Hello from California, where the sun came out a little bit today ... A guest review from afar rubs shoulders with some vintage silent laughs in today's reviews.

Lee Broughton reviews Pagan's Region 2 PAL discs of The Vampires' Night Orgy by Leon Klimovsky, and Zipang, a difficult-to-describe costume fantasy from Japan, directed by Kaizo Hayashi. Sounds like they're beginning to get some desirable exclusives in Region 2.

Image's The Best Arbuckle Keaton Collection is producer/restorer David Shepard's compendium of the 12 hilarious two reelers made by Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle from 1917 to 1919 - the ones that introduced and developed the amazing genius of Buster Keaton. It's hard to tell who's funnier as they're a comedy team of considerable talent - and Arbuckle has got to be the great usung silent comedian, period. With the American copies of Fatty's work all destroyed, Shepard collected these good-to-very good prints from European archives.

Knowing a good thing when he sees it, Savant ran down to the Academy building and bought some tickets to November 15th's Academy Standards screening of RYAN'S DAUGHTER - in 70mm. Savant saw a private 35mm print of this twenty years ago and it looked great, and can't wait to see how it looks on the Academy's definitive screen. Thanks! Glenn Erickson