Méliès: Fairy Tales in Color

Beginning in 2008, with the release of the award-winning Georges Méliès: First Wizard of Cinema, Flicker Alley and Blackhawk Films® have featured and celebrated the extraordinary work of Georges Méliès in various Blu-ray, DVD, and digital editions. Now, thanks to the extensive restoration efforts of Lobster Films, viewers will be equally delighted by the clarity, creativity and compositions of this new HD collection. This set features music scores from seven talented musicians, and English narration tracks for select titles (noted below), along with a booklet that includes optional read-along narration to select shorts in the collection. 

The Pillar of Fire (LA DANSE DU FEU, 1899, 1 min)

Joan of Arc (JEANNE D'ARC, 1900, 11 min) + narration

A Trip to the Moon (LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE, 1902, 15 min) + narration

Robinson Crusoe (LES AVENTURES DE ROBINSON CRUSOE, 1902, 12 min) + narration

The Kingdom of Fairies (LE ROYAUME DES FÉES, 1903, 17 min) + narration

The Infernal Cauldron (LE CHAUDRON INFERNAL, 1903, 2 min)

The Impossible Voyage (VOYAGE À TRAVERS L'IMPOSSIBLE, 1904, 21 min) + narration

Rip's Dream (LA LÉGENDE DE RIP VAN WINCKLE, 1905, 15 min) + narration

The Inventor Crazybrain and His Wonderful Airship (LE DIRIGEABLE FANTASTIQUE, 1905, 3 min)

The Merry Frolics of Satan (LES QUAT'CENTS FARCES DU DIABLE, 1906, 22 min) + narration

The Witch (LA FÉE CARABOSSE ou LE POIGNARD FATAL, 1906, 13 min)

The Diabolic Tenant (UN LOCATAIRE DIABOLIQUE, 1906, 8 min)

Whimsical Illusions (LES ILLUSIONS FANTAISISTES, 1909, 5 min)

Over the past ten years, many Méliès elements have been newly rediscovered, and are presented here – many on Blu-ray disc for the first time – culled from the best archival materials and using the most recent restoration technologies available.

Lobster Films (based in Paris, birthplace of Méliès) scanned the best sources for each of these films, and performed an extensive digital restoration, stabilizing the images and regrading faded colors. Eric Lange supervised the entire project. The nitrate hand-colored prints, and original camera negatives came from major archives and collectors around the world. We thank the EYE Film Institute, Library of Congress, Cinémathèque française, and Národní Filmovy Archiv for their help and their trust.

Focusing on a selection of hand-colored films, and designed to feature Méliès’ love of storytelling, this collection showcases Méliès’ talent for bringing imagination and fantasy to his films.

These new editions present an ideal opportunity for parents to share the fantastical world of Méliès’ with their children. The recorded narration tracks mirror the way these turn-of-the-last-century films were originally presented. The accompanying booklet narration texts, when read aloud, transports the magic of these stories to children of all ages. This Blu-ray disc/DVD animated fairy tale book will be an ideal gift for the holidays!

Helping to bring these films to life, is the work of the following talented musicians: Brian Benison, Eric Le Guen, Antonio Coppola, Robert Israel, Neal Kurz, Jeff Mills, Alexander Rannie and Serge Bromberg. Méliès: Fairy Tales in Color will fascinate and entertain both young and old.

BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:

• Narration Tracks – Featuring film historian Serge Bromberg, and adapted from George Méliès’ suggestions, these narrations are culled from Star Films distribution catalogues intended for the sale of these films to English-speaking territories.
• Souvenir Booklet – Featuring a new forward to the collection by Serge Bromberg, along with rare images and the English-language narration text to several of the films.