Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved. |
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Homecoming
(1928)
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This late silent era German drama, produced by UFA and directed by Joe May, stars Lars Hanson, Dita Parlo and Gustav Frölich.
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 Grapevine Video
2013 DVD edition
Homecoming (1928), black & white, 76 minutes, not rated.
Grapevine Video, no catalog number, UPC 8-42614-10607-1.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at 7.0 Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to 60 fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at 224 Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $14.95 (raised to $16.95).
Release date: 13 September 2013.
Country of origin: USA •
Ratings (1-10): video: 3 / audio: 7 / additional content: 0 / overall: 4.
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This DVD-R edition has been mastered from a fair to good 8mm reduction print of the 1928 American release version from Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, with (it appears) the opening credits inserted from a good 16mm reduction print. A significant portion of the left side of the picture is cropped off in the source print; some intertitles are windowboxed to allow what is left of the content to be viewed. The print itself is rather worn, with a significant amount of scuffing, scratches, dust, speckling, and print flaws remaining to be seen.
The film is presented with a music score composed and performed on virtual theatre pipe organ by David Knudtson. This is far better than the normal Grapevine Video procedure to cobble together a soundtrack from preexisting recordings.
For now, this is our recommended home video edition of the film.
This review was updated in 2025.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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 Reel Classic DVD
2021 DVD edition
Homecoming (1928), black & white, ? minutes, not rated, with France and the Great War (1916), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.
Reel Classic DVD, no catalog number, UPC 7-62184-87752-5.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $19.98.
Release date: 9 November 2021.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm or 8mm reduction print.
The film is accompanied by a music score composed and performed by Jeff Rapsis.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from
REEL CLASSIC DVD through . . .
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 Loving the Classics
201? DVD edition
Homecoming (1928), black & white, 120 minutes, not rated.
Loving the Classics, no catalog number, no UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $14.99 (raised to $15.49).
Release date: 201?.
Country of origin: USA
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This DVD-R edition has likely been mastered from a 16mm or 8mm reduction print. Note the significantly longer running time than the Grapevine edition noted above.
The film is likely accompanied by a soundtrack compiled from preexisting music recordings.
Note that this company apparently has a history of pirating other home video editions or pirating television network recordings to produce their products. Be aware that purchasing pirated home video editions does not benefit the original edition producers nor the composers whose music is often pirated as well.
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This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available directly from . . .
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Other silent era JOE MAY films available on home video.
Other GERMAN FILMS of the silent era available on home video.
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