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I am looking forward to this. Seventh Heaven and City Girl are both films I really want to revisit, and I would love to see some more of Borzage's silents.

Hopefully Fox continues the trend.

From ClassicFlix:

**Fox** has announced their much anticipated Murnau and Borzage Fox Box Set for release on December 9th. Info is preliminary, including the title, and no additional details are yet available.

The titles are:

* Lucky Star (1929)
* Sunrise - Special Edition (1927)
* Liliom (1930)
* They Had to See Paris (1929)
* Seventh Heaven (1927)
* Bad Girl (1931)
* Song 'O My Heart (1930)
* Lazy Bones (1925)
* Street Angel (1928)
* City Girl (1930)

Retail price is 239.98

Where's The River?

Isn't that a bit expensive for so few films?

Oh well, I'd buy it if it was $400.

I'm suuuure hoping those discs are made available in smaller boxed sets, like the films of the Ford set.

denti alligator wrote:Isn't that a bit expensive for so few films?

Oh well, I'd buy it if it was $400.

$24 per film retail is reasonable. I don't think it's fair to expect the typical per-film discounts we've grown accustomed to when buying smaller box sets given what Fox is accomplishing (and risking) here.

I'd prefer for them to also be available separately.

Suggested retail price is always high, I'd imagine that the standard rate will be approx 30% less but that does seem a little pricey. The Borzage films are certainly cause for celebration although I have to contend with my third copy of Sunrise.

They will at least release Sunrise and Seventh Heaven I think.
But, am I completely ignorant or there's some reason for Munrau (and only two films, plus a reconstructed one) and Borzage together? Their names start with a F ? I feel terrible for asking this.

Borzage was greatly influenced by Murnau, but I guess such a connection is a bit of a stretch since pretty much everyone was influenced by Murnau.

denti alligator wrote:Isn't that a bit expensive for so few films?

Oh well, I'd buy it if it was $400.

Same here (sigh).

By comparison, the Ford set (24 films / 20 discs) was $300, so this is drastically less value for money, unless the list of films is incomplete or the extras are extraordinary (e.g. the coffee table book comes with its own coffee table, or the box includes a piece of Janet Gaynor).

DVDempire lists two more titles (After Tomorrow & Young America, the latter of which seems like a rare one) and a documentary about Borzage and Murnau at Fox.

As others have said, this seems like a steep purchase, maybe they'll make Murnau and Borzage separate? I'll probably save up to get this regardless. I missed the boat on the Ford Box Will I ever get to Tobacco Road?

Anyway, this is the most exciting dvd news of the year! And we get Boetticher too!

HypnoHelioStaticStasis wrote: and a documentary about Borzage and Murnau at Fox.

The same doc is on the Edition Filmmuseum DVD of The River.

HypnoHelioStaticStasis wrote: Will I ever get to Tobacco Road?

Your blessed if you never have to see that film. It's frighteningly bad.

denti alligator wrote:Your blessed if you never have to see that film. It's frighteningly bad.

Really? I thought it was a refreshing departure for Ford, and it's actually one of my favorite films of his--he should have done more comedies! To each his own I suppose. It's certainly worth checking out though, I think.

And I would also just like to echo my excitement to finally see City Girl, and to get a souped-up release of Sunrise.

swo17 wrote:

denti alligator wrote:Your blessed if you never have to see that film. It's frighteningly bad.

Really? I thought it was a refreshing departure for Ford, and it's actually one of my favorite films of his--he should have done more comedies! To each his own I suppose. It's certainly worth checking out though, I think.

It's certainly bizarre and gloriously shot. In terms of its thematic trajectory, I got mixed messages from it. I seem to remember moments that went from genuinely moving to borderline exploitation in less than 30 seconds... I also seem to remember the final moments totally contradicting the rest of the film... Alas, such is comedy(?) Such is Ford. It's absolutely worth seeing, if not only for the AMAZING Ward Bond, who has some flipping glorious moments in the film.

sidehacker wrote:Borzage was greatly influenced by Murnau, but I guess such a connection is a bit of a stretch since pretty much everyone was influenced by Murnau.

I think it goes well beyond a mere instance of Borzage being influenced by Murnau. Apparently, the two directors shared crew and stars (and I believe, even sets and sound stages) on several of their films of the late twenties. During this period, the two directors produced the following films, working basically shoulder to shoulder: Sunrise, City Girl, Four Devils, Street Angel, Seventh Heaven, Lucky Star and The River. Without wishing to detract anything from Murnau, I think influence (or inspiration) may well have flowed both ways in this instance. The excellent documentary on the Filmmuseum edition of The River (and, which will also be on this set) goes into a lot of detail on this. For anyone, who has never seen these Borzage films, I am sure they will be a huge eyeopener. Easily the release of the year for me, and I am sure it will be worth its weight in gold (as the Ford Box before it).

Cash Flagg wrote:Bad Girl (1931)

Great, this wasn't announced before and I have a truly bad copy of it. I wish they would have thrown in AFTER TOMORROW instead of the two musicals, but it's a marvelous set and I can finally see some of the films I've written an article about .

THE RIVER could be a supplement on one disc, it's only 40 minutes after all. If not the english friendly Edition Filmmuseum DVD is your choice and very much worth it for the three early westerns.

lubitsch wrote:Great, this wasn't announced before and I have a truly bad copy of it. I wish they would have thrown in AFTER TOMORROW instead of the two musicals, but it's a marvelous set and I can finally see some of the films I've written an article about .

What were the options of reading your article, lubitsch? I remember you referring to this article in the Borzage thread, and I am sure it would be an interesting read (worth tackling even with my limited German abilities )

lubitsch wrote: I wish they would have thrown in AFTER TOMORROW instead of the two musicals

As HypnoHelioStaticStasis posted above, DVD Empire lists this film in the set plus YOUNG AMERICA. I guess we'll have to wait for the official press release, also regarding whether THE RIVER is included.

HypnoHelioStaticStasis wrote: Will I ever get to Tobacco Road?

It's available individually on a dead cheap German Fox disc. Barebones, but looks good. Just in case you're not already frightened off...

Anyway, I'm truly happy to see that this set is finally coming, even at such a price. I will definitely buy the complete collection this time, even if they release some of them in micro-sets a la Ford at Fox. Too bad we all have to double-dip on "Sunrise", though. And I can't imagine "The River" wouldn't be included, as the print/resto + documentary released on the filmmuseum disc clearly are of American origin. I imagine it to be among the extras considering its fragmentary character.

Scharphedin2 wrote:What were the options of reading your article, lubitsch? I remember you referring to this article in the Borzage thread, and I am sure it would be an interesting read (worth tackling even with my limited German abilities )

I have not seen LAZYBONES, but knowing Borzage and the plot it sounds very much like an excellent film and I'm dying to see LUCKY STAR!!!
I'm very sceptical towards SUNRISE and SEVENTH HEAVEN which seem to me classical cases of valuing style over content. On the other hand STREET ANGEL and CITY GIRL are far less known but don't suffer from the melodramatic stereotypes which permeate the two earlier films.
LILIOM is an example of Borzage's dangerous idealization of women which borders on masochism on their side. But the stylized sets are truly stunning. BAD GIRL is filmed in a far more dry style and tries to meld Borzage's silent poetic style with a more realistic portrait of life.
The two early musicals seemed pretty much superfluous for me and I didn't see them, Herve Dumont doesn't think much of them and it seems unlikely to me that we have major discoveries coming here. AFTER TOMORROW would have been fascinating because it is supposed to continue the sombre mood of BAD GIRL.

Nevertheless ... this set should lead to a major reevaluation of Borzage's role in film history. He was always a hidden pearl and with only a few films easily available he maybe would have never gotten his due, but Fox' DVD set will bring his masterpieces back into people's consciousness after decades of neglect. Together with editions like the Eclipse Bernard set it's the release of the year and I guarantee that you'll discover a pantheon filmmaker. I truly can't recommend this set highly enough.

Available for pre-order at Amazon ($167.99)

Still have my fingers crossed for affordable, individual sets (I see a Murnau set, a Silent Borzage set, and a Sound Borzage set).

But if its gotta be $167, then that's what its gonna be.

What A Disgrace wrote:Still have my fingers crossed for affordable, individual sets (I see a Murnau set, a Silent Borzage set, and a Sound Borzage set).

And I have my fingers crossed that they learned from the Ford at Fox packaging disaster (my main reason way back then to buy the micro sets instead of the big set).

Yeah my biggest worry is that this is going to come in a giant book with slots for the discs-- these studios just don't get it when it comes to packaging expensive sets. Give us something with regular tabs for chrissake

The Ford at Fox was a bit of a bitch, but I'll still take this set even if crammed inta the guts of a Purdue Oven Stuffer Roaster.

That's gone bad from the summer heat.

That was eaten by a dog who happened by.

And got food poisoning and hurled.

Which was then lappe-- (time to stop).