Pope Leo XIII Leaving Carriage and Being Ushered Into Garden, No. 104 (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. The pope gets out of a carriage and sits on a chair.
A rather long title for a simple film. Could have done with moving the camera back a bit to get more in shot but mostly fine. No doubt important as a historical record if not that entertaining.
3/5
James Grundy, Buck and Wing (1895)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film staring James Grundy. A man dances to the harmonica.
A fun little short with not a huge amount to it. Captures dancing that is recognisable to the modern eye. Nicely done.
3/5
Warships at Sunset (1900)
Directed by William K. L, Dickson this is an early short film. Warships at sea sail in a convoy.
I am not sure the sun is actually setting, otherwise a nice little short. Not much to it but it does cast a striking image. Decent for what it is.
3/5
Women Talking (2022)
Directed by Sarah Polley this film based on the novel of the same name stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley. Women in a strict religious community discuss what they should do after sexual assaults by the men of community come to light.
Both depressing and amazing this is a great look at oppressive communities and the impact of sexual violence on women in general. While this is one of those films that would work as a play it never feels constrained by limited locations. About the only thing I did not like was the muted colour filter used.
4/5
Rumours (2024)
Directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson & Galen Johnson this film has an ensemble cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis and Nikki Amuka-Bird. Leaders at the G7 summit find themselves abandoned in the woods as strange creatures roam about.
A rare case of a film with three listed directors that is not a complete car crash. Works well as a satire of how out of touch the world leaders can seem to be. Great final moment of the leaders giving a meaningless speech as the world burns around them.
4/5
Kraven the Hunter (2024)
Directed by J. C. Chandor this comic book adaptation stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Alessandro Nivola and Russell Crowe. A young man uses super natural powers to hunt bad people.
As someone who loved Chandor's Margin Call it is disappointing to see him turning out the latest serving of slop in Sony's attempt to cling onto what Marvel rights they still have. This film shambles through the motions of a superhero film with no emotional depth. Even the action sequences did not draw me in.
2/5
Duel to the Death (1898)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. Two women have a knife fight.
Sure this is not the height of Hong Kong action yet it is fairly entertaining. A decent film for the period with good surviving image quality. Well acted by the two stars.
3/5
Man on Parallel Bars (1892)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. A man on gym bars.
Unfortunately the action does not even stay in frame here. An early lesson in needing to move the camera back. Not the best from Dickson.
2/5
Rip's Toast to Hudson (1896)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. I suppose Rip toasts Hudson?
Like many films in this series it is hard to make out exactly what is going on in the scene and who is who. This early attempt at narrative film making did not hit the mark for me. Not really worth seeking out.
2/5
Place de la Concorde (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. A street view of a public square in Paris.
A nice entry into the genre, plenty of action as people go about their lives. Even if there is no plot it is a fun watch. Good for what it is, decent image quality.
3/5
Kindling (2023)
Written & directed by Connor O'Hara this film stars George Somner, Conrad Khan, Wilson Mbomio and Mia McKenna-Bruce. A young man with a terminal illness spends his last summer with his four childhood friends.
It would have been very easy for this film to be overly sentimental but it is expertly made. As we get closer and closer to the conclusion the film drips with sadness. A great look at mortality and friendship.
4/5
Sacramento (2024)
Directed by writer and star Michael Angarano this film also features Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and Maya Erskine. Two men overcome anxiety about fatherhood.
I really enjoyed the off beat nature of this comedy, not everything has to be in your face. There is a lot to enjoy here even if it is not especially challenging Michael Cera. A couple of really laugh out loud moments in the film.
3/5
Juror No. 2 (2024)
Directed by Clint Eastwood this film stars Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland. A man serving on a jury quickly realises he may have accidentally committed the crime the defendant is on trial for.
You can see what this film is going for, putting a different spin on 12 Angry Men, it just never sticks the execution. There is a real failure to go anywhere and I have to wonder if this “ends justify the means” discussion is an attempt by a Conservative to justify another Trump presidency. A miss for me despite the promise.
2/5
Danses Russes (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. Two women perform a Russian themed dance.
I have no idea if this is an authentic Russian dance or not, it is entertaining either way. Great image quality for the period. Really fun little short.
3/5
Paul Nadar pratiquant l'escrime (1896)
Directed by and staring Paul Nadar this is an early short film. A man shows off his sword fighting moves with a wooden cane.
Something very charming about this simple short. Captures a bit of the character of a man that remains familiar till today. Pretty fun.
3/5
Rue Royale (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. We see a simple street scene.
There is plenty of action captured in this short. Image quality is really good given the age. A fun little slice of history.
3/5
Paul Nadar list l'Echo de Paris a la terrasse d'un cafe (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this short film stars the director. A man reads a news paper.
A very simple short, possibly the first self portrait in cinema? Surprisingly good image quality. Has some charm even if there is not much to it.
3/5
Scene de reve (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. Two actresses perform a short scene.
There is not a huge amount to this scene but it does manage to have a bit of charm to it. The dancing is pretty decent. While the image quality is a bit suspect in places it holds up for the most part.
3/65
Such a Lovely Day (2023)
Written & directed by Simon Woods this short film stars Eve Best, Edward Bluemel and Chuku Modu. A boy and his parents visit family for a large gathering.
You can see what this is going for, the underlying tension of a domestic abuse covered up in public, but I'm not sure the execution works. The rich people setting is a little too disarming for a start. Nicely shot at least.
2/5
Les Deux Gosses (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. Two women by a fire.
There is not a huge amount to this one but the image quality is really good for the period. It is nice to see something attempting a dramatic scene from a pre-1900 film. I like the painted backdrop, a hint of things to come in cinema.
3/5
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur this film stars Frances Dee, James Ellison and Tom Conway. A nurse goes to work on a Caribbean island caring for a woman without a mind.
You can see what this one is trying to do but it just does not work in my opinion. There is a lot to explore with how slaves were treated in the Caribbean and I do not this a Jane Ayre lite is the vehicle for it. I can not see why this one gets the praise it does.
2/5
The Levelling (2016)
Written & directed by Hope Dickson Leach this film stars Ellie Kendrick and David Troughton. A young woman returns home to the family farm after the suicide of her brother.
Short and not that remarkable there is nothing that special about this film. It is fine for what it is but never becomes more than the sum of its parts. Lots of familiar elements both for grief films and those set in rural England.
3/5
Past Lives (2023)
Written & directed by Celine Song this film stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro. A man and a women reconnect years after one of them has emigrated from Korea.
Incredibly beautiful, this film is not to be missed. The film manages to be both gentle and super hard hitting. A brilliant look at paths not travelled.
5/5
Danse du papillon (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. A dance with a flowing dress.
A staple of the period, it seems very film catalogue of this time needs a short covering a dance like this. Similar to others of the same topic. Survives in good quality.
3/5
Mademoiselle Zambelli de l'Opera (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. A clip of Carlotta Zambelli dancing.
Surprisingly good quality film given when it was made, the image is really clear and has a lot of detail. A nice little dance short captured in a single static shot. Good for what it is.
3/5
William Tell (2024)
Written & directed by Nick Hamm this film stars Claes Bang, Connor Swindells and Golshifteh Farahani. As Austria looks to dominate Switzerland a folk hero arises.
Neither the budget or the writing are at the level for the scale this film wants to operate on. The film is pretty limp through out then decides to unnecessarily sequel bait us at the end. Another poor effort from the Sky Originals line, I suspect the Swiss might have something to say about what has been done to their national foundation myth too.
2/5
Sharp Corner (2024)
Written & directed by Jason Buxton this film stars Ben Foster and Cobie Smulders. After moving into a new house a man becomes obsessed with car crashes on the dangerous corner outside.
I was expecting this to be a remake of one of those Scandinavian films on the anxiety over masculinity, pleasantly surprised to find it is original. As always Ben Foster is incredibly watchable, man always gives a great performance. An enthralling watch.
4/5
Danses Slaves (1896)
Directed by Paul Nadar this is an early short film. Two people perform a traditional dance for the camera.
Rather than featuring slaves as the title suggests it is Slavs that are the feature of this film. Very enjoyable and more action than some of the other dance films of the period. An entertaining watch.
3/5
Rip Passing Over the Mountain (1896)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. A man passing over a mountain.
It is not even a mountain and he does not go over it. So the film pretty much fails to live up to the title leaving not much else to it. A real disappointment in a series of disappointments.
1/5
Rip Meeting the Dwarf (1896)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this short film stars Joseph Jefferson. Rip meets a dwarf.
It is a bit hard to tell who is supposed to be who here, does a man crouching down really pass for a dwarf? Weak effort with little action. Not worth seeking out.
1/5
Rip's Twenty Years' Sleep (1896)
Directed by William K. L. Dickson this short film stars Joseph Jefferson. A man goes to sleep?
Another entry in the series where it is a bit hard to tell what is going on. A man lies down but you do not get the impression of twenty years passing. I guess you need to know the story well to see where this fits in.
2/5
