Rating: 
Summary: Nosferatu - Special Edition Max Schreck
Review: I purchased the Special Edition and the video was wonderful
but the sound track was so bad that I could not watch the
movie with it on. If you are serious about buying a copy of
this movie, find the Nosferatu web site first and read about
the sound track that are in use. The sound track on this
recording sounds like a 1950's jazz track with a lot of
brushed cymbals. The Man With the Golden Arm is what comes to
mind. There are many good sound tracks out there. Find the
good one before you purchase.
Rating:
Summary: The film speed is STILL not right!
Review: What can I say? European Silent film speed is 15 frames per second, not 18 as was in America, nor 20 because it's convenient to produce a DVD that way. My version of Nosferatu on VHS is 106 minutes long, with no additional material than other versions; and except where Murnau explicitly wanted supernatural speed, all the actors movements appear absolutely natural, making the story real. The DVD versions out thus far are at ~82 minutes long, and are still too fast.Anyone who has seen a silent movie at a true correct film speed knows that of which I write. If it is any faster, it appears unnatural (i.e., herky-jerky movements), and robs the film of any real emotional relevance. I advise consumers to keep their wallets shut unless the production outfits publish in their technical descriptions the film speeds they are using, and why. There is too much that is simply lost from the silent world, and this I believe is the chief culprit. All the tinting, scoring, or image restoration does not fix what is fundamentally a flawed publication if the speed is not absolutely correct. As a fan of this movie, I await for the day when ALL the production values are utilized in publishing this movie on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Nosferatu...
Review: Count Orlock appears in silence, long of nail, sharp of tooth, pale of flesh, bald of head. Creeping forward, ghoulishly menacing, eyes shimmering in the darkness, plagueing his victims with fear & dread. There is no escaping the morbid spell of the nosferatu......... The wraith-like, captivating phantom played convincingly by Max Schreck, haunts one's visions & rememberance as probably the most horrific incarnation of vampiric evil the world has ever seen. A remake by the same name in Year VII A.S., & Stephen King's Salem's Lot, resurrected the eerie spechtre to re-terrify the world of the living. The original 1922 version of NOSFERATU scared people out of their skins. In that time of puritanical virginity, those who dared to sit in a darkened theatre to witness this first of vampiric movies {up until then, there were only plays}, were in for a scare they were not prepared for. NOSFERATU is based upon Bram Stoker's characterization of Dracula, but a few names have been modified here & there, which gave it a bit more of an original feel. The looming figure of Orlock still brings chills to the unprepared. This is a good one to rent for vampire enthusiasts & archivists, who can still appreciate a horror classic. For those jaded, & seeking a new thrill, concentrate on how it must have been like to live in that era, when motion pictures were relatively new, & your life had been sheltered up to the point of walking into the theatre this night. The lights grow dim, let the horror start.........
Rating:
Summary: Mesmerising cinema
Review: By not having any, FW Murnau's visionary film Nosferatu succinctly demonstrates how severely dialogue can dilute and trivialise a piece of cinema. Even disregarding the technical and artistic limitations prevailing at the time this film was made (if by 1929 cinema was no longer in its infancy, it was certainly still pre-adolescent), this film is one of the most astonishing pieces of cinema I have ever seen. What is greatest about it - and pretty much everything about it is truly great - is the visual imagery and the beautiful way in which every scene is framed. I think I'd have missed a lot of this if I'd been focusing on a linear narrative, which is what an audio dialogue would have obliged me to do. At first the absence of dialogue seems an imposition on the modern viewer (it wasn't one on the director, for I am certain he felt no need for it) for it forces one to concentrate on looking. It seems an odd thing to say, but in these enlightened cinematic times, I really don't think we look properly any more. And what a treat it is when you do. Not a frame is wasted. Each shot - even such innocuous scene-setters as morning light falling across Hutter's face and Ellen relaxing with a kitten by a window - anticipates another, and creates or reinforces motifs as the film carries on. Murnau subtitled Nosferatu "a symphony of horror", and (though it must sound frightfully pretentious to say so) the construction of this film really is symphonic. While it forged countless cinematic devices which have since become cliches of the horror genre, when you view it as a symphony, it really isn't a horror at all. In this day and age it isn't frightening, but it certainly is haunting, and beautiful, but more than anything else, it's sexual. Despite having seen many different versions of the Dracula story (including Coppola's overtly sexual reading), I had never appreciated how deeply this story is an essay on sexual repression and potency. When you look at it this way - Nosferatu is really just a personification of Hutter's absent sexuality - the horror falls away. And this is unquestionably how it was intended: Watch Ellen's first approach to Hutter at the commencement of the film. We see the closed door, resembling a coffin lid. She opens it and creeps around the door, and approaches Hutter - from stage right - with her talons outstretched. When he accepts her embrace she nuzzles into his neck ... action for action, it is exactly how Orlock first approaches Hutter in his castle. Given how carefully every scene was framed (from time to time they resemble paintings, they're so well constructed), this could not possibly be a coincidence. Aside from the bloodsucking (which apart from the final scene, is all implied), there are many truly haunting images: darkness seeping like blood across the Carpathian valley; darkening skies behind the rugged mountains; the black ship of death silhouetted against the sun; a procession of funerals down an otherwise abandoned Wisborg street; Ellen waiting amongst partially submerged crucifixes on a desolate ocean beach for her loved one to return (note to file: it is Orlock who is coming by sea; Hutter, by contrast, is coming round the mountains); and one quite extraordinary shot in which, as the black horse-drawn coach carries Hutter to Orlock, the frame is suddenly plunged into the negative - but eerily, the Coach and Horseman remain black... The version I viewed had an extremely enlightening narrative from a satin-voiced Australian film critic, and some interesting featurettes about the history of the locations in which Nosferatu was filmed. the only point on which I'd mark the film down - and then only really on "authenticity" grounds - is for its curiously (and ironically) dated sounding electronic soundtrack, which sounded like it was generated some time in the eighties. While it is a moody, discordant piece which fits the film well, the obvious anachronism does jar a little at first. Werner Herzog made a fairly faithful "talkie" remake of Nosferatu in the late 1970s with the great Klaus Kinski as the count and Wagner's Gotterdamerung providing the soundtrack. This is well worth checking out, but in terms of building your film library, Murnau's original is a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Story? Spectacular !!, Quality? POOR...
Review: Pls note: I comment this on Alphavideo studio version I bought.
The story & cinematography is - of course - spectacular as I expected (don't be hesitate to have one). Nosferatu is great for its eccentric form. But, let me tell you 'bout how the disc going in my player. first, the the disc go smoothly, but at 3rd chapter (of 4 chapter) the disc begin to go slow and jump to next frame frequently. Chapter 4, I almost can not see the movie as it jump more and more worsely, and finally I CAN NOT SEE ANYTHING. Did I buy pirated stuff??? I tell you this never happen on my other DVDs bought from Amazon before. ... I don't know if this is the right stuff or not, but I'm really NOT satisfied.. You'd better look for other studio version. Beware the kind of mine.
Rating:
Summary: Are you Ready for a Treat
Review: Before Bela Lagosi put on the black cape to play Dracula, Max Schreck played the vampire (under the name of Count Orlock.), and he has remains the scariest vampire ever to be filmed. You have to see this movie to fully understand what I mean. The man is extremely creepy. The story is the same as Dracula but it is told differently. The location is changed to Germany and there are very little sets. Most of the movie is done in locations that were landmarks back in 1922 so that there is a more realistic feel. The best scene when Count Orlock is traveling by boat and the mates mysterious become ill and die. I actually jumped when he finally revealed himself. This movie is silent and is accompanied by either an orchestra or organ music. I suggest the orchestra although at the slow point you'll wonder if they were playing while watching the movie. During the scary parts they were right on the money.
Rating:
Summary: Must see for horror and (general) film lovers
Review: 1922 classic silent vampire film, the first of its kind, by German expressionists. Based on Dracula, this film deals with a man going to the "land of the phantoms" in Romania, to sell property, to a fellow, who turns out to be a vampire. The Vamp would like to kill his guest, but when he sees his wife, he travels to her town to have her. The scenes are brilliantly shot in black and white, in fearsome surroundings. Heavy shadows, and spooky music play. The camera is always still, it does not move. The acting or overacting is in the style of Expressionism, where all emotions are thrown out to be displayed. Before I sat down to watch this I felt a sense of dread, as I heard how great and terrifying this film is. As it started it got more and more eerier, and scary. I can understand why this film is regarded so high, as it is so entertaining, and captivating. That's quite good, since its in black and white with no sound, and moves at a slow pace. Seriously constructed by all who made this, I can see how it has survived and remained on critic's lists for 80 years, while modern horror films are forgotten after first viewing. Great addition to your library, 5 stars!
Rating:
Summary: KINO--The "ONLY" Version to BUY!!
Review: Just when I thought I'd FINALLY owned the definitive version of "Nosferatu" (the 84-minute version from IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT), along comes this "AUTHORIZED" version from KINO. The running time: 93 minutes! Nearly 85% of the scenes are longer (by a few feet of film), creating a much smoother, atmospheric and tension-building vision that Murnau had originally planned. Some scenes are COMPLETELY new to me (after having owned over 12 different versions of the film--from 8mm, to VHS, and now to DVD!!) This KINO print has come from some archival Italian film museum, and is even sharper than the IMAGE version...and even more appropriately color-tinted--(Count Orlok walking the deck of the ship is now BLUE for NIGHT!--for those who were bothered by the mistakenly amber-tinted sequence on the IMAGE disc). Admittedly, this version actually gave me chills...for the first time!
Now: as for the musical score...the DVD will automatically leave the FIRST option as your "score of choice". GOOD. It's very well-composed...creating the perfect setting for each and every sequence. WARNING: Do NOT select option #2...not unless you want to experience the film with a COMPLETELY inappropriate soundtrack which sounds like a TECHNO-PUNK-HEAVY METAL-INDUSTRIAL MIXED-UP Mess!!--I can't describe it any other way. That being said, you will definitely NOT be disappointed with this "NEW & IMPROVED" release...and don't be mislead by the date of 1929 (that was the year in which "Nosferatu" hit the American shores).
Rating:
Summary: ...only with the lights on.
Review: This movie will send a chill up and down your spine. Max Schreck's Dracula is the scariest of any vampire in all of movie making - it is the most vicious and demonic, which truly does parallel Stoker's book. This is not to say that Oldman's Dracula wasn't just as satisfying but, because this is a "silent" movie, an emphasis on the visualisation of the vampire must be made. With Schreck's vampire, you see what you don't hear: the evil and horror of the words Stoker has him speak in his book. I think that a good horror movie doesn't scare you directly, but allows you to scare yourself. Nosferatu does this superbly. This is certainly not a jump-out-of-your-seat thriller and can be a bit campy. However, this is definitely a movie which, if you immerse yourself in it, will absolutely make your skin crawl.
Rating: 
Summary: "Dracula" for Silent Movie Fans
Review: This film is interesting but well within the limits of the 1922 cinema from which it sprang. Hardcore fans of the genre all know the story about how the filmmaker "borrowed" Brahm Stoker's story of Dracula, embellished it in some ways and released this film without the proper permissions. The Count is portrayed as a grotesque creature in this version, bringing with him infestations of rats. There is a twist at the end where this creature shows humanity and self sacrifice which is quite a departure from Stoker's original novel where the Count is hunted down and destroyed in order to save the heroine from becoming a vampire. All this makes the film interesting but it is a silent movie and therefore may not appeal to most people who just want to pop a movie in the machine on Friday night. It's nonetheless very much a film for fans that are interested in the evolution of the vampire in cinema. The film has been called quite extraordinary for its time. I would still only recommend it to the curious or silent movie fans.
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