The CineForum

“What I like about The CineForum and Reg Hartt and what makes him a valuable figure is his belief in cinema as a living, breathing thing, something to be enjoyed and argued about, not genuflected at or framed on a wall and revered at a respected distance. In his presentations he refutes the conventional wisdom that films like THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915), THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (1925), and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) are better appreciated as historical artifacts than entertainments. To see KID DRACULA, his show that pairs F. W. Murnau’s NOSFERATU (1922) with Radiohead to surprisingly effective results is to be reminded that the classics were made for the raw public before they were made for cinema studies syllabi. I have rarely felt a film’s greatness in a classroom but I have often felt it at Reg Hartt’s CineForum.”—a cinema studies student.

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Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1933)

Filed Under: Reviews by admin — Comments Off

July 14, 2020

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https://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/2008/04/pre-code-horror-mystery-of-wax-museum.html

Having once owned a 16mm color print of Michael Curtiz’s THE MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933) I really appreciate the work that has gone into this great restored Blu-ray edition of the picture from Warner Archive because I know personally how bad the film once looked.

Not that that mattered to me at the time. I was overjoyed to be able to finally see a picture I had only previously been able to read about because for decades the film was lost.

Much has been written about the poor color of those 16mm prints made from the nitrate original found in Jack Warner’s personal vault. All of it is deserved.

But that is all in the past.

Today what we have is a wonderful restoration not only of the actual photographic elements but also of the soundtrack. I heard things I have never heard before.

With the film comes a host of bonus materials including a short documentary of Fay Wray hosted by her daughter plus two very informed and always interesting commentary tracks.

People were astounded when I gave up on 16mm and went digital.

Most do not know that in the days of 16mm and 35mm only a very small number of prints of a film had first rate quality.

With digital every print is first rate.

Not only that we can now legally own these titles for what really is pennies compared to the cost of 16mm prints which warped, shrank, got broken, scratched, faded color and vinegar syndrome.

People don’t know it but we are often seeing these films better than people saw them in first release.

Two color Technicolor used two emulsions. It was hard to sync up in the labs and hard to project in focus.

We are living in a golden age for motion picture restoration.

I use an Optoma digital projector instead of a TV set. Thus I get the full big screen movie experience.

Warner Archive is doing their history proud.

–Reg Hartt.

Read more about MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM here:

MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM | Before & after restoration (no audio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVrriovENz0

https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/blogs/archive-blog/2020/04/21/mystery-wax-museum-restored-qa-scott-macqueen

https://trailersfromhell.com/mystery-of-the-wax-museum/

Michael Curtiz (Director)