Restored Serials’ Super Restoration Series (Yeah, that’s an awkward mouthful to say) brings us a beautifully restored DVD of Houdini’s The Man From Beyond Restored!
While not necessarily the best movie around, props have to be given to Restored Serials for their great restoration job. With a team going through the movie frame by frame, they have removed almost all of the dirt and imperfections. The video quality is far clearer and detailed than previous versions and each scene, including the bonus features, have been stabilized so no more shaky images!
Anywho, what is this movie and why is the great Houdini in it? Well… as you all know, Houdini was a great magician and escape artist, but it turns out he was even better at self-promotion and public relations. As films were starting to prove themselves as cash cows, Houdini recognized them as a way to not only make money, but to get the attention of the public and attract them to his stage acts as well.
After a few forays into the film industry, Houdini formed his own independent company and produced The Man From Beyond in 1922. The film follows a scientific expedition to the Arctic as they find a man frozen solid in a block of ice. When he is thawed, the man (Houdini) introduces himself as Howard Hillary and reveals that he has been frozen in the ice for 100 years! Back in civilization Howard meets Felice (Jane Connelly), who is identical to the woman Howard loved before he was frozen. Under the impression that Felice is the reincarnation of his love, Howard has to do everything in his power to convince Felice of who she really is.
While it isn’t a particularly interesting plot and there isn’t much action or escape acts, it is an interesting piece of history and this is definitely the nicest copy you will find. Actually, it is worth looking into solely for the bonus features. Restored Series has included several interesting extras including a 20 page promotional booklet for the film, 289 pages of scripts from Houdini’s 1919 serial The Master of Mystery, and some rare newsreel footage of Houdini’s famous straight jacket escape act performed in front of a large crowd in Dayton, Ohio! All very interesting stuff that is worth watching.
Recent Comments