A breakthrough film in many respects, The Jazz Singer was the first feature-length movie with synchronized sound. Based on the real-life story of legendary entertainer Al Jolson, the restoration of this 85 year-old film is superb. Be advised that most of the film is silent with titles and it does have a few scenes with Jolson in “blackface”.

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A deeply moving, beautiful, and transcendent look at the trial and execution of Jeanne d’Arc, Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent masterpiece has yet to be surpassed.

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Heroic quests, castles, dragons, magnificent visuals and an evocative romantic score define Fritz Lang’s 1924 two-part silent fantasy classic Die Nibelungen.

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Lonesome is a minor classic of the “silent” era although it has some interpolated talking scenes. Director Pál Fejös provides some cutting edge visual effects for the times, and, mostly, lets this simple love story tell itself.

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The Gold Rush, an early silent-film era epic that vaulted Charlie Chaplin’s career, is presented in two lovingly restored versions by the Criterion Collection. The remastering efforts result in a triumph of technology over the ravages of time making for an entertaining watch.

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A marvelous throwback to the golden days of cinema, this silent film, a love letter to “Hollywoodland,” is a refreshing departure from the typical films of today.

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This reissue of the classic aviation movie, Wings, is a triumph of restoration. While a silent film, the drama and scope are huge and well worth the two hour watch

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The Phantom of the Opera returns in a Blu-ray reincarnation of three versions, the original 1925, and two 1929 revivals. Silent film lovers will appreciate the care and effort to restore this horror masterpiece to acceptable visual standards when compared to the blurry and shadowy original. There are three different soundtracks, each mated to a different version.

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This collection of 1930s documentaries pose an interesting and historic look at the Soviet influence over British documentary filmmaking techniques.

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A silent film-era masterpiece from French filmmaker Jean Epstein, Cœur fidèle arrives in a splendid reference quality dual format edition from Eureka’s Masters of Cinema label.

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