Alice in Cartoonland - 35mm Collection (1927) Review

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(More customer reviews)Now that this collection has been officially released, I figured that it is now safe to express an opinion about it. The fact that I've ACTUALLY WATCHED IT is just that much more reason to weigh in, so here goes...
Back in the 1920s, before "Walt Disney" was an international household name, our boy produced a series of silent-era cartoons about a young girl (the titular "Alice") interacting with animated characters within a cartoon universe.
After Walt struck gold with Mickey Mouse, a distributor glommed onto these cartoons and added a soundtrack for distribution in the new sound-era of the 1930s. This collection is sourced from these "Raytone" prints. These original nitrate 35mm prints look sharper and have better soundtracks that the 16mm dupes I've seen over the years.
I'd give this collection my highest recommendation, except for one thing. VCI felt compelled to use something called DIGITAL VIDEO NOISE REDUCTION (DVNR) during their film-to-video transfer process. DVNR is peachy-keen for live-action films, as it can get rid of lines, scratches and dirt artifacts. Unfortunately, with cartoons, the DVNR mistakes the outlines of fast-moving drawings for something to be removed, so you can end up with patchy, compromised images.
DVNR aside, a bonus that makes this collection a "keeper" in my book is the inclusion of three more silent-era-but-dubbed-with-sound subjects! These are the "Krazy Kids Kartunes!" (Note that VCI calls them "Krazy Kid Cartoons." I wonder if this is to avoid a KKK connotation?) These sort of left-field finds are always of interest to me! There is DVNR on these shorts as well, but the effect isn't as severe as seen on the "Alice" comedies.

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Walt Disney produced 57 "Alice" cartoons between 1923 and 1927. The series owed its success to both its clever special effects – cartoon characters interacting with a live young girl cleverly superimposed within the frame – and its breezy humor.The cartoons on this DVD have remarkable clarity because they were transferred directly from 35mm nitrate negatives. Bonus Features: Scene Selection| Trailers| Bios| "Alice in Hollywood" by JB Kaufman, co-author, with Russell Merritt, of "Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney"| Three cartoons from the seldom seen "Life Cartoon Comedy" series, re-titled "Krazy Kid Cartoons" for their 1930 sound reissue.| Synopsis of each of the cartoons on the DVD with a click to play feature. Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital; 92 minutes; B&W;1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA – NR; Year - 1925, 1927; SRP - $19.99.

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