Film Friday | Weekly Roundup

So seriously, I made a little online tour of the rep cinema’s last night to see what’s on offer this weekend, and felt very disappointed that I can’t go out to a silent film screening this week. The Toronto Silent Film Festival spoiled me! It might just be me and the dvds this weekend, folks. Despite my many silent film screenings this week, I still made time to scour the interwebs for you, dear readers. First, I want to say that over the week I collected a ton of links from The Cinementals and then I thought I should just tell you to follow The Cinementals. They’re doing an awesome job! Now, let’s get down to it. Here’s the best and the brightest the interwebs had to offer this week. Happy reading and happy viewing!

Film Friday | Weekly Roundup

Wowee – is my feets sore from doing the Charleston with Joan Crawford in Our Dancing Daughters! Last night was the opening night of the Toronto Silent Film Festival and fabulous it was. But despite sipping bathtub gin til the wee hours of the morn, this jazz baby is hard at work this morning to bring you the best of the interwebs. That’s dedication my friends! Stay tuned for my review of Our Dancing Daughters and in the meantime you can amuse yourself with these links. And of course, leave some time to get yourself tickets to tonight’s screening of F.W. Murnau’s Tabu! Happy reading and happy viewing!

Film Friday | Weekly Roundup

It’s time again for the Film Friday Weekly Roundup… Ssshh! It’s the (almost) completely silent edition. As Hugo storms the screens and The Artist continues to pile up the critical nods, silent films are all over the place. Now let’s all put on our thrift store cardigans and lace up our Converse and say we liked silents before they were cool. But seriously, I often feel like silent films are Tinkerbell and they survive on the sheer power of wish. I’ll take interest in the continued existence and screening of them, however it comes. So take a read of some of the silent news circulating the interwebs this week, and then go polish off those silent movie wish lists. And speaking of the power of wish… Dear Santa, I wouldn’t turn up my nose at that Kino box set of box sets… just sayin’. Happy reading and happy viewing!

Film Friday | Weekly Roundup

Pretty Clever Film Gal tried to visit her favorite pool hall last night (yeah, so what?) and found it full of people dressed in business casual, wearing name tags and eating chicken on a stick. What in the ?!?… oh right, it must be holiday office party season. Nothing says office party like chicken on a stick! As the weather cools (look – it’s snowing!) and the holiday party season heats up, don’t forget to indulge in your favorite holiday movies. My personal favorite  is Gremlins. And don’t forget to make your movie themed wish lists for friends and loved ones! (I cannot recommend The Birds Barbie enough.)  If you need some ideas, take a quick trip around the interwebs, courtesy of PCF. Happy reading and happy watching!

Cinema Revisited: Georges Méliès and the Birth of Filmmaking

Who doesn’t want to jump on the exciting Melies revival bandwagon? No one, that who’s, and I count myself in those ranks. Here’s a Melies primer I wrote for The Toronto Film Scene.

French cinema pioneer Georges Méliès is having a moment. Martin Scorsese’s recent 3D release Hugo pays homage Méliès. The electro-pop duo Air just announced the release of  a new album, La Voyage Dans La Lune, inspired by Méliès. The title not only refers to Méliès’s most famous film, but a limited edition of the album will be co-packaged with the movie. And, of course, a production still from that same film, a very annoyed moon with a rocket ship embedded in its eye, remains the most iconic image of the silent era, gracing t-shirts, coffee mugs, and the covers of countless film studies books. Click to read the rest of the piece at TFS.