Aquatic Wizards (MST3K Episode #315: Teenage Caveman (short #1)). [Category: Hollywood]

This newsreel featurette about water-skiing is typical of its genre––probably fun to do but boring to watch. It appears that water-skiing was a fairly new sport at the time this was made, which gives this some historical interest. The msting is quite fun, though.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Msting: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Alaska: A Modern Frontier (http://www.avgeeks.com/wp2/alaska-a-modern-frontier-revised-1948/").

This 50s geography film about Alaska contains interesting historical footage of what the state looked like back then, as well as some funky topographic maps that look like they were made out of plasticene. Other than that, it's pretty ordinary.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

The Awful Dr. Orlof Trailer (film #162 in the Trailers section of Movieflix (www.movieflix.com)). [Category: Commercial]

Mildly campy trailer for the early 60s horror flick The Awful Dr. Orlof, "filmed in funeral black-and-white!" Other than that silly assertion, and some campy repeats of the word "awful," this is pretty much what you'd expect.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.

Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves ["Ali Baba et les Quarantes Voleurs"] (film #11 on The Movies Begin, Volume Three: Experimentation and Discovery (Kino Video, 1994)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

This is quite similar to Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp, but shorter and more confusing. It's hand-tinted using the same color palette as the other film and it also shares a similarity of style in the costumes and sets. The highlight is a really striking celestial tableau at the end. Couldn't make heads or tails of the story, though. A 1905 Pathe Freres film.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.