Tag: Early Cinema

1898: Trailblazing Brits and the Brighton School

November 1, 2021August 21, 2022ShawnNo Comments

Beginning in May 2020, I sought to deepen my knowledge of the silent era by starting the European Silent Cinema Project. For the project, I review two European silent films each year starting in 1895 and ending in 1930. For a comprehensive list of films and reviews visit the project’s main page here.…

1897: The Cinema Spreads

July 1, 2020August 21, 2022ShawnNo Comments

Beginning in May 2020, I sought to deepen my knowledge of the silent era by starting the European Silent Cinema Project. For the project, I review two European silent films each year starting in 1895 and ending in 1930. For a comprehensive list of films and reviews visit the project’s main page here.…

1896: Scenes of Rivers and Canals

June 10, 2020August 21, 2022ShawnNo Comments

Beginning in May 2020, I sought to deepen my knowledge of the silent era by starting the European Silent Cinema Project. For the project, I review two European silent films each year starting in 1895 and ending in 1930. For a comprehensive list of films and reviews visit the project’s main page here.…

1895: European Film Gets An Audience

May 29, 2020August 21, 2022ShawnNo Comments

Beginning in May 2020, I sought to deepen my knowledge of the silent era by starting the European Silent Cinema Project. For the project, I review two European silent films each year starting in 1895 and ending in 1930. For a comprehensive list of films and reviews visit the project’s main page here.…

Spite Marriage, 1929 - ★★½
Don’t know if I’m being nit picky but having laughs on the original soundtrack really took me out of the comedy. There’s some good humor of Buster onstage but it falls a little flat for me knowing the audience is enjoying his shenanigans.The last half of the film really falls if the rails but at […]
The Maltese Falcon, 1931 - ★★★★
Surprised at how good this version of The Maltese Falcon is. It doesn’t have nearly as distinct an atmosphere as the famous 1941 adaptation but has the advantage of being more frank about sex as a Pre Code. Richard Cortez and Bebe Daniels deliver career best performances and along with the rest of the cast […]
Daughter of Shanghai, 1937 - ★★★★
Coming in at just over an hour, this fast-paced crime thriller gets a lot of mileage out of Ann May Wong and Phillip Ahn in the leads. Its smuggling migrants plot never feels exploitative like a lot of other films of the period but still manages to build up suspense and reach a satisfying climax […]
The Great Ziegfeld, 1936 - ★★★
Despite it being overblown and a least an hour too long, The Great Ziegfeld always keeps your attention. It helps that what it lacks in plot it makes up with a good cast and a couple beautifully shot musical numbers. (A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody being the most impressive despite the mishandling of […]
The Unholy Three, 1930 - ★★★
Of all Chaney’s starting vehicles to remake as a sound version, The Unholy Three makes the most sense even if it wasn’t a very thrilling choice. (West of Zanzibar would have been my choice but it was quite a recent release still in 1930). It would have been really hard for Chaney to seamlessly transition […]