Viewing classic movies on the web

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malcolm1980 · #1 Post by **malcolm1980** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:08 pm

How do you guys feel about watching movies through the internet? Not just youtube vids but actual movies? I've found that there is a surprising amount of classic movies out there for download/viewing. Usually, I watch films on-line as a last resort. If I could not find the DVD for rent and/or purchasing the DVD would be too pricey, I'd turn on-line.

Here are a few helpful links:

Movies Found Online

Atarumyth's Youtube Page

Silent Film Democracy (Youtube Page)

Ziegfield Girl (Youtube Page)

The Internet Archive

Like Television

Jean-Luc Garbo · #2 Post by **Jean-Luc Garbo** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:55 pm

I've watched documentaries (Takemitsu, Donald Cammell) and movies (Privilege) online so this is hardly a problem. The dude who has A Woman of Affairs posted made my day. Thanks for posting those links!

truefaux · #3 Post by **truefaux** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 1:39 pm

just wanted to say thanks for the links. i recommend http://www.ubu.com/

Poncho Punch · #4 Post by **Poncho Punch** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:00 pm

Stage6 has a wide variety of (DivX-encoded) videos uploaded, available for viewing and downloading. Think YouTube with generally near-DVD quality files (some better, some worse).

Of particular interest may be this channel, dedicated to public domain films.

HerrSchreck · #5 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:36 pm

On youtube there's also the infamous Maid Marian whose crowning glory is having a rare complete version of VARIETE up there. For years I had only seen the atrophied american version of this masterpiece (with some of Freund's most acrobatic camera, with Mate' as operator) on an american release print-vhs. Hers is an Italian intertitled version but the film is very easy to follow.

That silent democracy copy of ALRAUNE is very interesting. A rare and haunted film. Galeen deserved better treatment on dvd than Alphas STUDNT OF PRAGUE lone release here or in europe.

mario gauci · #6 Post by **mario gauci** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:12 am

There are some really great Silents in there which I've been after for years - ALRAUNE, JOAN THE WOMAN, THE UNHOLY THREE, VARIETY - and I'm grateful to the above posters for notifying us of their online availability...but is there a way one can download these clips or at least watch them full screen on a PC monitor?

Thanks.

Cold Bishop · #7 Post by **Cold Bishop** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:27 am

mario gauci wrote:There are some really great Silents in there which I've been after for years - ALRAUNE, JOAN THE WOMAN, THE UNHOLY THREE, VARIETY - and I'm grateful to the above posters for notifying us of their online availability...but is there a way one can download these clips or at least watch them full screen on a PC monitor?

Well, a google search should show quite easily how to download the clips from Youtube, which you could then piece together into one file if necessary... however, compression-wise, it would not be ideal to watch Youtube video full-screen.

UBU allows you to download the files (which I would recommend, since some files seem to play very badly on the site... odd, since you don't stream but download the file into your temp drive).

HerrSchreck · #8 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:31 pm

mario gauci wrote:There are some really great Silents in there which I've been after for years - ALRAUNE, JOAN THE WOMAN, THE UNHOLY THREE, VARIETY - and I'm grateful to the above posters for notifying us of their online availability... but is there a way one can download these clips or at least watch them full screen on a PC monitor?

The above poster is right.. most files devolve into blockiness when maximized, but youtube offers, down on the lower righthand size, a little icon to maximize into fullscreen viewing of the film.

Kinsayder · #9 Post by **Kinsayder** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 6:38 pm

The Firefox extension VideoDownloader will grab YouTube clips to your hard disk. On a Mac, MPlayer can play the downloaded clips, and VisualHub can stitch together segments and convert to DVD. I've done this for several films that have been posted in 10-minute fragments and the results are surprisingly good on a small screen CRT.

Awesome Welles · #10 Post by **Awesome Welles** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:54 pm

Where did you watch the documentaries you mention Jean-Luc Garbo?

Jean-Luc Garbo · #11 Post by **Jean-Luc Garbo** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 6:04 pm

I saw them on You Tube. I don't have the links to them anymore as it was a few months ago, but they should still be there. The Cammell doc was by Chris Rodley and the Takemitsu doc was by Charlotte Zwerin.

dx23 · #12 Post by **dx23** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 2:33 am

Posted this on the Amazon.com bargains thread:

Download Movie Classics for Free

Mise En Scene · #13 Post by **Mise En Scene** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:22 pm

Jaman

Haven't browsed their selection so I don't know if they have classic movies there nor have I read the site FAQ.

Peter Scarlet (Executive Director; Tribeca Film Festival) mentioned Xiao Wu (Jia Zhang-ke) can be downloaded from there for a "modest fee."

Narshty · #14 Post by **Narshty** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:47 pm

There's all sorts of good things on YouTube at the moment that takes no small amount of tracking down to find anywhere else. I propose a thread that people can post stuff of genuine interest and hard-to-find works.

For starters, two rarities by major filmmakers withdrawn since their release:

Amblin' (Steven Spielberg, 1968) - The legendary short that launched Spielberg into professional directing but which its creator has seen fit to keep locked away since the 1970s.

Fear and Desire (Part 1) (Stanley Kubrick, 1953) - Kubrick's first feature is a textbook example of ambitions exceeding the filmmaker's grasp. Fascinating, though bafflingly terrible. To be honest, it deserves its own thread.

Elephant · #15 Post by **Elephant** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:54 pm

Mike Leigh's short film A Sense of History, as well as The Five-Minute Films: The Birth of the Goalie of the 2001 F.A. Final, Old Chums, Probation, A Light Snack, and Afternoon.

Morgan Creek · #16 Post by **Morgan Creek** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:21 pm

A short French documentary on Setsuko Hara: Part 1 and Part 2

#17 Post by **Jeff** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:34 pm

I've merged your "rarities and documentaries" on YouTube thread with this old one I dug up, Narshty. I think it's a fine idea and welcome the chance to watch both of the rarities you posted links to. A couple of ground rules for contributors to this thread though:

1. Although it is a fine line, please only post links to YouTube and other similar compressed video clip sharing services here. Full-size torrents ripped from copyrighted material are not welcome here.

2. This is a place for rare films that may be sought out by members. It's not a place to post "funny" clips of people getting hit in the balls or squirrels that can waterski, etc.

dadaistnun · #18 Post by **dadaistnun** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:09 pm

Europa Film Treasures

This was linked from Dave Kehr's blog. I haven't checked out very much yet, but there are certainly some things of interest.

Saturnome · #19 Post by **Saturnome** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:12 pm

Here's a short by Czech director Karel Zeman that I like a lot: Inspirace,1948. Glass sculpture in stop-motion, nothing deep but beautiful.

And there's this link on the ONF website that let you watch a good bunch of animated classics. It may only works for canadians, I don't know.

nsps · #20 Post by **nsps** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:15 am

Anyone give eztakes.com a go? They seem to offer free streaming on a lot of classics, and sell downloads for various rates. I assume these are mostly public domain transfers.

Narshty · #21 Post by **Narshty** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:01 am

Filmmaker: A Diary by George Lucas, chronicling production on Coppola's The Rain People.

paczemoj · #22 Post by **paczemoj** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:05 pm

There's also the few-month old Europa Film Treasures

MichaelB · #23 Post by **MichaelB** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:08 pm

...and the BFI's dedicated YouTube channel.

Aletheia · #24 Post by **Aletheia** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:10 pm

Narshty wrote:Filmmaker: A Diary by George Lucas, chronicling production on Coppola's The Rain People.

Thanks for the link to 'Filmmaker A Diary' I was watching the American Zoetrope feature on the supplementary disc of THX 1138 last night. It showed a few clips of George Lucas shooting this documentary.

I remember watching and enjoying Coppola's film back in the early 90s on British TV, especially Shirley Knight's performance. I've just had a look online for a DVD copy, to no avail. Is this maybe due to legal wrangling? I remember reading that its one of Coppola's own favourite works.

Antares · #25 Post by **Antares** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:19 pm

The Story of Temple Drake (Stephen Roberts, 1933)

Somebody's posted the whole film on Youtube, catch it before it disappears.

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