Pretty much every modern film owes something to the era but today we’re going to be showcasing films that were eerily prescient. Or were just plain ripped off in the talkies.
Movies Predict Modern Pop Culture!
Fun Size Review: The Wrath of the Gods (1914)
A lurid combination of Madame Butterfly and a natural disaster torn from the headlines, The Wrath of the Gods is mostly notable as an early collaboration between Sessue Hayakawa and Tsuru Aoki.
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The Hussar of Death (1925) A Film Review
Chile’s most famous film, this is the story of freedom fighter Manuel Rodriguez and his guerilla war against royalist forced during Chile’s war for independence.
Myth-Busting and Hitting the Books: My Five Favorite Deep Dive Reviews
Generally speaking, I aim for about 1,000 to 2,000 words with most film reviews but there are times when I like to take things to the next level. Today, I’ll be sharing five reviews that involved hitting the books, busting some myths and generally going above and beyond.
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The Inventor Crazybrains and His Wonderful Airship (1905) A Film Review
An inventor hallucinates an attack on himself and his airship and finds that he cannot awaken from the dream. Dark stuff that may come as a surprise to anyone who thinks Méliès was all about cute anthropomorphic moons.
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What are YOUR burning questions about films?
Okay, I have a plan rattling around my brain but I need a little bit of help from you. Here’s a chance to share some of your biggest questions about films.
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Movie Stars Go Bye-Bye
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye… These stars are departing from our company and some of them seem pretty pleased with the notion. (Let’s face it, we all need a few great “bye bye” GIFs in our online arsenal.)
Battle of the Sexes in the Kitchen: A Tale of Two Jazz Age Celebrity Cookbooks
Celebrity cookbooks have been created for a number of reasons: publicity, charitable fundraising, etc. Well, I am proud to say that my collection contains two cookbooks that were created for spite.
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Fun Size Review: Corporal Kate (1926)
Movie flapper Vera Reynolds joins the army during WWI as an entertainer. She’s joined by BFF Julia Faye and together, they try to cheer up doughboys stationed in France. Naturally, romance and danger are in the cards.
Limite (1931) A Film Review
One of the most acclaimed Brazilian films, Limite is true to its title and examines the limits of human existence through the experiences of three people in a lifeboat.
Back to School Lunch, Movie-Style!
I have been poking around the cooking section of the internet, as I tend to do, and have noticed that everyone is gearing up with back to school lunch ideas. Well, I intend to make your kid the trendiest retro geek in the whole district with this lunch menu!
Stars in the Twilight Zone: Joseph Schildkraut
Welcome to a new variation of After the Silents, in which I examine the careers of movie personnel in the sound era. For this outing, I’m going to be periodically sharing my reviews of Twilight Zone episodes that feature veterans of the era. Today’s guest of honor is a personal favorite of mine: Joseph Schildkraut.
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Cooking with the (Silent) Stars: The Violet Mersereau Sandwich
Welcome back! I’m cooking my way through the 1929 Photoplay cookbook but today, we’re taking a little detour to 1915. Lillian Blackstone carved out a curious niche for herself inventing recipes inspired by various stars of the period. Today, we’ll be trying the Violet Mersereau Sandwich.
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Theme Month! September 2017: Latin American Films
I’m pretty excited about this month’s theme; it has been in the planing stage since late last year but I think all the work will prove to be worth it. We’re going to take a whirlwind tour of Latin America and discuss the films that were made in that part of the world.
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Fading Smiles and Nervous Laughs: Movie People are NOT Happy to See You
A friendly smile… or is it? movie performers had to convey complicated emotions without any assistance from their voices and they often succeeded brilliantly.
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Fun Size Review: Suspense (1913)
Lois Weber directed and starred in this story of a woman staying by herself in an isolated house when a vagrant attempts to break in. She calls for help on the telephone just before the wires are cut. Will help arrive in time?
The Pinch Hitter (1917) A Film Review
Charles Ray is a country boy from rural Vermont who gets to attend college thanks to his late mother’s final request. Teased for his unpolished ways, he joins the baseball team as their mascot. But when all the batters are injured at the big game, will our country boy prove himself?
Your First Year of Films: This is where we learn to laugh without canes, pork pie hats or glasses
Welcome back to my curated list of films selected with the newcomer in mind and designed to be viewed one weekend at a time. This time, we’re going to dive into comedy but not the obvious choices!
Shelfie: Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford and Random European Selections
I’m sharing more titles from my film collection. If you want to catch up on other “shelfie” posts, you can find them here.
Lost and Found: What’s your favorite movie recovery/survival story?
“Lost Movie Found in Barn!”
movie fans live for these headlines. Eccentric collectors’ estate sales, disorganized archives, old movie theaters and even abandoned swimming pools, lost movies can crop up in the strangest locations.
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Millennials are Killing Films! (Actually, they aren’t but don’t begrudge me that sweet, sweet clickbait)
Last week, the New York Post ran an article with a headline that claimed, “Millennials don’t really care about classic movies.” Another one for the ever-growing “Millennials are killing _____” collection. However, as I read the article, a few things about the data struck me as sloppy and/or shallow, so I decided that a longer response was in order.
Movie People Describe the Internet
The internet. Ah, yes, the internet. Something that has the potential to be so incredibly smart but there are just days when we need to unplug. So enjoy GIFs of movie people disparaging the internet from before there was an internet. And you can enjoy it all on the internet.
Fun Size Review: An Excursion to the Moon (1908)
Did you know that the moon is covered in cotton wool and breathes fire? If you didn’t then you probably haven’t seen An Excursion to the Moon, a charming little ripoff from the underrated Segundo de Chomon.
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A Tale of Two Cities (1917) A Film Review
It was the best of times… to make a Dickens adaptation! Movies were getting ever bigger in the 1910s and Fox decided to stage its own version of this literary classic about the French Revolution and far, far better things.
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In which I assist Millennials with a snarky movie comeback
Recently, Millennials were accused of not liking old movies and I am working on a more in-depth response but in the meantime, here is a quick comeback for my Millennial readers in the likely event that they are accused of killing classic movies.
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A Girl’s Folly (1917) A Film Review
A movie about the movies, this film follows Doris Kenyon as she attempts to break into the New Jersey film industry—and is tempted by Robert Warwick to enter a life of sin! Oh my!
Bluray Giveaway: Win a Copy of “Beggars of Life” Courtesy of Kino Lorber
The good people at Kino Lorber have invited me to host a giveaway of their brand new Beggars of Life Bluray! I know many of you have been looking forward to this film and now you have a chance to get a free copy.
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Movie Guys Making Dramatic Entrances (da-da-DUM!)
When there are no spoken lines of dialogue, you have to figure out how to make a spectacular and entrance. That’s just what these movie fellas manage with assorted techniques employed.
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Unboxing the Silents: “Beggars of Life” with Louise Brooks on Bluray
This new restoration of Beggars of Life, a 1928 drama starring Louise Brooks, Richard Arlen and Wallace Beery and directed by William Wellman, has been making the festival rounds but this is you chance to own it. I’ll be going through the contents of this disc and showcasing what it has to offer.
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Fun Size Review: Naughty Boy (1927)
Lupino Lane plays a dapper young gentleman whose father has fallen in love. Since dear old dad doesn’t want look old, he persuades Lane to disguise himself as a child. Need I say that chaos ensues?