In my experience, one of the most significant-but-under-appreciated video companies out there is Flicker Alley. They may not possess the brand recognition that, say, Criterion has, but I think many arguments could easily be made for Flicker Alley’s undertakings being almost as important…or equally as important…as Criterion’s.
FA focuses chiefly on vintage titles which at first glance may seem a tad kitschy or obscure. But on closer inspection, it’s not hard to understand why these pictures have an important place in our understanding of (and maintenance of) cinema history. This is the company which brought about those amazingly restored Cinerama Blu-rays we’ve previously mentioned - films made to explore and exploit a large-screen theatrical format which no longer exists (although a tragically small handful of Cinerama screens are still around). THE MACK SENNETT COLLECTION VOL 1 on Blu-ray, featuring Gloria Swanson, Charlie Chaplin, 'Fatty' Arbuckle, and Harold Lloyd. LANDMARKS OF EARLY SOVIET FILM is amazing set presenting work from circa 1920s. The gorgeously restored Blu/DVD combo of George Melies’ A TRIP TO THE MOON. FA offers several other Melies collections. The CHAPLIN’s MUTUAL COMEDIES collection (1916-1917) presents material he generated for Mutual Film Corporation years before classics like THE GOLD RUSH, CITY LIGHTS, and MODERN TIMES came about. The list goes on.
I’m mentioning all this for two reasons:
- I couldn’t be a more enthusiastic supporter of Flicker Alley’s efforts, and don’t think they get enough love in general.
And…
2. Flicker Alley is now expanding its enterprise to include not only Manufacture On Demand titles (a restored 1925 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s THE LOST WORLD is there!), but is expanding its streaming selection as well.
Some of those Cinerama titles I mentioned above are streaming - I don’t know how they look via stream, but can attest to how amazing they look via Blu. Likewise for Lon Chaney’s 1923 HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, which is also streaming.
Here’s a press release on the matter…
Flicker Alley Launches Manufactured-On-Demand (MOD) DVD Program & Expanded Streaming Selection with New Website
Revamped Flicker Alley website preserves film history by making it accessible to audiences across multiple formats.
(Los Angeles, CA - March 18, 2015) - Flicker Alley is providing film fans with greater access to a diverse range of classic movies with today's simultaneous launch of a Manfuactured-On-Demand (MOD) DVD program and an immense expansion of streaming titles, all via the newly-redesigned FlickerAlley.com. Today's launch marks substantial growth for the small publisher, which is both significantly increasing the size of its catalog and the number of ways it makes these cinematic gems available to the public.
Website
The redesigned Flicker Alley website (www.FlickerAlley.com) is the portal to the many options film fans now have in how they consume Flicker Alley classics. Film enthusiasts can choose from a growing catalog of Manufactured-On-Demand (MOD) DVD titles, a broad streaming selection, and an award-winning library of major restorations published on Blu-ray and DVD. Not only does the website provide access to Manufactured-On-Demand and streaming titles, but a new shopping cart and streamlined purchasing system enhances the overall experience.
Manufactured-On-Demand (MOD) DVDs
The Manufactured-On-Demand (MOD) DVD program provides renewed, affordable access to unique, significant, and out-of-print classics from the Blackhawk Films® Collection. The inaugural 21-title MOD slate increases Flicker Alley's library by an impressive 50%.
MOD titles include The Best Arbuckle/Keaton Collection, Vol. One & Two; D.W. Griffith's True Heart Susie; Ernst Lubitsch's The Marriage Circle; Aelita, The Queen of Mars; The Lost World; and more. The full selection can be found under the MOD section of the new Flicker Alley website: http://www.FlickerAlley.com/MOD.
Demand for access to these cinematic masterpieces on hard disc is clear: Fans contributed to Flicker Alley's Indiegogo campaign to raise the funds needed to start the MOD program, surpassing the initial goal by 150%. After 3-months of preparation, the highly-anticipated MOD program is now available to the public.
The 21 titles in this first round are just the beginning; Flicker Alley will cue more notable films to its MOD lineup, while continuing to add brand-new, high-quality restorations to its published media collection.
Streaming
Flicker Alley is answering the increasing demand for online access to high-quality restorations of classic films. The number of Flicker Alley movies available for streaming rental leaps today from 12 to 31 titles, with many of its catalog titles available to stream for the first time. The classic film publisher has partnered with the Vimeo On Demand streaming service to make the streaming process smoother and easier than before.
Titles include streaming exclusives, such as Edison's Nickelodeon, in addition to streaming versions of past Flicker Alley Blu-ray/DVD publications, such as Cinerama Holiday and Cinerama's South Seas Adventure; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; The Italian Straw Hat; and more. Films from some collections, such as Landmarks of Early Soviet Film, will even be available to rent individually. The full selection can be found under the Streaming section of the new Flicker Alley website: http://www.FlickerAlley.com/Streaming.
So, if you’re not familiar with Flicker Alley’s work and have any interest in film history whatsoever, check out FA’s discs - they’re great. Or, jump on over and try out a stream or two. There’s a lot to be learned here about vintage filmmaking which, in some cases, has been forgotten, marginalized, or hard to find over the years. But you may glean find quite of bit of insight into how modern cinema evolved into what it is today, and maybe even find yourself longing more for what used to be than what’s right around the corner…
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Glen Oliver
“Merrick”
