THE COMPLETE STORY OF FILM
New from Music Box Films is the Blu-Ray release of Mark Cousins’ docu-series, The Complete Story of Film. The new four disc set contains Cousins’ first series The Story of Film: An Odyssey from 2011 and now an updated chapter called The Story of Film: A New Generation. The box set is a must have for anyone who collects movies, loves film history, or wants a better understanding of the impact movies have had on society. You may remember An Odyssey streaming on Netflix when it was first released. I plowed through that adding films left and right to my Letterboxd watch list! It’s wonderful 18-hour (!!) deep dive as Cousins goes back to where it all started. Chapter One is titled “1895-1918: the World Discovers a New Art Form” from there he takes us in chronological order through 2021 in A New Generation.
Mark Cousins plays the role of film professor taking his audience through the history of the movies with a soft and somewhat monotone voice letting the clips and trivia do more of the talking. He uses extensive film clips to illustrate his points drawing parallels from one movie to the next or how filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese were inspired by international filmmakers.
The box set comes with a thorough booklet with interviews with Mark Cousins and a comprehensive list of every film clip and contributor to each chapter. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to keep track of movies they want to explore.
