Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Kino discontinues Houdini The Movie Star DVD set

Our friends at the Houdini Museum in Scranton report that Kino's Houdini The Movie Star DVD set is now discontinued. Indeed, the Kino store shows "discontinued" on the DVD homepage, and Amazon shows a 9 to 10 day waiting period (although Dorothy and Dick said when they tried to order from Amazon, it comes back as unavailable). The set was first released in 2008.

If you haven't yet gotten this set, I'd make every effort to do so NOW. Amazon's Marketplace is still a good bet for new and used copies. While Houdini's movies are all now available on multiple DVDs and streaming, this set contains a wealth of archival footage of Houdini's escapes that doesn't exist anywhere else. It also includes The Grim Game plane crash footage, and several minutes of Houdini's very first film, Les merveilleux exploits de Houdini à Paris (although the set doesn't credit it as such).

Thank you Dorothy and Dick.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 22, 2014 at 11:53 AM

    Thanks for the tip. I already own the set, but now that it's being discontinued, I might want a back-up. Kino has a habit lately of discontinuing their silent film collections, and it's starting to get annoying. I'm curious; Where is the clip from "Exploits"? I've watched those extras dozens of times and never recognized any of them as such.

    -Meredith

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    1. John CoxJuly 22, 2014 at 12:34 PM

      Yeah, I'm also considering buying a backup.

      The Exploits clip is among the archival escape footage. It's labeled "Unidentified film footage in Paris" or something like that. (Not home so I can't check.)

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    2. AnonymousJuly 22, 2014 at 12:53 PM

      I think Houdini pulled a fast one on me! I just read your post on the real date and production company for that film. Before that I had always believed the 1901 date and Pathe distinction that Houdini wrote on the photograph, and that the jump into the Seine from 1909 was just an ordinary bridge jump. Thanks for clearing that up. Do you know if a complete print exists of "Exploits"? I've seen the straitjacket escape online, and obviously the jump into the Seine, but I'd love to see the whole thing, particularly as Bess was involved.

      -Meredith

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    3. John CoxJuly 22, 2014 at 4:05 PM

      The whole thing could exist if someone would just put the pieces together. We know the first part exists because Silverman describes it, but I've actually never seen it. Like you, I'm dying to see it, especially because it has a young Bess! Add it to the list.

      Delete
  2. Houdini museumJuly 22, 2014 at 12:29 PM

    I believe the company has changed hands so the mission has changed

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    1. John CoxJuly 22, 2014 at 12:35 PM

      Oh really? Too bad. I think Kino has done a great job with their DVDs, especially this one. Hope the next company continues the mission. Maybe a new Houdini set with The Grim Game? :) Hey, I can dream, can't I?

      Delete
  3. Dorothy Dietrich and Dick BrookzJuly 23, 2014 at 7:36 AM

    KEEP DREAMING! It is our dream also!

    Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz

    Houdini Museum
    The Only Building in the World Dedicated to Houdini

    ReplyDelete