Short Film Saturday | The Movie Rat

Short Film Saturday: The Show (1922)

Posted on May 11, 2013 by bernardovillela

There are a few interesting things to note about The Show. Firstly, this is a silent and solo appearance by Oliver Hardy. I know both he and Stan Laurel both worked in the silent era, but they only truly excelled with one another and after the inception of sound.

Hardy does fine but is not nearly as dynamic silent as he is with audio. The lead is Larry Semon, though it seems at times in silent comedies that the gags were the star rather than the actors. The gags in this film are great and kept me laughing pretty consistently.

Lastly, the reason I even knew of this short is because I recently read a wonderful memoir called The Keystone Kid. In it author Coy Watson, Jr. chronicles his childhood in Edendale, CA; (Where the first west coast studios were established), the exploits of his father, Coy, Sr., an ingenious behind the scenes man most noted for being the first wire technician in films; as well as his own and those of his siblings who all acted. In an appendix there are descriptions, photos and a filmography. I have been in search of many of them and this is the first I found.

His entrance in this short is noticeable. He is part of a family who is frugal and creative when it comes to theatregoing. Enjoy!

Short Film Saturday: Prologue from Visions of Europe

Posted on May 4, 2013 by bernardovillela

One recent tradition I have unintentionally started is that I will kick-off a new theme or series through Short Film Saturday. It makes sense since Short Film Saturday is my most frequent and longest running post. The theme that this short will correlate with is the beginning of a Bela Tarr retrospective. Another decision I have come to organically is that the winner of my Lifetime Achievement Award will be the focus of a series of posts the following year. It began with my Spielberg Sunday posts and this year I will look back on many of Bela Tarr‘s works. This short is actually one I had not seen yet.

Visions of Europe is a 2004 anthology film wherein various acclaimed European directors made short films about Europe, specifically their own corner. Bela Tarr‘s short acts as the prologue. As those who know him will attest the attributes of this short are not surprising: it is comprised of one long take and the haunting, soul-encompassing, cyclical score by Mihaly Vig. This short makes me want to watch the rest of the film and and is a perfect introduction to Tarr I feel.

Short Film Saturday: The Phantom Empire, Chapters 10-12

Posted on April 27, 2013 by bernardovillela

The Phantom Empire may be the most unique movie serial ever created. I was told of its existence by my favorite film professor in college and I was fortunate enough to have found it on VHS shortly thereafter. After having viewed it I was glad to have given it to him. Now I have since reacquired it on DVD. It stars Gene Autry in his usual singing cowboy persona but there’s also science fiction mixed in and quite a few other things along the way.

Through Poverty Row April I will likely watch a composite version of this film but I am glad to be able to present to you the serial version of the the film thanks to The Internet Archive. To view please visit the links below.

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Short Film Saturday: The Phantom Empire, Chapters 7-9

Posted on April 20, 2013 by bernardovillela

The Phantom Empire may be the most unique movie serial ever created. I was told of its existence by my favorite film professor in college and I was fortunate enough to have found it on VHS shortly thereafter. After having viewed it I was glad to have given it to him. Now I have since reacquired it on DVD. It stars Gene Autry in his usual singing cowboy persona, but there’s also science fiction mixed in and quite a few other things along the way.

Through Poverty Row April I will likely watch a composite version of this film, but I am glad to be able to present to you the serial version of the the film thanks to The Internet Archive. To view please visit the links below.

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Short Film Saturday: The Phantom Empire, Chapters 4-6

Posted on April 13, 2013 by bernardovillela

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Short Film Saturday: The Phantom Empire, Chapters 1-3

Posted on April 6, 2013 by bernardovillela

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Short Film Saturday: Aquamania (1961)

Posted on March 30, 2013 by bernardovillela

This Goofy short is notable for a few reasons. The least of which is that this was another chapter in the series of shorts that saw Goofy take up recreational activities or sports with predictably disastrous and hilarious consequences. More interestingly than that is that later in Goofy’s filmography he became increasingly more human, compared to his embryonic state he was positively urbane at this point, such that he became a suburban father later on, and this short features his son, Junior. Interestingly, when Goofy saw a revival in the 1990s in the film A Goofy Movie and the subsequent television series Goof Troop, Junior was supplanted by an older more modern rendition of his son named Max. Seeing as how much time has passed it’d be interesting to see Disney either reintroduce Junior parallel, along side or in place of Max. I think the first possibility could be the most interesting. Sophistication in audiences has taken another step forward and alternate realities, or plot-lines are easier to sell now. It’d be neat to see, as I perpetually dislike characters getting eschewed prematurely. Regardless, this short still stands and it’s quite funny.

Short Film Saturday: Runaway Brain (1995)

Posted on March 23, 2013 by bernardovillela

Since the YouTube clip I’m linking to features the introduction by Leonard Maltin, there’s not much else I really need to say except this is a great departure form the usual from Mickey, especially in a fairly modern piece. Please note: the clip does feature Spanish subtitles, do your best to ignore them should you not need them.

Short Film Saturday: The Little Matchgirl (1996)

Posted on March 16, 2013 by bernardovillela

For a little more than 30 years, from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, you’d be hard pressed to find a year wherein the Academy didn’t nominate either Disney or Warner Brothers for Best Animated Short Film. Keeping that in mind, I decided instead to search out more latter-day Disney shorts that I may not yet have seen.

In this day and age the short film has to find new avenues to find audiences. Gone are the days of double-features and programs that were expected to include either and animated short or serial chapter and a newsreel. This short was included as a bonus feature on The Little Mermaid platinum edition DVD release, and is appropriately another Hans Christian Andersen tale.

Short Film Saturday: Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943)

Posted on March 9, 2013 by bernardovillela

I saw this film plenty of times growing up. I think once upon a time Disney had a VHS collection of wartime shorts. This became one Disney would make sparse over years until the Disney Treasures line was launched and all the World War-Two era shorts were re-collected. Leonard Maltin typically not only did intros for the DVD collections, but also specific shorts that may have problematic content in a more politically correct age. Are the portraits of Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini broad stereotypes? Yes. However, I’m not sure the availability was limited just due to that. The film is for the most part just a mockery of these three dictators, namely Hitler, and the disdain for him is fairly clear throughout. The main objection could be that the plot is Donald has a nightmare that he’s a Nazi. I realize that it’s risky to put an already iconic character like Donald Duck in Nazi paraphernalia, but this is a product of the war, this like many other wartime Disney fare can be classified both as being entertaining and propaganda. I doubt there’s a nation on Earth that’s been immune to propagandizing in cinema, much of it still consumed for aesthetic and historical purpose to this day.

The risk Disney took with Donald recognized and rewarded by the Academy with an Oscar. The nightmare aspect is a reveal, but one you can see this coming once the surreal sequence starts, and at the end he unabashedly exclaims his love for the US. I think the riskiness of the venture is lessened by the fact that Donald is still Donald. Namely, he’s ornery, accident prone and somewhat a non-conformist and not a “good Nazi” at all, even in a dream.

I’m glad that Disney did bring this one out of hiding with a disclaimer. If you feel something is inappropriate for mass consumption, you’re more than free to say so. However, I do think this falls within the realm of satire, and I’d hate to see that become further endangered just because on occasion it goes too far. Which is me speaking in generalities, most of the cultural insensitivity you may find in this piece is aimed at the dictators themselves. Anyway, without much further adieu, enjoy!