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Edison - The Invention of the Movies (1891-1918)
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0738329038328
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Label: Kino Video
Languages: English (Original Language),
Manufacturer: Kino Video
MPN: 3832
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: Kino Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: February 22, 2005
Studio: Kino Video
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Editorial Review:
Edison - The Invention of the Movies is a four-disc treasure trove of 140 of the first moving pictures ever seen, spanning the birth of cinema from 1891-1918. The collaboration between Kino Video and the Museum of Modern Art includes 14-second-long camera tests, early special effects, street scenes, humorous shorts, and "The Great Train Robbery," widely considered the world's first blockbuster. Arranged chronologically, the films gradually improve in technical sophistication and narrative complexity while providing riveting glimpses of American culture 100 years ago. Highlights include the slyly edited "The Gay Shoe Clerk," the phantasmagoric "Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend," and a film of social justice called "The Kleptomaniac." Contemporary sensibilities will be challenged by persistent racial stereotypes in a number of the films, as well as by a horrific short showing the electrocution of an elephant. The educational possibilities represented in this set are vast.
If Kino Video and MoMA had simply released these restored films on DVD, it would still be one of the notable releases of the year, but they have gone further by filling out the set with over two hours of interviews with scholars and archivists. The films can be watched with or without these explanatory interviews, which lend the kind of historical context and thoughtful analysis one finds on the best museum tours. We learn that Edison's first studio was a tar-papered contraption called "Black Maria" that could be rotated to take advantage of available sunlight. Patrick Loughney of The Library of Congress details how many of Edison's films survive on printed paper reels submitted to a copyright office that at the time had no way of cataloging film. Author Michelle Wallace provides insight on how the films represented--and perpetuated-- the stereotypes of the era. If viewers have any energy left after this erudite festival of moving images, there are more than 200 still images from MoMA's Edison Collection to browse. The film history buff's collection is simply not complete without this set. --Ryan Boudinot
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Perhaps the Most Important DVD Release
This set, released by Kino in conjunction with the Museum of Modern Art, is perhaps the most important DVD release from a historical standpoint. It's a chronological collection of a vast number of films produced by the Edison company, from their earliest experiments (which exist merely as fragmented still frames today, and that have been re-animated here to provide a demonstration of how they were intended to move), to the first Kinetoscope releases, following the progress from single, static-shot ... Read More
Rating: - Pure gold from film's birth years
If you have any interest in the first years of American movies, this boxed set will fascinate you.
Thomas A. Edison invented many of the processes that made motion pictures as we understand them possible. From his earliest, very brief test films made in his miniature studio the Black Maria, to the full-lenth feature "The Unbeliever" about a privileged man's education in the trenches in World War I, you can watch Edison's work become steadily more professional and entertaining.
Among ... Read More
Rating: - A great collection of early films with insightful commentary
This set contains 140 films made by the Edison Company during the years 1891-1918. Unlike the other bundle of Edison's movies, this one has extensive commentary so that you get a real feel for Edison's place in motion picture history, his successes, and finally what caused the downfall of the movie-making part of Edison's extensive empire. Most early Edison films are under a minute in length and were done as experiments as much as anything. However, Edison's 1903 film, "The Great Train Robbery", is ... Read More
Rating: - Stunning
Prior to watching the films on this set, I had only seen a handful of films from the 1890s and Aughts combined, and was barely better-acquainted with the films of the Teens, only having seen thirtysomething films from that decade. This collection really serves to fill a hole for people whose primary experience with early cinema comes from the Twenties and Teens. I actually found myself liking the first two discs best, the films from the 1890s and the early and mid-Aughts. It's really a wonder how ... Read More
Rating: - Great Set
This set is great for early film buffs. But, since most of them are in the public domain, they are easily found online at government sites to download free. Spending a few hours downloading from the Library of Congress site, and you will have the same collection.
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