Eureka Entertainment to release BUSTER KEATON: 3 FILMS (Volume 3), a further collection of unparalleled films from the silent comedy genius. Presented for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, from brand new restorations, as part of The Masters of Cinema Series. The Limited Edition Three Disc Box Set (3000 copies ONLY) will be available from 24 August 2020.
Between 1920 and 1929, Buster Keaton created a peerless run of feature films that established him as “arguably the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies”. Collected here are three further films from that era; Our Hospitality, Go West and College. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present all three films from brand new restorations in their UK debuts on Blu-ray.
Our Hospitality (1923 – dir. Buster Keaton & John G. Blystone) – Often cited as one of his most significant films—as well as one of his funniest—1923’s Our Hospitality, which Keaton co-directed with John G. Blystone, is his take on the notorious feud between the Hatfield and McCoy clans (here renamed the Canfields and the McKays). Keaton is luckless William McKay, who must journey down South to view his lacklustre inheritance, only to be seduced along the way by one of the Canfields, Virginia, who lures him to her family’s house so that the men of the clan can shoot him down. But William knows that the Canfield men won’t kill him as long as he’s in their house, so he endeavours to stay put there, against all obstacles. With its attention to 19th-century period detail and emphasis on integrating the gags into the storyline, Our Hospitality was not just a breakthrough in Keaton’s career, but it was also noted even during its release as an advancement in the medium, with Variety proclaiming, “It marks a step forward in the production of picture comedies.” From a 2K restoration
Go West (1925 – dir. Buster Keaton) – Keaton is at his most stone-faced as the memorably named “Friendless” in Go West, an irresistible blend of deadpan darkness and spectacular comic set-pieces. Friendless abandons city life to ride the rails to an Arizona ranch, where his ineptitude at almost everything only makes his nickname even more accurate. But when his one beloved companion, a cow named Brown Eyes, seems to be headed to a slaughterhouse fate, Friendless intervenes, and the resulting cattle stampede through the streets of Los Angeles is one of Keaton’s most understandably famous and acclaimed sequences. From a 4K restoration
College (1927 – dir. James W. Horne & Buster Keaton) Keaton follows up The General with a higher education comedy that seems to take a cue from Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman (1925). Keaton is bookworm Ronald, whose high school girl Mary ditches him for someone with the athletic prowess that Ronald lacks. Determined to win her back, Ronald enters college with an eye on sports, but two left feet. From a 2K restoration
LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Limited Edition (3000 Copies Only)
- Hardbound Slipcase
- 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from new restorations undertaken by The Cohen Film Collection
- Our Hospitality – new audio commentary by silent film historian Rob Farr
- Our Hospitality – alternate shorter cut of the film [55 mins], with optional commentary by film historian Polly Rose
- Go West – A new video essay by John Bengtson (Silent Echoes / Silent Traces / Silent Visions) on Go West’s filming locations
- A new video essay by David Cairns
- The Railrodder – the 1965 short film starring Buster Keaton in one of his final film roles
- Optional audio commentary on The Railrodder with director Gerald Potterton and cameraman David DeVolpi
- Buster Keaton Rides Again – the 1965 documentary about, and produced concurrently with, the filming of The Railrodder
- Optional audio commentary on Buster Keaton Rides Again with director Gerald Potterton and cameraman David DeVolpi
- MORE EXTRAS TO BE ANNOUNCED
- PLUS: A 60-PAGE perfect bound collector’s book featuring; a new essay by Philip Kemp; writing on all three films by Imogen Sara Smith; archival material on the filming locations used for Our Hospitality courtesy of John Bengtson
