The Phantom Carriage (Sjöström, 1921)

[charulata]

"Coming Soon" tease in the DVD Times news of the Tartan R2 version of Häxan...

[Gropius]

And it will feature a new soundtrack by KTL, a side-project of the drone metal band Sunn O))) with the Austrian laptop noise musician Pita. I can see that dividing opinions!

[Rsdio]

And it will feature a new soundtrack by KTL, a side-project of the drone metal band Sunn O))) with the Austrian laptop noise musician Pita. I can see that dividing opinions!

I've got to admit I'd never heard of the film until now, but this sounds fantastic to me. Maybe one day we'll get Merzbow scoring Metropolis.

[mikeohhh]

And it will feature a new soundtrack by KTL, a side-project of the drone metal band Sunn O))) with the Austrian laptop noise musician Pita. I can see that dividing opinions!

ok, this I actually see working better than the Jonathan Richman score

I hope the Criterion has both (plus a piano score for grandpa)

[vogler]

At last, this is excellent news. I've been going on about the lack of Sjostrom dvds for ages and finally one of his very best films will be released. This year is crazy - it's like someone decided to start releasing all the films I most desperately want to see on dvd. My poor credit card.

And it will feature a new soundtrack by KTL, a side-project of the drone metal band Sunn O))) with the Austrian laptop noise musician Pita. I can see that dividing opinions!

This is dreadful news and is sure to have me ranting like a madman when I hear it. I love experimental/electronic/industrial music but not with my silent films - there's a time and a place. I have a copy of the Swedish restored version of The Phantom Carriage and it has an excellent orchestral score that works wonderfully with the film. I hope that is included too.

Perhaps I should tell my mate Filthy Turd to get in on the silent scoring business - he could make a fortune with Tartan. I imagine he could work wonders with some Borzage as well, or perhaps an additional score for the upcoming MOC disc of Tabu?

[Tommaso]

At last, this is excellent news. I've been going on about the lack of Sjostrom dvds for ages and finally one of his very best films will be released. This year is crazy - it's like someone decided to start releasing all the films I most desperately want to see on dvd. My poor credit card.

Oh yes, you don't know how much my credit card agrees. Damn great news, indeed! I'm sure Tartan will do an excellent job with this, but what about this talk of a Criterion edition? I know there have been speculations about Criterion doing "The Phantom Carriage" for quite a while, but has there been a more conclusive announcement recently (or not so recently) that I missed?

I completely agree with what you say about the new soundtrack, though I'd be keen to hear it, nevertheless. You mention a Swedish restoration with orchestral soundtrack. Is this available on dvd, and if so, does it have English oder any other subs?

[vogler]

but what about this talk of a Criterion edition? I know there have been speculations about Criterion doing "The Phantom Carriage" for quite a while, but has there been a more conclusive announcement recently (or not so recently) that I missed?

I've not heard anything conclusive - or anything at all recently. Unless something is anounced before the Tartan dvd comes out then I'm not waiting any longer. I've been waiting far too long for this already.

You mention a Swedish restoration with orchestral soundtrack. Is this available on dvd, and if so, does it have English oder any other subs?

I have a VHS rip of the Swedish restoration. I don't think it's available on DVD anywhere. I actually made custom English subs for it that can be downloaded with emule. The video quality is only average though, so I'll be very glad to upgrade to the Tartan dvd. I really hope the dvd has the orchestral score though, otherwise I'll have to make some kind of re-authored custom dvd, adding the score from the VHS rip. I would think the Tartan dvd has to be the Swedish restoration and therefore it should contain this score as well - hopefully.

[Ornette]

The orchestral score from the Swedish restoration is composed by Matti Bye and is by far my favourite silent film soundtrack. It's so suitable and blends in so perfect with the action and emotions, and sets a great mood throughout the movie.
Matti accompanied a series of Hitchcock silents at the Swedish Cinematek this winter -- completely improvised and abslolutely amazing. I asked him if Criterion had contacted him regarding his soundtrack, but he had not heard anything at that time (I think it was is March).

The digital TV recording that I've got is perfectly watchable and demonstrates a great restoration that a DVD edition will probably do more justice.

[addz]

"Coming Soon" tease in the DVD Times news of the Tartan R2 version of Häxan...

Great news on Häxan but I had hoped MoC would release this. Oh well, I'm sure the Tartan edition will be super - it sure looks to be, what with both versions of the film being in the set. Sure would have made a mighty fine MoC double discer though.

[vogler]

The orchestral score from the Swedish restoration is composed by Matti Bye and is by far my favourite silent film soundtrack. It's so suitable and blends in so perfect with the action and emotions, and sets a great mood throughout the movie.

I was trying to find out who composed the score and I had a feeling it was Matti Bye. He also composed the excellent soundtrack for Stiller's Sir Arne's Treasure that can be heard on the Kino dvd. I agree that this is a stunning score and certainly one of the best silent scores I have heard as well. If Tartan don't include it that would be a terrible shame. I think they probably will but perhaps it would be worth pestering them about it. I'll send them an email.

[mikeohhh]

I know there have been speculations about Criterion doing "The Phantom Carriage" for quite a while, but has there been a more conclusive announcement recently (or not so recently) that I missed?

A new 35mm print is doing the rounds as part of the 50 Years of Janus series, so it's definitely coming to DVD fairly soon

[HerrSchreck]

I was trying to find out who composed the score and I had a feeling it was Matti Bye. He also composed the excellent soundtrack for Stiller's Sir Arne's Treasure that can be heard on the Kino dvd. I agree that this is a stunning score and certainly one of the best silent scores I have heard as well. If Tartan don't include it that would be a terrible shame. I think they probably will but perhaps it would be worth pestering them about it. I'll send them an email.

Who would have thought that 2007 is shaping up to be among the 2 or 3 best years in dvd-dom? This is really fantastic... just this month alone I've got four mandatory CC's to buy, plus the Jodorowsky, plus the Renoir... and thats just R1... and ditto on Matti Bye. His work on ARNE reminded me a lot of the working aesthetic of Ifukube: to express, not to illustrate (or instruct). ARNE is always a supportive score, always blending with the elements onscreen and reflecting a la the 1 plus 1 equals three idea. Music can transform a movie profoundly when done properly, and so few composers (owing to the huge numbers of folks clambering to get into the film biz or show biz in general) have the discipline to work this way owing to their desire to be noticed, and their need to be competitive. Thus, tons of conflicting, abysmal scores which grate against the film itself (one of Kino's worst crimes in my view, far worse than the PAL/NTSC issue) a la the otherwise nice release of the sublime PENALTY, plus the AVANT stuff and more. The score for EROTIKON on the other hand is a score made in good faith, but so atmospherically inappropriate (melancholic gloom for a lite drawing room comedy) that it's equally bad. But I dont think Bye had anything to do with that one. But yes, this is quite a year indeed. Credit cards melting...

[vogler]

I got a reply from Tartan confirming that they will be releasing The Phantom Carriage towards the end of this year. They said they are currently unable to tell me much about the score since the release is still quite a long way off. They didn't say it won't feature the Matti Bye score though. I reckon they'll probably get it. Hopefully it won't all be grinding industrial mayhem.

[alfons416]

i really hope they will include the bye-score, it's excellent. do kino use matti byes score for sir arnes treasure?

[vogler]

i really hope they will include the bye-score, it's excellent. do kino use matti byes score for sir arnes treasure?

The Kino dvd of Sir Arne's Treasure does feature the Matti Bye score, and a wonderful score it is too - a very welcome break from Donald Sosin and his Fisher-Price keyboard.

[alfons416]

The Kino dvd of Sir Arne's Treasure does feature the Matti Bye score, and a wonderful score it is too - a very welcome break from Donald Sosin and his Fisher-Price keyboard.

Good to know, I've been thinking of ordering that. Is it the new (relatively) tinted restoration from SFI? if it is i can live with the english innertitles.

[vogler]

I've been thinking of ordering that. Is it the new (relatively) tinted restoration from SFI? if it is i can live with the english innertitles.

Yep, it's the tinted SFI restoration - It's wonderful. I insist that you buy it now.

[Wittsdream]

It will be interesting to see what logo precedes Turner Classic Movies' presentation of He Who Gets Slapped, showing Midnight on June 3rd.

[dadaistnun]

The Bye score for Phantom Carriage is available on cd here.



I love the excerpts.

Also: Matti Bye dot com

eta:



is available there, too. ( I didn't realize at first that Bye is part of the Panoptikon Orchestra.)

[Gropius]

Well, I just found a YouTube video of the act that has been commissioned to soundtrack this one. Chances are that the results will be quite indiscriminately noisy, although that can sometimes work, in the same way that silence works. (I actually didn't mind that Nosferatu soundtrack by Art Zoyd, which most seem to loathe).

[Scharphedin2]

Well, I just found a YouTube video of the act that has been commissioned to soundtrack this one.

No kidding!!

Like you say, "noisy"/modern/experimental music can sometimes work well with silent film. I once attended a triple screening of Battleship Potemkin, Sunrise and The Golem. Each film was accompanied live by a different contemporary musician/ensemble. Gary Lucas played the music for The Golem (details here), and it was the most effective of the three soundtracks. It was a really good viewing experience, however, the music definitely competed with the image for attention, which honestly I do not think is right. As much as I enjoy this genre of music (and Stephen O'Malley's various projects in particular), I dearly hope that a "more authentic" soundtrack will also be included with this long awaited release of Phantom Carriage.

Incidentally, for anyone buzzed by the clip linked above, I can recommend Sun 0)))'s releases, and most of all their most recent release (a combo-effort with Japanese Boris) called Altar. This (triple) album infuses more harmony than usual into the often extremely dark and densely woven soundscapes of heavy guitar drones. The layout of the sleeve (including book) is a work of art in itself... Sorry to take the thread off topic, but in its way this is quite exciting news to me.

[Person]

Victor Sjöström: A Portrait, the 1981 documentary featuring Bergman would be a great extra for The Phantom Carriage.

[MichaelB]

(I actually didn't mind that Nosferatu soundtrack by Art Zoyd, which most seem to loathe).

I loved it, but then again I saw them performing it live in the Union Chapel in Islington, north London - a phenomenally effective venue for this particular film. I suspect that helped.

[Subbuteo]

(I actually didn't mind that Nosferatu soundtrack by Art Zoyd, which most seem to loathe).

I loved it, but then again I saw them performing it live in the Union Chapel in Islington, north London - a phenomenally effective venue for this particular film. I suspect that helped.

Union Chapel and Conway Hall, halycon days!
Michael, was it a 'London Musician's Collective' event?

[MichaelB]

Michael, was it a 'London Musician's Collective' event?

I honestly can't remember - it was about 13-14 years ago.