1921: Manhatta

This silent ten-minute documentary, if you want to call it that, portrays a day in the life of Manhattan. Watching completely silent films (without music) is an experience I'm only getting used to, but it helps to look at the film as a series of animated photographs. "Moving pictures", you might say. (7.5)

1920: The Neighbors

The best Keaton short I've seen so far, with lots of cool stunts. A bit like The General, only shorter and without trains. (7)

1909: A Corner in Wheat

Evil capitalist gains control of the wheat market, as a consequence of which poor people can't buy bread anymore in Griffith's early short which, despite running for a little over 14 minutes, is too long. A must-see if you're writing a history of anti-market films. (4)

1968: Night of the Living Dead

George A. Romero's template for pretty much all zombie films to follow it is visibly cheap, but not all that trashy and reasonably diverting, but no more. (6)

1919: Broken Blossoms or, The Yellow Man and the Girl

Girl suffers under the thumb of her adoptive father who suffers from bad English ("I'll teach yer!") and anger management issues ("I'll teach yer!"). Girl falls in love with gentle Chinaman (played by a pretty Caucasian-looking Richard Barthelmess). Violence. - There's not a lot to say about D.W. Griffith's acclaimed silent melodrama except that it's not very good. (5.5)

1903: Alice in Wonderland

The fragment of the first-ever film version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (more info) is a bit weak in terms of overall narrative structure, the growth-shrink scene is too long and, worst of all, the cheshire cat is badly miscast! (5)

1897: Old Man Drinking a Glass of Beer

I like it! (7.5)

2006 (?): The Easter Bunny Hates You

I may or may not have seen this before, but anyway Drek points me to this near-masterpiece just in time. Judge for yourself . . .



. . . I'm giving it 7.5 points, which puts it slightly above Citizen Kane.

Film Links #1

1. Why shoot a gun with a side grip? Because they do it in the movies!

2. An aggregation of "best of the noughties" movie lists at Slate (pointer: TSPTD, which links to many more lists than Slate used and will publish its own aggregation later this month) and a similar list at Metacritic

3. From Wikipedia: A list of films which are in the public domain in the USA

4. A seventy-minute explanation of what's wrong with The Phantom Menace. Tyler Cowen recommends it despite moments in poor taste, and I agree.

1963: Charade

When Audrey Hepburn's husband dies, a lot of men think she has a quarter of a million dollars the man's left behind - and try to get it despite her assurance that she doesn't know what they're on about. - Set in Hollywood's version of Paris and also featuring Cary Grant, this was just the charming little crime comedy that I expected it to be. Not exactly The Ladykillers, but a good pick for a rainy Sunday (or cold New Year's Day). (7)

(This film is in the Public Domain. Free and legal download or streaming video at the Internet Archive.)

1950: D.O.A.

A man finds out he's been poisoned and only has a few days left to live and spends them on finding his killers - now isn't that a cool idea for a crime film? Though somewhat hard to follow at times, the movie, shot in stark, grainy black & white and set to a soundtrack the expressiveness of which borders on the camp, moves at a speed befitting its subject matters and doesn't waste any time on cinematic subtleties. Wham, Bam, Bam! (7.5)

(The film is in the public domain. Free & legal download or streaming video at Internet Archives.)