Perhaps we could go with an old classic next time...maybe even something in silent in black & white?
IT Movie Club
- Thread starter photon
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Thats one fine horse...
I was thinking more of something like this though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDrmKbOgAbk
I want to watch some films like this because as we all know, a film is meant to show, not tell the viewer what is happening. Never was this as important as it was in these films where not a single line was spoken. I think that by studying how such films were laid out, we might not only get a laugh but also learn a lot if we have our eyes open to what is being done and why.
I was thinking more of something like this though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDrmKbOgAbk
I want to watch some films like this because as we all know, a film is meant to show, not tell the viewer what is happening. Never was this as important as it was in these films where not a single line was spoken. I think that by studying how such films were laid out, we might not only get a laugh but also learn a lot if we have our eyes open to what is being done and why.
Yeah I'd love to watch more silent films! I think silent cinema was more universal, you could watch an American film, a Japanese film, a German film, or a Soviet film and still have the same experience (because once sound was introduced, reading subtitles was not the same and dubs just don't capture the right performance so they suck).
I think we can start with Chaplin, Keaton (I think I'm ready to watch The General again!), Grffith, and so on but I'd like to explore silent films from different genres and countries as well. Dimitri Kirsanoff, Victor Sjöström, early Mizoguchi and Ozu, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Erich von Stroheim, Ernst Lubitsch, and many others deserve just as much attention IMO.
I think a very interesting silent film tradition is the Japanese benshi which had narrators and music. I know of a few films with a benshi narration and music track that are interesting.
Sounds like a good idea. I was not aware of so many, Chaplin being the only one I knew of by name to find, but yes, lets look at lots from many different cultures and countries.
I am keen to watch 1 or 2 a week. It will be cool to have others watching the same films to see what each viewer spots and notices. Could be a very worthwhile exercise
What should we start with?
Sounds like a good idea. I was not aware of so many, Chaplin being the only one I knew of by name to find, but yes, lets look at lots from many different cultures and countries.
I am keen to watch 1 or 2 a week. It will be cool to have others watching the same films to see what each viewer spots and notices. Could be a very worthwhile exercise
What should we start with?
Some films (features) I have already seen that are amazing:
The General (Buster Keaton)
The Kid (Charlie Chaplin)
Safety Last! (Harold Lloyd)
A Page Of Madness (Teinosuke Kinugasa)
Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau)
Metropolis (Fritz Lang)
The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene)
Blind Husbands (Erich von Stroheim)
The Thief Of Bagdad (Douglas Fairbanks)
The Water Magician (Kenji Mizoguchi)
I think the easiest way to get into silent cinema is through silent comedies or through silent short films. Recently I've been wanting to explore D.W. Griffith and Charlie Chaplin's filmographies. I also have a lot of Buster Keaton available and I need to watch more of his films. I'd say we should start with Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton's films since those are in the public domain (the third great silent comedian, Harold Lloyd's films are unfortunately not in the public domain).
My pick is the 1925 version of Charlie Chaplin's Gold Rush because I like going through filmographies in order when I can. (this would be skipping The Kid which I saw last night, and A Woman In Paris which is atypical of Chaplin due to the fact that it is a drama and he does not star in it).
I'm free to watch any other suggestions though.
How bout this, guys?
I hate Youtube. So much.
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That's a nice list James. I wouldn't mind watching Caligari again. It's been a while.
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How about we all alternate each week.
So, it could go something like this.
Week No. 1 - sfoster - Man from Nowhere
Week No. 2 - MiniJamesW - The Gold Rush
Week No. 3 - ChimpPhobiaFilms - Synecdoche, New York
Week No. 4 - Fantasy Film Productions - Modern Times
Week No. 5 - Dreadylocks - Silent Movie
Also, this looks interesting...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046911/
^This would be neat^
Excellent idea...would others be open to raising this to two films a week though?
If not I will just watch extra's in my spare time.
Thanks!
That's a nice list, I can watch most of those films so I'll watch all of the ones I have on each respective week.
FantasyFilmProductions said:
You should! Most of them are in the public domain so you can get them for free online easily.
It's really fantastic, but I will warn you guys the first 22 minutes are kind of slow. After that the next hour and a half are non-stop amazing. It was koreas highest grossing film of 2010
As far as chaplin.. i mentioned this in the what did you just watch thread, but i've seen every one of his features.
my input for your guys consideration on his silent features
tillies punctured romance 2/5
gold rush 3/5
the kid 4/5
modern times 4/5
the circus 4/5
city lights 5/5
City lights being freaking amazing, and rated by AFI (rightly so) as the #1 romantic comedy of all time.
The last 10 minutes of this movie are nothing short of beautiful
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I'm game! Though the movie-of-the-month club was short-lived, I enjoyed it. We had some good discussions, and IT has a whole new group of regulars now. This concept is definitely worth re-visiting, and though I can't currently help organize it, I'll definitely contribute. I think weekly is too often, but I would definitely join in the discussion were once per month.
A couple of cents I'd like to add -- I personally think that a discussion like this is most beneficial to us if we frame it from the perspective of a filmmaker. We don't just talk about why we did or didn't like a movie (normal non-filmmakers do that); we talk about it like students, doing our best to learn from both the good and bad things that more prolific filmmakers have done.
Regardless, count me in.
A couple of cents I'd like to add -- I personally think that a discussion like this is most beneficial to us if we frame it from the perspective of a filmmaker. We don't just talk about why we did or didn't like a movie (normal non-filmmakers do that); we talk about it like students, doing our best to learn from both the good and bad things that more prolific filmmakers have done.
Regardless, count me in.
I personally think that a discussion like this is most beneficial to us if we frame it from the perspective of a filmmaker. We don't just talk about why we did or didn't like a movie (normal non-filmmakers do that); we talk about it like students, doing our best to learn from both the good and bad things that more prolific filmmakers have done.
Regardless, count me in.
Exactly!!!!
Ok.... cool. So, what should we start with as our first film?
Somebody has got to take charge. Make some basic rules, regarding how films are selected. And stuff.
I thought we already selected The Man From Nowhere? I updated the first post with that information.Ok.... cool. So, what should we start with as our first film?
People can post suggestions for the next film during the week.
An appointed person will pick the film preferably out of these suggestions or come up with a different film.
photon....I respect your authoritay!!!!
You did name the first movie so lets go with that.