A Muppet Family Christmas is a great 1987 made-for-tv special that includes every imaginable muppet. We have a tape of the show as it appeared on television and were so excited when we found it on DVD. Unfortunately, the DVD leaves out so much of it that it's not worth watching. We gave the DVD away and continue to watch -sparingly, in an attempt to prolong the life of the tape- our home recorded version. This is a sad situation and just another example of how the byzantine copyright regulations make things difficult for all concerned.
Here's the beginning of the show:
This is unavailable as I check on 12/1/2009, but the video is at youtube in 5 parts now. part 1:
part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5
The DVD is out of print. There's a description of the various editions here.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Remember Mr. Bingle?
Click here to get reacquainted.
Here's the New Orleans story:
The Memphis connection is mentioned at the bottom of the Mr. Bingle Wikipedia entry.
Here's the New Orleans story:
The Memphis connection is mentioned at the bottom of the Mr. Bingle Wikipedia entry.
Sir Galahad: a Christmas Story
Sir Galahad: a Christmas Story is a poem written by William Morris:
It is the longest night in all the year,
Near on the day when the Lord Christ was born;
Six hours ago I came and sat down here,
And ponder'd sadly, wearied and forlorn.
The winter wind that pass'd the chapel door,
Sang out a moody tune, that went right well
With mine own thoughts: I look'd down on the floor,
Between my feet, until I heard a bell
Sound a long way off through the forest deep,
And toll on steadily; a drowsiness
Came on me, so that I fell half asleep,
As I sat there not moving: less and less
I saw the melted snow that hung in beads
Upon my steel-shoes; less and less I saw
Between the tiles the bunches of small weeds:
Heartless and stupid, with no touch of awe
Upon me, half-shut eyes upon the ground,
I thought: O Galahad! the days go by,
Stop and cast up now that which you have found,
So sorely you have wrought and painfully.
Night after night your horse treads down alone
The sere damp fern, night after night you sit
Holding the bridle like a man of stone,
Dismal, unfriended: what thing comes of it?
And what if Palomydes also ride,
And over many a mountain and bare heath
Follow the questing beast with none beside?
Is he not able still to hold his breath
With thoughts of Iseult? doth he not grow pale
With weary striving, to seem best of all
To her, "as she is best," he saith? to fail
Is nothing to him, he can never fall.
For unto such a man love-sorrow is
So dear a thing unto his constant heart,
That even if he never win one kiss,
Or touch from Iseult, it will never part.
And he will never know her to be worse
Than in his happiest dreams he thinks she is:
Good knight, and faithful, you have 'scaped the curse
In wonderful-wise; you have great store of bliss.
Yea, what if Father Launcelot ride out,
Can he not think of Guenevere's arms, round
Warm and lithe, about his neck, and shout
Till all the place grows joyful with the sound?
And when he lists can often see her face,
And think, "Next month I kiss you, or next week,
And still you think of me": therefore the place
Grows very pleasant, whatsoever he seek.
But me, who ride alone, some carle shall find
Dead in my arms in the half-melted snow,
When all unkindly with the shifting wind,
The thaw comes on at Candlemas: I know
Indeed that they will say: "This Galahad
If he had lived had been a right good knight;
Ah! poor chaste body!" but they will be glad,
Not most alone, but all, when in their sight
That very evening in their scarlet sleeves
The gay-dress'd minstrels sing; no maid will talk
Of sitting on my tomb, until the leaves,
Grown big upon the bushes of the walk,
East of the Palace-pleasaunce, make it hard
To see the minster therefrom: well-a-day!
Before the trees by autumn were well bared,
I saw a damozel with gentle play,
Within that very walk say last farewell
To her dear knight, just riding out to find
(Why should I choke to say it?) the Sangreal,
And their last kisses sunk into my mind,
Yea, for she stood lean'd forward on his breast,
Rather, scarce stood; the back of one dear hand,
That it might well be kiss'd, she held and press'd
Against his lips; long time they stood there, fann'd
By gentle gusts of quiet frosty wind,
Till Mador de la porte a-going by,
And my own horsehoofs roused them; they untwined,
And parted like a dream. In this way I,
With sleepy face bent to the chapel floor,
Kept musing half asleep, till suddenly
A sharp bell rang from close beside the door,
And I leapt up when something pass'd me by,
Shrill ringing going with it, still half blind
I stagger'd after, a great sense of awe
At every step kept gathering on my mind,
Thereat I have no marvel, for I saw
One sitting on the altar as a throne,
Whose face no man could say he did not know,
And though the bell still rang, he sat alone,
With raiment half blood-red, half white as snow.
Right so I fell upon the floor and knelt,
Not as one kneels in church when mass is said,
But in a heap, quite nerveless, for I felt
The first time what a thing was perfect dread.
But mightily the gentle voice came down:
"Rise up, and look and listen, Galahad,
Good knight of God, for you will see no frown
Upon my face; I come to make you glad.
"For that you say that you are all alone,
I will be with you always, and fear not
You are uncared for, though no maiden moan
Above your empty tomb; for Launcelot,
"He in good time shall be my servant too,
Meantime, take note whose sword first made him knight,
And who has loved him alway, yea, and who
Still trusts him alway, though in all men's sight,
"He is just what you know, O Galahad,
This love is happy even as you say,
But would you for a little time be glad,
To make ME sorry long, day after day?
"Her warm arms round his neck half throttle ME,
The hot love-tears burn deep like spots of lead,
Yea, and the years pass quick: right dismally
Will Launcelot at one time hang his head;
"Yea, old and shrivell'd he shall win my love.
Poor Palomydes fretting out his soul!
Not always is he able, son, to move
His love, and do it honour: needs must roll
"The proudest destrier sometimes in the dust,
And then 'tis weary work; he strives beside
Seem better than he is, so that his trust
Is always on what chances may betide;
"And so he wears away, my servant, too,
When all these things are gone, and wretchedly
He sits and longs to moan for Iseult, who
Is no care now to Palomydes: see,
"O good son, Galahad, upon this day,
Now even, all these things are on your side,
But these you fight not for; look up, I say,
And see how I can love you, for no pride
"Closes your eyes, no vain lust keeps them down.
See now you have ME always; following
That holy vision, Galahad, go on,
Until at last you come to ME to sing
"In Heaven always, and to walk around
The garden where I am." He ceased, my face
And wretched body fell upon the ground;
And when I look'd again, the holy place
Was empty; but right so the bell again
Came to the chapel-door, there entered
Two angels first, in white, without a stain,
And scarlet wings, then, after them, a bed
Four ladies bore, and set it down beneath
The very altar-step, and while for fear
I scarcely dared to move or draw my breath,
Those holy ladies gently came a-near,
And quite unarm'd me, saying: "Galahad,
Rest here awhile and sleep, and take no thought
Of any other thing than being glad;
Hither the Sangreal will be shortly brought,
"Yet must you sleep the while it stayeth here."
Right so they went away, and I, being weary,
Slept long and dream'd of Heaven: the bell comes near,
I doubt it grows to morning. Miserere!
[Enter Two Angels in white, with scarlet wings; also, Four Ladies in gowns of red and green; also an Angel, bearing in his hands a surcoat of white, with a red cross.]
AN ANGEL
O servant of the high God, Galahad!
Rise and be arm'd: the Sangreal is gone forth
Through the great forest, and you must be had
Unto the sea that lieth on the north:
There shall you find the wondrous ship wherein
The spindles of King Solomon are laid,
And the sword that no man draweth without sin,
But if he be most pure: and there is stay'd,
Hard by, Sir Launcelot, whom you will meet
In some short space upon that ship: first, though,
Will come here presently that lady sweet,
Sister of Percival, whom you well know,
And with her Bors and Percival: stand now,
These ladies will to arm you.
[FIRST LADY, putting on the hauberk]
Galahad,
That I may stand so close beneath your brow,
Margaret of Antioch, am glad.
[SECOND LADY, girding him with the sword.]
That I may stand and touch you with my hand,
O Galahad, I, Cecily, am glad.
[THIRD LADY, buckling on the spurs.]
That I may kneel while up above you stand,
And gaze at me, O holy Galahad,
I, Lucy, am most glad.
[FOURTH LADY, putting on the basnet.]
O gentle knight,
That you bow down to us in reverence,
We are most glad, I, Katherine, with delight
Must needs fall trembling.
[ANGEL, putting on the crossed surcoat.]
Galahad, we go hence,
For here, amid the straying of the snow,
Come Percival's sister, Bors, and Percival.
[The Four Ladies carry out the bed, and all go but Galahad.]
GALAHAD.
How still and quiet everything seems now:
They come, too, for I hear the horsehoofs fall.
[Enter Sir Bors, Sir Percival and his Sister.]
Fair friends and gentle lady, God you save!
A many marvels have been here to-night;
Tell me what news of Launcelot you have,
And has God's body ever been in sight?
SIR BORS.
Why, as for seeing that same holy thing,
As we were riding slowly side by side,
An hour ago, we heard a sweet voice sing,
And through the bare twigs saw a great light glide,
With many-colour'd raiment, but far off;
And so pass'd quickly: from the court nought good;
Poor merry Dinadan, that with jape and scoff
Kept us all merry, in a little wood
Was found all hack'd and dead: Sir Lionel
And Gauwaine have come back from the great quest,
Just merely shamed; and Lauvaine, who loved well
Your father Launcelot, at the king's behest
Went out to seek him, but was almost slain,
Perhaps is dead now; everywhere
The knights come foil'd from the great quest, in vain;
In vain they struggle for the vision fair.
It is the longest night in all the year,
Near on the day when the Lord Christ was born;
Six hours ago I came and sat down here,
And ponder'd sadly, wearied and forlorn.
The winter wind that pass'd the chapel door,
Sang out a moody tune, that went right well
With mine own thoughts: I look'd down on the floor,
Between my feet, until I heard a bell
Sound a long way off through the forest deep,
And toll on steadily; a drowsiness
Came on me, so that I fell half asleep,
As I sat there not moving: less and less
I saw the melted snow that hung in beads
Upon my steel-shoes; less and less I saw
Between the tiles the bunches of small weeds:
Heartless and stupid, with no touch of awe
Upon me, half-shut eyes upon the ground,
I thought: O Galahad! the days go by,
Stop and cast up now that which you have found,
So sorely you have wrought and painfully.
Night after night your horse treads down alone
The sere damp fern, night after night you sit
Holding the bridle like a man of stone,
Dismal, unfriended: what thing comes of it?
And what if Palomydes also ride,
And over many a mountain and bare heath
Follow the questing beast with none beside?
Is he not able still to hold his breath
With thoughts of Iseult? doth he not grow pale
With weary striving, to seem best of all
To her, "as she is best," he saith? to fail
Is nothing to him, he can never fall.
For unto such a man love-sorrow is
So dear a thing unto his constant heart,
That even if he never win one kiss,
Or touch from Iseult, it will never part.
And he will never know her to be worse
Than in his happiest dreams he thinks she is:
Good knight, and faithful, you have 'scaped the curse
In wonderful-wise; you have great store of bliss.
Yea, what if Father Launcelot ride out,
Can he not think of Guenevere's arms, round
Warm and lithe, about his neck, and shout
Till all the place grows joyful with the sound?
And when he lists can often see her face,
And think, "Next month I kiss you, or next week,
And still you think of me": therefore the place
Grows very pleasant, whatsoever he seek.
But me, who ride alone, some carle shall find
Dead in my arms in the half-melted snow,
When all unkindly with the shifting wind,
The thaw comes on at Candlemas: I know
Indeed that they will say: "This Galahad
If he had lived had been a right good knight;
Ah! poor chaste body!" but they will be glad,
Not most alone, but all, when in their sight
That very evening in their scarlet sleeves
The gay-dress'd minstrels sing; no maid will talk
Of sitting on my tomb, until the leaves,
Grown big upon the bushes of the walk,
East of the Palace-pleasaunce, make it hard
To see the minster therefrom: well-a-day!
Before the trees by autumn were well bared,
I saw a damozel with gentle play,
Within that very walk say last farewell
To her dear knight, just riding out to find
(Why should I choke to say it?) the Sangreal,
And their last kisses sunk into my mind,
Yea, for she stood lean'd forward on his breast,
Rather, scarce stood; the back of one dear hand,
That it might well be kiss'd, she held and press'd
Against his lips; long time they stood there, fann'd
By gentle gusts of quiet frosty wind,
Till Mador de la porte a-going by,
And my own horsehoofs roused them; they untwined,
And parted like a dream. In this way I,
With sleepy face bent to the chapel floor,
Kept musing half asleep, till suddenly
A sharp bell rang from close beside the door,
And I leapt up when something pass'd me by,
Shrill ringing going with it, still half blind
I stagger'd after, a great sense of awe
At every step kept gathering on my mind,
Thereat I have no marvel, for I saw
One sitting on the altar as a throne,
Whose face no man could say he did not know,
And though the bell still rang, he sat alone,
With raiment half blood-red, half white as snow.
Right so I fell upon the floor and knelt,
Not as one kneels in church when mass is said,
But in a heap, quite nerveless, for I felt
The first time what a thing was perfect dread.
But mightily the gentle voice came down:
"Rise up, and look and listen, Galahad,
Good knight of God, for you will see no frown
Upon my face; I come to make you glad.
"For that you say that you are all alone,
I will be with you always, and fear not
You are uncared for, though no maiden moan
Above your empty tomb; for Launcelot,
"He in good time shall be my servant too,
Meantime, take note whose sword first made him knight,
And who has loved him alway, yea, and who
Still trusts him alway, though in all men's sight,
"He is just what you know, O Galahad,
This love is happy even as you say,
But would you for a little time be glad,
To make ME sorry long, day after day?
"Her warm arms round his neck half throttle ME,
The hot love-tears burn deep like spots of lead,
Yea, and the years pass quick: right dismally
Will Launcelot at one time hang his head;
"Yea, old and shrivell'd he shall win my love.
Poor Palomydes fretting out his soul!
Not always is he able, son, to move
His love, and do it honour: needs must roll
"The proudest destrier sometimes in the dust,
And then 'tis weary work; he strives beside
Seem better than he is, so that his trust
Is always on what chances may betide;
"And so he wears away, my servant, too,
When all these things are gone, and wretchedly
He sits and longs to moan for Iseult, who
Is no care now to Palomydes: see,
"O good son, Galahad, upon this day,
Now even, all these things are on your side,
But these you fight not for; look up, I say,
And see how I can love you, for no pride
"Closes your eyes, no vain lust keeps them down.
See now you have ME always; following
That holy vision, Galahad, go on,
Until at last you come to ME to sing
"In Heaven always, and to walk around
The garden where I am." He ceased, my face
And wretched body fell upon the ground;
And when I look'd again, the holy place
Was empty; but right so the bell again
Came to the chapel-door, there entered
Two angels first, in white, without a stain,
And scarlet wings, then, after them, a bed
Four ladies bore, and set it down beneath
The very altar-step, and while for fear
I scarcely dared to move or draw my breath,
Those holy ladies gently came a-near,
And quite unarm'd me, saying: "Galahad,
Rest here awhile and sleep, and take no thought
Of any other thing than being glad;
Hither the Sangreal will be shortly brought,
"Yet must you sleep the while it stayeth here."
Right so they went away, and I, being weary,
Slept long and dream'd of Heaven: the bell comes near,
I doubt it grows to morning. Miserere!
[Enter Two Angels in white, with scarlet wings; also, Four Ladies in gowns of red and green; also an Angel, bearing in his hands a surcoat of white, with a red cross.]
AN ANGEL
O servant of the high God, Galahad!
Rise and be arm'd: the Sangreal is gone forth
Through the great forest, and you must be had
Unto the sea that lieth on the north:
There shall you find the wondrous ship wherein
The spindles of King Solomon are laid,
And the sword that no man draweth without sin,
But if he be most pure: and there is stay'd,
Hard by, Sir Launcelot, whom you will meet
In some short space upon that ship: first, though,
Will come here presently that lady sweet,
Sister of Percival, whom you well know,
And with her Bors and Percival: stand now,
These ladies will to arm you.
[FIRST LADY, putting on the hauberk]
Galahad,
That I may stand so close beneath your brow,
Margaret of Antioch, am glad.
[SECOND LADY, girding him with the sword.]
That I may stand and touch you with my hand,
O Galahad, I, Cecily, am glad.
[THIRD LADY, buckling on the spurs.]
That I may kneel while up above you stand,
And gaze at me, O holy Galahad,
I, Lucy, am most glad.
[FOURTH LADY, putting on the basnet.]
O gentle knight,
That you bow down to us in reverence,
We are most glad, I, Katherine, with delight
Must needs fall trembling.
[ANGEL, putting on the crossed surcoat.]
Galahad, we go hence,
For here, amid the straying of the snow,
Come Percival's sister, Bors, and Percival.
[The Four Ladies carry out the bed, and all go but Galahad.]
GALAHAD.
How still and quiet everything seems now:
They come, too, for I hear the horsehoofs fall.
[Enter Sir Bors, Sir Percival and his Sister.]
Fair friends and gentle lady, God you save!
A many marvels have been here to-night;
Tell me what news of Launcelot you have,
And has God's body ever been in sight?
SIR BORS.
Why, as for seeing that same holy thing,
As we were riding slowly side by side,
An hour ago, we heard a sweet voice sing,
And through the bare twigs saw a great light glide,
With many-colour'd raiment, but far off;
And so pass'd quickly: from the court nought good;
Poor merry Dinadan, that with jape and scoff
Kept us all merry, in a little wood
Was found all hack'd and dead: Sir Lionel
And Gauwaine have come back from the great quest,
Just merely shamed; and Lauvaine, who loved well
Your father Launcelot, at the king's behest
Went out to seek him, but was almost slain,
Perhaps is dead now; everywhere
The knights come foil'd from the great quest, in vain;
In vain they struggle for the vision fair.
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Bishop's Wife
The Bishop's Wife is a delightful lesser-known Christmas film from 1947 which we picked up on DVD last year but didn't watch 'til tonight. Cary Grant makes a perfect angel, while David Niven and Loretta Young are also perfect as the worried bishop trying to flatter wealthy parishioners into donating money enough to build a cathedral and his neglected wife. Elsa Lancaster plays the housekeeper.
Here's the opening scene:
11/30/2008:
The Husband suggested this one this afternoon, so he and I watched it. I haven't seen this one very many times and we just bought it year before last, but I like it a lot. It's online in 12 parts at youtube with embedding disabled. Links: (removed as of 12/1/2009)
trailer:
TCM has an overview. Variety has a short review. The New York Times review says "it comes very close to being the most enchanting picture of the year" and calls it a "warm and winning fable".
Here's the opening scene:
11/30/2008:
The Husband suggested this one this afternoon, so he and I watched it. I haven't seen this one very many times and we just bought it year before last, but I like it a lot. It's online in 12 parts at youtube with embedding disabled. Links: (removed as of 12/1/2009)
trailer:
TCM has an overview. Variety has a short review. The New York Times review says "it comes very close to being the most enchanting picture of the year" and calls it a "warm and winning fable".
Our Town
Our Town, based on the play by Thornton Wilder, is a PBS Masterpiece Theater production starring Paul Newman. Neither The Younger Son nor I had seen this, though I read the play and saw a community theater presentation of it when I was in high school. I still remember that experience.
This is a beautiful production. It brought a tear to my eye, and I don't tend to cry. The Younger Son enjoyed the first half of the video much, much than the more solemn second half.
The 1940 movie version is online:
The ending of the 1940 version differs markedly from that of the play, if the wikipedia report is correct. I've never seen that one.
This is a beautiful production. It brought a tear to my eye, and I don't tend to cry. The Younger Son enjoyed the first half of the video much, much than the more solemn second half.
The 1940 movie version is online:
The ending of the 1940 version differs markedly from that of the play, if the wikipedia report is correct. I've never seen that one.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer has always been one of our favorites. I missed it the year it first aired, because I was at church, but I saw it after that. We were horrified to find that our new DVD version of this has the Fame and Fortune number stuck off in a Special Features section, and the show contains some lame "misfits" reprise number we had never seen before where Fame and Fortune should be.
Sad. Very sad.
The show can be seen online here:
Sad. Very sad.
The show can be seen online here:
Advent Gospel: 2nd Sunday
Matthew 3:1-12
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
KJV
All Right Now
All Right Now by Free:
The list of 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll comes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
The list of 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll comes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Patrick Stewart's "A Christmas Carol"
A Christmas Carol is Patrick Stewart's 1999 adaptation of Dickens' story. Stewart stars as Scrooge. There are reasons we particularly like this version, but there are a few bits we do not like:
We especially like the scenes in which Christmas Present visits the sailors at sea and prisoners in the jail -most versions leave this part out. We've grown to appreciate the downtrodden Bob Cratchit, whose portrayal I did not like at all at first but whose demeanor seems more realistic to me now than other versions I used to prefer, and a more good-hearted Fred than the one in this production would be hard to find.
We like this one. It's well worth owning and annual viewing. We've seen a lot of adaptations, so we can't help but compare them. None of them are perfect, and this one has much to offer.
There's a scene from towards the end of the film here:
12/5/2008: We watched this tonight. The Husband picked it as it's one of his favorites. The Younger Son keeps track of Saskia Reeves' career through a Google Alert. She does make a great Mrs. Cratchitt.
- We think Christmas Past is mean, not good-hearted and certainly not o'er-brimming with the hearty goodwill of the Christmas season. He is trudging through his dutiful oversight of Christmas Day without a touch of joy. I can't imagine a worse depiction of Christmas "Spirit". And the interchange in which Scrooge says, "I didn't know Cratchit had a crippled son," and Christmas Present replies with "You didn't ask," well, we just get this funny picture of Scrooge interrupting Bob at his work and asking, "By the way, Mr. Cratchit, do you have a crippled son?"
- The Giant Jawa-eyed Christmas Yet to Come.
- The sound of Stewart working up to his big laughing scene at the end. Gagging, maybe?
We especially like the scenes in which Christmas Present visits the sailors at sea and prisoners in the jail -most versions leave this part out. We've grown to appreciate the downtrodden Bob Cratchit, whose portrayal I did not like at all at first but whose demeanor seems more realistic to me now than other versions I used to prefer, and a more good-hearted Fred than the one in this production would be hard to find.
We like this one. It's well worth owning and annual viewing. We've seen a lot of adaptations, so we can't help but compare them. None of them are perfect, and this one has much to offer.
There's a scene from towards the end of the film here:
12/5/2008: We watched this tonight. The Husband picked it as it's one of his favorites. The Younger Son keeps track of Saskia Reeves' career through a Google Alert. She does make a great Mrs. Cratchitt.
George Landow
George Landow/Owen Land is a film maker currently active in America.
Film in Which There Appear Edge Lettering, Sprocket Holes, Dirt Particles, Etc. (1966):
If you've seen the first 5 seconds you've seen it all as far as I can tell. I've had more fun watching the test pattern on tv when I was a child.
Remedial Reading Comprehension (1970):
I'm in sympathy with the sleeper. I like brown rice better than white. Run while you can.
Film in Which There Appear Edge Lettering, Sprocket Holes, Dirt Particles, Etc. (1966):
If you've seen the first 5 seconds you've seen it all as far as I can tell. I've had more fun watching the test pattern on tv when I was a child.
Remedial Reading Comprehension (1970):
I'm in sympathy with the sleeper. I like brown rice better than white. Run while you can.
Alice Comedies
The Alice Comedies are animated shorts featuring a little girl named Alice. They combine live action with the animation.
Alice's Wonderland (1923):
You can see a few more of them here.
Alice's Wonderland (1923):
You can see a few more of them here.
Ernie Gehr
Ernie Gehr (born 1943) is an American film maker. His most well-known film is Serene Velocity (1970), an experimental silent short:
Watching it made me a bit queasy/dizzy.
Watching it made me a bit queasy/dizzy.
John Lennon
Today is the anniversary of the death in 1980 of John Lennon. He was senselessly gunned down outside his New York home.
Give Peace a Chance:
Edward Copeland on Film posted on it.
Give Peace a Chance:
Edward Copeland on Film posted on it.
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat, animated shorts:
Feline Follies, the first "Felix" short (1919)
Felix the Cat in Hollywood (1923)
Felix the Cat Monkeys With Magic (1925)
April Maze (1930):
Neptune Nonsense (1936) is the story of a lonely fishie.
Feline Follies, the first "Felix" short (1919)
Felix the Cat in Hollywood (1923)
Felix the Cat Monkeys With Magic (1925)
April Maze (1930):
Neptune Nonsense (1936) is the story of a lonely fishie.
Friday, December 07, 2007
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Muppet Christmas Carol, another favorite Christmas movie at our house, is narrated by Gonzo as Charles Dickens and stars Michael Caine as Scrooge and Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit. This is a priceless adaptation of the book. The songs are fun, the humor hits just the right note and Michael Caine is, as always, perfect. We are big fans of Michael Caine, and his presence in a film is almost always enough for us to seek it out.
Here's the Scrooge song from the beginning of the movie:
We're not fans of the Muppet movies in general, though we loved their first movie and Muppet Treasure Island, but this film is a wonderful re-telling of the classic Christmas tale.
12/13/2008:
We watched this again tonight. The Husband says it makes him feel good, and Heaven help him, sometimes a feel-good movie is the perfect thing.
Here's the Scrooge song from the beginning of the movie:
We're not fans of the Muppet movies in general, though we loved their first movie and Muppet Treasure Island, but this film is a wonderful re-telling of the classic Christmas tale.
12/13/2008:
We watched this again tonight. The Husband says it makes him feel good, and Heaven help him, sometimes a feel-good movie is the perfect thing.
Fernand Leger
Fernand Léger was primarily a painter -the work pictured above is "The City" (1919), but he made one short film, Ballet Mecanique in 1924.
part 1:
part 2:
I didn't find this film at all interesting and much prefer his paintings.
Max Linder
I had never heard of Max Linder until I started looking into early film shorts. His short films are as funny as any I've seen by those who are more well known.
The Dentures (1909):
The Max Linder short is just the first 3 minutes of the video.
Max and the Lady Doctor (1909):
Troubles of a Grasswidower (1912):
Not for the faint of heart. That dinner!
Love's Surprises (1913):
Max Takes a Picture (1913):
Max Décoré (1914):
Yes, fashion is whatever the fashionable decide it is, but oh, my! what shoes!
Be My Wife (1921):
Seven Years Bad Luck (1921) is an hour long and much longer than the others I watched:
The Dentures (1909):
The Max Linder short is just the first 3 minutes of the video.
Max and the Lady Doctor (1909):
Troubles of a Grasswidower (1912):
Not for the faint of heart. That dinner!
Love's Surprises (1913):
Max Takes a Picture (1913):
Max Décoré (1914):
Yes, fashion is whatever the fashionable decide it is, but oh, my! what shoes!
Be My Wife (1921):
Seven Years Bad Luck (1921) is an hour long and much longer than the others I watched:
Winsor McCay
Winsor McCay was an early film animator and "America's greatest cartoonist". I especially like his clouds and his waves. The movements of his figures seem more natural than some of the later animations I've seen.
Little Nemo (1911) is a partially hand-colored short:
Gertie the Dinosaur (1914):
The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918):
This was one of many WW1 propaganda efforts but the first animated one I recall seeing.
The Centaurs (remaining fragment) (1921):
Flip's Circus (1921):
The Flying House (1921):
update:
I got a comment below from someone who has a great homage site to McCay: Meeting McCay. The post on 12/4 is on Maurice Sendak, noting the obvious McCay influence on his work. We were always big Sendak fans when the kids were little but have just now discovered McCay. Earlier in the month he notes McCay's ties with Buster Keaton. It is a small world.
Little Nemo (1911) is a partially hand-colored short:
Gertie the Dinosaur (1914):
The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918):
The Centaurs (remaining fragment) (1921):
Flip's Circus (1921):
The Flying House (1921):
update:
I got a comment below from someone who has a great homage site to McCay: Meeting McCay. The post on 12/4 is on Maurice Sendak, noting the obvious McCay influence on his work. We were always big Sendak fans when the kids were little but have just now discovered McCay. Earlier in the month he notes McCay's ties with Buster Keaton. It is a small world.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story (1983) is the story of a childhood Christmas remembered and dramatically narrated by Ralphie, who wants that Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas more than anything in the world. The film is filled with subplots involving Ralphie's family and friends. Although The Husband and I like this movie The Younger Son does not, asking if it's a generational thing. Could be. There's nobody anywhere near his age in the film, and he just doesn't think it's at all funny...
trailer:
We saw it last year, too.
12/24/2007:
Cinematical has a review.
trailer:
We saw it last year, too.
12/24/2007:
Cinematical has a review.
The Toy That Saved Christmas
The Toy That Saved Christmas is one of our favorite Christmas shows. Here's Larry's silly song just for a taste:
The video is a must-see for all ages. In fact our teens always liked it better than the younger kids, and The Husband and I love it. We even have Veggietale Christmas ornaments on our tree.
The video is a must-see for all ages. In fact our teens always liked it better than the younger kids, and The Husband and I love it. We even have Veggietale Christmas ornaments on our tree.
St. Nicholas
Today is the Feast of Saint Nicholas, and a great feast it is indeed! A joyful day in Advent when we wake to find our stockings full of goodies.
The picture above is a detail from the Perugia triptych by Fra Angelico. This section illustrates the story of Saint Nicholas providing financial means for 3 girls without dowries.
We have a cd appropriate for the day- Legends of St. Nicholas: Medieval Chant and Polyphony by Anonymous 4.
Books for Saint Nicholas Day:
St. Nicholas and the Tub, written by Brian Burland, a Bermudan novelist, illustrated by Joseph Low, begins with "A Note to the Reader". It includes these words:
Exactly what Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, did, wrote or said, we do not know. But we do know that some poignant essence of the man and the life inspired, among other things, the happy tradition of giving in secret. We know also that the earliest paintings of St. Nicholas, some of which date back to the ninth century, depict him sstanding in a tub with three children at his side. We do not know why they are in the tub, although there have been various interpretations.
This story, which is meant to be read aloud, is a flight of fancy that relates a way St. Nicholas and the children may have got into that tub.
A Gift From Saint Nicholas, adapted by Carole Kismaric and illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak, has this description on the front dust jacket flap:
When Cecile sees the wonderful chocolate ship in Trinchen Mutser's candy shop, she dreams that it will be hers on Saint Nicholas Eve. Maybe, she thinks, if she can stay awake, she'll catch the ship as it sails down her chimney.
Alas, the chocolate Congo does not come to Cecile so easily. When Saint Nicholas and his assisant Ruprecht reach her house, they discover they have run out of presents...
The Baker's Dozen, A Saint Nicholas Tale, retold by Aaron Shepard and illustrated by Wendy Edelson, tells how Saint Nicholas teaches a baker to count. from the dust jacket:
The honest baker Van Amsterdam gives his customers exactly what they pay for -not more and not less. He is noted for the delicious Saint Nicholas gingerbread cookies he makes for the saint's feast day in December. Van Amsterdam carefully counts out twelve cookies for each customer who orders a dozen -until the day when a strange old woman asks for a dozen cookies and insists that a dozen is thirteen. But the baker will not agree. "Your heart is small, and your fist is tight," she tells the ungenerous Van Amsterdam as she leaves the cookies behind. "Fall again, mount again, learn how to count again!" From that moment everything goes wrong in Van Amsterdam's shop -until Saint Nicholas himself sets things straight. The Dutch colonial tale of Saint Nicholas and the baker's dozen is one of America's oldest and most beloved legends.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Jean Rouch
Jean Rouch (1917-2004) was a French film maker and anthropologist whose films often focused on life in Africa.
Burial in the Cliff documents funeral ceremonies of the Dogon on Mali.
part 1:
part 2:
Les Tambours d'Avant is a documentary short which portrays a possession ritual in Nigeria. This version has no English intertitles, but is easily understandable without them:
The Mad Masters, another documentary short, is online in 3 parts. It is a graphic portrayal of religious ritual among the Hauka. I found this disturbing to watch as this was documentary film of an actual ceremony, and the people, believing themselves possessed by the spirits of old Western colonial powers, slaughter a dog and drink the blood from its throat. Don't say I didn't warn you.
part 1:
part 2:
part 3:
Hippopotamus Hunt is online in 4 parts. Part 1 is here:
and you can see part 2 here, part 3 here and part 4 here.
These documentaries are fascinating!
Burial in the Cliff documents funeral ceremonies of the Dogon on Mali.
part 1:
part 2:
Les Tambours d'Avant is a documentary short which portrays a possession ritual in Nigeria. This version has no English intertitles, but is easily understandable without them:
The Mad Masters, another documentary short, is online in 3 parts. It is a graphic portrayal of religious ritual among the Hauka. I found this disturbing to watch as this was documentary film of an actual ceremony, and the people, believing themselves possessed by the spirits of old Western colonial powers, slaughter a dog and drink the blood from its throat. Don't say I didn't warn you.
part 1:
part 2:
part 3:
Hippopotamus Hunt is online in 4 parts. Part 1 is here:
and you can see part 2 here, part 3 here and part 4 here.
These documentaries are fascinating!
René Clair
René Clair (1898-1981) was an award-winning French film maker.
Entr'acte (1924) includes music by Eric Satie:
I watched it, of course, and am thoroughly confused, though I do want to say we love that camel, especially the hearse on a roller coaster part. I expected it to make some coherent sense and it didn't make the kind of coherent sense I expected. There is information on and evaluation of the film short here, at FilmReference.com and at ubu.com. House of Mirth and Movies has a review.
Paris Qui Dort (1925) is available at DailyMotion.com here:
There is information on this short science fiction film at FilmsDeFrance.com. There are no English intertitles, but it's easy enough to understand from the plot summary at Wikipedia:
You can see a 17-minute BBC documentary on Clair at ubu.com. It includes biographical material and interviews.
Entr'acte (1924) includes music by Eric Satie:
I watched it, of course, and am thoroughly confused, though I do want to say we love that camel, especially the hearse on a roller coaster part. I expected it to make some coherent sense and it didn't make the kind of coherent sense I expected. There is information on and evaluation of the film short here, at FilmReference.com and at ubu.com. House of Mirth and Movies has a review.
Paris Qui Dort (1925) is available at DailyMotion.com here:
There is information on this short science fiction film at FilmsDeFrance.com. There are no English intertitles, but it's easy enough to understand from the plot summary at Wikipedia:
The film is about a mad doctor who uses a magic ray on citizens which causes them to freeze in strange and often embarrassing positions. People who are unaffected by the ray begin to loot Paris.
You can see a 17-minute BBC documentary on Clair at ubu.com. It includes biographical material and interviews.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Winter and Night
Winter and Night by S.J. Rozan is another in the Bill Smith/Lydia Chin series and the third that I have read. This one, like No Colder Place, focuses on the Bill Smith character, while Reflecting the Sky concerns Lydia Chin. Winter and Night won the Edgar Award in 2003.
from the back of the book:
There's music in this book. Now, really, I don't know if this is something I'd just never noticed before or if this is a fad that cropped up in the early 2000's, but it's interesting that the last couple of mysteries I've read make it a point to mention which cd is on. In this book Gould's Bach, the Brahms Sonata in F-sharp minor, Bach's French Suites, Sinatra and Copland's Piano Sonata each get a mention, and all the music is in the first 1/3 or so of the book. It's just odd.
I liked the book and the main characters. I thought the writing was better in the last Rozan book I read, but this one was still a fine read. The pacing was good.
from the back of the book:
Private detective Bill Smith is hurtled headlong into the most provocative-and personal-case of his career when he receives a chilling late night telephone call from the NYPD, who are holding his fifteen-year-old nephew Gary. But before he can find out what’s going on, Gary escapes Bill’s custody and disappears into the dark and unfamiliar streets...
Bill and his partner, Lydia Chin, try to find the missing teen and uncover what it is that has led him so far from home. Their search takes them to Gary’s family in a small town in New Jersey, where they discover that one of Gary’s classmates was murdered. Bill and Lydia delve into the crime-only to find it eerily similar to a decades-old murder-suicide...
Now, with his nephew’s future-and perhaps his very life-at stake, Bill must unravel a long-buried crime and confront the darkness of his own past...
There's music in this book. Now, really, I don't know if this is something I'd just never noticed before or if this is a fad that cropped up in the early 2000's, but it's interesting that the last couple of mysteries I've read make it a point to mention which cd is on. In this book Gould's Bach, the Brahms Sonata in F-sharp minor, Bach's French Suites, Sinatra and Copland's Piano Sonata each get a mention, and all the music is in the first 1/3 or so of the book. It's just odd.
I liked the book and the main characters. I thought the writing was better in the last Rozan book I read, but this one was still a fine read. The pacing was good.
Robert Breer
Robert Breer has a page at UbuWeb where there is some background information on him and where some of his films are embedded.
A Man and His Dog Out for Air (1957):
is a fun 2-minute drawn animation.
69 (1968):
I haven't had a problem with this in other films, but I found the repetitive imagery in 69 to be downright distressing, and though I made it through the entire 4 1/2 minutes, it wasn't easy.
A Man and His Dog Out for Air (1957):
is a fun 2-minute drawn animation.
69 (1968):
I haven't had a problem with this in other films, but I found the repetitive imagery in 69 to be downright distressing, and though I made it through the entire 4 1/2 minutes, it wasn't easy.
Chris Marker
Chris Marker (b. 1921) is a French film maker, among other things.
Les Astronautes (1959):
There is an owl featured in this little 12-minute film, so you really should give it a chance. The owl first shows up right at the beginning. Let that be a lesson to you: Never save small red rockets.
La Jetée (1962):
is currently best known for having inspired the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys. Senses of Cinema has an essay on the film.
Les Astronautes (1959):
There is an owl featured in this little 12-minute film, so you really should give it a chance. The owl first shows up right at the beginning. Let that be a lesson to you: Never save small red rockets.
La Jetée (1962):
is currently best known for having inspired the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys. Senses of Cinema has an essay on the film.
Mary Ellen Bute
Mary Ellen Bute (1906-1983) was an experimental film maker whose films were visual imaginings of musical works.
Rhythm in Light (1934):
Tarantella (1940):
Rhythm in Light (1934):
Tarantella (1940):
Monday, December 03, 2007
Robert Louis Stevenson
Today is the anniversary of the death in 1894 of Robert Louis Stevenson. I discovered Stevenson when young and introduced him to my children when they were young, though they never liked A Child's Garden of Verses like I did. Treasure Island was our favorite, which probably places us squarely with the majority of his readers.
I discovered his travel writing after the kids were school-aged and wonder why they aren't better known, unless it's just that travel narratives seem less-read than fiction. I have these: An Inland Voyage and Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes published together in a volume of The Gateway Series of English Texts; and The Amateur Emigrant, Across the Plains and The Silverado Squatters in The Travels and Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Stevenson because of his defense of Father Damien. It endears him to me.
Marcel Duchamp
Marcel Duchamp made one film in collaboration with Man Ray and Marc Allégret. He was primarily a painter.
Anemic Cinema (1926):
The picture at the top of the post is of Nude Descending A Staircase, No. 2 (1912).
Maria Ouspenskaya
Today is the anniversary of the death in 1949 of Maria Ouspenskaya. She is a favorite of mine, and I treasure her particularly in The Wolf Man (1941) and Love Affair (1939). She has films listed at the IMDB from 1915-1949.
Rose Hobart
Rose Hobart(1936) is a short experimental film directed by Joseph Cornell. You can watch this under-20 minute film here:
or here at ubu.com, where you can also read a bit about Cornell.
The film consists of blue-tinted excerpts of star Rose Hobart in scenes from "East of Borneo" with footage of an eclipse. And there are crocodiles. And a monkey.
Here's the inspiration piece East of Borneo:
1/15/2010: Ferdy on Films has a post.
or here at ubu.com, where you can also read a bit about Cornell.
The film consists of blue-tinted excerpts of star Rose Hobart in scenes from "East of Borneo" with footage of an eclipse. And there are crocodiles. And a monkey.
Here's the inspiration piece East of Borneo:
1/15/2010: Ferdy on Films has a post.
All I Have to Do Is Dream
All I Have to Do Is Dream (1958) by The Everly Brothers:
The list of 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll comes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
The list of 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll comes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
We're No Angels
We're No Angels (1955) is one of my favorite Christmas movies, although I never see it listed when folks are posting recommendations of must-see holiday films. There's no accounting for taste.... This movie is priceless, starring Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, Aldo Ray and Adolph (as the snake) as the titular angels who take care of everything. Basil Rathbone plays the bad guy against Leo G. Carroll who plays his bumbling, well-meaning cousin. Joan Bennett is Leo G. Carroll's wife. The film is directed by Michael Curtiz.
11/28/2008:
We watched this tonight as our first holiday film this season. It's a perennial favorite. I see I haven't noted before that Gloria Talbott plays the daughter of Leo G. Carrol and Joan Bennett. She's perfect -the movie is perfectly cast- and is a great fainter. I saw her this past October in The Cyclops.
TCM has an overview. The New York Times reviews it here.
I still can't find a trailer online.
11/28/2008:
We watched this tonight as our first holiday film this season. It's a perennial favorite. I see I haven't noted before that Gloria Talbott plays the daughter of Leo G. Carrol and Joan Bennett. She's perfect -the movie is perfectly cast- and is a great fainter. I saw her this past October in The Cyclops.
TCM has an overview. The New York Times reviews it here.
I still can't find a trailer online.
Advent Gospel
Matthew 24:36-44
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(King James Version)
Short Films: 1898
The Ball Game:
Burial of the "Maine" Victims:
Colored Troops Disembarking:
Mount Tamalpais Railroad:
Statue of Liberty:
Street Acrobat:
Troops Marching:
Burial of the "Maine" Victims:
Colored Troops Disembarking:
Mount Tamalpais Railroad:
Statue of Liberty:
Street Acrobat:
Troops Marching:
Short Films: 1895
Annabelle Serpentine Dance:
The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots runs 17 seconds and includes the first special effect:
Princess Ali:
Lumiere Brothers' first films:
The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots runs 17 seconds and includes the first special effect:
Princess Ali:
Lumiere Brothers' first films:
Short Films: before 1894
Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) was directed by Louis le Prince and is only about 2 seconds long. It is thought to be the first motion picture and is the earliest surviving film:
Monkeyshines (1889 or 1890) is the first film shot in the U.S.A.: (4/25/2010: I can no longer find this online.)
Dickson Greeting (1891), embedded below, was directed by William Kennedy Laurie Dickson and is about 3 seconds of greeting by Mr. Dickson. According to the wikipedia article, it is the first film to be exhibited in public. The youtube page quotes the New York Sun report of the event:
Newark Athlete (1891):
part 1
part 2
part 3
Blacksmiths (1893):
Monkeyshines (1889 or 1890) is the first film shot in the U.S.A.: (4/25/2010: I can no longer find this online.)
Dickson Greeting (1891), embedded below, was directed by William Kennedy Laurie Dickson and is about 3 seconds of greeting by Mr. Dickson. According to the wikipedia article, it is the first film to be exhibited in public. The youtube page quotes the New York Sun report of the event:
....As they looked through this hole they saw the picture of a man. It was a most marvellous picture. It bowed and smiled and waved its hands and took off its hat with the most perfect naturalness and grace. Every motion was perfect. There was not a hitch or a jerk. No wonder Edison chuckled at the effect he produced with his Kinetograph.
Newark Athlete (1891):
part 1
part 2
part 3
Blacksmiths (1893):
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Christmas Videos
I'm going to keep a list of Christmas videos here:
A Christmas Carol (1910)
The Insects' Christmas (1913)
Jack Frost (1930)
The Little King: Christmas Night (1933)
Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936)
Somewhere In Dreamland (1936)
A Waif's Welcome (1936)
The Little Match Girl (1937)
The Captain's Christmas (1938)
Tom and Jerry: The Night Before Christmas (1941)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Castle Films: Christmas Toyshop (195?)
Castle Films Presents: Merry Christmas (195?)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
Scrooge (1970)
Emmett Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Blue Carbuncle (1984, Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes)
Brazil (1985)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Prancer (1989)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Toy That Saved Christmas (1996)
A Christmas Carol (1999, Patrick Stewart)
The Star of Christmas (2002)
The Polar Express (2004)
Dr. Who: The Christmas Invasion (2005)
The Snowman (2006)
A Christmas Carol (1910)
The Insects' Christmas (1913)
Jack Frost (1930)
The Little King: Christmas Night (1933)
Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936)
Somewhere In Dreamland (1936)
A Waif's Welcome (1936)
The Little Match Girl (1937)
The Captain's Christmas (1938)
Tom and Jerry: The Night Before Christmas (1941)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Castle Films: Christmas Toyshop (195?)
Castle Films Presents: Merry Christmas (195?)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
Scrooge (1970)
Emmett Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Blue Carbuncle (1984, Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes)
Brazil (1985)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Prancer (1989)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Toy That Saved Christmas (1996)
A Christmas Carol (1999, Patrick Stewart)
The Star of Christmas (2002)
The Polar Express (2004)
Dr. Who: The Christmas Invasion (2005)
The Snowman (2006)
All Along The Watchtower
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix:
The list of 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll comes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
The list of 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll comes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Short Film Blogathon
Check out the blogathon, co-hosted by Culture Snob and Only the Cinema, here.
I am looking forward to seeing what short films the blog participants look at this week. I haven't done any critical evaluation in my posts, but here are short films I've blogged in the past, and I will add new ones to this list as I watch them:
My first project is to post a sample of short films from the early history of film. I've been watching some of them as I've run across them and sought out others specifically with this in mind. These early film makers had genius! A few shorts from early film history:
before 1894
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
Alice comedies
George Landow
Ernie Gehr
Felix the Cat
Fernand Leger
Max Linder
Winsor McCay
Jean Rouch
Rene Clair
Robert Breer
Chris Marker
Mary Ellen Bute
Marcel Duchamp's 1926 short film Anemic Cinema
Rose Hobart (1936)
The short films of Michael Dudok de Wit
The short films of Harry Smith
Shorts directed by J. Searle Dawley:
Rescued From an Eagle's Nest (1908)
Frankenstein (1910)
Snow White (1916)
The short films of Maya Deren
The films of Georges Melies:
A Trip to the Moon (1902)
The Man with the Rubber Head (1902)
The Infernal Cakewalk (1903)
The Monster (1903)
The Infernal Cauldron (1905)
The Black Imp (1905)
Cartoons for Halloween
Short films based on short stories:
The Sealed Room (1909), inspired by Poe's The Cask of Amontillado
The Fall of the House of Usher (1928), based on the Poe story
The Tell-Tale Heart (1953) based on Poe
There Will Come Soft Rains is a Russian animated short film based on a Ray Bradbury short story.
Betty Boop as Cinderella and Snow White
Icarus, a retelling of the myth with robots
Lot in Sodom (1933) re-tells the Bible story.
Short films watched for the Luis Bunuel Blogathon
Jean Renoir's A Day in the Country -at 40 minutes- is perhaps pushing it for length to be a "short" film, but I tend to think of that as being the defining line. So, in my ignorance, I think of anything shorter than 40 minutes as being "short". Perhaps I'll learn more about the parameters during this blogathon.
So, Jean Vigo's Zero for Conduct... It's 41 minutes long. Much too short to be considered a feature film, it qualifies as a "short" in my mind. How do you define "short"?
La Souriante Madame Beudet (1922), a Germaine Dulac short and one of the first (is it the first?) feminist films.
Links to lots of videos I watched for the Slapstick Blogathon, many of which were film shorts:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4, part 1
Day 4, part 2
Piotr Kamler's short films
I'm not including music videos as short films, but I couldn't ignore the Jefferson Airplane/Star Trek White Rabbit.
I'm also not counting educational/informational films, but, again, I couldn't leave out A Fair(y) Use Tale. And there are a couple of great videos speaking to the copyright issues involved in DRM here and here. And then there is video of historic events, such as I included in my post on the Galveston hurricane.
Animator vs. Animation 1 and 2
Top SF videos online
Beware the Chub Chubs. I do love this one.
Remember Matt? Well, I don't know where the hell he is now, but you can see where the hell he was in these travel narrative dance videos.
Beneath the Willow Tree, a Chinese Tale
Since it's winter Fisherman's Nightmare and that old Bud Ice Penguin TV ad lend some seasonal atmosphere to the project.
Elephants Dream made a big splash when it first came out, but if there've been ripples since I've not noticed.
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