Spiders on a Web (1900)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film. Two spiders climb around in a confined space.
I am not able to make out a web in this short film, otherwise it is pretty cool. A very early close up of natural life. Not much more than what it claims to be.
3/5
The Death of Poor Joe (1901)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film. A man with a torch walks past a gate then a poor person arrives and dies.
I really like the attempt to use in scene lighting here, shows an attempt at innovation. While the backdrop is nicely painted you can unfortunately see it move in the breeze which rather destroys the moment. Being unfamiliar with Bleak House I have no idea of the relevance of the scene this is based on.
2/5
The Old Maid's Valentine (1900)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film. A spinster receives mail on Valentine's day.
So many relatable modern day elements, being a cat lady and getting spam. Not the most hilarious joke in history, it does at least work. Fine for a simple short.
3/5
Two Clowns (1906)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film. Two clowns drink and have fun.
A very simple short film in terms of the action. What is impressive about this film is the early use of colour, the image is very colourful. Pretty fun even if it is a bit simple in content.
3/5
Comic Face (1897)
Directed by George Albert Smith this film stars Tom Green. A man drinks a pint of beer and makes increasingly silly faces.
You have to wonder if the subject is a bit of a lightweight with how fast things turn silly on just one beer. Pretty fun, nothing that special about this short. One of the more basic films from the director.
3/5
After Love (2020)
Written & directed by Aleem Khan this film stars Joanna Scanlan, Nathalie Richard and Talid Ariss. A woman who converted to Islam for her husband finds out he has another family after he dies.
For me this film never really takes off. There is a lot of potent up emotional energy that never gets released, which you could say is very British. Feels like there could have been more to this one.
3/5
MaXXXine (2024)
Written & directed by Ti West this sequel stars Mia Goth, Elizabeth Dehicki, Moses Sumney and Kevin Bacon. A porn star tries to break into mainstream cinema while a killer is on the loose in LA.
You can definitely see the Dario Argento influence on parts of this film. As slashers go this is fine, a lot less interesting than the prequel Pearl. Not really memorable and some of the cast seem a bit under utilised.
3/5
