Finally I have the VLC
screencap software working again!
A gorgeous screen from
William Cameron Menzies' opening montage for Chandu the Magician.
From
the new Kino Lorber Blu, using the same high contrast, albeit scratched source
as Fox' older DVD. Some people are complaining about the "poor"
quality of this current swathe of material from Fox's deep archive vaults to
come out on Kino BD. Well, while they're not spanking new 2k full restorations
done with the finesse of Shawn Belston's team, many of them, like this gem,
look for the world like real 35mm film.
Chandu's lunacies and nonsensical
narrative, all derived from the post Universal "Mummy" craze by all
the majors back in the early 30s simply play second fiddle to the visuals. All
that counts here is Menzies' sumptuous, fluid, eye popping production design
and costumes. Ably filmed with great mobility by co-director Marcel Vanel.
Apart from Bela, one of the movies' most enduring actors, the heady spectacle
of sets, costumes choreography and lighting (James Wong Howe) ultimately counts
for everything.
I will remain a formalist to
the day I die! Thus Chandu is infinitely more important and beautiful to me
than a dozen Lewis Milestone message pictures.
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