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Shooting Stars
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (1st March 2016). |
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The Film
 “Shooting Stars” (1927) The actor and actress married couple Julian Gordon (played by Brian Aherne) and Mae Feather (played by Annette Benson) are shooting a romantic Western film titled “Prairie Love” in studio, but a scene that is to feature a dove doesn’t go as planned as the dove flies off toward the ceiling area above the stage. On the neighboring stage is a slapstick comedy starring the bumbling physical comic Andy Wilks (played by Donald Calthrop) sporting a bowler’s hat, curly haired wig, and a fake moustache. It’s not only acting and production going on at the studios, but also publicity, as Mae is interviewed by a reporter giving seemingly standard fare answers such as loving “furry and feathery things”, being interested in “art, children, and Shakespear (sic)”, and most importantly finding an ideal mate - her husband Julian by her side. Andy Wilks on the other hand is like a polar opposite - his character may be loved on screen by fans, but he is no heartthrob like Julian Gordon and he is no stage beauty like Mae Feather. Once he removes the make-up and costume, he is pretty much a nobody. In the evening, since Julian is still busy, he asks Andy to take Mae home, in which Andy asks if he could take Mae to the Pavilion since he has tickets for the night. Before the show, Mae and Andy converse together at his place, where a spark strikes between them. Mae takes his theater tickets, rips them up, and the two share an intimate time alone. With the couple starting an affair, how long will it last until Julian finds out? And how will he handle it? “Shooting Stars” is one of the earliest examples of a feature film going behind the scenes of the filmmaking process - from stage sets, slates for takes, camera setups, lighting setups, and trick photography. A look behind the scenes of a movie is something modern audiences take for granted, as featurettes and documentaries on DVD, Blu-ray, or Internet uploads are commonplace and so are basic shooting and editing techniques, which almost anyone can do if they have a basic digital camera and/or computer. In the silent era, movie-magic was literally magic. How the movie was accomplished was something that audiences at the time had no idea how anything was done. “Shooting Stars” was like a magician showing what was behind the curtain for the public to see. How matte shots and perspective shots were accomplished, how it looked like the character was on a horse was just a prop, or how gunshots used blanks - are just a few things the film showcases. Not only does the film show the various making-of aspects, but like any good magician does, there are some additional shots that look incredible. The long tracking shot showing the studio from an overhead perspective is a very impressive shot, like a precursor to “Goodfellas” or “Boogie Nights” with its movement and choreography of the actors moving. The scene of Andy Wilks on the chandelier has some great editorial cuts including swinging perspective shots, shadow placement emphasis on the walls, and of course the fall. The film is unusually credited as “Shooting Stars - by Anthony Asquith” and then “Directed by A.V. Bramble”. Anthony Asquith, whose father was British Prime Minister H.H. Asquith (from 1908-1916), was a cinephile, being knowledgeable not only about British and American film, but of Swedish and German films of the time. In 1925 when the Film Society was founded, he was one of the major forces behind it, showcasing art films for screenings. After entering British Instructional Films, Asquith did work as an editor, writer, stuntman etc. until he was promoted to director for his screenplay of “Shooting Stars”. Though it seems the studio was unsure about his ability, so they placed veteran director A.V. Bramble as the supervising director. As to how much input Bramble had on the finished film is debatable, though by looking at the surviving shooting script, it is almost exactly shot as written even to the point of the complicated shots like the aforementioned long shot in the studio set. The finished film is an amazing piece of work from both a technical standpoint and an artistic one. Asquith was able to explore both the romantic drama genre and the slapstick comedy genre within the same film, while giving the audience a look into the silent movie making process. The Andy Wilks character is loosely based off Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp character in his look and mannerisms, and like Chaplin, without the makeup and costume is unrecognizable to others. Chaplin may be considered an auteur now, but when he was out of costume, he could not draw crowds in a serious form. Chaplin’s 1923 “A Woman of Paris”, in which he directed but for the first time did not star, was a commercial failure. It wasn’t until “The Great Dictator” in 1940 that Chaplin actually played a character that wasn’t The Tramp, with Chaplin playing both the dictator character and The Tramp, as he could not escape the image. Wilks is the lonely soul in the film, loved by the masses but only on stage. Mae Feather showing a serious romantic interest in him without the make-up and costume is what makes him pursue having an affair. Donald Calthrop who played Wilks was a character actor notably in the early Alfred Hitchcock films “Blackmail” (1929), “Murder!” (1930), and “Number 17” (1932), and his pratfalls and gags are not exactly near Chaplin or Keaton standards but they are fitting for the film and character. If they had done anything extravagant like Chaplin or Keaton, the drama would not have gotten the attention necessary. In 1930 during the filming of “Spanish Eyes”, Calthrop invited one of the chorus girls, Nita Foy into his dressing room where her dress caught fire on the stove and was burned to death. Although Calthrop was exonerated, it cost him his marriage, led to drinking, and cost him many acting roles. He should have taken a hint from the Andy Wilks character not to pursue an affair! He died of a heart attack in 1940 while filming “Major Barbara” in which his role was finished with a body double and a voice actor. Brian Aherne who played Julian, debuted in silent film in 1924 and continued with success following “Shooting Stars”, appearing in Asquith’s following film “Underground” (1928), eventually moving to Hollywood, receiving a nomination for an Oscar for his role in “Juarez” (1939), appearing in the screwball comedy (and not the Titanic film) “A Night to Remember” (1942) and “Titanic” (1953). He died in 1986 at the age of 83. For actress Annette Benson who played Mae, nothing is known about her after her film life. She made nearly 30 films including “Downhill” (1927) for Alfred Hitchcock but after 1931’s “Deadlock” she disappeared from the limelight. Whether she died or not is unknown, but if she is still alive, she would be over 120 years old at this point… Asquith’s career as a director continued to shine along with Alfred Hitchcock, as the two were considered artistic saviors of British cinema, breathing new life into filmmaking. His subsequent silent films such as “Underground” (1928) and “A Cottage on Dartmoor” (1929) were triumphs, and his later sound films such as “Pygmalion” (1938), “The Browning Version” (1951), and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (1952) were also critical and commercial successes. He died of lymphoma in 1968 at the age of 65. Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray which can be played back on any Blu-ray player worldwide.
Video
The BFI presents the film in 1080p in the original 1.33:1 ratio in the AVC MPEG-4 codec. The BFI’s restoration of the film was a gargantuan task. Only one reel of the original negative exists, so they had to look at other existing elements, including theatrical nitrate prints, a French release print, and others. 22,000 feet of film altogether was inspected for the restoration, and was meticulously restored in the digital realm. The restored version of the film in a single word is stunning! Considering the film is nearly 100 years old, it is miraculous how beautiful it looks. Black and white levels look superb, and damage is quite minimal. There are the occasional damage marks here and there, but for the most part such as tramlines, mold, rust, etc. have been removed, or used alternate source materials. And to say which scene used what source is impossible to tell. There are no problems of missing frames either, as alternate source materials were available. Film grain is always visible so there is no distracting problem of waxy DNR artifacts. If someone were to ask me which reel was from the original negative, I’d have a hard time discerning which, as the entire film looked almost entirely pristine from start to finish. The only “flaw” that could be said is that splice marks are visible on the top of the screen whenever there is a cut, similar to the recent Third Window Blu-ray of “A Snake of June” had, but like that film, it was inherent to the original film, and was intentionally kept rather than removed for the restoration. The transfer is 1080p 24 frames per second, but from the framerate, it seems the film was shot at either the 18 or 20fps rates. Luckily, there are no problems with interlacing or ghosting effects from the framerate conversion. Being a silent British film, there are English Intertitles for the film. Dialogue is quite minimal so the large white letter intertitles are easy to read and easy to follow. Commonly for silent films, the intertitles and credit sequences have the most damage, so instead of restoring them, they just take one frame, and keep it as a freeze frame, which looks very unnatural. Like the BFI did for the restoration of “The Great White Silence”, the best frames of the titles and credits were used, and remade with film and digital techniques, creating new titles and new credits that match how it looked back in 1927. The results are very eye-pleasing.
Audio
Music DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Music LPCM 2.0 stereo The two audio tracks are both the music score composed by John Altman and performed by Live Film Orchestra. Altman’s score is jazz based, with alterations here and there. For example the scenes shooting on set with “Prairie Love” are slightly country-based with a twangy sound, or the comical slapstick scenes of Andy Wilks performing in character are comical and have a fast paced ragtime sound. The lossless 5.1 track is constantly active with music coming from all speakers, using directional surrounds very beautifully. The lossless 2.0 sound obviously lacks the power of the 5.1 track but is still sounds very full. Excellent marks on audio from the BFI. Altman is in fact the winner of the Asquith Award for his score for the film “Hear My Song” (1991). Other major credits in music scoring include arrangement for Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from “Life of Brian” (1979), composing and arranging for The Rutles, scoring the tank chase scene in “007: GoldenEye”, composing the period music for “Titanic” (1997), as well as composing for thousands of commercials. For “Shooting Stars”, it was the first time for Altman to compose a full 100 minute score for a silent film, and it’s a great and fitting one. Hopefully more will come in the future.
Extras
Extras (with Play All) (49:13) BFI has included various shorts from the silent period that showcase behind the scenes of movie studios and other related footage. All the shorts have been scanned at 2K with adjustments for framerate. None of the shorts are in as good condition as the main feature, with differing sorts of damage on each short. But thankfully they are all in a watchable state. Also included is a photo gallery slideshow. All the extras have a “Play All” option which is very thankful to have. Here is a breakdown of what is included: - "Pathe's Screen Beauty Competition" (1920) (2:00) A “star-search” contest at the Welsh-Pearson Studios. We see director George Pearson at work, with performers Hugh E. Wright, and also Moyna MacGill, whose daughter became an incredibly famous actress many years later! in 1080p, in 1.33:1, LPCM 2.0 stereo - "Around the Town: British Film Stars and Studios" (1921) (2:29) A behind the scenes look at the Gaumont Studios at Shepherds Bush. in 1080p, in 1.33:1, LPCM 2.0 stereo - Topical Budget: The Lovely Hundred" (1922) (0:25) Another “star-search” short features the Talmadge Sisters finding a “new face” in London for their next feature, in which they chose Margaret Leahy. Sadly, Leahy did not impress the director of the picture, though went on to make her first and only acting role as the girl in Buster Keaton’s “The Three Ages” (1923) but her career stalled. She never went back to England and lived in Los Angeles until her death by suicide in 1967. in 1080p, in 1.33:1, LPCM 2.0 stereo - "Secrets of a World Industry - The Making of Cinematograph Film" (1922) (7:59) An excellent behind the scenes look at the preparation of film. From the preparation of the negative, development of film, printing positive film, and storing it in a film canister for theatrical use. No mention of the fire hazard of nitrate film! The droning ambient music is by Chris Zabriskie, in vein to darker Brian Eno compositions and the score to Bill Morrison’s “Decasia”. Note that in the booklet it states that the Talmadge Sisters also appear in this short but this is an error. The mistake has been notified to the BFI and subsequent printings of the booklet will remove the error. in 1080p, in 1.33:1, LPCM 2.0 stereo - "Meet Jackie Coogan" (1924) (10:41) 10 year old Jackie Coogan, who made his big break in Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” 3 years prior and became one of the biggest child stars of the time, arrives in England for a public relations visit. He is taken on a tour of Cricklewood Studios, where “Shooting Stars” would be filmed a few years later. Yes, this cute little kid would eventually play Uncle Fester on The Addams Family! in 1080p, in 1.33:1, LPCM 2.0 stereo - "Starlings of the Screen" (1925) (15:29) Another “star-search” film, in which a magazine’s competition leads to screen tests and eventual audition for the movies. But quick! Someone call a hair stylist! All the women’s hair is in a frizzy mess! At first I was not sure if the bed-headed women were there intentionally to make one person stand out more than the rest, but no. Looks like every hair stylish was busy at the time of the screen test… in 1080p, in 1.33:1, LPCM 2.0 stereo - Opening of British Instructional Film Studio" (1928) (3:44) The opening of the new studio by British Instructional which made “Shooting Stars” a year prior, is documented here. Though it would be a short lived time for it, as sadly the doors would close to British Instructional in 1932. in 1080p, in 1.33:1, LPCM 2.0 stereo - "Stills and Specials Collections Gallery" (6:22) A slideshow which includes black and white and sepia stills from the film set, promotional stills, press book from 1928 with colorized stills (with a synopsis that gives away too much the story), and a press sheet. The pictures are all from the BFI archives and are presented in very high quality, though I wonder why there is no music accompanying the gallery. in 1080p, in 1.33:1, no music DVD Copy The DVD includes the film and all extras mentioned above but also adds one additional DVD-ROM extra: -Original Screenplay in PDF format The full script can be downloaded and viewed via the DVD-ROM drive. With BD-ROM drives becoming a commonplace, it’s unusual that the BFI never makes downloadable ROM content available on their Blu-ray releases and only on their DVD copies. DVD: Region 0 PAL. The film - Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio. Extras - Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo 38 Page Booklet BFI includes a generously informative booklet. First is the essay “Shooting Stars, Anthony Asquith’s Love Letter to the Process of Filmmaking” by BFI curator Bryony Dixon, in which she focuses mostly on the film itself. Next is “On Creating a New Score for Shooting Stars” by composer John Altman, in which he mentions the difficult task of creating a full 100 minute film score in which various genres are tackled. Third is the essay “What Price Cricklewood?” by Henry K. Miller, who teaches film at the University of Cambridge. This essay focuses on Asquith’s early life prior to entering the film industry until his directorial debut. Last is “So This Is Cricklewood! Behind the Scenes in British Silent Films” by film historian Chris O’Rourke, giving an overview of the industry at the time. Also included in the booklet is a “Shooting Stars” credits listing, music credits listing, additional information regarding the extras included in the set, restoration information, and an acknowledgements listing. The BFI has curated a great selection of extras thematically related to the film, and an excellent gallery. But where are the interviews, restoration featurette, or documentary? Interviews with the restoration team, the composer, or knowledgeable scholars and critics would have been welcome, but at least the booklet has a lot of great information. The biggest miss is not including a restoration demonstration, as during the restored film’s introduction at the BFI London Film Festival, the audience is granted with a great introduction to the film as well as short restoration demonstrations, which are sadly not viewable in the BFI video.
Overall
“Shooting Stars” is a remarkable debut film written and co-directed by a remarkable filmmaker. The BFI’s restoration of the film is gorgeous, the newly composed soundtrack is wonderful, and the accompanying extras are very informative and well curated, making this absolutely a highly recommended Blu-ray.
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