DVD Corner

The Buster Keaton Collection 5: Three Ages And Our Hospitality Blu-ray Review

You can never go wrong with more Buster Keaton films.  

After a multi-year break since the last release, Cohen Media is back with “The Buster Keaton Collection Volume 5: Three Ages And Our Hospitality.”

Buster Keaton, for those that aren’t aware, was a stone faced silent film legend who made many of the best comedy films. While “Three Ages” and “Our Hospitality” aren’t among his top tier films, they still are classics worth seeking out nonetheless.

“Three Ages” is an ambitious parody of “Intolerance” that showcases romance in 3 different time periods- The Stone Age, Ancient Rome, and Modern Times. In each era, Keaton plays the underdog vying for the affection of a woman against another male suitor. 

Some things never change is the moral of this love story that spans generations. From a story perspective, it’s pretty one-note, but from a film perspective this is a very visual film filled with grand sets, production values (including a stop-motion dinosaur), action (a chariot race in the snow) and even goofy sight gags like balance books and a no parking sign. 

“Our Hospitality” is the crown jewel here. The film (which is a satire of the Hatfield-McCoy feud) focuses on the family feud between Canfield and McKay. The story begins with bloodshed leaving John’s wife to leave her home and travel to New York with her baby boy Willie with the hopes of leaving the feud behind. 20 years pass and Willie has to travel back home to claim the rundown McKay estate. On his problematic train trip home, Willie is seated next to a young woman who just happens to be Virginia Canfield. When Virginia invites Willie over for dinner, he discovers the rest of the Canfield family is trying to murder him. Can a romance between Virginia and Willie end the feud once and for all or is Willie doomed?

Directed by Buster Keaton himself, “Our Hospitality” is a more of a comedic western thriller as Willie is constantly trying to evade death. The final 20 minutes is one heck of a thrill ride that contains trains, a mountain, and a dazzling waterfall sequence. In typical Keaton fashion, there are loads of impressive stunts and choreographed action. The last act aside, the film is also noteworthy for a wonderful dog performance (who does tricks and stunts as well) and lots of train antics. In fact, a replica train was even built for this movie and it’s certainly used to tremendous effect.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? “Three Ages” looks a bit rough with more noticeable print damage, lines, etc. ‘Hospitality’ fares much better here and has a cleaner image quality.

Audio Track: 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The scores sound clean for both tracks on both films.

Extras include trailers for Cohen Media titles and a re-release trailer for “Our Hospitality.”

December 8, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Buster Keaton, Our Hospitality, Silent Films, The Buster Keaton Collection Volume 5: Three Ages And Our Hospitality Blu-ray Review, Three Ages