The First Talkies – Part 1: 1900 “Le Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre”
Some of the most important early developments in “talking pictures” were stimulated by the Paris Exposition of 1900. One of the most notable cinematic events at the Exposition was the[…]
The Petrified Forest (1936)
I really enjoyed watching this film and looked forward to some scholarly insights on the commentary track by Eric Lax, co-author of a Humphrey Bogart biography and several other books.[…]
Shanghai Express (1932)
A film like this that deals openly with the subject of prostitution and pokes fun at conventional morality would be impossible to make in Hollywood after the Hays Code began to be rigidly enforced in 1934.
The Machinist (2004)
Though it seems sacrilegious to say so, I think this is a better film than anything Hitchcock made.
Early Film Pioneers: Alfred Clark and the Birth of the Historical Reconstruction Film
Alfred Clark began working for the Edison Manufacturing Company in 1895 and is the first film-maker known to have used the stop-motion technique and very probably the first to have filmed an historical reconstruction.
The Unbeliever (1918)
A wealthy young atheist finds God, love, and loses his sense of class distinction in one the Edison company’s final productions.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
The unanticipated success of 1968’s Planet of the Apes began the longest running English-language film series other than James Bond and helped pave the way for the Hollywood of today where it seems every other movie released is part of a film franchise. Film review by Dan Willard.
Chronological List of Films – A Work in Progress
Unable to find a comprehensive nor accurate index of films in chronological order I created my own chronological list of films with links to where the film can be purchased or viewed online.
Halls of Montezuma (1951)
Film review by Dan Willard. Made with the cooperation of and used as a recruitment film by the U.S. Marine Corps, Halls of Montezuma is nevertheless an anti-war film.
The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
Film review by Dan Willard. The Honeymoon Killers is in a way a response to the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde in that it seeks to de-glamorize crime.
