Embedded Files
9/9/24 "Within Our Gates" 1920
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene "The gambling scene", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a huge landmark film that rarely gets talked about today. This was the very first African-American directed film. This was made in response to racist films of the time (specifically by D.W. Griffith). We follow Sylvia Landry (Flo Clements), as she tries to raise $5,000 dollars for an impoverished school. On the way, she falls in love with Dr. Vivian (William Smith), as he learns about how her life has been affected by racism. It was a really interesting film that was shot really well, especially for a film from 100 years ago. The story jumped a little all over the place, but it's still a pretty important film.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene "The gambling scene", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a huge landmark film that rarely gets talked about today. This was the very first African-American directed film. This was made in response to racist films of the time (specifically by D.W. Griffith). We follow Sylvia Landry (Flo Clements), as she tries to raise $5,000 dollars for an impoverished school. On the way, she falls in love with Dr. Vivian (William Smith), as he learns about how her life has been affected by racism. It was a really interesting film that was shot really well, especially for a film from 100 years ago. The story jumped a little all over the place, but it's still a pretty important film.
3/19/22 "The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari" 1920
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The first scene with Cesare
It was so crazy to see this movie. This movie is now officially 102 years old. It's crazy how well this movie aged. It's a silent, German, Horror movie. It's so funny seeing how much of this film Tim Burton took influence from. The sets are all made in a curvy way, not meant to look real and there's an emphasis on that dark Gothic style throughout. My problem is how the story is a little hard to follow. This is a lot of story to be told in title cards and pantomime. This movie had an interesting story though and set the example for a whole genre of film
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The first scene with Cesare
It was so crazy to see this movie. This movie is now officially 102 years old. It's crazy how well this movie aged. It's a silent, German, Horror movie. It's so funny seeing how much of this film Tim Burton took influence from. The sets are all made in a curvy way, not meant to look real and there's an emphasis on that dark Gothic style throughout. My problem is how the story is a little hard to follow. This is a lot of story to be told in title cards and pantomime. This movie had an interesting story though and set the example for a whole genre of film
9/1/23 "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" 1920
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The Possession" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: NO
This is often considered the first American horror movie, and it aged pretty well! The story can be a little clunky here and there, but they got down most of the beats. I think that pulling off a Jekyll and Hyde story is pretty hard since you have to try to balance the time between seeing Jekyll vs seeing Hyde. I feel like we see a lot more Hyde in this film than Jekyll, which is a shame since John Barrymore does such a good job as Jekyll. He also does a great job as Hyde, but I feel like he's better as Jekyll. My gripe with this film is that we don't see his reaction to all the bad things that Hyde did. I think Jekyll is a more tortured character than the film puts on. As a whole, the effects were great and so was the acting. It's just the story and pacing that felt off
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The Possession" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: NO
This is often considered the first American horror movie, and it aged pretty well! The story can be a little clunky here and there, but they got down most of the beats. I think that pulling off a Jekyll and Hyde story is pretty hard since you have to try to balance the time between seeing Jekyll vs seeing Hyde. I feel like we see a lot more Hyde in this film than Jekyll, which is a shame since John Barrymore does such a good job as Jekyll. He also does a great job as Hyde, but I feel like he's better as Jekyll. My gripe with this film is that we don't see his reaction to all the bad things that Hyde did. I think Jekyll is a more tortured character than the film puts on. As a whole, the effects were great and so was the acting. It's just the story and pacing that felt off
4/7/22 "One Week" 1920
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: When the hand covered the camera to block a bit of nudity.
This is a very novel movie, coming out more than 100 years ago. This is the famous house gag reel where the house falls on Buster Keaton. It's all about a newlywed couple trying to build a house, but the wife's ex actively sabotages the housing project. Most of the gags are Buster Keaton trying to make the best of this terrible situation and it's very endearing. You can definitely see where "The Money Pit" got most of its influences from. Also, the twist at the end is a humorous one. This movie is filled to the brim with gags and jokes. I also enjoy how the movie is formatted in the one-week structure. I hate to describe movies this way, but this was very cute.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: When the hand covered the camera to block a bit of nudity.
This is a very novel movie, coming out more than 100 years ago. This is the famous house gag reel where the house falls on Buster Keaton. It's all about a newlywed couple trying to build a house, but the wife's ex actively sabotages the housing project. Most of the gags are Buster Keaton trying to make the best of this terrible situation and it's very endearing. You can definitely see where "The Money Pit" got most of its influences from. Also, the twist at the end is a humorous one. This movie is filled to the brim with gags and jokes. I also enjoy how the movie is formatted in the one-week structure. I hate to describe movies this way, but this was very cute.
9/10/24 "Way Down East" 1920
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The ice flow scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's crazy that I finally found a D.W. Griffith film that I actually enjoyed. What I enjoyed about this was how he focused on the story more than the spectacle. Besides that, it's a pretty interesting story of a young woman who marries a wealthy man, the only problem is, it was a sham marriage and he leaves her. So, she has to raise their child all by herself without his money. It's a really well-shot film that really brings out the performance of Lillian Gish, who does a great job in this film. It was a little too long at some points, but still holds up after 100 years, which is something you can't say for most of D.W. Griffith's films.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The ice flow scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's crazy that I finally found a D.W. Griffith film that I actually enjoyed. What I enjoyed about this was how he focused on the story more than the spectacle. Besides that, it's a pretty interesting story of a young woman who marries a wealthy man, the only problem is, it was a sham marriage and he leaves her. So, she has to raise their child all by herself without his money. It's a really well-shot film that really brings out the performance of Lillian Gish, who does a great job in this film. It was a little too long at some points, but still holds up after 100 years, which is something you can't say for most of D.W. Griffith's films.
8/30/24 "Der Golem" 1920
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Golem Birth, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a pretty alright early horror film. Watching this, it's crazy to note how similar the film feels to Frankenstein (which wouldn't come out for another 11 years). It follows a Rabbi in the 16th century fearing that something bad would happen to the Jewish people in Prague. Sure enough, they get banned from the city. In retaliation, he builds a Golem to protect the Jewish people from this persecution. An evil spirit haunts the clay statue causing it to come to life. While everything is alright at first, it slowly becomes more and more aggressive. This film has some wonderful effects and fits in line with German Expressionism, which was the style at the time. While this film was revolutionary, I believe "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" was better in its execution and set design, but this is still worth a watch.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Golem Birth, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a pretty alright early horror film. Watching this, it's crazy to note how similar the film feels to Frankenstein (which wouldn't come out for another 11 years). It follows a Rabbi in the 16th century fearing that something bad would happen to the Jewish people in Prague. Sure enough, they get banned from the city. In retaliation, he builds a Golem to protect the Jewish people from this persecution. An evil spirit haunts the clay statue causing it to come to life. While everything is alright at first, it slowly becomes more and more aggressive. This film has some wonderful effects and fits in line with German Expressionism, which was the style at the time. While this film was revolutionary, I believe "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" was better in its execution and set design, but this is still worth a watch.
9/10/24 "Orphans Of The Storm" 1921
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: the dashing escape, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is the last notable D.W. Griffith film, and I would say it's his best. We follow two adopted sisters (one of which is blind) as they venture to Paris to try to find a doctor to fix the sister's blindness. When they get there, however, they go around the time of the French Revolution. They get kidnapped however, one of them gets freed by an aristocrat while the other is forced to beg on the street. It can get a little slow at some points and it definitely has that "showing off" energy of a D.W. Griffith film, but this has the best plot of his movies, and the characters seem fully realized. As a whole, this was a pretty good silent film!
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: the dashing escape, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is the last notable D.W. Griffith film, and I would say it's his best. We follow two adopted sisters (one of which is blind) as they venture to Paris to try to find a doctor to fix the sister's blindness. When they get there, however, they go around the time of the French Revolution. They get kidnapped however, one of them gets freed by an aristocrat while the other is forced to beg on the street. It can get a little slow at some points and it definitely has that "showing off" energy of a D.W. Griffith film, but this has the best plot of his movies, and the characters seem fully realized. As a whole, this was a pretty good silent film!
9/22/22 "The Phantom Carriage" 1921
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Axe Scene
This wasn't quite what I was thinking. I thought that this was just going to be more of a Universal Horror movie where the main villain is a creature beyond our understanding. Instead, this is a fantastic drama where it's about a man changing his life after realizing how awful he was. The Phantom Carriage is about a man named David Holt who lived an awful life. He negatively affects everyone in his life. On New Year's Eve, he gets into a fight and dies. The thing is though, the last person to die on New Year's Eve must play the role of death for the next year and ride the phantom carriage to reap lives away from people. That year's death was an old friend of David's who died on New Year's Eve too, so he shows him different moments of his life where he ruined other people's lives (making people sick, turning people into drunks, and just being unlivable to be around.) The scoring and the effects were great for this movie, many of the effects were very ahead of their time. Not a horror movie, but a very good drama. There's also a scene that influenced the shining, so there's that
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Axe Scene
This wasn't quite what I was thinking. I thought that this was just going to be more of a Universal Horror movie where the main villain is a creature beyond our understanding. Instead, this is a fantastic drama where it's about a man changing his life after realizing how awful he was. The Phantom Carriage is about a man named David Holt who lived an awful life. He negatively affects everyone in his life. On New Year's Eve, he gets into a fight and dies. The thing is though, the last person to die on New Year's Eve must play the role of death for the next year and ride the phantom carriage to reap lives away from people. That year's death was an old friend of David's who died on New Year's Eve too, so he shows him different moments of his life where he ruined other people's lives (making people sick, turning people into drunks, and just being unlivable to be around.) The scoring and the effects were great for this movie, many of the effects were very ahead of their time. Not a horror movie, but a very good drama. There's also a scene that influenced the shining, so there's that
2/1/24 "The Goat" 1921
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: When Buster jumps through the top window. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This might be one of my favorite Buster Keaton shorts. The whole plot is so simple and yet so effective. It's about a man (Keaton) with some of the world's worst luck. He looks into a jail cell just as a "wanted" photo is taken, so the criminal takes a picture of Buster Keaton, leading to the police chasing him down because they think he's a murderer. So many inventive gags are in this short film, that it's hard to keep track. I would highly suggest you check this out. It's on YouTube (due to being public domain) and only 27 minutes. It's a great time and very unhinged in a great way.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: When Buster jumps through the top window. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This might be one of my favorite Buster Keaton shorts. The whole plot is so simple and yet so effective. It's about a man (Keaton) with some of the world's worst luck. He looks into a jail cell just as a "wanted" photo is taken, so the criminal takes a picture of Buster Keaton, leading to the police chasing him down because they think he's a murderer. So many inventive gags are in this short film, that it's hard to keep track. I would highly suggest you check this out. It's on YouTube (due to being public domain) and only 27 minutes. It's a great time and very unhinged in a great way.
2/1/24 "Never Weaken" 1921
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The "heaven" scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is my first short of Harold Lloyd and I really enjoyed this one. It feels a lot like a precursor to "Safety Last!". It's about a man who tries to help his fiancee's business by faking injuries and curing them on the spot. There's more to the short, but I wouldn't want to spoil it. It's a great time that connects what seems like three different stories together as one hilarious short that was very inventive for the time. A lot of people don't talk much about Harold Lloyd, which is a shame because he truly was the first underdog in film. While Keaton and Chaplin have silly, over-the-top characters, Harold Lloyd worked because how he's just a regular guy who wears regular clothes and reacts pretty regularly to crazy situations. I would highly suggest you check out one of his films.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The "heaven" scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is my first short of Harold Lloyd and I really enjoyed this one. It feels a lot like a precursor to "Safety Last!". It's about a man who tries to help his fiancee's business by faking injuries and curing them on the spot. There's more to the short, but I wouldn't want to spoil it. It's a great time that connects what seems like three different stories together as one hilarious short that was very inventive for the time. A lot of people don't talk much about Harold Lloyd, which is a shame because he truly was the first underdog in film. While Keaton and Chaplin have silly, over-the-top characters, Harold Lloyd worked because how he's just a regular guy who wears regular clothes and reacts pretty regularly to crazy situations. I would highly suggest you check out one of his films.
9/11/24 "Foolish Wives" 1922
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The ending, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes
I've always wanted to see this movie. After watching "Sunset Boulevard" and finding out that the Butler was an old silent movie director, but after watching it I was a little down. This film is about a man taking the fake alias of Count Wladislaw Sergius Karamzi (Erich von Stroheim) and pretending to be rich so he can extort rich women's money. This had the reputation for being the first million-dollar film, which is understandable when you see the Monte Carlo set that they made. He also originally wanted the film to be 10 hours. I feel like this film dragged in certain places and wasn't that interesting as a whole.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The ending, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes
I've always wanted to see this movie. After watching "Sunset Boulevard" and finding out that the Butler was an old silent movie director, but after watching it I was a little down. This film is about a man taking the fake alias of Count Wladislaw Sergius Karamzi (Erich von Stroheim) and pretending to be rich so he can extort rich women's money. This had the reputation for being the first million-dollar film, which is understandable when you see the Monte Carlo set that they made. He also originally wanted the film to be 10 hours. I feel like this film dragged in certain places and wasn't that interesting as a whole.
9/22/22 "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror" 1922
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Castle Scene
This was a pretty spooky movie, I'm not gonna lie. The makeup and tone are great with Count Orlak, but the movie drags at some point. It might be Spongebob that scared me with Nosferatu at a young age, but Nosferatu is very unsettling and I just wanted more of him. They originally wanted this movie to be about Dracula, but they couldn't get the rights so they made their own vampire. I feel like, although I like Bela Lugosi's calm and controlled Dracula, Nosferatu is just creepier and looks fantastic. It's funny how they use stop motion to do some of the effects which are very interesting. They also added the bit of vampire lore that the sun is a one-hit kill for a vampire. Originally it weakens vampires, but now it just kills them instantly. Better than Dracula.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Castle Scene
This was a pretty spooky movie, I'm not gonna lie. The makeup and tone are great with Count Orlak, but the movie drags at some point. It might be Spongebob that scared me with Nosferatu at a young age, but Nosferatu is very unsettling and I just wanted more of him. They originally wanted this movie to be about Dracula, but they couldn't get the rights so they made their own vampire. I feel like, although I like Bela Lugosi's calm and controlled Dracula, Nosferatu is just creepier and looks fantastic. It's funny how they use stop motion to do some of the effects which are very interesting. They also added the bit of vampire lore that the sun is a one-hit kill for a vampire. Originally it weakens vampires, but now it just kills them instantly. Better than Dracula.
9/14/24 "Dr. Mabuse The Gambler" 1922
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The hypnotizing" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was an insane film to sit through. This silent film is 4 1/2 hours long, and the craziest part is it doesn't really feel like it. We follow a corrupt doctor named Mabuse who has the gift of mind-control. He uses this to cheat at gambling and become very rich. He mind-controls a cop into letting him into his country club and for him to lose cards. The cop later releases when his associates ask about his friend (Dr. Mabuse), despite the cop never knowing him before. After that, he is determined to jail Dr. Mabuse. The film is incredibly well-shot, being Fritz Lang's claim to fame. I would suggest that film fans see this (if they have the time).
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The hypnotizing" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was an insane film to sit through. This silent film is 4 1/2 hours long, and the craziest part is it doesn't really feel like it. We follow a corrupt doctor named Mabuse who has the gift of mind-control. He uses this to cheat at gambling and become very rich. He mind-controls a cop into letting him into his country club and for him to lose cards. The cop later releases when his associates ask about his friend (Dr. Mabuse), despite the cop never knowing him before. After that, he is determined to jail Dr. Mabuse. The film is incredibly well-shot, being Fritz Lang's claim to fame. I would suggest that film fans see this (if they have the time).
6/14/23 "Nanook Of The North" 1922
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The igloo building scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes (in a dialogue card)
This was the very first modern documentary, and everything is a lie. First of all, Nanook isn't even his name. Nanook means "Polar Bear" in their language, so I don't think his name would be Polar Bear. Researchers said that his name was actually Allakariallak. The director made up the story about Nanook dying of starvation so they can center the film around him looking for food. When hunting, he also dons a spear in the film to go hunting, despite knowing how to operate and owning a gun. The director told him to use the spear instead so they can still look like they did during the colonization of America. The director also staged the gramophone scene where Nanook didn't know what a gramophone was or where the voice was coming from and when shown the vinyl record he tried to take a bite out of it. It felt like the director did these scenes almost to belittle Nanook, to have the American public think that these people are less civilized than they are, despite them having a lot of the same technology. There are a lot of hunting scenes, which are sad to watch since you know that they are actually killing an animal live on camera. The best scene is the Igloo scene because the director actually seemed to show off Nanook's culture in a good light. It was really interesting to see how he would make one and how he would live in it. I understand how this film is important, but I just didn't enjoy it
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The igloo building scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes (in a dialogue card)
This was the very first modern documentary, and everything is a lie. First of all, Nanook isn't even his name. Nanook means "Polar Bear" in their language, so I don't think his name would be Polar Bear. Researchers said that his name was actually Allakariallak. The director made up the story about Nanook dying of starvation so they can center the film around him looking for food. When hunting, he also dons a spear in the film to go hunting, despite knowing how to operate and owning a gun. The director told him to use the spear instead so they can still look like they did during the colonization of America. The director also staged the gramophone scene where Nanook didn't know what a gramophone was or where the voice was coming from and when shown the vinyl record he tried to take a bite out of it. It felt like the director did these scenes almost to belittle Nanook, to have the American public think that these people are less civilized than they are, despite them having a lot of the same technology. There are a lot of hunting scenes, which are sad to watch since you know that they are actually killing an animal live on camera. The best scene is the Igloo scene because the director actually seemed to show off Nanook's culture in a good light. It was really interesting to see how he would make one and how he would live in it. I understand how this film is important, but I just didn't enjoy it
9/3/23 "Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages" 1922
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The nun scene. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes (through a title card)
This is an interesting movie because it feels like two movies at the same time. Half of the film is an in-depth documentary about the use of witchcraft throughout the Middle Ages all the way to today. They take manuscripts from the middle ages and explain what's happening in the photos, which is a really nice touch. The second half of this film is an expressionist horror film where we see how people used witchcraft to meet with the devil. What's great about this film is how they use the manuscripts from the documentary sections as a guide for the horror sections. The horror sections are also fantastic thanks to the out-of-this-world set design and costumes. This is included on the 1001 films to see before you die and I feel like this is one that any dedicated film buff should see
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The nun scene. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes (through a title card)
This is an interesting movie because it feels like two movies at the same time. Half of the film is an in-depth documentary about the use of witchcraft throughout the Middle Ages all the way to today. They take manuscripts from the middle ages and explain what's happening in the photos, which is a really nice touch. The second half of this film is an expressionist horror film where we see how people used witchcraft to meet with the devil. What's great about this film is how they use the manuscripts from the documentary sections as a guide for the horror sections. The horror sections are also fantastic thanks to the out-of-this-world set design and costumes. This is included on the 1001 films to see before you die and I feel like this is one that any dedicated film buff should see
11/1/24 "La Roue" 1923
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The see through hand scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie felt more like a marathon than a film. This French Silent film is a resounding 7 hours and I feel like it doesn't live up to the length. We follow Sisif, a longtime railway operator. One day, a huge crash happens on the train, leaving a girl without her parents. Sisif takes her in as his own, but never tells her about her real parents. Things get really weird when he starts falling in love with his adopted daughter (very Woody Allen of him), but he can't do anything about, it because of obvious reasons. There are some incredible effects in this movie, including some instances of color, double exposure, as well as clever cuts, but as a whole, it was way too long and wasn't worth the length.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The see through hand scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie felt more like a marathon than a film. This French Silent film is a resounding 7 hours and I feel like it doesn't live up to the length. We follow Sisif, a longtime railway operator. One day, a huge crash happens on the train, leaving a girl without her parents. Sisif takes her in as his own, but never tells her about her real parents. Things get really weird when he starts falling in love with his adopted daughter (very Woody Allen of him), but he can't do anything about, it because of obvious reasons. There are some incredible effects in this movie, including some instances of color, double exposure, as well as clever cuts, but as a whole, it was way too long and wasn't worth the length.
3/2/23 "The Pilgrim" 1923
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The door scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Nope... still a silent film
The last short film of the "Chaplin Revue" compilation, and this is a pretty underrated Chaplin film. Though not packed with gags, this had a pretty good story. It's about an escaped convict pretending to be a priest in order to escape jail time. It's a fairly simple story but done really well. The problem is, this film jumps to when he puts on the disguise. I would've liked to see him in jail and him coming up with the idea to escape. As it is, this film starts in the second act basically. I think I prefer this to "A Dog's Life" since this just has a better story with a really funny ending. I feel like the Chaplin Revue as a whole (This film, the pilgrim, and a Dog's Life) is a combination of several different parts of Chaplin I like. Comedy (a Dog's Life), Story (The Pilgrim), and Drama (Shoulder Arms). Watching these three films back-to-back you can clearly see how Chaplin is going to do some truly amazing things.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The door scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Nope... still a silent film
The last short film of the "Chaplin Revue" compilation, and this is a pretty underrated Chaplin film. Though not packed with gags, this had a pretty good story. It's about an escaped convict pretending to be a priest in order to escape jail time. It's a fairly simple story but done really well. The problem is, this film jumps to when he puts on the disguise. I would've liked to see him in jail and him coming up with the idea to escape. As it is, this film starts in the second act basically. I think I prefer this to "A Dog's Life" since this just has a better story with a really funny ending. I feel like the Chaplin Revue as a whole (This film, the pilgrim, and a Dog's Life) is a combination of several different parts of Chaplin I like. Comedy (a Dog's Life), Story (The Pilgrim), and Drama (Shoulder Arms). Watching these three films back-to-back you can clearly see how Chaplin is going to do some truly amazing things.
3/31/25 "Three Ages" 1923
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The falling stunt" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is one of Buster Keaton's weaker films. This is a parody of the film, "Intolerance", but often falls into the same problems. This film shows how love has always taken place, and we see this in the caveman days, ancient Rome, and modern-day. This seems like a funny premise, but the three stories often feel like they're just the exact same story over and over again. There are some really well done gags, but other than that this is a little weak.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The falling stunt" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is one of Buster Keaton's weaker films. This is a parody of the film, "Intolerance", but often falls into the same problems. This film shows how love has always taken place, and we see this in the caveman days, ancient Rome, and modern-day. This seems like a funny premise, but the three stories often feel like they're just the exact same story over and over again. There are some really well done gags, but other than that this is a little weak.
9/6/23 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" 1923
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: Whenever Quasimodo rang the bell, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yeah
This is technically the first universal monster movie, but it definitely isn't the first good one. Lon Chaney does an alright job as Quasimodo, but most of his performance comes down to the incredible makeup job. The story is very dull, and I hate to be that guy, but maybe adding songs to the story makes it more entertaining and adds more depth to the characters. As is, Quasimodo is barely in this at all and this film more about Esmerelda and Phoebus. This film and Phantom of the Opera prove that maybe Universal horror movies need sound to be good.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: Whenever Quasimodo rang the bell, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yeah
This is technically the first universal monster movie, but it definitely isn't the first good one. Lon Chaney does an alright job as Quasimodo, but most of his performance comes down to the incredible makeup job. The story is very dull, and I hate to be that guy, but maybe adding songs to the story makes it more entertaining and adds more depth to the characters. As is, Quasimodo is barely in this at all and this film more about Esmerelda and Phoebus. This film and Phantom of the Opera prove that maybe Universal horror movies need sound to be good.
6/28/22 "A Woman Of Paris: A Drama Of Fate" 1923
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Ballroom Scene
This is Chaplin's first attempt at a pure drama (the second attempt would be Limelight). It's funny with this one because he had to start this one with a preface saying that he isn't starring in this one, rather he wrote and directed it as a drama film. I feel like a normal Chaplin film is like a pill you give to your dog (hear me out). The drama of the film is like the pill you swallow, it's not necessarily that fun. To make the drama of the film worth it, he wraps it in comedy like one wraps a pill in cheese or meat. You're still getting both, but the pill is more subtle and the dog eats it all. This film is just the pill, which makes it a little boring. It feels like Chaplin didn't try as hard with this one, which is sad because I'm sure he did. It just comes off as lazy, like he's doing this so he doesn't have to write the jokes or gags. I feel like comedy is way harder to write than drama. Jokes are way more subjective than dramatic moments in a movie, so this gives off a little bit of laziness. The Great Dictator had great drama, but it also had great jokes. That can be said about almost any Chaplin film. This also had a weird plot where a woman agrees to run away with her fiancée to Paris to get married and start a new life. The husband has to call her and tell her that the trip needs to be postponed because of a great tragedy that happened, his father dying. She takes this as he's flaking on her plan so she LEAVES WITHOUT HIM. What? That's one of the dumbest things about this movie to me "How DARE you want to stay here because of a tragedy!". Overall this film was lacking that Chaplin Charm
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Ballroom Scene
This is Chaplin's first attempt at a pure drama (the second attempt would be Limelight). It's funny with this one because he had to start this one with a preface saying that he isn't starring in this one, rather he wrote and directed it as a drama film. I feel like a normal Chaplin film is like a pill you give to your dog (hear me out). The drama of the film is like the pill you swallow, it's not necessarily that fun. To make the drama of the film worth it, he wraps it in comedy like one wraps a pill in cheese or meat. You're still getting both, but the pill is more subtle and the dog eats it all. This film is just the pill, which makes it a little boring. It feels like Chaplin didn't try as hard with this one, which is sad because I'm sure he did. It just comes off as lazy, like he's doing this so he doesn't have to write the jokes or gags. I feel like comedy is way harder to write than drama. Jokes are way more subjective than dramatic moments in a movie, so this gives off a little bit of laziness. The Great Dictator had great drama, but it also had great jokes. That can be said about almost any Chaplin film. This also had a weird plot where a woman agrees to run away with her fiancée to Paris to get married and start a new life. The husband has to call her and tell her that the trip needs to be postponed because of a great tragedy that happened, his father dying. She takes this as he's flaking on her plan so she LEAVES WITHOUT HIM. What? That's one of the dumbest things about this movie to me "How DARE you want to stay here because of a tragedy!". Overall this film was lacking that Chaplin Charm
3/2/23 "Our Hospitality" 1923
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: Dinner scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: HOW MANY TIMES THEY DO NOT... Wait they actually do (in a dialogue card)
I couldn't believe how enjoyable this was. The first thirty minutes were very slow. It was all purely set up and very few gags (although the train scene was pretty cool), but after that, this movie gets really good. The whole film is about a young man named Willie McKay who journeys by train from New York City to Kentucky to claim his fortune during a decades-old feud with the Canfield family. On the way, he falls in love with a beautiful girl who invites him to dinner, but he realizes too late that she's the daughter of the Canfield family. The rules of hospitality protect McKay from harm in the Canfield house, but he must find a way to get out without getting killed. A lot of fun gags and great stunts make this one of his best films
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: Dinner scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: HOW MANY TIMES THEY DO NOT... Wait they actually do (in a dialogue card)
I couldn't believe how enjoyable this was. The first thirty minutes were very slow. It was all purely set up and very few gags (although the train scene was pretty cool), but after that, this movie gets really good. The whole film is about a young man named Willie McKay who journeys by train from New York City to Kentucky to claim his fortune during a decades-old feud with the Canfield family. On the way, he falls in love with a beautiful girl who invites him to dinner, but he realizes too late that she's the daughter of the Canfield family. The rules of hospitality protect McKay from harm in the Canfield house, but he must find a way to get out without getting killed. A lot of fun gags and great stunts make this one of his best films
3/2/24 "The Smiling Madame Beudet" 1923
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The dream sequences, Do say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a pretty impressive short film. This was made in 1923, which feels weird because of how modern it feels. It's about Mrs. Beudet who with an unhappy marriage. Her husband constantly makes a joke where he puts a gun up against his head and pretends to off himself. He does this to keep control over her and manipulate her. She gets fed up and puts a bullet in the gun, so the next time he does it he'll actually do it. The film follows her contemplating her choice to see if she'll remove the bullets. This is listed as one of the first feminist films and it really was a trailblazer. The shots are really brilliant and use a lot of double exposure to make sure the two shots are together.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The dream sequences, Do say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a pretty impressive short film. This was made in 1923, which feels weird because of how modern it feels. It's about Mrs. Beudet who with an unhappy marriage. Her husband constantly makes a joke where he puts a gun up against his head and pretends to off himself. He does this to keep control over her and manipulate her. She gets fed up and puts a bullet in the gun, so the next time he does it he'll actually do it. The film follows her contemplating her choice to see if she'll remove the bullets. This is listed as one of the first feminist films and it really was a trailblazer. The shots are really brilliant and use a lot of double exposure to make sure the two shots are together.
9/30/24 "The Thief Of Bagdad" 1924 6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Dragon fight, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is my first Douglas Fairbanks film, and I can understand why he was so popular back in the day. He had a ton of on-screen charisma and the stunts he did for his movies were extremely impressive. I felt like this film was more of a vehicle for Douglas Fairbanks than an actually good story. It tells the age-old story of the Arabian Nights as we follow the thief trying to win the heart of the princess. The adventures he goes on seem more like ways to show off the set and effects more than tell a compelling story. The effects are really great though (especially for a 1920's film). The set design is also really well done, reminding me a lot of Intolerance's Babylon set. The flying carpet effect was really well done. It achieved what it wanted to do, but not much more.
This is my first Douglas Fairbanks film, and I can understand why he was so popular back in the day. He had a ton of on-screen charisma and the stunts he did for his movies were extremely impressive. I felt like this film was more of a vehicle for Douglas Fairbanks than an actually good story. It tells the age-old story of the Arabian Nights as we follow the thief trying to win the heart of the princess. The adventures he goes on seem more like ways to show off the set and effects more than tell a compelling story. The effects are really great though (especially for a 1920's film). The set design is also really well done, reminding me a lot of Intolerance's Babylon set. The flying carpet effect was really well done. It achieved what it wanted to do, but not much more.
3/24/22 "Sherlock Jr." 1924
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Train Scene
I feel like this is probably the best Buster Keaton movie I've seen. It's between this and The General (I haven't seen that movie in a while so I'm not sure if it holds up). Buster Keaton is a magnificent stuntman. You watch a Buster Keaton movie more for the crazy things he does and not really for the plot. The plot of this one is about a guy who works in a movie theater and is trying to become a detective, but after failing to solve a case for the girl he loves, he falls asleep and dreams that he's in the mystery movie that plays on the screen. There's a nice sequence where the movie is going through a montage of different places, but Buster Keaton is always in the same place so as he's walking around his surroundings are changing around him. I feel like Buster Keaton movies have pretty great shots, editing, and stunts, he'll never beat Charlie Chaplin. I feel like Buster Keaton in his movies gets out of situations by chance while Chaplin gets out of them by using his charm and good-natured spirit. Keaton has the stunts, and Chaplin has the heart.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Train Scene
I feel like this is probably the best Buster Keaton movie I've seen. It's between this and The General (I haven't seen that movie in a while so I'm not sure if it holds up). Buster Keaton is a magnificent stuntman. You watch a Buster Keaton movie more for the crazy things he does and not really for the plot. The plot of this one is about a guy who works in a movie theater and is trying to become a detective, but after failing to solve a case for the girl he loves, he falls asleep and dreams that he's in the mystery movie that plays on the screen. There's a nice sequence where the movie is going through a montage of different places, but Buster Keaton is always in the same place so as he's walking around his surroundings are changing around him. I feel like Buster Keaton movies have pretty great shots, editing, and stunts, he'll never beat Charlie Chaplin. I feel like Buster Keaton in his movies gets out of situations by chance while Chaplin gets out of them by using his charm and good-natured spirit. Keaton has the stunts, and Chaplin has the heart.
3/3/23 "Girl Shy" 1924
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Train scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: NOPE
Harold Lloyd is a very underrated silent comedian. His glasses-wearing character has always been the blueprint for the leads in romcoms and his natural charm of playing an underdog always shines through. I enjoyed this film, although I feel like it sort of loses the charm toward the end. This film is about a man who's afraid of women trying to write a book about how to make any girl fall in love with you. He eventually meets a girl and tries his best to get over his fear to fall in love with her. There were some great gags in this one, but it just felt a little undercooked
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Train scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: NOPE
Harold Lloyd is a very underrated silent comedian. His glasses-wearing character has always been the blueprint for the leads in romcoms and his natural charm of playing an underdog always shines through. I enjoyed this film, although I feel like it sort of loses the charm toward the end. This film is about a man who's afraid of women trying to write a book about how to make any girl fall in love with you. He eventually meets a girl and tries his best to get over his fear to fall in love with her. There were some great gags in this one, but it just felt a little undercooked
10/1/24 "The Great White Silence" 1924
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The penguins' march, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Surprisingly, yes
It's shocking how personal this documentary feels. This was made nearly 100 years ago, and it follows the journey of Robert Falcon Scott to the South Pole and all the problems that came up. The shots of nature were so incredible and definitely iconic, but I feel like the shot I liked more was the humanity. The sailors dancing right before leaving on their voyage. The excitement of the sailors getting there. Even the gag about how one of the penguins moves like Charlie Chaplin really makes this feel so recent despite being 100 years old. The color tinting that they added to this film was also incredible, it really made me feel like it was in full color. This was a masterful documentary that had a ton of twists and turns.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The penguins' march, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Surprisingly, yes
It's shocking how personal this documentary feels. This was made nearly 100 years ago, and it follows the journey of Robert Falcon Scott to the South Pole and all the problems that came up. The shots of nature were so incredible and definitely iconic, but I feel like the shot I liked more was the humanity. The sailors dancing right before leaving on their voyage. The excitement of the sailors getting there. Even the gag about how one of the penguins moves like Charlie Chaplin really makes this feel so recent despite being 100 years old. The color tinting that they added to this film was also incredible, it really made me feel like it was in full color. This was a masterful documentary that had a ton of twists and turns.
8/31/24 "The Hands Of Orlac" 1924
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The confrontation, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's crazy to think that this film is nearly 100 years old. We follow a world-famous pianist who tragically loses his hands in a train accident. The doctors give him a new set of hands that he finds out previously belonged to a murderer. It's directed by the same man who did "The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari", Robert Wiene. There's a lot of really stand-out direction that has a lot of emotion and expression. There are scenes where the characters are surrounded in darkness, all by themselves. The plot is a little too barebones, but as a whole it's a pretty classic horror film.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The confrontation, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's crazy to think that this film is nearly 100 years old. We follow a world-famous pianist who tragically loses his hands in a train accident. The doctors give him a new set of hands that he finds out previously belonged to a murderer. It's directed by the same man who did "The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari", Robert Wiene. There's a lot of really stand-out direction that has a lot of emotion and expression. There are scenes where the characters are surrounded in darkness, all by themselves. The plot is a little too barebones, but as a whole it's a pretty classic horror film.
3/6/23 "The Navigator" 1924
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The kitchen, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: sort of (in dialogue cards)
It's funny how I have the complete opposite problem with this film than "Our Hospitality". "Our Hospitality" starts off very slow and boring and gets very interesting and fun whereas this starts off fun and ends slow and tedious. "Our Hospitality" felt like the gags kept growing and were always interesting and I got tired of the boat jokes on this one. Also, there are very racist depictions in this film that seem to have come out of nowhere.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The kitchen, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: sort of (in dialogue cards)
It's funny how I have the complete opposite problem with this film than "Our Hospitality". "Our Hospitality" starts off very slow and boring and gets very interesting and fun whereas this starts off fun and ends slow and tedious. "Our Hospitality" felt like the gags kept growing and were always interesting and I got tired of the boat jokes on this one. Also, there are very racist depictions in this film that seem to have come out of nowhere.
7/10/25 "Greed" 1924
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The ending, do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The different versions of this film made it difficult to find which one was the one to watch. This film was originally made to be nine hours long, which is pretty insane, but the studio edited it down to two hours, but in the 90s, the film got a 4-hour cut with existing footage. The film is really well made and has some beautiful shots. We follow a husband and wife as they win the lottery, only to find that their greed and paranoia slowly kill the relationship. It's nice how you can see the slow descent; it's really paced well. Made 100 years ago, this film really holds up.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The ending, do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The different versions of this film made it difficult to find which one was the one to watch. This film was originally made to be nine hours long, which is pretty insane, but the studio edited it down to two hours, but in the 90s, the film got a 4-hour cut with existing footage. The film is really well made and has some beautiful shots. We follow a husband and wife as they win the lottery, only to find that their greed and paranoia slowly kill the relationship. It's nice how you can see the slow descent; it's really paced well. Made 100 years ago, this film really holds up.
7/10/25 "The Last Laugh" 1924
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The drunk vision, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's so interesting watching silent films and seeing how the cinematography really carries a story. This film has a total of two title cards, and the rest is done through camera work and silent acting, but it tells such a complete story. We follow an old doorman who gets fired from a luxurious hotel due to his age. He gets demoted to working in the bathroom, which causes the people in his life to make fun of him. It's really sad seeing this old man get ridiculed and mocked for something he can't control. There are some really well-done effects and really interesting camera movements. For instance, the opening where the camera goes down the elevator is really a highlight.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The drunk vision, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's so interesting watching silent films and seeing how the cinematography really carries a story. This film has a total of two title cards, and the rest is done through camera work and silent acting, but it tells such a complete story. We follow an old doorman who gets fired from a luxurious hotel due to his age. He gets demoted to working in the bathroom, which causes the people in his life to make fun of him. It's really sad seeing this old man get ridiculed and mocked for something he can't control. There are some really well-done effects and really interesting camera movements. For instance, the opening where the camera goes down the elevator is really a highlight.
5/9/22 "Seven Chances" 1925
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The wife chase scene
This film did not age well whatsoever. The premise is very original for the time. It's about a man who's in a failing business that's on the cusp of bankruptcy when he gets the will from his uncle that leaves him 7 million dollars. The catch? He has to get married by 7 o'clock on his 27th birthday... which is today. So he has to quickly find someone to marry him by the end of the day. Though the premise is very well thought out, there is barely any slapstick which is definitely Buster's strength. This film is very racist too. There are several actors in blackface and there's a joke where Buster Keaton walks up to a woman to ask to marry him... he sees that she's African American and quits immediately... yikes. There are also transphobic jokes, anti-Semitic jokes, and sexist jokes, none of which aged well. I would skip this film if you're a Keaton fan
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The wife chase scene
This film did not age well whatsoever. The premise is very original for the time. It's about a man who's in a failing business that's on the cusp of bankruptcy when he gets the will from his uncle that leaves him 7 million dollars. The catch? He has to get married by 7 o'clock on his 27th birthday... which is today. So he has to quickly find someone to marry him by the end of the day. Though the premise is very well thought out, there is barely any slapstick which is definitely Buster's strength. This film is very racist too. There are several actors in blackface and there's a joke where Buster Keaton walks up to a woman to ask to marry him... he sees that she's African American and quits immediately... yikes. There are also transphobic jokes, anti-Semitic jokes, and sexist jokes, none of which aged well. I would skip this film if you're a Keaton fan
9/23/22 "The Phantom of The Opera" 1925
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Unmasking
Maybe making a silent movie about singing isn't the best idea. One of the first universal monsters (the second actually, the first being Quasimodo from "Hunchback of Notre Dame" also played by Lon Chaney). Speaking of Lon Chaney, he is probably the best part of this whole film. Quick history lesson, he played several monsters, he was going to be Dracula until he died right before the filming started (the Chaney legacy continues through his son Lon Chaney Jr who's been all 4 universal monsters). He's amazing in this film with his chaotic energy, but Christine is not good. She makes the same scared face that looks so over the top. Overall this one dragged and was a good attempt but only that
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Unmasking
Maybe making a silent movie about singing isn't the best idea. One of the first universal monsters (the second actually, the first being Quasimodo from "Hunchback of Notre Dame" also played by Lon Chaney). Speaking of Lon Chaney, he is probably the best part of this whole film. Quick history lesson, he played several monsters, he was going to be Dracula until he died right before the filming started (the Chaney legacy continues through his son Lon Chaney Jr who's been all 4 universal monsters). He's amazing in this film with his chaotic energy, but Christine is not good. She makes the same scared face that looks so over the top. Overall this one dragged and was a good attempt but only that
7/11/25 "Strike" 1925
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Opening, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was excited to see this movie because I was a fan of Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, but this isn't as good. The film just doesn't have the same narrative flow as Potemkin. We follow a group of workers who go on a strike in a factory, and they all face prosecution from the people around them. The shots/sequences aren't as impressive either.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Opening, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was excited to see this movie because I was a fan of Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin, but this isn't as good. The film just doesn't have the same narrative flow as Potemkin. We follow a group of workers who go on a strike in a factory, and they all face prosecution from the people around them. The shots/sequences aren't as impressive either.
2/24/22 "The Gold Rush" 1925
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene (it's a silent film): The House Scene.
This film was made twice basically. There was the 1925 version which is a straight silent film, and then there's the 1942 version. Charlie Chaplin feared that people would stop seeing silent films, so he took the footage from the 1925 version, edited it, added a new score, and had himself narrate the scenes in the movie. He preferred this version of the gold rush, but I feel otherwise. I feel like the narration is good in very small doses, but when it goes to the point that Chaplin was voicing other characters, that's when it's too much. Chaplin was pretty afraid that we wouldn't get what was going on, but he underestimates himself. We can clearly tell what's happening through his pantomimes alone. This movie has a lot of his iconic moments though, the dance with the bread rolls is in this movie, his eating a shoe is in this movie, and the house scene is in this movie. The story can be strangely cynical at times and dramatic which was weird for a Chaplin film. It's a nice film, but definitely not his best work
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene (it's a silent film): The House Scene.
This film was made twice basically. There was the 1925 version which is a straight silent film, and then there's the 1942 version. Charlie Chaplin feared that people would stop seeing silent films, so he took the footage from the 1925 version, edited it, added a new score, and had himself narrate the scenes in the movie. He preferred this version of the gold rush, but I feel otherwise. I feel like the narration is good in very small doses, but when it goes to the point that Chaplin was voicing other characters, that's when it's too much. Chaplin was pretty afraid that we wouldn't get what was going on, but he underestimates himself. We can clearly tell what's happening through his pantomimes alone. This movie has a lot of his iconic moments though, the dance with the bread rolls is in this movie, his eating a shoe is in this movie, and the house scene is in this movie. The story can be strangely cynical at times and dramatic which was weird for a Chaplin film. It's a nice film, but definitely not his best work
3/6/23 "The Freshman" 1925
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The suit scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: not really, they get close though!
This is such a modern feeling film. Without Harold Lloyd, we wouldn't have the modern romantic comedy genre. His films implement the "underdog" so well that I could easily see someone like Ryan Reynolds or Ben Stiller playing the character. The film is about Harold Lamb wanting to be the most popular person in the college he's going to, so he studies the film "The College Hero" to try to fit in. The problem is, the film is really cheesy and isn't realistic at all, so he sticks out like a sore thumb for his enthusiasm and becomes the joke of the school. The bullies however convince him that he is popular to make fun of him more. I like how they animate some of the dialogue cards to show how he's screaming the chants. This is also credited as being one of the first sports movies
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The suit scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: not really, they get close though!
This is such a modern feeling film. Without Harold Lloyd, we wouldn't have the modern romantic comedy genre. His films implement the "underdog" so well that I could easily see someone like Ryan Reynolds or Ben Stiller playing the character. The film is about Harold Lamb wanting to be the most popular person in the college he's going to, so he studies the film "The College Hero" to try to fit in. The problem is, the film is really cheesy and isn't realistic at all, so he sticks out like a sore thumb for his enthusiasm and becomes the joke of the school. The bullies however convince him that he is popular to make fun of him more. I like how they animate some of the dialogue cards to show how he's screaming the chants. This is also credited as being one of the first sports movies
11/5/24 "The Big Parade" 1925
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The flashback montage. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes
King Vidor is one of the best directors of the silent era. He has such a way of adding humanity to his films, and this film was no different. We follow the son of a rich man joining the battle of WW1, he befriends two other soldiers, a bartender, and a construction worker. On their way through France, the main character and a French girl fall in love despite not being able to understand each other. The romance between the two is very well-written and charming. What's great about the film, is the first half is really quite funny, while the second half (where they actually go into battle) becomes very serious. The first half is about getting to know these crazy characters while the second half is about breaking them down, which makes you care about them more. There's a scene in this film that's so beautiful, without spoiling anything, a mother thinks about her son as we see an opaque layer above her with a montage of a boy growing up, as we see what she's thinking. This feels like a subversion of a war film while still being one of the earliest ones. I would highly recommend this film.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The flashback montage. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes
King Vidor is one of the best directors of the silent era. He has such a way of adding humanity to his films, and this film was no different. We follow the son of a rich man joining the battle of WW1, he befriends two other soldiers, a bartender, and a construction worker. On their way through France, the main character and a French girl fall in love despite not being able to understand each other. The romance between the two is very well-written and charming. What's great about the film, is the first half is really quite funny, while the second half (where they actually go into battle) becomes very serious. The first half is about getting to know these crazy characters while the second half is about breaking them down, which makes you care about them more. There's a scene in this film that's so beautiful, without spoiling anything, a mother thinks about her son as we see an opaque layer above her with a montage of a boy growing up, as we see what she's thinking. This feels like a subversion of a war film while still being one of the earliest ones. I would highly recommend this film.
7/11/25 "The Eagle" 1925
3/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The execution. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film has been on my list for a while, because of how big of a star Ruloph Valentino was back in the day. He died tragically young, and his fans actually began committing suicide after his death. After watching this movie, however, I don't get it. I think he's okay, he's not insanely good-looking or that great of an actor, but he gets the job done. This film slogs on with its pretty boring plot. I feel like this film uses its extravagance to hide that it doesn't have a good story, really.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The execution. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This film has been on my list for a while, because of how big of a star Ruloph Valentino was back in the day. He died tragically young, and his fans actually began committing suicide after his death. After watching this movie, however, I don't get it. I think he's okay, he's not insanely good-looking or that great of an actor, but he gets the job done. This film slogs on with its pretty boring plot. I feel like this film uses its extravagance to hide that it doesn't have a good story, really.
4/27/22 "Battleship Potemkin" 1925
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The second part with the riot
This is another film I thought I would hate since I only saw a fragment of it in my film class. This film is such an amazing relic of film history, it was the very first montage ever in a movie, but the story is pretty great for only being an hour long. It's all about a fleet of ship workers rebelling against their government after they realize how horrible they were being treated, especially with the food they were given. This is a silent, foreign, war film, so that might make some of you want to avoid it but it's honestly really good. It's only an hour and it's literally on YouTube since it's nearly 100 years old. This is definitely a film class film.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The second part with the riot
This is another film I thought I would hate since I only saw a fragment of it in my film class. This film is such an amazing relic of film history, it was the very first montage ever in a movie, but the story is pretty great for only being an hour long. It's all about a fleet of ship workers rebelling against their government after they realize how horrible they were being treated, especially with the food they were given. This is a silent, foreign, war film, so that might make some of you want to avoid it but it's honestly really good. It's only an hour and it's literally on YouTube since it's nearly 100 years old. This is definitely a film class film.
6/2/25 'The Adventures of Prince Achmed" 1926
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: The flying scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a really remarkable feat in Animation. This is one of the first feature-length animated films (being made 11 years before Snow White), being done with paper cut-outs vs hand-drawn animation. We experience the story of Prince Achmed, who gets tricked by an evil sorcerer into riding a magic horse that was made to kill him, but he manages to tame the beast, and they end up flying throughout Arabia. The story could be a little dull, but the film stands out due to its innovation and remarkable milestone in cinema.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: The flying scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was a really remarkable feat in Animation. This is one of the first feature-length animated films (being made 11 years before Snow White), being done with paper cut-outs vs hand-drawn animation. We experience the story of Prince Achmed, who gets tricked by an evil sorcerer into riding a magic horse that was made to kill him, but he manages to tame the beast, and they end up flying throughout Arabia. The story could be a little dull, but the film stands out due to its innovation and remarkable milestone in cinema.
8/20/25 "A Page Of Madness" 1926
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: the mask scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such an experimental silent film that was almost lost. This film came out in 1926, but was only rediscovered in 71 after finding a print in a warehouse. That would've been such a shame if we lost this movie, because it uses a lot of really interesting camera effects and has such a menacing tone. We follow a man who begins to work at an asylum, because his wife is there and he hopes to secretly free her. There are very trippy sequences that keep the audience on its toes. As a whole, I can see where a lot of horror movies take their visual style from.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: the mask scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such an experimental silent film that was almost lost. This film came out in 1926, but was only rediscovered in 71 after finding a print in a warehouse. That would've been such a shame if we lost this movie, because it uses a lot of really interesting camera effects and has such a menacing tone. We follow a man who begins to work at an asylum, because his wife is there and he hopes to secretly free her. There are very trippy sequences that keep the audience on its toes. As a whole, I can see where a lot of horror movies take their visual style from.
10/1/23 "Faust" 1926
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The change into a young man, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yeah (in dialogue cover)
People constantly say this is one of the best horror movies of all time, I feel like it's not the best horror, but it's definitely one of the best silent horror movies. F. W. Murnau does a wonderful job with his direction. He's a horror veteran after directing the film "Nosferatu". This films looks like a gothic painting brought to life. This film's production is absolutely insane, with great effects, great sets, and amazing costumes. The actors all do a great job, but Emil Jannings is clearly the best. He has such specific facial expressions which help aid every scene he's in. The plot can get a little slow at points, but this story definitely has some twists and turns to make it interesting.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The change into a young man, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yeah (in dialogue cover)
People constantly say this is one of the best horror movies of all time, I feel like it's not the best horror, but it's definitely one of the best silent horror movies. F. W. Murnau does a wonderful job with his direction. He's a horror veteran after directing the film "Nosferatu". This films looks like a gothic painting brought to life. This film's production is absolutely insane, with great effects, great sets, and amazing costumes. The actors all do a great job, but Emil Jannings is clearly the best. He has such specific facial expressions which help aid every scene he's in. The plot can get a little slow at points, but this story definitely has some twists and turns to make it interesting.
3/24/24 "Metropolis" 1927
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Transformation Scene. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
There's a reason why this is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It's about a future where society has put the working class live below ground while the rich live above the surface. The working class has to work unbearable hours to keep the highly rich city intact. One of the high rich, Freder meets a girl named Maria (Brigitte Helm) from the below city and tries to find her. While in the factory, he sees a machine blow up killing workers, he tries to tell his father, who owns the factory, but he doesn't seem to care, and this causes Freder to join the rebellion with Maria. The effects in this film are spectacular being really ahead of their time. I also have to shout out the actress Brigitte Helm, she plays a double role of sorts and she does a great job playing the two roles. This is definitely a film everyone should see at least once in their life.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Transformation Scene. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
There's a reason why this is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It's about a future where society has put the working class live below ground while the rich live above the surface. The working class has to work unbearable hours to keep the highly rich city intact. One of the high rich, Freder meets a girl named Maria (Brigitte Helm) from the below city and tries to find her. While in the factory, he sees a machine blow up killing workers, he tries to tell his father, who owns the factory, but he doesn't seem to care, and this causes Freder to join the rebellion with Maria. The effects in this film are spectacular being really ahead of their time. I also have to shout out the actress Brigitte Helm, she plays a double role of sorts and she does a great job playing the two roles. This is definitely a film everyone should see at least once in their life.
4/21/23 "The Kid Brother" 1927
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The brothers trying to hide
Another Harold Lloyd silent comedy, the last of his main four (Safety Last, The Freshman, The Kid Brother, and Speedy). Someone puts it best when they said this is a "lesser Our Hospitality". It feels a little predictable story-wise, but Harold Lloyd sells it with his acting skills and general charisma. There are some solid gags and great stunts, but the story was just too simple and tropey
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The brothers trying to hide
Another Harold Lloyd silent comedy, the last of his main four (Safety Last, The Freshman, The Kid Brother, and Speedy). Someone puts it best when they said this is a "lesser Our Hospitality". It feels a little predictable story-wise, but Harold Lloyd sells it with his acting skills and general charisma. There are some solid gags and great stunts, but the story was just too simple and tropey
1/7/24 "7th Heaven" 1927
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene "When Chico saves Diane", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
The first "Best Director" winner at the Oscars, and it's lacking. It's about a sewer cleaner named Chico, trying to break out of his position and make something of himself. While on the job, he finds a prostitute named Diane (Janet Gaynor) who's about to get arrested so he pretends to be her husband. As a romance blossoms between the two of them, he has to go fight in WW1. The plot they laid out could've easily been three separate movies, but they mix all these plots into one, messy film. We never get time to develop these plots, so they all feel undercooked and unimportant. This was originally a play, so it's a very awkward transition from a dialogue-heavy medium to one where there's none. The directing isn't even that great, especially when compared to the phenomenal direction of King Vidor's "The Crowd" which was nominated the same year and lost. I would skip this one personally.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene "When Chico saves Diane", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
The first "Best Director" winner at the Oscars, and it's lacking. It's about a sewer cleaner named Chico, trying to break out of his position and make something of himself. While on the job, he finds a prostitute named Diane (Janet Gaynor) who's about to get arrested so he pretends to be her husband. As a romance blossoms between the two of them, he has to go fight in WW1. The plot they laid out could've easily been three separate movies, but they mix all these plots into one, messy film. We never get time to develop these plots, so they all feel undercooked and unimportant. This was originally a play, so it's a very awkward transition from a dialogue-heavy medium to one where there's none. The directing isn't even that great, especially when compared to the phenomenal direction of King Vidor's "The Crowd" which was nominated the same year and lost. I would skip this one personally.
11/07/22 "Wings" 1927
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Last One
This was the first winning film and this is one that feels like an Oscar movie, and I mean that in the best way. The effects are done really well for the day and the characters seem very modern. I got very invested in the lives of these characters and their struggles with war and at home. Also, the dialogue cards have great writing and the backgrounds have designs in the back that tell us about the plot and/or the mood of the scene. This movie also has a very young Gary Cooper which was a shock to see. This film somewhat shows the horrors of war, but I feel like "All Quiet On The Western Front" does this better.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Last One
This was the first winning film and this is one that feels like an Oscar movie, and I mean that in the best way. The effects are done really well for the day and the characters seem very modern. I got very invested in the lives of these characters and their struggles with war and at home. Also, the dialogue cards have great writing and the backgrounds have designs in the back that tell us about the plot and/or the mood of the scene. This movie also has a very young Gary Cooper which was a shock to see. This film somewhat shows the horrors of war, but I feel like "All Quiet On The Western Front" does this better.
8/29/24 "The Unknown" 1927
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The climax, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such a great silent film. We follow a three-thumbed killer, Alonzo (Lon Chaney), who hides in a freak show to stay away from the police. He pretends to be an armless man to hide his tell-tale thumbs. While there, he falls in love with the ringmaster's daughter, Nanon (Joan Crawford). Things get complicated from there, but I wouldn't want to spoil it. It's a really interesting film that's shot extremely well. The best part of the film however comes from Lon Chaney's incredible acting. He gives the performance of his career in this film and even does his own stunts. Throughout the film, he had to use his feet as hands, because Alonzo is pretending to have no arms.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The climax, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such a great silent film. We follow a three-thumbed killer, Alonzo (Lon Chaney), who hides in a freak show to stay away from the police. He pretends to be an armless man to hide his tell-tale thumbs. While there, he falls in love with the ringmaster's daughter, Nanon (Joan Crawford). Things get complicated from there, but I wouldn't want to spoil it. It's a really interesting film that's shot extremely well. The best part of the film however comes from Lon Chaney's incredible acting. He gives the performance of his career in this film and even does his own stunts. Throughout the film, he had to use his feet as hands, because Alonzo is pretending to have no arms.
1/8/24 "Two Arabian Knights" 1927
3/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The Goat", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a strange case when it comes to the awards it won. This is the first, and only, winner of the "Best Comedy Directing" award. It gets even stranger when you realize what its competition was. It beat out Charlie Chaplin's "The Circus" as well as Harold Lloyd's "Speedy". I find this to be insane because those are two of the greatest silent comedies of the 1920s. So is this film any good? Sort of. The comedy is pretty good at times, but the plot is abysmal. It's about two soldiers during WW1 escaping a German prison by wearing white robes to blend into the snow. They realize that there's a group of Arabic men leaving on a ship wearing identical outfits, so they hop on to leave. They both fall in love with a girl on the ship who's arranged to get married to another man, so the two soldiers fight over her. The comedy can be pretty solid but most of the time they boil down to racist stereotypes which were never funny. The duo has strong chemistry, but at times they kind of seem like Laurel and Hardy rip-offs. It's funny that this World War 1 comedy was directed by Lewis Milestone because three years later he would win again for his World War 1 drama "All Quiet On The Western Front" which is (obviously) a way better film.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: "The Goat", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a strange case when it comes to the awards it won. This is the first, and only, winner of the "Best Comedy Directing" award. It gets even stranger when you realize what its competition was. It beat out Charlie Chaplin's "The Circus" as well as Harold Lloyd's "Speedy". I find this to be insane because those are two of the greatest silent comedies of the 1920s. So is this film any good? Sort of. The comedy is pretty good at times, but the plot is abysmal. It's about two soldiers during WW1 escaping a German prison by wearing white robes to blend into the snow. They realize that there's a group of Arabic men leaving on a ship wearing identical outfits, so they hop on to leave. They both fall in love with a girl on the ship who's arranged to get married to another man, so the two soldiers fight over her. The comedy can be pretty solid but most of the time they boil down to racist stereotypes which were never funny. The duo has strong chemistry, but at times they kind of seem like Laurel and Hardy rip-offs. It's funny that this World War 1 comedy was directed by Lewis Milestone because three years later he would win again for his World War 1 drama "All Quiet On The Western Front" which is (obviously) a way better film.
6/11/23 "Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans" 1927
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The boat scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No!
I've heard nothing but great things about this movie, and when I started it, I was shocked at how amazing it was. It's about a farmer who gets tired of his day-to-day life when he meets a girl who flirts with him. She tries to convince him to kill his wife and sell the farm so they can run off together. He tries to drown his wife but bails at the last second and chases after her to the city. This is where the film's greatest issue starts because they resolve the conflict too easily halfway through the film. Why would they do that? The rest of the film is just them exploring the city and doing various silly things like getting a haircut and going to a fun fair. This film would've been a lot better if they just stuck with the main conflict instead of introducing a new one at the end randomly. The effects were great but the story fumbled. This actually won best picture along with Wings in the same year, but the Oscars later retconned this by saying that Wings was the winner, and I have to agree with them.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The boat scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No!
I've heard nothing but great things about this movie, and when I started it, I was shocked at how amazing it was. It's about a farmer who gets tired of his day-to-day life when he meets a girl who flirts with him. She tries to convince him to kill his wife and sell the farm so they can run off together. He tries to drown his wife but bails at the last second and chases after her to the city. This is where the film's greatest issue starts because they resolve the conflict too easily halfway through the film. Why would they do that? The rest of the film is just them exploring the city and doing various silly things like getting a haircut and going to a fun fair. This film would've been a lot better if they just stuck with the main conflict instead of introducing a new one at the end randomly. The effects were great but the story fumbled. This actually won best picture along with Wings in the same year, but the Oscars later retconned this by saying that Wings was the winner, and I have to agree with them.
7/13/25 "The Jazz Singer" 1927
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet! Wait a minute, I tell ya! You ain't heard nothin'!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a movie I was scared to see for a while, because of how poorly it aged. It's rough because of the infamous black-face aspect of the plot. We follow a Jewish singer (Al Jolson) who turns to jazz, despite his traditional father wanting him to be a cantor. He uses black-face in his act, which symbolizes his transition to being a jazz singer (not well, though). One major part of the film is the talking sections, which don't even happen too often, and what sound there isn't too great. Jolson's singing just isn't very good at singing, especially his neutering of Irving Berlin's Blue Skies. This film, unfortunately, is very important to film history, but hasn't aged well.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet! Wait a minute, I tell ya! You ain't heard nothin'!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a movie I was scared to see for a while, because of how poorly it aged. It's rough because of the infamous black-face aspect of the plot. We follow a Jewish singer (Al Jolson) who turns to jazz, despite his traditional father wanting him to be a cantor. He uses black-face in his act, which symbolizes his transition to being a jazz singer (not well, though). One major part of the film is the talking sections, which don't even happen too often, and what sound there isn't too great. Jolson's singing just isn't very good at singing, especially his neutering of Irving Berlin's Blue Skies. This film, unfortunately, is very important to film history, but hasn't aged well.
7/14/25 "October: Ten Days That Shook The World" 1928
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Napoleon scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a really well-done docu-drama. The film shows the 10-day October Revolution in Russia in 1917. The film paints these events in such an interesting way, using a lot of classic soviet-montage technics. This film blends truth and fiction as we see a hyper stylized account of the events that happened only a decade before.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Napoleon scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a really well-done docu-drama. The film shows the 10-day October Revolution in Russia in 1917. The film paints these events in such an interesting way, using a lot of classic soviet-montage technics. This film blends truth and fiction as we see a hyper stylized account of the events that happened only a decade before.
3/14/22 "The Circus" 1928
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Police Chase
This movie has a lot of heart to it surprisingly. Charlie Chaplin was one of the earliest directors to really make a film funny but with a lot of heart. The ending had to be the most surprising, I would've never expected that melancholy of an ending. I feel like this is a criminally underrated Chaplin film. It's a great portrayal of the Little Tramp character and really holds up for being 90 years old. Don't skip this one Chaplin Fans!
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Police Chase
This movie has a lot of heart to it surprisingly. Charlie Chaplin was one of the earliest directors to really make a film funny but with a lot of heart. The ending had to be the most surprising, I would've never expected that melancholy of an ending. I feel like this is a criminally underrated Chaplin film. It's a great portrayal of the Little Tramp character and really holds up for being 90 years old. Don't skip this one Chaplin Fans!
6/10/23 "The Crowd" 1928
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The workplace trauma scene. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yessir they do! (In a title card)
Such an absolutely human film, I don't think I've seen anything this honest before. The film's about a man who goes to New York City to be great since that's what his father wanted before he died. He tries his hardest not to be a part of the crowd and to break out and be somebody. It's interesting to see how his life pays out, the happy moments and the really sad ones. They use the extras in the film to represent "the crowd" of New York and how easy it is to be lost in it. It's shot and edited so well, which was really surprising, this had such modern technics. The acting was also out of this world, I loved the way that James Murray played the main character since he made him sort of smug but also really likable (like his party trick that doesn't go over well). This film is basically nowhere, so if you can find it, you should watch it!
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The workplace trauma scene. Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yessir they do! (In a title card)
Such an absolutely human film, I don't think I've seen anything this honest before. The film's about a man who goes to New York City to be great since that's what his father wanted before he died. He tries his hardest not to be a part of the crowd and to break out and be somebody. It's interesting to see how his life pays out, the happy moments and the really sad ones. They use the extras in the film to represent "the crowd" of New York and how easy it is to be lost in it. It's shot and edited so well, which was really surprising, this had such modern technics. The acting was also out of this world, I loved the way that James Murray played the main character since he made him sort of smug but also really likable (like his party trick that doesn't go over well). This film is basically nowhere, so if you can find it, you should watch it!
5/23/22 "Steamboat Bill, Jr.." 1928
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Wind Scene
People have always been saying that this film is THE Buster Keaton film, but I feel like this one isn't too good. I feel like the gags in this one borrow too much from previous Keaton movies. This film is most remembered for the house falling on Buster Keaton, but this wasn't the first time this was used in one of his films, the first time being in "One Week" which was made 8 years before this. If you're an aspiring Keaton fan, I suggest you wait to watch this one until you've seen enough great ones
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Wind Scene
People have always been saying that this film is THE Buster Keaton film, but I feel like this one isn't too good. I feel like the gags in this one borrow too much from previous Keaton movies. This film is most remembered for the house falling on Buster Keaton, but this wasn't the first time this was used in one of his films, the first time being in "One Week" which was made 8 years before this. If you're an aspiring Keaton fan, I suggest you wait to watch this one until you've seen enough great ones
5/05/22 "Speedy" 1928
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Bus Scene
Harold Lloyd is a very underrated silent comedian when it comes to these days. I feel like everyone knows Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton but the general public doesn't really talk about Lloyd. He's the guy who hung off of the clock in Safety Last! This is a very cute film that has a surprising message about classism. I feel like Harold Lloyd really pushed the Romantic Comedy because that's exactly what this feels like. This was also the first time somebody flipped someone off in a movie. Back then people didn't know what it was, so they let it slip in. Overall this is a good movie, but not as good as Safety Last!
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Bus Scene
Harold Lloyd is a very underrated silent comedian when it comes to these days. I feel like everyone knows Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton but the general public doesn't really talk about Lloyd. He's the guy who hung off of the clock in Safety Last! This is a very cute film that has a surprising message about classism. I feel like Harold Lloyd really pushed the Romantic Comedy because that's exactly what this feels like. This was also the first time somebody flipped someone off in a movie. Back then people didn't know what it was, so they let it slip in. Overall this is a good movie, but not as good as Safety Last!
8/3/23 "The Passion Of Joan Of Arc" 1928
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Burning, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I thought everyone was overexaggerating with how great this film was, low and behold they weren't. This movie was 50 years ahead of its time with its use of close-up shots to create dizzying moments of tension as we follow Joan of Arc's trial. This film actually used the real transcript from the 1500s to make this film as realistic as it can be. Using the actual transcripts slows the movie down a lot, but it's worth it to actually feel like you're back in the 1500s. The acting is out of this world! Everyone does a great job, but one actor does leagues better than the rest. Renée Jeanne Falconetti gives one of the best performances I think I've ever seen in a film. This is a trailblazing silent film that every aspiring film fan should see
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Burning, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I thought everyone was overexaggerating with how great this film was, low and behold they weren't. This movie was 50 years ahead of its time with its use of close-up shots to create dizzying moments of tension as we follow Joan of Arc's trial. This film actually used the real transcript from the 1500s to make this film as realistic as it can be. Using the actual transcripts slows the movie down a lot, but it's worth it to actually feel like you're back in the 1500s. The acting is out of this world! Everyone does a great job, but one actor does leagues better than the rest. Renée Jeanne Falconetti gives one of the best performances I think I've ever seen in a film. This is a trailblazing silent film that every aspiring film fan should see
9/2/24 "The Man Who Laughs" 1928
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The parliament scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is an odd universal monster film because it really doesn't feel like one. We follow a child who gets disfigured by a king so that he will always have a giant smile on his face. That child would grow up to be Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt), a sideshow known for having a permanent smile on his face. This is less scary and more tragic. The plot isn't too great in my opinion, it dragged a lot throughout. It seems more like a short story. This did inspire the Joker from Batman, but other than that this isn't really a notable film.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The parliament scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is an odd universal monster film because it really doesn't feel like one. We follow a child who gets disfigured by a king so that he will always have a giant smile on his face. That child would grow up to be Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt), a sideshow known for having a permanent smile on his face. This is less scary and more tragic. The plot isn't too great in my opinion, it dragged a lot throughout. It seems more like a short story. This did inspire the Joker from Batman, but other than that this isn't really a notable film.
3/07/23 "Cameraman" 1928
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The pool scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no.
A lot of people rank this as one of Keaton's best, but I just don't really see it. This was when Keaton changed studios and you can tell in his general characterization. The people making this must've confused his persona with Chaplin because this feels like it's trying to be a Chaplin film. It's about a poor cameraman getting a job making newsreels so he can impress a girl. In this film, his classic character seems more mean-spirited and less Keaton. Keaton's characterization is just a man who's been through a lot, so whenever something bad happens he keeps a straight face. There aren't a lot of great gags in this one which make this an alright film, but not his best
6/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The pool scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no.
A lot of people rank this as one of Keaton's best, but I just don't really see it. This was when Keaton changed studios and you can tell in his general characterization. The people making this must've confused his persona with Chaplin because this feels like it's trying to be a Chaplin film. It's about a poor cameraman getting a job making newsreels so he can impress a girl. In this film, his classic character seems more mean-spirited and less Keaton. Keaton's characterization is just a man who's been through a lot, so whenever something bad happens he keeps a straight face. There aren't a lot of great gags in this one which make this an alright film, but not his best
7/16/25 "The Docks Of New YorK" 1928
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The saving scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I love watching silent movies where you almost forget that they're silent. The cinematography and acting make this movie really ahead of it's time. The film follows a depressed man who works on the docks of New York (OMG, that's the title of the movie!) while there, he saves a woman from drowning. After this, an unlikely relationship forms between the two. The opening montage of the film is really beautiful and really shows the character of New York. As a whole, this film has aged remarkably well.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The saving scene, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I love watching silent movies where you almost forget that they're silent. The cinematography and acting make this movie really ahead of it's time. The film follows a depressed man who works on the docks of New York (OMG, that's the title of the movie!) while there, he saves a woman from drowning. After this, an unlikely relationship forms between the two. The opening montage of the film is really beautiful and really shows the character of New York. As a whole, this film has aged remarkably well.
7/16/25 "Storm Over Asia" 1928
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The mountain fight, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I thought this was a pretty dull film. I feel like I personally didn't get a lot from watching this movie. It's not really referenced anywhere or really that discussed. The film follows a mongol that leaves his country after being ostrocized and joins the soviets in their fight again Russia. It wasn't as inventive as most of the soviet films coming out around that time and just mostly fell flat.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The mountain fight, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I thought this was a pretty dull film. I feel like I personally didn't get a lot from watching this movie. It's not really referenced anywhere or really that discussed. The film follows a mongol that leaves his country after being ostrocized and joins the soviets in their fight again Russia. It wasn't as inventive as most of the soviet films coming out around that time and just mostly fell flat.
1/30/24 "The Divine Lady" 1928
2/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: When they looped the footage of the revolution it looked like the people were dancing
This is a remarkably boring film. This won Best Director but is currently the least popular "Best Director" winner on Letterboxd. After watching it, it makes sense why. This was during those awkward transitional years between silent and talking pictures. That means this film has some dialogue, but very rarely. It's not even important dialogue, it's just singing and background voices. It's a period piece that was made purely to show off the wealth of the company. There's a reason the Oscars (or society for that matter) ever talk about this film. Just a forgettable wash.
2/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: When they looped the footage of the revolution it looked like the people were dancing
This is a remarkably boring film. This won Best Director but is currently the least popular "Best Director" winner on Letterboxd. After watching it, it makes sense why. This was during those awkward transitional years between silent and talking pictures. That means this film has some dialogue, but very rarely. It's not even important dialogue, it's just singing and background voices. It's a period piece that was made purely to show off the wealth of the company. There's a reason the Oscars (or society for that matter) ever talk about this film. Just a forgettable wash.
5/24/22 "The Gallopin' Gaucho" 1928
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Ostrich animation
This is a weird one to review, but I feel like I probably should since this was my first time seeing this one. It's really weird seeing a Mickey Mouse short as old as this one since they still haven't gotten the design of Mickey yet. They actually changed his design halfway through the film being one of the first cartoons with Mickey's more modern design. I feel like the animation was very different in this one too, it's a lot more cartoony and exaggerated, like a Fleischer Brothers cartoon or a Warner Brothers one. Disney would drastically depart from this style to favor a more realistic "squash and stretch" style. A really interesting piece of history with a distinctive style
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Ostrich animation
This is a weird one to review, but I feel like I probably should since this was my first time seeing this one. It's really weird seeing a Mickey Mouse short as old as this one since they still haven't gotten the design of Mickey yet. They actually changed his design halfway through the film being one of the first cartoons with Mickey's more modern design. I feel like the animation was very different in this one too, it's a lot more cartoony and exaggerated, like a Fleischer Brothers cartoon or a Warner Brothers one. Disney would drastically depart from this style to favor a more realistic "squash and stretch" style. A really interesting piece of history with a distinctive style
6/29/25 "Man With A Movie Camera" 1929
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The camera above the city, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's insane thinking this film came out in the 1920s due to all of the wonderful shots throughout. This film is a meta-documentary about the art of making documentaries. We see a man as he documents the city around him in the U.S.S.R. This film is edited so interestingly that it really made an impact on me. The film doesn't have much of a plot, obviously, but it's interesting to see how this film wants you to know that it's a film.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The camera above the city, Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's insane thinking this film came out in the 1920s due to all of the wonderful shots throughout. This film is a meta-documentary about the art of making documentaries. We see a man as he documents the city around him in the U.S.S.R. This film is edited so interestingly that it really made an impact on me. The film doesn't have much of a plot, obviously, but it's interesting to see how this film wants you to know that it's a film.
4/19/22 "The Broadway Melody" 1929
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Like Ya? Why Queenie I... *MOANS*"
Ruh-roh. This was the first movie musical and it shows. The plot was too simple and the songs were terrible. "The Broadway Melody" and "You Were Meant For Me" were the only two good songs in this entire movie, the rest were terrible. It's weird to think that this movie came out after Gershwin wrote several of his musicals after Irving Berlin wrote his music after Louis Armstrong made 5 albums. The story is about two sisters trying to "make it big" on Broadway, but one of them has an affair with their sister's husband. There's also this HILARIOUS character that studders... GET IT? This movie is barely a musical, they don't sing their emotions like other movie musicals, they only sing when they're putting on the show which doesn't really make it that much of a musical IMO. The thing is, there are musicals that have a show within a show like "White Christmas", but they also have songs where they sing their emotions. This was also the first film with sound to win the best picture since the audiences were like "Say, Pal! This picture is the Bee's Knees! Let's a Bronx Cheer as we sip upon our giggle water!" Better seen in a history book than on the screen.
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Like Ya? Why Queenie I... *MOANS*"
Ruh-roh. This was the first movie musical and it shows. The plot was too simple and the songs were terrible. "The Broadway Melody" and "You Were Meant For Me" were the only two good songs in this entire movie, the rest were terrible. It's weird to think that this movie came out after Gershwin wrote several of his musicals after Irving Berlin wrote his music after Louis Armstrong made 5 albums. The story is about two sisters trying to "make it big" on Broadway, but one of them has an affair with their sister's husband. There's also this HILARIOUS character that studders... GET IT? This movie is barely a musical, they don't sing their emotions like other movie musicals, they only sing when they're putting on the show which doesn't really make it that much of a musical IMO. The thing is, there are musicals that have a show within a show like "White Christmas", but they also have songs where they sing their emotions. This was also the first film with sound to win the best picture since the audiences were like "Say, Pal! This picture is the Bee's Knees! Let's a Bronx Cheer as we sip upon our giggle water!" Better seen in a history book than on the screen.
7/2/25 "Coquette" 1929
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Why, Michael, you look almost like you were dead!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a super controversial film nearly 100 years ago, because of its award-winning status. The first best actress win for a sound movie went to the iconic silent movie star, Mary Pickford. Pickford, however, didn't give that great of a performance in the film. She seems really out of her element. The speculated reason that she won, however, is that her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, was the head of the academy at the time. The film is very boring and uninspired at many points. Far from award-winning.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Why, Michael, you look almost like you were dead!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a super controversial film nearly 100 years ago, because of its award-winning status. The first best actress win for a sound movie went to the iconic silent movie star, Mary Pickford. Pickford, however, didn't give that great of a performance in the film. She seems really out of her element. The speculated reason that she won, however, is that her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, was the head of the academy at the time. The film is very boring and uninspired at many points. Far from award-winning.
8/28/22 "The Cocoanuts" 1929
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Ha ha ha. Ah, no. You're my friend. I'd kill you for nothing."
This is the very first Marx Brothers film (and one of the first Talkies) and I have to say this feels a lot like the later Marx Brothers' Films. This was one of the Marx Brothers' stage plays, so this was adapted quite well to the screen, although the Marx brothers didn't have any songs themselves (except for their classic Harp and Piano performance). It also sort of felt like the Marx Brothers weren't that developed into the plot (especially Zeppo, he was barely in this). This did have some of my favorite gags though (the handshake, the handkerchief, the multiple rooms gag, etc.) though not my favorite, this is definitely on the same quality level as the other Marx brother's films.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Ha ha ha. Ah, no. You're my friend. I'd kill you for nothing."
This is the very first Marx Brothers film (and one of the first Talkies) and I have to say this feels a lot like the later Marx Brothers' Films. This was one of the Marx Brothers' stage plays, so this was adapted quite well to the screen, although the Marx brothers didn't have any songs themselves (except for their classic Harp and Piano performance). It also sort of felt like the Marx Brothers weren't that developed into the plot (especially Zeppo, he was barely in this). This did have some of my favorite gags though (the handshake, the handkerchief, the multiple rooms gag, etc.) though not my favorite, this is definitely on the same quality level as the other Marx brother's films.
5/23/22 "Un Chien Andalou" 1929
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Beginning
Okay... that happened. This is probably one of the weirdest movies ever made, but that's due in part to the direction of both Bunuel, who's known for his surreal work and Salvador Dali. Yes. Salvador Dali made this film, which makes sense since he's known to create some of the most surreal works of art ever. This film starts immediately with a woman's eye getting sliced which was very uncomfortable, and it sets the tone for the rest of the film. There are several weird things in here, Ants in a man's hand, a random disembodied hand, and an attempted rape (weird movie). It got a little too weird at some points, but I can see how this is a landmark film when it comes to surrealist art
5/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Beginning
Okay... that happened. This is probably one of the weirdest movies ever made, but that's due in part to the direction of both Bunuel, who's known for his surreal work and Salvador Dali. Yes. Salvador Dali made this film, which makes sense since he's known to create some of the most surreal works of art ever. This film starts immediately with a woman's eye getting sliced which was very uncomfortable, and it sets the tone for the rest of the film. There are several weird things in here, Ants in a man's hand, a random disembodied hand, and an attempted rape (weird movie). It got a little too weird at some points, but I can see how this is a landmark film when it comes to surrealist art
5/2/24 "Blackmail" 1929
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Well, we finished earlier tonight than I expected." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is an important film, but not a good one. It's the first film by Alfred Hitchcock to be shot in sound and it really propelled his career forward, but this film wasn't anything special. It's about a woman fighting with her boyfriend, so she cheats on him with an artist. The artist forces himself on the girlfriend and she kills him. The problem is her boyfriend is a cop and he is investigating the case of the murder. The script is a little all over the place and the direction isn't that great. It's an important stepping stone for Hitchcock, but it doesn't hold up.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Well, we finished earlier tonight than I expected." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is an important film, but not a good one. It's the first film by Alfred Hitchcock to be shot in sound and it really propelled his career forward, but this film wasn't anything special. It's about a woman fighting with her boyfriend, so she cheats on him with an artist. The artist forces himself on the girlfriend and she kills him. The problem is her boyfriend is a cop and he is investigating the case of the murder. The script is a little all over the place and the direction isn't that great. It's an important stepping stone for Hitchcock, but it doesn't hold up.
11/09/25 "Diseraeli" 1929
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "A man who never makes jokes is a standing joke to the world." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The second sound film to win best actor at the Oscars, and the performance is only sub-par. We follow the historical figure of Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of Britain, who fought to secure the Suez Canal. There's some depth to the character, but it feels more like a Wikipedia article than an actual story. They do that one thing where they just exposition dump on the audience to move the story along instead of letting the story play out. As a whole, I can see why this isn't brought up as often as other films in the Oscar canon.
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "A man who never makes jokes is a standing joke to the world." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The second sound film to win best actor at the Oscars, and the performance is only sub-par. We follow the historical figure of Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of Britain, who fought to secure the Suez Canal. There's some depth to the character, but it feels more like a Wikipedia article than an actual story. They do that one thing where they just exposition dump on the audience to move the story along instead of letting the story play out. As a whole, I can see why this isn't brought up as often as other films in the Oscar canon.
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