Favourite silent movie

Started by cine, August 03, 2003, 12:03:16 PM

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Ravi

#90
October 09, 2004, 03:46:01 PM
We watched F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu on Thursday but I was extremely disappointed that they showed a VHS made from a Blackhawk Films 16mm print instead of the DVD.  I wondered what the hell was the big deal about this film and it turns out that the hour-long version I saw had about 30 minutes chopped from it.  Why our media library doesn't have the DVD, I don't know, but it pissed me off that in a film history class we watched an incomplete version of one of a classic.

Ghostboy

#91
October 09, 2004, 04:56:02 PM
I just watched The Passion Of Joan Of Arc this afternoon. What a stunning achievement, and the supplementary material on the Criterion disc is fascinating. The thought that this film was almost completely destroyed/suppressed is frightening -- that it was recovered almost seems like proof of the divine.

03

#92
October 09, 2004, 05:41:41 PM
ghostboy's avatar is one of my favorite silent films, as well.

The Perineum Falcon

#93
October 09, 2004, 08:14:18 PM
Quote from: 03ghostboy's avatar is one of my favorite silent films, as well.
And what is that from? I'm sure I've ran across the name at least once, but, alas, I forgot!

I just finished watching Potemkin. I thought it was great, but it wasn't until Part 3 that I really got into it. After that, I was hooked. I'd really like to check out October next. Anyone seen this? Or rather, what's the next Eisenstein I should see?
I also checked out Modern Times and Kino's Metropolis from the local library, both of which I'll be saving for tomorrow. I was reading the insert for Metropolis about all the trouble it's had getting to this point. Even though I haven't watched it yet, I find it extremely sad that I, or anyone else for that matter, may never get to see the film in its entirety. And it's horrible what Paramount and Channing Pollock did to it.
I also recently saw Dreyer's Master of the House on TCM and Chaplin's City Lights. Ah, City Lights, what a great movie that was!

I haven't seen too many silent films, but so far The Passion of Joan of Arc stands head and shoulders above the others.
We often went to the cinema, the screen would light up and we would tremble, but also, increasingly often, Madeleine and I were disappointed. The images had dated, they jittered, and Marilyn Monroe had gotten terribly old. We were sad, this wasn't the film we had dreamed of, this wasn't the total film that we all carried around inside us, this film that we would have wanted to make, or, more secretly, no doubt, that we would have wanted to live.

03

#94
October 09, 2004, 09:11:16 PM
Quote from: ranemaka13
Quote from: 03ghostboy's avatar is one of my favorite silent films, as well.
And what is that from? I'm sure I've ran across the name at least once, but, alas, I forgot!
Un Chien Andalou by Luis Bunuel

picolas

#95
October 09, 2004, 11:26:01 PM
i once saw Payback on tv really late with the sound off and it was so awesome i rented it. but it's actually just okay with the sound.

The Perineum Falcon

#96
October 09, 2004, 11:52:11 PM
Quote from: 03Un Chien Andalou by Luis Bunuel
Ah, thanks. I've only seen clips from that in class, possibly the most disgusting and disturbing piece of film I've ever seen.
We often went to the cinema, the screen would light up and we would tremble, but also, increasingly often, Madeleine and I were disappointed. The images had dated, they jittered, and Marilyn Monroe had gotten terribly old. We were sad, this wasn't the film we had dreamed of, this wasn't the total film that we all carried around inside us, this film that we would have wanted to make, or, more secretly, no doubt, that we would have wanted to live.

ono

#97
October 10, 2004, 12:39:48 AM
It's beautiful if you actually watch the whole thing, as beautiful as something can be that isn't intended to make any sort of sense at all.

samsong

#98
October 10, 2004, 12:42:25 AM
Quote from: ranemaka13I just finished watching Potemkin. I thought it was great, but it wasn't until Part 3 that I really got into it. After that, I was hooked. I'd really like to check out October next. Anyone seen this? Or rather, what's the next Eisenstein I should see?
I also checked out Modern Times and Kino's Metropolis from the local library, both of which I'll be saving for tomorrow. I was reading the insert for Metropolis about all the trouble it's had getting to this point. Even though I haven't watched it yet, I find it extremely sad that I, or anyone else for that matter, may never get to see the film in its entirety. And it's horrible what Paramount and Channing Pollock did to it.
I also recently saw Dreyer's Master of the House on TCM and Chaplin's City Lights. Ah, City Lights, what a great movie that was!

I haven't seen too many silent films, but so far The Passion of Joan of Arc stands head and shoulders above the others.

Battleship Potemkin seen projected onto a big screen was one of the most powerful cinematic experiences of my life, and I love that you love The Passion of Joan of Arc; I adore Dreyer.  Wrong thread to be asking in but have you seen Ordet?

You need to see Sunrise and Broken Blossoms, especially the former (my favorite movie).  And Keaton!  Buster Keaton is an absolute must.

Quote from: ranemaka13Ah, thanks. I've only seen clips from that in class, possibly the most disgusting and disturbing piece of film I've ever seen.

Un Chien Andalou... I'm sure you already know you need to see it.  Here's a link to it.  The print quality is subpar but if this is the only way you can see it then by all means, do so... it'll be the most blissful 16 minutes of cinema you'll see until you get around to watching Sunrise.

http://www.muchosucko.com/video-unchienandalou.html

The Perineum Falcon

#99
October 10, 2004, 01:56:32 AM
Quote from: samsongand I love that you love The Passion of Joan of Arc; I adore Dreyer.  Wrong thread to be asking in but have you seen Ordet?
Not yet. I saw the docu on Dreyer on TCM, My Metier, that showed clips from it and it looks absolutely incredible. It's included in Criterion's box, right? 'Cause that's going to be my next purchase.

QuoteYou need to see Sunrise and Broken Blossoms, especially the former (my favorite movie).  And Keaton!  Buster Keaton is an absolute must.
I heard about Sunrise before and I've really been meaning to check it out. If I can't find it at the library, then I'll probably just order it since not even B&N has it in stock here.
And I've only seen one Keaton, and that was the short Seven Chances. It had it's moments, but nothing I was too impressed with. I've seen bits and pieces of some his other stuff on TCM (is anyone noticing a pattern here?) which look a lot better than Chances. Some of the gags (I can say that, right?)did impress me! They were things that I had never thought about and, for some reason, never imagined people in the 20's would've come up with.

QuoteUn Chien Andalou... I'm sure you already know you need to see it.  Here's a link to it.  The print quality is subpar but if this is the only way you can see it then by all means, do so... it'll be the most blissful 16 minutes of cinema you'll see until you get around to watching Sunrise.

http://www.muchosucko.com/video-unchienandalou.html
Thanks. After 03 told me what GB's avatar was I looked it up and I've been d/ling since then. Dial up.... this could/will take all night! :(

And thanks for all the suggestions! I'll check them out as soon as I can!
We often went to the cinema, the screen would light up and we would tremble, but also, increasingly often, Madeleine and I were disappointed. The images had dated, they jittered, and Marilyn Monroe had gotten terribly old. We were sad, this wasn't the film we had dreamed of, this wasn't the total film that we all carried around inside us, this film that we would have wanted to make, or, more secretly, no doubt, that we would have wanted to live.

Ravi

#100
October 10, 2004, 10:48:10 AM
Quote from: ranemaka13
I heard about Sunrise before and I've really been meaning to check it out. If I can't find it at the library, then I'll probably just order it since not even B&N has it in stock here.

Sunrise was only available if you bought 2 (or was it 3) other Fox Studio Classics DVDs and sent in the coupon.  This offer ended in January 2004 or December 2003, but it is still available in this box set, and at a damn good price too.  It was $30, but on Oct 12 it goes to $20.99 for 4 films.

MacGuffin

#101
October 20, 2004, 08:37:11 PM
Sony to Re-Release Classic Harold Lloyd Films

More than 30 years after he died and a half a century since his last film, silent screen star Harold Lloyd, whose career rivaled Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, is returning to U.S. movie theaters.

Sony Pictures Releasing on Wednesday said it had acquired rights to release films of the legendary comedian, and it will distribute freshly printed Lloyd classics like "Safety Last!" and "The Freshman" in theaters starting early next year.

Lloyd became a major star of the silent film era with streams of comedic short films in the 1910s. Like his contemporaries, Chaplin and Keaton, he turned to feature-length movies in the 1920s and, later, embraced "talkies."

His Lonesome Luke character in the 1910s made him popular, but his Glass Character with large round spectacles and straw boater hat made him famous around the world. The image of him dangling from the hand of a clock atop a skyscraper in 1923's "Safety Last!" has become a symbol of the silent film era.

Sony said its collection also includes Lloyd's "Welcome, Danger," which was originally shot as a silent but released as a talkie. The silent version had never been seen until it was restored earlier this year.

Sony, a unit of Japanese electronics maker Sony Corp , said the deal includes virtually the entire library: shorts and features, silents and talkies. Lloyd's career spanned 35 years and included more than 200 comedies. He died in March 1971 at age 77.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

modage

#102
October 20, 2004, 10:35:45 PM
great, hopefully this will mean dvd releases shortly after.  as i mentioned eariler i saw The Freshman and For Heavens Sake on TCM when they ran them last year but missed Safety Last which i really wanted to see.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

cine

#103
October 20, 2004, 10:48:44 PM
Quote from: themodernage02great, hopefully this will mean dvd releases shortly after.
That's exactly what it means. New Line owns the DVD rights.  :yabbse-thumbup:

Gold Trumpet

#104
October 23, 2004, 11:54:25 AM
Quote from: themodernage02
Quote from: themodernage02soon i'm going to see The General and Sherlock Jr.
five months later i've told the truth.  i watched my first two Buster Keaton films tonight along with Sunrise (also for the first time).  sunrise was good, but my least favorite of the 3 i watched.  it was a little disappointing in that way when you watch citizen kane for the first time and although its good, you always just hoped that there could be more based on its reputation.   keatons films were quite different from the handful of chaplins i've seen.  whereas chaplin used his body in every scene as an instrument of comedy, keatons films show him doing that in some scenes and constructing absolutely brilliant sequences of comedy.  while watching the general i kept thinking that it was like a looney tunes cartoon BEFORE there were looney tunes cartoons, just absolutely brilliantly conceived sequences.  my favorite, i think, was sherlock jr. though at 44 minutes i wish it was longer.  i could've used another 30 minutes of that character easily.  well, i think i still personally prefer chaplin but, i've only seen a little bit, so who knows.  also, the score on sherlock jr. was very odd and seems like it was definitely written post 1950, but i sort of liked it anyways.

I'm trying to catch up on my thoughts here I wasn't able to post before, but:

1.) Sherlock Jr. is the perfect length for me. At the time, the one thing I feel for sure that Keaton held above Chaplin is his ability to keep his stories well constructed. Chaplin could pull off well comedies, but overall, most of his early works feel way too lose and patchy. Years after making Gold Rush, he actually added narration and to my shock, actually made it a much better film. Too many times you just have no clue what is going on in the movie with the story. When Chaplin did Modern Times, he was on fire with confidence and really made one of the greatest silents, but I believe Keaton was better controlled in storytelling. A movie like Steamboat Bill, Jr., though, shows that much too much of a good thing isn't so great. While I love the film, its a rare moment when Keaton loses his perciseness of comedy and extends the jokes way too long and is a little too repetitive that by the time of the finale, you are more restless than excited.

2.) Interesting you find the score to Sherlock Jr. odd when its the score to be the main influence for the classic theme music to all the James Bond movies. Not the score, overall, but when Keaton is on the run and his car goes into the water and floats, thats it.
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