NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: BFI Blu-ray Region 'B' - November 2016: I realize this is a very large webpage and I'll try to keep things brief without examining this BFI set with a magnifying glass. As you might expect - the packages are very similar. As opposed to duplicating every screen capture - we will note the differences, here, in the comments section.

We technically compared the first two BFI Blu-ray discs to the first two Kino BD discs (bitrate graphs, discs sizes, a/v transfers, extras etc.). I have not fully watched the entire BFI yet, but the seem to have the same scores (Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), Max Roach, Samuel D. Waymon, the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Donald Sosin, Makia Matsumura, Alloy Orchestra, Rob Gal, and Andrew Simpson.)

The transfers are technically very close with all the films spread over 5 dual-layered Blu-ray discs. And, it seems, the same films housed on each Blu-ray. There are slight exceptions - ie. on the first Blu-ray BFI have the same 7 films but add 1.5 minutes of "Screen Snapshots" - the only footage of Oscar Micheaux at work - as a film where Kino has it as an extra. The BFI 1080P image looks a shade darker - deeper black levels and I have shown it with an exact frame of one of the damaged frames. This difference is consistent throughout the package. Quality in-motion is the same.

NOTE: Kino have not subtitles the following three video; We Work Again, Birthright trailer, Tyler-Texas Black Film Collection where BFI have.

BFI have corrected the Kino oversight of lossy audio on the first Blu-ray - (the rest have LPCM on both) with a linear PCM and similar uncompressed audio transfers on the on all the rest (but 24-bit - not 16-bit as on the Kino.) So that may be one notable improvement over the Kino. Title cards etc. are the same. The BFI Blu-rays are region 'B'-locked.

The rest of the set, so far in my investigations - is the same with, different menus but all the same films and extras although I have not seen BFI's 80-page book - with essays, photographs and film credits - included in the box but I expect it to, also be similar, to the Kino.

So BFI gets a slight edge (audio) but this remains an amazing package - something to marvel over for many months. The historical significance can't be underestimated:

Our highest recommendation!

***

ON THE KINO: Disc One (Total Running Time 282 minutes): Two Knights of Vaudeville Ebony Film Co., 1915. 11 minutes. Music by Donald Sosin Mercy the Mummy Mumbled  Ebony Film Co., 1918. 12 minutes. Music by the Alloy Orchestra. A Reckless Rover Ebony Film Co., 1918. 14 minutes. Music by Donald Sosin. Within Our Gates Oscar Micheaux, 1920. 73 minutes. Music by Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky. The Symbol of the Unconquered: A Story of the KKK Oscar Micheaux, 1920. 59 minutes. Music by Max Roach. By Right of Birth Lincoln Motion Picture Co., 1921. 4 minutes. Music by Donald Sosin. Body and Soul Oscar Micheaux, 1925. 93 minutes. Music by Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky. Extras: Screen Snapshots (Micheaux footage, 1920, 1 minute) Bonus: An Introduction (7 minutes) Bonus: The Films of Oscar Micheaux (8 minutes)

Disc Two (Total Running Time – 259 minutes): Regeneration Richard E. Norman, 1923. 11 minutes. Music by Donald Sosin. The Flying Ace Richard E. Norman, 1928. 65 minutes. Music by Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. Ten Nights in a Bar Room CPFC, 1926. 64 minutes. Music by Donald Sosin. Rev. S.S. Jones Home Movies Rev. Solomon Sir Jones, 1924-1926. 16 minutes. Music by Andrew Simpson. The Scar of Shame Frank Peregini, 1929. 86 minutes. Music by Makia Matsumura Bonus: The Color Line (5 minutes) Bonus: Ten Nights in a Bar Room – An Introduction (4 minutes) Bonus: About the Restoration (8 minutes)

Disc Three (Total Running Time – 253 minutes): Eleven P.M. Richard Maurice, 1928. 60 minutes. Music by Rob Gal. Hell-Bound Train James and Eloyce Gist, 1930. 50 minutes. Restored by S. Torriano Berry. Music by Samuel D. Waymon. Verdict Not Guilty James and Eloyce Gist, 1934. 8 minutes. Restored by S. Torriano Berry. Music by Samuel D. Waymon. Heaven-Bound Travelers / James and Eloyce Gist, 1935. 15 minutes. Restored by S. Torriano Berry. Music by Samuel D. Waymon. The Darktown Revue Oscar Micheaux, 1931. 18 minutes. The Exile Oscar Micheaux, 1931. 78 minutes. Hot Biskits Spencer Williams, 1931. 10 minutes. Extras: Religion in Early African-American Cinema (6:45), Eleven P.M. - an Introduction (3:04) , Interview with S. Torriano Berry (5:08)

Disc Four (Total Running Time – 272 minutes): The Girl from Chicago Oscar Micheaux, 1932. 70 minutes. Ten Minutes to Live Oscar Micheaux, 1932. 58 minutes. Veiled Aristocrats Oscar Micheaux, 1932. 48 minutes. Birthright Oscar Micheaux, 1938. 73 minutes. Bonus: Veiled Aristocrats Trailer (4 minutes) Bonus: Birthright Trailer (4 minutes) Bonus: We Work Again – WPA Documentary (1937, 15 minutes)

Disc Five (Total Running Time – 243 minutes): The Bronze Buckaroo Richard Kahn, 1939. 58 minutes. Zora Neale Hurston Fieldwork Footage (excerpt) Zora Neale Hurtston, 1928. 3 minutes. Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort South Carolina, May 1940 (excerpt) Zora Neale Hurston, 1940. 15 minutes. The Blood of Jesus Spencer Williams, 1941. 56 minutes. Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. Spencer Williams, 1946. 60 minutes. Moses Sisters Interview Pearl Bowser, 1978. 32 minutes. Bonus: Texas Tyler Promo Film with Ossie Davis (1985, 6 minutes) Bonus: The Films of Zora Neale Hurston (2 minutes) Bonus: The Films of Spencer Williams (7 minutes) Bonus: The End of an Era (4 minutes)

Firstly, WOW - This Kino Lorber Blu-ray release has 5 dual-layered BD discs and represents almost 19-hours worth of material. It is all transferred in 1080P with liner PCM audio (except the first BD which is lossy Dolby). It has many shorts, that I was very keen to see like Ten Nights in a Bar Room (1926), Dirty Gertie from Harlem USA (1946), Eleven P.M. (1930), The Exile (1931) and The Symbol of the Unconquered: A Story of the KKK (1920).

Quality obviously varies with some significant damage/inconsistencies and some digitization in efforts to make some of the weaknesses more, or at all, watchable. The damage can be quite extensive in some shorts but the reasoning is that it is the only way to see some of these pioneering films at all. The restoration details are usually indicated via text screens before each specific film (see samples below.)

The audio is in 2.0 channel linear PCM (uncompressed) - 16-bit - and the silent films in this collection are presented with scores by Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), Max Roach, Samuel D. Waymon, the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Donald Sosin, Makia Matsumura, Alloy Orchestra, Rob Gal, and Andrew Simpson. The few Talkies' audio can be very poorly preserved and thankfully Kino have included optional English subtitles. These 5 Blu-ray discs are Region 'A' -locked.

Extras include an 80-page booklet with essays and detailed film notes included in the package. Each Blu-ray offers supplements as well with introductions to certain films, interviews with series curators Charles Musser and Jacqueline Stewart, a documentary on the restoration of the films, archival interview with actors Ethel and Lucia Moses (1978), Tyler Texas Black Film Collection promo film (with Ossie Davis, 1985) and much more.

I was blown-away by this package and watched transfixed hour after hour. The HD material on each of the five Blu-ray discs represent an incredible historical artifact that you aren't likely to find anywhere else.  Very strongly recommended - especially to fans who may not be initially interested - there is an absolute treasure-trove of value here. An exceptional package.   

Gary W. Tooze