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Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
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Champagne
(1928)

StudioCanal
2016 DVD edition

The Early Hitchcock Collection (1927-1932), black & white and color-toned black & white, 810 minutes total, BBFC Classification PG,
including Champagne (1928), black & white, ? minutes, BBFC Classification PG.

StudioCanal, OPTD3021, UPC 5-055201-833594.
Nine single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound, English language soundtrack, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; nine-disc flip-tray DVD clamshell in cardboard slipcase; £29.99.
Release date: 25 April 2016.
Country of origin: England

This Hitchcock PAL DVD boxset contains the repackaged and reissued Optimum Releasing DVD edition of Champagne.

Easily the best-looking home video edition of Champagne we have viewed, we highly recommended this edition. North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Optimum Home Entertainment
2007 DVD edition

Optimum Releasing,
unknown catalogue number, unknown UPC number.
Nine single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; nine slimline DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; £34.99.
Release date: 26 February 2007.
Country of origin: England

This Hitchcock DVD boxset contains the Optimum DVD edition of Champagne. It has been noted that the music accompanying the film is not the best.

The supplementary material includes an introduction by Noel Simsolo and a photograph gallery.

While not great, this is currently the best-looking edition of Champagne we have viewed on home video. North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Mill Creek Entertainment
2007 DVD edition

Alfred Hitchcock: The Legend Begins (1926-1962), black & white, 1614 minutes total, not rated,
including Champagne (1928), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

Mill Creek Entertainment,
no catalog number, UPC 6-83904-20031-0.
Four dual-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 4 chapter stops; four-disc DVD keepcase; $14.98.
Release date: 25 September 2007.
Country of origin: USA

This budget DVD collection has been mastered from the same subpar, low-resolution analog video transfer of a good to very-good 16mm reduction print as the Brentwood edition noted below. Some analog videotape alignment glitches are seen throughout the film.

The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting orchestral recordings. The somber orchestral score does not reflect well this comedy-drama film.

Not really recommended unless you don’t have a region-free DVD player and cannot view the PAL Optimum edition noted above.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Mill Creek Entertainment
2011 DVD edition

Alfred Hitchcock: A Legacy of Suspense (1926-1962), black & white, 1737 minutes total, not rated,
including Champagne (1928), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

Mill Creek Entertainment,
no catalog number, UPC 6-83904-52427-0.
Four single-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 4 chapter stops; four-disc tin keepcase (rereleased in four disc envelopes in holder within standard DVD keepcase); unknown suggested list price.
Release date: 1 November 2011.
Country of origin: USA

This budget DVD edition utilizes the same video transfer released by Mill Creek in the collection noted above, which was transferred from a 16mm reduction print.

The film is accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting orchestral recordings. The somber orchestral score does not reflect well this comedy-drama film.

The supplementary material includes a ‘documentary’ The Story of Alfred Hitchock in 16:9 widescreen (22 minutes) and a collection of Hitchcock film trailers (39 minutes).

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Brentwood Home Video
2005 DVD edition

The Essential Alfred Hitchcock Collection (1927-1939), black & white, ? minutes total, not rated,
including Champagne (1928), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

Brentwood Home Video, 46304-9, UPC 7-87364-63049-3.
Five double-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 5.1 surround and Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, 8 chapter stops; five-disc DVD keepcase in cardboard slipcase; $19.95.
Release date: 23 August 2005.
Country of origin: USA

Our first look at this multidisc DVD collection of Hitchcock films reveals a contrasty, artifact-laden, sound-speed video transfer of Champagne from a very-good 16mm reduction print.

The highlights of the picture are often blasted out, but the real issue is the low-resolution image which may be the result of a VHS videotape master — early in the film a video glitch tells of its analog origin. Another tell-tale sign of its analog origin is the lower-than-usual number of scan lines constituting the picture, even while the disc is playing, that will be visible on both standard and HD monitors.

A discerning viewer will have a tough time watching this disc, especially in HD.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

St. Clair Vision
2007 DVD edition

The Ultimate Hitchcock Collection (1926-1962), black & white, 1695 minutes total, not rated,
including Champagne (1928), black & white, 85 minutes, not rated.

St. Clair Vision, BX86149-6VD, UPC 7-77966-86149-4.
Six dual-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; six slimline DVD keepcases in cardboard slipcase; $16.98.
Release date: 19 November 2007.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 0 / additional content: 4 / overall: 3.

This budget DVD edition has been mastered from a VHS videotape transferred from a 16mm reduction print at a faster than natural-speed pace. The results are a little blurry, with highlights that are blasted-out to white.

The film is presented with a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
2008 DVD edition

Alfred Hitchcock Classics (1927-1962), black & white, 720 minutes total, not rated,
including Champagne (1928), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.

Echo Bridge Home Entertainment,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
Four dual-sided, dual-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD discs, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 stereo and mono sound, English language intertitles, no foreign language subtitles, chapter stops; four-disc DVD keepcase; $15.99.
Release date: 2 September 2008.
Country of origin: USA

This budget DVD edition has likely all been transferred from 16mm reduction prints.

The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting recordings.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

Czechoslovakian
200? DVD edition

Champagne (1928), black & white, 86 minutes, not rated.

Unknown home video company,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 48 kHz 2.0 mono sound, English language intertitles, optional? Czechoslovakian language subtitles, chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 200?.
Country of origin: Czechoslovakia

This Czech PAL DVD edition of Champagne has likely been transferred from a 16mm reduction print.

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.