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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 2, 2017 17:06:19 GMT
A Fool There Was (1915, USA, 67 minutes) - 7.5/10. Very downbeat film, best known for starring the popular actress Theda Bara. Very few of Theda's films survive, unfortunately, as they were lost in a film vault fire in the 1930s.
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Post by fangirl1975 on Dec 2, 2017 17:19:01 GMT
Watched my DVD of Kingsman: The Secret Service last Sunday night. Still a fun spoof of old school spy flicks.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2017 23:27:13 GMT
Evelyn Prentice (1934)A good movie, as always William Powell and Myrna Loy as always fantastic together. 7\10 This was the 3rd of the 14 movies they did together.
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Post by plasma on Dec 3, 2017 6:33:45 GMT
Coco - 10 / 10 - Loved it! Three Billboards - 8.5 / 10
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 4, 2017 4:41:16 GMT
Gretchen the Greenhorn (1916, USA, 58 minutes) - 7.5/10. Nice little story about a young Dutch woman who moves to the U.S. to live with her father. Lovely melting pot of different cultures, and good production values for a minor film from 1916.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 5, 2017 22:20:47 GMT
Today I watched a large number of 19th century short films, all of them from the Edison Manufacturing Company (yes, it was founded by Thomas Edison).
They are very, VERY short, usually running 20 to 30 seconds.
These were: Monkeyshines, No. 1 (1890, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Extremely blurry camera test.
Monkeyshines, No. 2 (1890, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Very blurry camera test. Strangely very beautiful.
Dickson Greeting (1891, a couple seconds) - 7.5/10. Wow! A Victorian man moving! Really cool! One of the first films to be shown to an audience, though not commercially.
Newark Athlete (1891, 1 second!) - 6/10. Camera test.
Men Boxing (1891, 2 seconds) - 7/10. Camera test...with men almost boxing.
Blacksmith Scene (1893, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. I love watching 19th century men moving.
The Barbershop (1894, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Simple film showing activity at a barber shop. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894, a few seconds) - 7.5/10. This is a truly groundbreaking film: the first motion picture to feature a sneeze. Cinema and sneezing would never be the same again.
Athlete with Wand (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Another 19th century man moving. This time, he's moving with a pole. Amazing.
Carmencita (1894, approx 30 seconds) - 9/10. First woman to appear in a commercially released film. She does a truly beautiful dance. A must see.
The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's) (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. The world's first dumb comedy, featuring two boxing cats. Groundbreaking.
Caicedo (with Pole) (1894, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. A good record of a vaudeville balancing act. It's only 30 seconds and it is interesting, so check it out if you can.
Annabelle Butterfly Dance (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. Entertaining record of a vaudeville dancer. This film was a huge hit when originally released.
Cock Fight, No. 2 (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 6/10. Politically incorrect entertainment featuring cock fighting. Hilarity does not ensue. I give it 6 for historical value only.
Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph (1894, approx 40 seconds) - 8/10. A boxing match staged before the camera. Lively, thrilling, fun.
Sioux Ghost Dance (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. Native Americans dance in the cramped film studio. Cute.
Buffalo Dance (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. More Native Americans dancing just for you, the viewer.
Hadj Cheriff (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. Entertaining record of a lively vaudeville act.
Glenroy Bros., No. 2 (1894, pprox 40 seconds) - 7.5/10. Another record of a vaudeville act, depicting two comedic boxers. Fun nonsense.
Luis Martinetti, Contortionist (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. Yes, another vaudeville act. This would get a higher rating, but the condition of the film is poor.
Bucking Broncho (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Real cowboys! A real horse! Real men in the background who look like something from a western film....and this was shot in 1894!! Wow!
Annie Oakley (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. This isn't an actress playing Annie Oakley. This is the REAL Annie Oakley, performing for the motion picture camera. Amazing.
Imperial Japanese Dance (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Three ladies do a dance for the camera. Lovely.
Chinese Laundry Scene (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 5/10. Stupid racist comedy.
Band Drill (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 6/10. Interesting that marching band costumes haven't changed that much in 123 years....
Fire Rescue Scene (1894, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. Entertaining 20-second drama about firemen rescuing two people from a burning building. For its time, a good film.
Billy Edwards and the Unknown (1895, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Boxing match. Fun.
Dickson Experimental Sound Film (1894, approx 17 seconds) - 9/10. First sound film in history, purely an experiment. Although the idea was there, it was not until the late-1920s that sound films became popular. In this film, William K.L. Dickson plays the violin.
Princess Ali (1895, under 20 seconds) - 5/10. Boring dance film.
Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. Beautiful film of a woman dancing for the camera, with colour effects adding by hand tinting (google hand tinting in films, it was a fascinating concept).
The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. Early period drama. Interesting.
Amy Muller (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. Yet another dancing film. Fun.
The Kiss (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. One of cinema's first romantic films, featuring a kiss. Cute. The male star in this film became cinema's first sex symbol.
Shooting the Chutes (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. A ride at Coney Island is shown.
Fatima's Coochee-Coochee Dance (1896, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Notorious dancing film. Very controversial, some 19th century viewers thought it was obscene. Of course, I've seen more dirt in 1960s game shows.
Mess Call (1896, approx 40 seconds) - 8/10. A bunch of soldiers being happy and smiling for the camera. FUN!
Edison Drawn by 'World' Artist (1896, approx 90 seconds) - 8/10. Charming film in which an artist sketches a large picture of Thomas Edison. Cute.
Watermelon Contest (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 1/10. Racist garbage.
Lone Fisherman (1896, approx 40 seconds) - 7.5/10. Simple comedy involving a man falling into a stream. I really enjoyed seeing the horse-drawn vehicle in this film.
Interrupted Lover (1896, 20 seconds) - 6/10. Poorly directed comedy. Could have been a lot better. Compares unfavourably with the other 1896 films I watched in terms of production values.
Feeding the Doves (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. Cute little film depicting doves and chickens being fed.
A Morning Bath (1896, approx 20 seconds or something like that) - 6/10. African-American woman baths her baby. I guess the Edison company people had too much free time on their hands....
The Burning Stable (1896, under 20 seconds) - 7/10. Firemen at their job.
Mounted Police Charge (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Just fun to see 19th centurty policemen. Fun.
Going to the Fire (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. Nice glimpse at some 19th century firemen, and a good look at a street in 1896. Fun.
A Morning Alarm (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. More firemen racing to the scene. Also interesting to see some buildings of the era.
Black Diamond Express, No. 1 (1897, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Footage of a train. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
American Falls from Above, American Side (1896, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. Pleasant footage of a waterfall.
The First Sleigh-Ride (1897, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. I love seeing the horse-drawn vehicles in this film.
The Morning Alarm (1896, approx 1 minute) - 8/10. More firemen racing to the scene. Another fun look into 19th century life.
Fifth Avenue, New York (1897, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Well-dressed 19th century people, just walking by.
Mr. Edison at Work in His Chemical Laboratory (1897, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Thomas Edison does indeed appear in this film, but the "laboratory" is merely a studio set.
Return of Lifeboat (1897, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Just footage a lifeboat on a stormy sea. What more could you want?
Troop Ships for the Philippines (1898, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Just footage of a military ship going by. What more could you want?
U.S. Troops Landing at Daiquiri, Cuba (1898, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Interesting, but poorly photographed.
Shooting Captured Insurgents (1898, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. War drama in which some people get shot by a firing squad. I see cinema's love of violence is nothing new.
The Burglar on the Roof (1898, approx 20 seconds) - 8/10. Crime drama. A burglar gets caught (hey, it's hardly a spoiler when the entire film is less than 30 seconds!)
Fireman Rescuing Men and Women (1899, 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Does exactly what the title suggests.
A Wringing Good Joke (1899, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Fun comedy. Still has the ability to make people laugh.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 2:33:57 GMT
Speed and Wind River back to back. Both get a solid 8/10.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2017 2:35:24 GMT
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) that movie is better than the first one as it's paced better as the first movie was good but fizzled out enough in the last 45min to ruin the overall movie. this 2nd movie on the other hand... does not have that problem, even though it dips a little bit once in a while but not enough to ruin the overall movie. @deblovesbeccy She's no where near a 10/10. maybe a 6/10 AT BEST. I just recently saw The Golden Circle as well. It was actually quite good, a lot better than I was expecting.
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Post by plasma on Dec 6, 2017 3:43:30 GMT
The Big Sick - 8 / 10
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 7, 2017 9:31:46 GMT
Today I watched a huge number of extremely short films (mostly approx 30 seconds) almost all of them from 1897.....120 years ago!!
Nearly all of these can be viewed at the Library of Congress's YouTube channel.
The list: Buffalo Fire Department in Action (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Really cool to see the horse drawn vehicles of the period.
Buffalo Stockyards (1897, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7/10. Interesting, to see men wearing hats, some buildings of the period, stuff like that.
Giant Coal Dumper (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. I love grim industrial scenes, so this was pretty cool to me.
Herald Square (1896, USA, approx 10 seconds) - 8/10. An entertaining glimpse into life in the late 19th century.
Passaic Falls, New Jersey (1896, USA, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. A waterfall and an arch bridge. What more could you want?
Police Patrol Wagon (1897, USA, approx 10 seconds) - 7/10. Some policemen go on a police wagon. Why not?
Seminary Girls (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Enjoyably dumb comedy involving some naughty ladies engaging in a pillow fight.
Water Fall in the Catskills (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Just footage of a waterfall. What more could you want?
Sheep Run, Chicago Stockyards (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Sheep running. Cool.
Philadelphia Express, Jersey Central Railway (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. This is just footage of two trains going by. Honestly, WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
Free-for-All Race at Charter Oak Park (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Footage of harness racing. Cool.
Falls of Minnehaha (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Just footage of a waterfall. Relaxing.
Corner Madison and State Streets, Chicago (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. I love watching real Victorian people, in their real Victorian clothes, doing their Victorian thing.
Cattle Driven to Slaughter (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Just footage of some cattle running towards something. Fun.
Armour's Electric Trolley (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Another interesting look into the 19th century.
Sutro Baths, No. 2 (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. People going down a slide into a pool. Cool.
Sutro Baths, No. 1 (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. People go down a slide into a swimming pool. It's fun watching Victorian people having fun.
Surf at Monterey (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Just footage of waves hitting the rocks at the beach. Fun!
Stanford University, California (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Men wearing hats walking by. Fun!
S.S. 'Williamette' Leaving for Klondike (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Just footage of a ship. There's also some people in the foreground. Not bad.
S.S. 'Queen' Loading (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 6/10. Poorly photographed and dull.
S.S. 'Queen' Leaving Dock (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Just footage of a ship. Kinda cool.
S.S. 'Coptic' Sailing Away (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Men with hats! Ladies with hats! A ship! Cool!
S.S. 'Coptic' in the Harbor (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. More men with hats! More ladies with hats! A ship! Cool!
S.S. 'Coptic' at Dock (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Yet more men with hats! Yet more ladies with hats! A ship! Cool!
Lurline Baths (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. People going down a slide into a swimming pool. Cool.
Loading Baggage for Klondike (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Nice slice of 19th century life.
Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton, Cal. (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. A view of a building, and a horse-drawn carriage comes along. Fun.
Leander Sisters (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. A fun look into a vaudeville dancing act. Fun.
Launch of Life Boat (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. A lifeboat goes into the water. Fun.
Hotel Vendome, San Jose, Cal. (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. I love watching the horse-drawn vehicles in this film.
Hotel del Monte (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 9/10. More horse-drawn vehicles. Cool.
Horses Loading for Klondike (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10.
Fishing Smacks (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 6/10.
Fisherman's Wharf (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. A nice look at a boat. '
First Avenue, Seattle, Washington, No. 8 (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Real 19th century street scene. Fabulous.
Cupid and Psyche (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Two semi-talented dancers perform for the camera. Cool.
Capsize of Lifeboat (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. A boat is upside down. Some men put it up the right way. Cute.
Fast Mail, Northern Pacific Railroad (1897, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 8/10. Just footage of a train going by. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
Wash Day in Mexico (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Ever wanted to know how they washed clothes in late 19th century Mexico? Well, now you know!
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Post by brownstones on Dec 9, 2017 20:35:13 GMT
Breakfast at Tiffany's
I've been trying to catch this movie for a while, but was never able to find it until last night.
It's very charming, obviously a film of its era, but it's still quite good. The film's strength is its two leads, who I feel work together nicely, completing and contrasting each other very well, like a certain scene where the two enter Tiffany's, I immediately loved it; but will say when separated work a bit less.
But it's not perfect, sometimes the film drags, like Holly's party which felt like 30 minutes, or sometimes it felt a bit tangential, possibly done to reflect Holly's personality and lifestyle, but still odd.
And regarding the phrase I used "of its era" .....aspects of Paul/Fred's confession to Holly doesn't work as well today, well intended but improperly worded...........and finally Mickey Rooney..... wtf.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 10, 2017 13:05:39 GMT
Yesterday I watched the following 30-second films from the 1898. Yes, films from 119 years ago. They were mostly viewed on YouTube.
Sunset Limited, Southern Pacific Ry. (1898, USA. approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Just footage of two trains going by. Really cool.
Street Scene, San Diego (1898, USA, approx 20 seconds) - 7/10. Unfortunately, the copy on YouTube is very poor. I might give a higher rating if I saw a better copy.
South Spring Street, Los Angeles, Cal. (1898, USA, approx 24 seconds) - 7.5/10. We see several horse-drawn vehicles go by, and a man on a bicycle. Fun!
Indian Day School (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Just some footage of Native American school children. Fun.
Going Through the Tunnel (1898, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 7.5/10. More footage involving a train. People in the 19th century must have really liked trains.
Cattle Leaving the Corral (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Wow, real cowboys!
Calf Branding (1898, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Somewhat disturbing film of cows being branded. Interesting.
Union Iron Works (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Another "workers leaving the factory" film. There were a lot of these....unfortunately, the idiots on YouTube have uploaded it as 240p, thus creating a lot of digital compression.
Procession of Floats (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Another film on YouTube with too much digital compression.
Parade of Chinese (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Again, too much digital compression.
Native Daughters (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. What is it with YouTube uploaders and digital compression?
Mount Tamalpais R.R., No. 1 (1898, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 7/10. Some footage involving a train. Fun.
Mount Tamalpais R.R., No. 2 (1898, USA, approx 40 seconds) - 7.5/10. A partial depiction of a journey by train. Retro fun.
Mount Taw R.R., No. 3 (1898, USA, approx 2 minutes) - 7.5/10. Another fun partial depiction of a train journey. Fun.
Launch of Japanese Man-of-War 'Chitosa' (1898, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 7.5/10. More fun with a large ship and some people on some boats. A fun slide of 19th century slice.
Freight Train (1898, USA, approx 1 minute) - 8/10. Another film of a train. Gee, there sure are a lot of train films from this period. Mind you, I enjoy these.
Launching, No. 2 (1898, USA, approx 25 seconds) - 7.5/10. Just a brief bit of footage of a boat. Fun.
After Launching (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Just some footage of a rather elegant boat. Enjoyable.
Troops Embarking at San Francisco (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Poorly photographed, but it is cool to see actual 19th century soldiers boarding a ship.
Kanakas Diving for Money, No. 2 (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. Weird little film, but I enjoyed it. I just wish I could figure out what it is about....
The Fleet Steaming Up North River (1898, USA, approx 2 minutes) - 8/10. Those battleships look cool.
Statue of Liberty (1898, USA, approx 1 minute) - 6/10. Dull film of the Statue of Liberty.
Reviewing the 'Texas' at Grant's Tomb (1898, USA, approx 90 seconds) - 7.5/10. Another slice of the 19th century. Cool.
Observation Train Following Parade (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10.
Close View of the 'Brooklyn,' Naval Parade (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. Another view of a battleship. Fun.
Turkish Dance, Ella Lola (1898, USA, 29 seconds) - 7.5/10. A fun example of the dance film sub-genre of the late 19th century. Sadly, it seems this kind of film was already on the way out at the time.
Ella Lola, a la Trilby (1898, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. A dancing film. Clearly a skilled dancer but I'm not a fan of her modernistic style of dancing.
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Post by Raimo47 on Dec 10, 2017 16:31:46 GMT
Valkyrie (2008) - 7/10. A good movie about an interesting subject.
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) - 5/10. A silent film without color. Therefore I can't rate it higher. Definitely the best 5/10 movie I have ever seen.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 10, 2017 16:40:21 GMT
It's 3:40AM where I live and in the last three-and-a-half hours I watched the following extremely brief (under 1 minute) short films from 1899 via YouTube:
Tourists Going Round Yellowstone Park (1899, USA, approx 20 seconds) - 7.5/10. Really cool to see some horse-drawn vehicles of the era.
Lower Falls, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park (1899, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. I once had an idea for a TV series that would consist entirely of footage of a waterfall. It appears director James H. White had a similar idea 198 years ago.
Coaches Arriving at Mammoth Hot Springs (1899, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 6/10. Dull.
U.S. Cruiser 'Raleigh' (1899, USA. approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. In this film, we get to see a boat.
Morning Colors on U.S. Cruiser 'Raleigh' (1899, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. A flag is raised. Fun.
Cripple Creek Bar-Room Scene (1899, USA, approx 45 seconds) - 7.5/10. Perhaps the first western drama? Who knows?
Skirmish of Rough Riders (1899, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 7.5/10. Plotless war drama. I like it.
Filipinos Retreat from Trenches (1899, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 6/10. A rather silly little war drama.
U.S. Infantry Supported by Rough Riders at El Caney (1899, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 8/10. Well I always enjoy seeing men in 19th century soldier outfits firing guns, so needless to say I enjoyed this.
Capture of Trenches at Candaba (1899, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 7.5/10. Action-packed war drama. Fun.
Advance of Kansas Volunteers at Caloocan (1899, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 7.5/10. Another action-packed war drama. Fun.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 11, 2017 23:02:13 GMT
Watched a bunch of short films today, ranging from 1894 to 1904. Running time ranges from 18 seconds to 19 minutes.
Gold Rush Scenes in the Klondike (1899, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Scenes of the Alaskan gold rush.
Searching Ruins on Broadway, Galveston, for Dead Bodies (1900, USA, approx 50 seconds) - 7.5/10. Grim footage of men searching through a destroyed building for dead bodies after a hurricane.
The Kiss (1900, USA, approx 40 seconds) - 8/10. A romantic film from 1900, and a superior remake to the 1896 original.
Capture of Boer Battery by British (1900, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. A nice little war drama.
New Black Diamond Express (1900, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7/10. A nice look at a train, but could have been better.
Watermelon Contest (1900, USA, approx 2 minutes) - 1/10. They should have dumped this into upper New York bay instead of Ernie Kovacs.
A Storm at Sea (1900, USA, approx 1 minute) - 8/10. Striking footage of a boat at a stormy sea. Compelling.
Admiral Dewey Taking Leave of Washington Committee on the U.S. Cruiser 'Olympia' (1899, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7/10.
Admiral Dewey Receiving the Washington and New York Committees (1899, USA, approx 1 minute) - 8/10.
U.S. Cruiser 'Olympia' Leading Naval Parade (1899, USA, approx 3 minutes) - 7.5/10. Just some footage of a boat. Fun.
The Astor Tramp (1899, USA, approx 2 minutes) - 7.5/10. An early attempt at comedy. Not very funny, but it is amusing.
Love and War (1899, USA, approx 3 minutes) - 8/10. Early war drama, and an early example of a drama with multiple scenes.
Fun in Camp (1899, USA, approx 1 minute) - 6/10. Weird little film of children, soldiers and bears.
Admiral Dewey Leading Land Parade, No. 2 (1899, USA, approx 4 minutes) - 8/10. Just footage of a parade. Fun.
104th Street Curve, New York, Elevated Railway (1899, USA, approx 2 minute) - 7.5/10. A nice look at New York in 1899, already looking very much like a big city.
The Old Maid Having Her Picture Taken (1901, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Fun comedy involving an ugly woman.
Another Job for the Undertaker (1901, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Another micro-comedy. Fun.
High Diving Scene (1901, USA, approx 30 seconds) - 7.5/10. A man dives into water from a ramp while riding a bicycle. Fun.
Photographing a Country Couple (1901, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7/10. A cute little stupid comedy.
What Happened on Twenty-third Street, New York City (1901, USA, approx 1 minute) - 8/10. One of my favourite 1901 films. A real joy to watch. Ahead of its time!
Pan-American Exposition by Night (1901, USA. approx 50 seconds) - 8/10. No plot, just a beautiful look at some beautiful buildings. Cool.
Trapeze Disrobing Act (1901, USA, approx 2 minutes) - 8/10. Funny comedy.
Burning of Durland's Riding Academy (1902, USA, approx 3 minutes) - 8/10. Striking footage of a building burning down.
The Burlesque Suicide, No. 2 (1902, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7/10. Pleasantly stupid comedy.
Jack and the Beanstalk (1902, USA, approx 10 minutes) - 8/10. A very basic, yet very beautiful, version of this old classic story.
The Interrupted Bathers (1902, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7/10. Decent comedy.
Electrocuting an Elephant (1903, USA, approx 1 minute) - 1/10. Why does this terrible film still exist while "The DuMont Evening News" is lost? Seems unfair to me.
Life of an American Fireman (1903, USA, approx 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. Early attempt at drama. Pretty fun.
Egyptian Fakir with Dancing Monkey (1903, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. A man with a dancing monkey. Fun.
A Scrap in Black and White (1903, USA, 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Unusual film depicting a boxing match between two children, one of which is white and one of which is black. I'm not sure what the point of this was, but it's interesting.
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1903, USA, approx 19 minutes) - 7.5/10. This film isn't gonna win any awards for political correctness, but does contain interesting film-making techniques.
The Gay Shoe Clerk (1903, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Fun little comedy. Cute.
Turning the Tables (1903, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Pleasant little comedy.
What Happened in the Tunnel (1903, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Fun little comedy, and despite stereotyping it manages to avoid being offensive.....
The Great Train Robbery (1903, USA, approx 12 minutes) - 7.5/10. Wrongly considered to be the first film with a plot (I know of various earlier examples). Also considered to be the first western (even though it was shot in New Jersey, and again there are earlier examples).
Rector's to Claremont (1904, USA, approx 4 minutes) - 7/10. Unfinished, unreleased film, yet it has survived to the present day and is now on DVD. Interesting.
The Hornbacker-Murphy Fight (1894, USA, approx 18 seconds) - 7/10. Boxing film. Interesting.
Serpentine Dance by Annabelle (1896, USA, approx 26 seconds) - 8/10. I love these 19th century dancing films.
Dewars Scotch Whiskey (1897, USA, approx 20 seconds) - 6/10. Bizarre advertisement from 120 years ago.
Hippodrome Races, Dreamland, Coney Island (1905, USA, approx 4 minutes) - 7.5/10. Footage of some horse races and a parade. Interesting to see what amused people in 1905.
Why Jones Discharged His Clerks (1900, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Nice little comedy.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 13, 2017 14:30:33 GMT
Yesterday I watched the following short films:
European Rest Cure (1904, USA, approx 13 minutes) - 7/10. Nice little comedy, but could have used tighter editing.
How a French Nobleman Got a Wife Through the 'New York Herald' Personal Columns (1904, USA, approx 8 minutes) - 8/10. A one-joke comedy, but it's a funny one.
Nervy Nat Kisses the Bride (1904, USA, approx 2 minutes) - 7.5/10. Fun little comedy, but might have proven more effective if it was longer.
Scarecrow Pump (1904, USA, approx 1 minute) - 7/10. Fun little comedy about a practical joke which goes wrong.
The Strenuous Life; or, Anti-Race Suicide (1904, USA, approx 5 minutes) - 7/10. Dated but well-made political satire. Amusing but not very funny.
The Ex-Convict (1904, USA, approx 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. A pretty decent early attempt at drama. The storyline, about an ex-prisoner who finds himself ostracised from society, is still relevant today.
The Kleptomaniac (1905, USA, approx 10 minutes) - 7/10. Somewhat difficult to understand crime drama.
The Seven Ages (1905, USA, approx 5 minutes) - 8/10. Short but sweet film depicting a couple at different ages in their life.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 15, 2017 6:55:49 GMT
Today I watched the following short films: The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905, USA, 5 minutes) - 6/10. A dated comedy spoofing a long forgotten item of pop culture.
Coney Island at Night (1905, USA, approx 4 minutes) - 8/10. Beautiful night-time photography with stunning array of electric light bulbs.
The Little Train Robbery (1905, USA, approx 10 minutes) - 7.5/10. One of the first parody films. Pretty amusing. The film features a bunch of children doing a train robbery, and being arrested by other children.
The White Caps (1905, USA, approx 12 minutes) - Hard to rate, for the subject matter is disturbing for a 21st century viewer. In this film, a man has been abusing his wife, and is hunted down and tarred and feathered by a group of men wearing white hoods.....weird.
The Watermelon Patch (1905, USA, approx 10 minutes) - 1/10. Racist garbage.
Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906, USA, 6 minutes) - 8/10. Excellent filmmaking technique in this special effects movie. Even today, the special effects are impressive.
Three American Beauties (1906, USA, approx 1 minute) - 8/10. Short but sweet film presenting a rose, a woman and the American flag, all shown with hand-tinted colour.
The Terrible Kids (1906, USA, approx 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. Funny comedy about two terrible kids and their horrible dog.
Kathleen Mavourneen (1906, USA, approx 15 minutes) - 4/10. Poor filmmaking technique, and a dated melodramatic story. Thankfully filmmakers quickly developed beyond stuff like this.
Getting Evidence (1906, USA, approx 14 minutes) - 7.5/10. Funny comedy, though repetitive.
The 'Teddy' Bears (1907, USA, approx 13 minutes) - 7/10. A truly WTF-worth film about some bears. I cannot explain this film at all.
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Dec 25, 2017 4:16:22 GMT
Today I watched three short films. Running time for each was around 10-13 minutes.
These were: Cohen's Fire Sale (1907) - 5/10. Entertaining, well-made, but also horribly offensive. The Rivals (1907) - 8/10. Funny comedy. College Chums (1907) - 7.5/10. Weird little cross-dressing farce. Fun.
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Post by Spike Del Rey on Dec 25, 2017 4:17:12 GMT
Scrooged, finished it about an hour ago...it's my Christmas Eve tradition.
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Post by louise on Dec 25, 2017 16:56:23 GMT
Watching Oliver! This afternoon. great musical, though as with most very long films, most of the best scenes and numbers occur in the first half. 7/10
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