Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts 1934-1937

First let me say that a comparison of the 2010 DVD to this 2012 Blu-ray release shows no real improvement. The increased resolution only shows more film grain. Details have not been improved. Even worse, the distorted audio in some of the shorts has not been improved on. The BBC did that for the early Doctor Who shows, Why can't Kino do that here?

If you already have the old DVD set, keep it and save your money for future Keaton films worthy of a Blu-ray release. If you have not bought this collection, then strongly consider whether it is worth the additional cost of a Blu-ray set that has basically the same quality as the cheaper DVD set.

Unlike the Blu-ray re-issues of the films from the old "Art Of Buster Keaton" DVD set, this appears to be the same transfer as the old 2010 DVD set. My guess is that in 2010 Kino did a Hi-definition transfer of the films for the DVD release, enabling them to re-use the transfers for future Blu-ray releases.

I was actually disappointed when I read that the Lost Keaton DVD set was the next Kino Keaton set to get the Blu-ray treatment. Much of the source material was sub-par quality due to the loss of original Educational Films negatives. My hopes were that some of the distorted audio in the DVD set would be cleaned up, sadly not.

Expect to see:

Film splices, some with jumps.

Film scratches.

Noisy to distorted audio.

The only improvements I saw are:

1) Increased resolution now shows the film grain as opposed to digital compression in the DVDs.

2) The Blu-ray set has an informative booklet inside, my original DVD set did not have one. It is possible that it was accidentally omitted from my DVD set.

3) The Blu-ray sleeve includes poster reproductions on the reverse side

If you're reading this, chances are you're already a Buster Keaton fan. If you're not, let me just say first off that this set should NOT be your introduction to the legendary comic actor/writer/director. Keaton's masterworks are the silent "two-reel" comedies he made in the twenties (and available in the excellent Buster Keaton Short Films Collection: 1920-1923 (Three-Disc Ultimate Edition) [Blu-ray], to which this set serves as a companion piece). As many of you will know, Keaton's career fumbled immediately following the silent years, with a 5-year stint making features at MGM. But these films, made for the independent Educational Pictures, represented a return to form of sorts. Here was Keaton back in his element: the comedy short. And Educational also gave him back much of his creative control. . .something he lost working as essentially an actor only for the big studio.

Truth be told (and understand, I'm a HUGE fan), most of these sound comedies don't measure up to the gems Keaton made 10 to 15 years earlier. But there's still plenty for fans to enjoy. Unlike silent stars who had difficulty making the transition to sound, Buster had a distinct voice and used it to good effect. He wisely didn't stray too far from his origins; the best bits in these films don't require speaking or much sound at all to make them funny. ONE RUN ELMER and MIXED MAGIC are good examples of this. Keaton's love of trains and physical, architecture-based gags are also in evidence in several films.

As for the set itself, the video and audio quality varies a bit from film to film. There is the occasional unrepaired splice, resulting in a "jump" in the action. Debris is evident in many cases, although the overall picture quality is quite good for its age. It's worth noting that Educational Pictures was NOT MGM, and I doubt that the independent company ever made a film as polished as the larger, more affluent studios could. If you've seen the Blu-ray release of the silent shorts, you know what is possible with restoration efforts. I would easily give Kino's earlier release of the silent films 5 stars for visual quality; by comparison, "Lost Keaton" scores 4 out of 5. Still a very good rating.

Extras aren't as plentiful as with the earlier set, but you still get a wonderfully informative booklet, with info about each film. There's a still gallery, and a video montage of various stunts and physical gags. And for those who care about such things (as I do), "Lost Keaton"'s package design is virtually identical to the earlier release. . .making a very attractive pair of comedy classics on the shelf. :-)

Bottom line: If you're a fan, this is a no-brainer. If you're not (yet), defintiely start with the earlier set first. Buster Keaton was a one-of-kind comic genius, and Kino Lorber has done him proud with this lovingly-created collector's sets.

Buy Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts 1934-1937 Now

I bought this because I'm a big Buster fan. Although some of the shorts included in here aren't the best of Buster's work, it definitely is worth taking a look at. I LOVE "Grand Slam Opera," "The Chemist," "Hayseed Romance," and "Tars and Stripes" among others. And even though many of these shorts are not as sophisticated as the silent ones, they still contain little gems of material that make you laugh.

Read Best Reviews of Lost Keaton: Sixteen Comedy Shorts 1934-1937 Here