Pretty Clever Film’s Top 10 Silent Horror Movies

In honor of Halloween, Pretty Clever Film Gal brings you her personal favorite scary movies, all of them silent. It is a fact that movie goers love fright films and it is a fact that horror movies have been around since the dawn of film. For my money, silent films take the prize for sheer creep factor. These early silent horror movies may not make you jump in your seat and they’re certainly not the gore-fest variety of later shock cinema, but… well there’s something about a monster creeping about and saying nothing, no?

Edison Studio’s Frankenstein (1910)

The 1910 Edison Studios production of Frankenstein is the first film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. Believed to be lost for many years, the film later turned up in the hands of a private collector who proved unwilling to share. By the time BearManor Media released the restored public domain print in 2010, the film was badly deteriorated (yet still watchable). Silent film fans are in for a thrill with Frankenstein, because of some rather dazzling special effects and an innovative visual narrative technique. While Frankenstein displays much of the visual grammar common to circa 1910 films (static camera, medium distance shots with nary a close-up to be found), the film does deliver some sophisticated techniques.

Watch Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Online

Watch the creepy 1920 silent version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide online at YouTube. The incomparable John Barrymore takes the lead.There are countless stage, screen, radio, you name it adaptations of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but this is the greatest of them all, in my humble opinion. And after this scares your pants off, lighten the mood with “Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde“.

 

Article: Analysis of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

I came across this interesting piece on The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, titled “Expression and Character in the Movements of Cesare.” If you agree with Nancy Thuleen’s basic thesis, you have to rethink the level of sophistication inherent in this film. To denote character by differing styles of movement is a big leap for 1920, but I see her point.

Watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Online

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is available for viewing all over the interwebs.

Watch at the Internet Archive or download for repeated viewings.

http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.1.swf

Watch on YouTube: