7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Romance | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: This version of this film is available as part of the
Early Universal Vol. 2 set from Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema series.
Universal Pictures branded itself variously as Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-Jewel when the silents included in this package
were released, and those slight if kind of quaint
differences in names may point to the fact that Universal, in any of its "versions", has been around a long time, and is in fact the oldest
surviving film studio in the United States. Some of Universal's earliest product has been getting released globally on Blu-ray, and in that regard Kino
Lorber
has already
released two of the three films in this collection for the Region A market (links can be found in the reviews of this release's offerings). These early
Universal films are noted for
sometimes rather impressive technical achievements, with this collection in particular offering then innovative location filming, including underwater
sequences for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and wide open prairie material for The Calgary Stampede.
What Happened to Jones? is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. Eureka! sent only check discs for the purposes of this review, so I'm not privy to any information about the transfer which might be included in an insert booklet, but the press sheet mentions that the film has been restored in 4K. With a production date of 1926, this is the "newest" film in Eureka!'s set, though that doesn't necessarily mean this is a damage free presentation. Once again there are manifest occurrences of scratches, nicks and even a bit of emulsion damage that can crop up. Detail levels are generally quite good throughout the presentation, however, though some may notice ebbs and flows in fine detail depending on what kind of toning and/or tinting is being utilized (the purplish material looked a bit clearer to me than some of the yellow, to cite just one example). Grain structure fluctuates occasionally, but resolves naturally.
What Happened to Jones? features an LPCM 2.0 track offering a new score by Anthony Willis. This is another midsized ensemble that probably sounds fullest in its string cues, though there's quite a bit of piano on tap as well, sometimes in a quasi-ragtime mode. Everything sounds well balanced and perfectly clear.
What Happened to Jones? is a surprisingly engaging farce that manages to offer consistent laughs as things careen from bad to worse for the interestingly named Tom Jones. Technical merits are generally solid, though those with experience with high definition restorations of problematic silent film elements will probably be best prepared for the look of this release. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Masters of Cinema
1971
Limited Edition
1985
1928
Faisons un rêve...
1936
1941
Varjoja paratiisissa
1986
Masters of Cinema
1935
Masters of Cinema
1943
Masters of Cinema
1925
1965
1928
1923
I Don't Want to Be a Man / Masters of Cinema
1918
Sommarnattens leende
1955
Arrow Academy
1982
1932
1937
Twentieth Century / Indicator Series
1934
Masters of Cinema
1924
1941