perfectly poised to answer home cooks’ boredom with and reliance upon the old standby: a chicken dinner. Each recipe is paired with a gorgeous, full-color, finished-dish photo.

Here, she shares one of her favorite dishes. We tried it and have two words: “easy” and “yummy”!

Chicken Rotini Bubble Up
Yield: Serves 6 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour
This dish has a beautifully golden crust. The biscuits on top look like a lattice on a pie or a wicker basket. Not only the perfect comfort food, this recipe is also a showstopper for any potluck.

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces rotini
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 carrots, chopped
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables
Kosher salt
¾ cup all-purpose flour
4½ cups chicken broth, low sodium preferred
1 cup half-and-half
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (about 3 cups)
1 (16.3-ounce) can refrigerated biscuits

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rotini and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mixed vegetables and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5–7 minutes.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth and cook until thickened. Slowly whisk in the remaining broth, the half and-half and thyme.

Add the chicken, vegetable mixture, and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. While the chicken mixture is simmering, open the can of biscuits and cut each one into four pieces.
Pour the chicken mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place the biscuit pieces all over the top of the dish, completely covering the pasta.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown. Serve.
Note: To cook the chicken, place the breasts on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.

DVDs, Movies

Undercrank Productions goes back in history with “The Kinetophone: A Fact! A Reality!”

August 18, 2018 alanwp

Thomas Edison’s “Kinetophone” brought talkie to the theaters in 1913–and now, the Library of Congress has taken surviving films, restored them, and Undercrank Productions (undercrankproductions.com) has just released them on DVD.

That sound you hear? A standing ovation!

The Kinetophone: A Fact! A Reality! is an amazing disc that features eight sound films made by the Thomas A. Edison Company in 1913 that have been newly restored by the Library of Congress. Collectors will want to know the films: The Edison Kinetophone, Musical Blacksmiths, Nursery Favorites, The Deaf Mute, The Edison Minstrels, The Five Bachelors, The Old Guard and Jack’s Joke.

The disc also includes a nifty bonus, a mini-documentary on the Kinetophone. So Amazingly Perfect They Are Really Weird (2018) not only details the Kinetophone films’ history, technology and their restoration, but there’s alsoThe Politician (1913), a Kinetophone film whose sound cylinder is still lost and is presented here with a musical score by Ben Model.

More than a dozen years before Al Jolson proclaimed “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!” in the The Jazz Singer (1927), American movie audiences had already experienced synchronized sound in movies. In 1913, the Thomas Edison Company debuted talking pictures whose exhibition lasted for about a year. Showing the films in theaters involved a complex system involving a hand-cranked projector connected by a system of pulleys to a modified Edison cylinder player at the front of the theatre, operated at both ends by technicians connected by head-sets.

The Kinetophone films, like the early Vitaphone shorts, were of theatrical or vaudeville acts, dramatic scenes and musical performances. Of the 200 films made, only eight currently survive with both film and cylinder elements intact, and they have now been painstakingly restored by the Library of Congress.

The Kinetophone films are a unique record of performance techniques of the time, and are each six minutes long, a duration dictated by the maximum recording time of the cylinders used. Made in a pre-microphone era, the performers of the dramatic and comedic sketches or musical numbers speak and project as if they were in a theater. This technique was necessary for the actors’ voices to be picked up by the cylinder recording horn, placed a safe distance to be out of camera range. These techniques are covered in a mini-documentary on the history of the Kinetophone films, technology and restoration process as a bonus on the DVD.

Each of the eight Kinetophone films has been digitized from rare, unique cylinder sound elements preserved by the Thomas Edison National Historical Park and from original 35mm prints or camera negatives preserved by the Library of Congress. Utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology, the films have been restored and synchronized by the Library of Congress to a state that both surpasses their original 1913 presentations and also realizes the effect originally intended by Edison and his technicians. With the exception of Nursery Rhymes, previously available in a decades-old restoration of lesser quality, these Kinetophone films have not available to the public since their original exhibition in vaudeville houses more than 100 years ago.

DVDs, TV

Three new hot “Frontline” DVDs, from war to violence to drugs to that prick, Harvey Weinstein

August 18, 2018 alanwp

A trio of three more PBS Distribution DVD Frontline DVDs . . .

Frontline: Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia
From the devastating war in Syria, to the crisis in Yemen, to continuing turmoil in Iraq, much of today’s widespread violence across the Middle East has been portrayed as part of an ancient battle between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. In this show, Frontline tells the epic, inside story of how this dangerous feud has plunged the Middle East into unprecedented levels of violence, with exclusive, on-the-ground reporting from inside both countries as well as Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Lebanon.

This program illuminates the essential history – and profound ripple effect – of Iran and Saudi Arabia’s power struggle. It draws on scores of interviews with political, religious and military leaders, militia commanders, diplomats, and policy experts, painting American television’s most comprehensive picture of a feud that has reshaped the Middle East.

Frontline: The Gang Crackdown
In a spate of brutal violence that has become a focal point of President Frump’s stance on immigration and a priority of his Justice Department, some 25 dead bodies have been found on Long Island since 2016—all linked to the violent gang MS-13.

Many of the gang’s victims, like its members, have been immigrants. Drawing on interviews with murder victims’ families, accused gang members, top Justice Department officials including Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, local law enforcement and ICE leadership, and civil rights and immigration lawyers, this program explores the reasons behind the spike in violence on Long Island—and examines whether law enforcement and the government have overreached in trying to combat it.

Frontline: Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein was once one of the most successful producers in Hollywood. But beneath the glitz and glamour, there was a pattern of sexual misconduct going back to the very start of his career. This program investigates the disgraced mogul’s spectacular downfall, the efforts to silence his accusers, and what Hollywood itself knew. Drawing on exclusive insider accounts, this program examines how Weinstein used lawyers and private detectives to help him suppress sexual harassment allegations.

The film shines new light on what those around Weinstein knew about his behavior, and when. Filled with fresh insights from those who worked with Weinstein, those who tried to confront him, and the journalists who ultimately broke the story, this documentary is an in-depth look at the long history of allegations against the powerful producer.

Books

Grin and Bear it: “The Art of Winnie-the-Pooh: How E.H. Shepard Illustrated an Icon” is a Delight!

August 18, 2018 alanwp

Since his first appearance in 1924, Winnie-the-Pooh has become a beloved household name. Created by A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh Bear was illustrated from the start by E.H. Shepard; the two of them had an unusual partnership for the time, in that their books were very much a collaboration between author and illustrator. While the Winnie-the-Pooh books have never been out of print, the story of how the images of the much-loved bear—and his friends—came to be has remained largely untold.

We were delighted to find and read The Art of Winnie-the-Pooh: How E.H. Shepard Illustrated an Icon (Harper Design, $29.99), James Campbell offers a thorough account of the origins and development of the characters who populate the Hundred Acre Wood, complete with more than 125 images, many of which have never been published before—including previously unseen sketches, the first illustrations of Pooh, finished artwork, personal family photographs, and memorabilia. The husband of Shepard’s great-granddaughter, Campbell has overseen the artist’s estate for years, and is uniquely qualified to offer just such a deep dive into his iconic characters.

The Art of Winnie-the-Pooh: How E.H. Shepard Illustrated an Icon by [Campbell, James]

Campbell takes us back to the early days of Shepard’s friendship and collaboration with Milne, and Winnie-the-Pooh’s first appearance alongside a poem in Punch magazine. He traces the history back to the initial inspirations—the real Christopher Robin’s own teddy bear was the first model for Pooh, but was deemed too threatening, so Shepard turned to his own son’s teddy named Growler, which quickly resulted in the more cuddly, charming bear we know today.

Campbell details the collaboration between Milne and Shepard on the four Winnie-the-Pooh books—When We Were Very Young, Winnie-the-Pooh, Now We Are Six, and The House on Pooh Corner—and the real-life toy inspirations for characters like Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo. Even after Milne stopped writing about Pooh in 1928, Shepard continued to provide new illustrations for franchised projects; and he went on to draw, color, and illustrate new editions of the four books for the rest of his life.

In addition to the beautiful illustrations throughout, The Art of Winnie-the-Pooh features a keepsake art print and a foreword by E.H. Shepard’s granddaughter, Minette Hunt. With Disney’s feature film Christopher Robin coming this summer, there’s sure to be a renewed interest in the classic characters, and this book is a perfect collector’s item for the many fans of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends.

DVDs, TV

“Endeavour Season 5” thrills, chills and makes us want more seasons!

August 18, 2018 alanwp

As 1968 dawns, a year of change promises to disrupt the private and professional lives of Endeavour Morse (played by Shaun Evans) and his colleagues. Endeavour’s recent promotion leads him to reluctantly mentor new recruit Fancy (Lewis Peek), while Thursday (Roger Allam) is beginning to think about life after the police. But in Oxford, crime never sleeps, and the team continues to be challenged by mysterious and intriguing cases of murder, greed, and deception. Meanwhile, the rise of organized crime in the city promises to change Oxford forever. When 1968 comes to a close, will things at Cowley Police Station ever be the same again?

A description of each of the episodes from Endeavour Season 5 is listed below:

“Muse”
Past and present collide in Oxford, as the auction of a priceless Fabergé Egg gets underway at Lonsdale College. It soon attracts the attention of an infamous international thief – and the police – when a failed burglary attempt is reported. However, they soon have a bigger case to solve, as a series of gruesome deaths have Morse and Thursday searching for a serial killer. Meanwhile, newly-promoted Endeavour struggles with his role as he’s forced to mentor young detective constable George Fancy.

Cartouche
Hollywood glamour comes to Oxford as the stars of a horror movie begin filming in the city. Meanwhile, the unexplained poisoning of a former detective sergeant leads Endeavour and Thursday to a local cinema, which is playing host to the film’s stars in a special event. While Thursday fears a link to growing unrest in Oxford’s underworld, the case takes a turn when the cinema’s organist is also dramatically poisoned. The film’s star is convinced a mysterious Egyptian curse is to blame, and Endeavour and Thursday find themselves uncovering long-kept secrets and a revenge plot determined to expose the truth behind a hero’s past.

Passenger
Endeavour investigates the disappearance of a local woman – with initial fears linking it to the unsolved murder of a teenager, killed several years earlier. Meanwhile, Thursday is absorbed in the investigation of a lorry hijack – which he suspects is linked to local gangster Eddie Nero. The murder investigation takes a surprising turn when a woman’s body is discovered, but Endeavour notices anomalies at the murder scene which point away from the cold case theory. An invitation to Joan’s new flat reminds Endeavour of the past, but could it also offer a chance for the future?

Colours
A photoshoot on an army base turns sinister when one of the models is found dead. But the investigation is complicated when Sam Thursday is revealed to be involved. With Thursday side-lined by protocol, Endeavour and Strange take the lead on the investigation – the first time without their mentor. Tensions rise, and the pair clash as their differing opinions push their friendship to breaking point. When another body is discovered on the base, Endeavour uncovers family secrets, political affiliations and thwarted love affairs to find the truth.

Quartet
An assassination attempt at an international sporting event opens a new case for Endeavour and Thursday, but their investigation is quickly brought to an unexpected end. While Thursday wants to step away, Endeavour is determined to find out more. He soon finds himself embroiled in the dark dealings of espionage, big business and a long-held secret that goes to the very heart of the Oxford community. While Endeavour chases down the real story behind the assassination, Thursday works closer to home, attempting to protect a battered wife from her violent husband. When tragedy strikes, Thursday has to make a tough moral decision about how to administer justice.

Requiem
After the mysterious disappearance of a teacher, Endeavour finds himself undercover, investigating the dark world of a public school. When a body is unexpectedly discovered, Endeavour has to question who he can trust – and uncover the truth about the crimes before more people are hurt. Thursday is determined to solve the ongoing unsolved murders linked to Eddie Nero, and charges Fancy with tracking down the elusive Cromwell Ames. Meanwhile, Thursday’s life is turned upside down by the return of his brother, and Endeavour looks towards the future with the possibility of a new relationship.

DVDs, Movies

Undercrank Productions, an amazing new company, that “discovers” rare films

August 18, 2018 alanwp

We are bit embarrassed to admit that we only recently learned about Undercrank Productions (undercrankproductions.com). We learned that this marvelous company, the brainstorm of the marvelous historian and Undercrank founder Ben Model, releases must-see, must-have DVDs that we assumed have been long lost.

The Marcel Perez Collection: Volume 2 features eight slapstick shorts that star the largely forgotten silent-era comedian Marcel Perez. The award-winning first volume, released by Undercrank in 2015, has earned Perez a new fan base among classic film buffs and silent comedy aficionados.

Marion Davies Following a 15-year career in movies in Europe, Perez came to the U.S. in 1915 where he made another 60 comedy shorts as the character Tweedledum or “Tweedy” or “Twede-Dan” for a number of independent studios in Florida, New York and New Jersey. Perez is the only silent screen comedian besides Max Linder to have had this kind of long-reaching career on both continents. Perez’s charming and acrobatic screen persona, as well as his inventive directorial flair, make his short comedies stand out from those made by most of the better-known “second-tier” slapstick comics. Sadly, only a fraction of Perez’ output, which spanned 1900-1928, survives. In the three years since the release of the first DVD, however, eight more films have either surfaced or become available for this home video release.

“What continues to impress me in seeing more of Marcel Perez and his films,” says Model, “is how inventive the humor, storytelling and filmmaking is considering they’re from 1916-1922. He’s doing stunt work and surreal gags before Keaton or Larry Semon did, and one of the shorts–A Scrambled Honeymoon (1916)–opens with a gag sequence that is nearly directly copied in a Chaplin short made the following year. It’s been a thrill working with the Library of Congress and MoMA on the disc, as well as being supported by fan crowdfunding, to be able to restore Perez’ reputation and renown. Hopefully it won’t take another three years for more of his films to turn up, and I’ll bet there’s more of them out there.”

The films on the The Marcel Perez Collection: Volume 2 were preserved by or were sourced from the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art. The rare archival 35mm copies are presented in new 2K digital scans, with new musical scores by noted silent film accompanist Ben Model.