Control Your Emotions (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #376 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

A rather bogus-sounding psychologist lectures us on the benefits of emotional control. His arguments are based on behaviorist theory, but he is seemingly ignorant of the fact that behaviorism, in the simplistic fashion that he uses it, undercuts his arguments because it’s so mechanistic and deterministic. For instance, he says emotions are based on “stimulus-response patterns,” hitting his knee at the reflex point to illustrate this. But if emotions were that automatic and involuntary, we wouldn’t have any control over them at all. But I’ll forgive him for that because he has the coolest audio-visual aids ever: bricks that say “RAGE,” “FEAR,” and “LOVE,” and a big round black piece of cardboard with the word “PERSONALITY” written on it in plastic letters. These great props would have a place of honor in the Film Ephemera Museum of Quirky Devices, right up there with the wire rack from Speech: Using Your Voice, though I think I’d save the “RAGE” brick to throw at the television screen. Anyway, back to the movie. After his lecture, the psychologist shows us the story of Jeff, a teen who flies into a rage at the least provocation, culminating in almost beating his little brother to death with a coat hanger––his mother stops him, fortunately. This is a tantrum that Joan Crawford would approve of, since he uses a wooden coat hanger, rather than a wire one. The psychologist then steps in and shows us alternate ways Jeff could have handled the situations that made him angry. These are good solutions for the most part, but he gives us no clue as to how somebody with a serious anger control problem like Jeff could simmer his feelings down enough to be able to put these suggestions into practice. This is a typical campy Coronet film that takes a complex psychological problem and makes it seem like it could be solved in the space of a 13-minute film. Which, of course, makes it a great deal of fun and very mstable.

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

The Cameri Theater Celebrates Its New Home (film #1 in The Arts section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

This 60s film celebrates an Israeli theater company’s move to a new theater. Many scenes from plays are shown and there’s lots of premiere footage, all in Hebrew. This gives you a chance to see lots of Israeli theater, though many of the clips seem to be of English plays translated into Hebrew––William Shakespeare is mentioned a number of times, and the scene from the play about royalty mentions Mary Stuart. This film is hard to follow, due to the language barrier, but it’s lively.

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

If I Forget Thee: The History of Hadassah on Mt. Scopus (film #11 in the Health section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]

This 70s film gives an overview of the history of the Hadassah Hospital on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem, from pre-state Palestine to the present days of renovation. War, terrorism, and violence are a part of this story at many points. The film provides a sense of context to the other Hadassah Hospital films on the Spielberg Archive, helping the viewer to figure out where those other films fit into the bigger picture. The story is well told and touching at times, though there are few surprises. But it’s a historically valuable film that would be good to watch before the other Hadassah Hospital films on the site.

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

Dragoons Crossing the Saone (film #13 on The Movies Begin, Volume One: The Great Train Robbery and Other Primary Works (Kino Video, 1994)). Also, film #13 on The Art of Cinema Begins (Video Yesteryear, 1997)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

A bunch of shirtless guys on horseback ford a river. Not particularly interesting, as the shirtless guys aren't particularly good-looking (well, where else can interest be found in such a film?). An 1896 Lumiere film.

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

The Andy Griffith Show #1 (film #1 on Side A of Disc #8 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

This early 60s episode of The Andy Griffith Show features Rafe Hollister, a country bumpkin with a beautiful singing voice. When he wins an audition to sing and the Ladies’ Club Musicale, the snooty mayor tries to object, thinking Hollister too white trash (they’re too nice to use the term, but it’s obvious that’s what was meant) to represent Mayberry. Of course it all turns out well in the end when they hear Hollister sing. This is a charming episode with a the kind of fluffy problem typical to the show. What I was waiting for, though, was for Andy’s guitar to blow up while they were singing “Those Endearing Young Charms.” Sadly, it never happens.

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

The Dust Bowl (film #6 in the 1929 Stock Market Crash and Great Depression section of WPA Film Library). [Category: News]

Newsreel footage, mostly silent, of parched farmlands, dust storms, and rural people battling dust. Most of this is sepia-tone, so it really has an old-time feel to it. The last clip is from a British sound newsreel reporting the dust bowl refugees immigrating to California. These clips are historically interesting, giving you a real feel for the long-term disaster of the Dust Bowl.

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

The Battle of France (film #516 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

Newsreel story about the Allied drive across France after D-Day. This is pretty standard, though there are a few striking images of soldiers and prisoners of war. Unfortunately, the footage is murky, so it’s hard to see those striking images.

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

The Face in the Mirror (I Wonder) (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #493 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]

I was utterly charmed by this Jam Handy sales training film. In it, a salesman on his day off gets sent by his wife on a shopping spree in one of those downtown areas that don’t exist anymore. There he deals with salesmen from terrible to excellent in all the different stores he goes into. And this was in the days before self-service in retail, so he has to deal with salesmen in all of them. After buying a bunch of stuff, he drops in on his boss (why, I don’t know, since it’s his day off––must be a workaholic) who encourages him to use the experiences he had with salesmen that day to help him sell better himself. This is actually one of the most effective Jam Handy films I’ve seen. Although working in sales is anathema to me, I found myself being swept along by the message of this film that selling mainly involves being friendly, helpful, and considerate of your customers, along with knowing your product and being enthusiastic about it. The successful salesmen show a masterful knowledge of psychology in the way they smoothly convince the main character to buy without making him feel like he’s been sold something. And the simple, commonsense advice given in the film makes sales seem a much friendlier, and less exploitative, a profession. The film is also appealing from a historical perspective, in showing a way of shopping that doesn’t exist anymore. Jam Handy has made some stinkers, some howlers, and some films that are extremely weird, but this film shows that when he was at his best, his films were right on the money in conveying the message they were designed to convey.

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

The Effects of Atomic Bomb Explosions (film #2 on Atomic Memories (Video Yesteryear)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This film has a real campy opening: an army officer on furlough encounters a culture gone atom-crazy ("That guy's got a punch like an atom bomb!" "Try our Atomic Cocktail") and lots of ordinary folks with outrageous misconceptions about the bomb ("What scares me is that awful gas that deforms ya!"). Back from leave, he relates his experiences to his commanding officer, played by Hugh Beaumont, and Dad––uh, I mean Hugh––has a man-to-man talk with him, setting him straight on the facts of life about the a-bomb. Actually, this is one of the few cold-war propaganda films from this period that doesn't grossly underestimate or gloss over the destructive effects of the bomb. Of course, it was made to be shown to army personnel, rather than average citizens––the average folk were watching things like Duck and Cover and You Can Beat the A-Bomb, in which the bomb only musses things up a bit (which nobody believed). So no wonder people were confused. A great relic of the Cold War.

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

The Barber Shop (film #1 on Six Short Films: W.C. Fields DVD (The Criterion Collection, 2000)). [Category: Hollywood]

W. C. Fields plays a small town barber in this short, and all I can say is don’t allow him near your face, or any other part of your body, for that matter. The short has the usual cranky wife, bizarre plot, and witty Fields asides you expect from one of his films. There’s also a perfunctory chase scene with a bank robber and an ending where you find out where tiny violins come from. As usual with Fields, this is inspired strangeness, with a creakiness that makes you feel like you’re in the 19th century instead of the 20th.

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

From Beatnik to Beauty (film #8 in the Makeovers, Diets & Fitness section of WPA Film Library). [Category: Hollywood]

In this clip from a British newsreel featurette, a swinging beatnik chick goes into a beauty shop full of staid, girdle-wearing middle-aged suburban women and, through the miracle of “the deception that is a part of a modern women’s lifestyle,” gets transformed into a staid, girdle-wearing, middle-aged (her “beauty treatment” ages her at least 20 years) woman who is all ready to find a nice husband and move into the suburbs. More horrorific than The Stepford Wives, because such places actually exist! One of the campiest films from the WPA Film Library, which is usually pretty staid itself.

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

Burns & Allen Show #6 (film #6 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

More inspired wackiness from George and Gracie. This one features a pair of teenagers from the pre-rock ‘n’ roll days, as well as George and Gracie doing a mean jitterbug themselves. Gracie’s wackiness is in full flower and Bill Goodwin makes a strawberry shortcake in a suitcase. This is a real early TV relic that is both historically fascinating and a piece of comedy that holds up well today.

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

Connecticut (film #369 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

Standard-issue educational film about Connecticut, with flowery prose that makes you almost think it’s a travelogue, but then it ends with “Now let’s review what we’ve learned about Connecticut…,” which puts it squarely in the educational category. No surprises here.

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

Battle Beyond the Sun Trailer (extra on Rocket Ship DVD (Sinister Cinema)). [Category: Commercial]

This trailer for a 60s outer space mission film made me giggle the minute I saw it. Perhaps it’s because it opens with a battle between two incredibly ridiculous-looking monsters that I can only describe by saying they are two different versions of the Horrifying Vagina with Teeth, though too silly-looking to generate much fear even with the Freudian implications of their appearance. To add to the fun, many of the titles are in a wacky 60s font that changes in size to produce text blocks in fun shapes. The rest of the trailer is standard cheap sci-fi fare, but the monsters really make this one.

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

Challenge of the Negev (film #4 in the Rural Settlement and Security section of the State of Israel section of Stphen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

This early 50s film chronicles the development of the Negev desert in Israel from a barren wasteland to a place where agriculture is possible and where some of the thousands of Jews coming into Israel can settle. This is told in great detail and this gives the film quite a bit of historical interest, especially for those interested in the early development of the modern nation of Israel. It’s told rather dryly, though, which makes it drag after awhile. Still, those interested in the history of Israel will definitely want to check this out.

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

The Dog and His Various Merits (film #31 on The Movies Begin, Volume One: The Great Train Robbery and Other Primary Works (Kino Video, 1994). Also, film #31 on The Art of Cinema Begins (Video Yesteryear, 1997)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

Various types of working dogs are shown, and this gives you a chance to see some sights you don't see today, such as a legless beggar on one of those flat wheeled platforms that he pushes with a couple of handled objects that look like irons, or a milkman delivering milk using a large milk can with wheels and a dog harness. An interesting turn-of-the-century (the 19th to the 20th, I mean; I still can't get used to the fact that we're in the "turn of the century" now) relic. A 1908 Biograph film.

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

I Came to Beersheva (film #3 in the Cities section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]

Two brothers from Morocco come to the city of Beersheva in Israel. There they are educated and trained in job skills by the Youth Allyah organization. That’s about all I can tell you, as the film is narrated in French, or some language like it (unfortunately, the archive lists the language as English, but it’s no English I’ve ever heard). This has lots of images of the life of Moroccan Jews in Israel, so that gives it some historical value. But if you don’t speak the language, it’s impossible to follow.

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

The Ducktators (film #6 on V for Victory WWII Cartoons & Shorts Show, Vol. 1 (Something Weird, 1996). Also, film #11 on WWII Cartoons, Vol. 1 VCD (Authentic History Center)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

A Hitler duck, a Mussolini duck, and a Tojo duck take over a barnyard, much to the dismay of the Dove of Peace, who, in the end, decides to beat the crap out of them. So much for peace. This Warner Brothers toon is not one of their best, but it is one of the most representative of all wartime toons, with plenty of gags that would never pass muster today. Possibly the most offensive is when the Tojo duck shows an angry turtle a button that says, "I Am Chinese," which seems to imply that most Chinese were really Japs in disguise. Watch for Daffy Duck in a very non-PC cameo.

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

Amitrock (film #19 in the Action section of Brickfilms. Also, film #6 in the Music Video section of Brickfilms). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

This is basically just one action sequence featuring Lego guys after another, while electronic music plays on the soundtrack. I found this boring for the most part, but the last third of it picks up a bit as the music gets faster and the action on screen gets weirder. An oddity.

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

Frogland (track #6 on Weird Cartoons (Rhino, 1987)). [Category: Hollywood]

Foolish frogs pray to the god Jupiter for a king, but they get more than they bargained for. This early, silent example of stop-motion animation has some great character animation. The different frogs are fun to watch and their foolishness is quite human, making the cartoon quite satirical at certain points (especially the frog politicians!).

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

Assassination Attempt on Ronald Reagan (film #4 in the Featured Clip Library section of WPA Film Library). [Category: News]

Short tv news clips of the assassination attempt on President Reagan, and his later return to the White House after being hospitalized. This is pretty straightforward, having historical value as an event that was televised as it happened. Reagan’s narration of his experience during the first clip adds interest to it.

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

Battle for Rome (film #85 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This newsreel from 1945 includes stories on the Allied takeover of Rome, retreating German soldiers burning a warehouse, Allied bombing of Italian rail yards, a meeting of Allied generals, a fun story about ladies’ fashions and “rooms of tomorrow”, some boys collecting enough pennies to buy a canteen truck for soldiers, a roller skating show, African-American paratroops, and fierce fighting on a Pacific island somewhere. This makes it a great slice of life from the war years, but unfortunately, it’s missing its soundtrack. Still, the visuals have a lot of historical value.

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

Expo ’67, “Monument to Man,” Opens in Canada (film #169 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Industrial]

Newsreel story about Expo ’67, a huge world’s fair that unfortunately opened during the days when world’s fairs were waning, so you don’t hear much about it today. The typical scenes of modern architecture, opening ceremonies, and carnival rides are shown. By 1967, newsreels were almost dead, giving this a double swan-song quality.

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

Astronomeous (film #5 on 11 Cartoons Starring Felix the Cat DVD (PC Treasures, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]

Felix goes to Mars and encounters some truly strange Martians in this early sound cartoon. This is one of the better of the early sound Felixes, as Felix gets a chance to manipulate the environment a bit, and the Martians are great tooney strange creatures. You can’t really make out what Felix is saying, but it doesn’t really matter, because visually, this is a treat.

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

Burns & Allen Show #4 (film #4 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

More fun with George Burns and Gracie Allen, as Gracie bamboozles the income tax man, gives away Harry Morton’s surprise birthday gift for Blanche, and arranges for their income tax to be paid in whipped Carnation milk. Also included are silly antics involving cigars, a cake that is destroyed to show how delicious it is, and Bill Goodwin’s usual bizarre Carnation commercials incorporated into the action. This time the musical acts are ditched and the set is expanded to include Gracie’s kitchen. As usual, this is as fresh and funny today as it was when it first aired, yet it also retains the character of early TV.

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

The Bat Whispers Trailer (extra on The Shadow DVD (Sinister Cinema)). [Category: Commercial]

Gasps! Whispers! Shrieks! Hilarity! Bad Acting! Cheesy Special Effects! That’s what you’ll find in this fun trailer for the 30s B-movie The Bat Whispers. Loads of fun.

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

Competition and Dominance Hierarchies in Rats (film #372 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

Stark, silent college psychology film showing a behavioral experiment done on white rats. Three white rats are placed in a cramped beaker and forced to compete for a single food pellet. When they are well-fed, this results in competition but not outright battles. When they are underfed, however, it gets nasty. After a number of fights, they eventually settle into a hierarchy, with the rat whose the biggest bully getting first grabs at the food pellet, the middle rat occasionally offering mild resistance, and the submissive rat becoming so scared he refuses to eat even when alone. The stark, disturbing atmosphere of this film is intensified by the soundtrack, which consists only of film sprocket noises alternating with a trio of repetitive beats––boom boom boom, boom boom boom, over and over again. The uncaring “objectivity” of the film is also disturbing, considering that this was probably a highly stressful experience for the rats. The results of the experiment are interesting, though, showing us how dominance hierarchies are formed. This would be a good film for video artists to mine for footage for a film about violence.

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

The Carpet (film #3 in the Rural Settlement and Security section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

This 50s film tells the story of a young Jewish woman from Kurdistan whose family has recently settled in Israel. The Kurdish Jews live a traditional Middle-Eastern lifestyle much different from the European and American Jews living in Israel that are profiled in other Spielberg Archive films. The young woman is eventually placed in an arranged marriage, and we get to see the wedding customs of her people, which are a combination of Jewish and Kurdish. Fortunately, she likes her husband, but unfortunately, he is soon killed in a border dispute. Not only must she face her grief, she loses her role as a married woman in her community, and there is little for her to look forward to as a young widow in her culture. A social worker encourages her to use her traditional needlework skills to create carpets for sale, and this helps to restore self-esteem and a sense of purpose to her. This is a touching film with subtle feminist overtones that are surprising given the time it was made. For instance, during the wedding ceremony, the young woman’s new husband places his foot over hers, which in her culture is a symbol of the husband being in charge in the home; but the woman responds to this by pulling her foot out of her slipper, indicating she does not accept such domination. Also, the intervention of the social worker lets the woman know that she need not accept the depressingly useless role her culture ascribes to her as a widow. This is surprising given that in the early 50s, there wasn’t much feminism going on even in Western culture. Despite this questioning of the patriarchal aspect of Kurdish culture, the film overall is respectful of it. The film also has a lot of historical value in documenting the culture of Kurdish Jews.

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

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) (Sinister Cinema). [Category: Early Film & TV]

It's only two years later, but this adaptation is much longer than the 1911 version, with much more complex storytelling and lots more exposition. Lots more stuff happens, too. The Mr. Hyde makeup, though, is not nearly as good as in the 1911 version, and, I dunno, the film is just not as much fun as the earlier one (though there are some scenes with Mr. Hyde and Jekyll's servants that are priceless). A 1913 IMP film. Sinister Cinema gets a few extra points for throwing some extras onto the tape.

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

Among Your Souvenirs (film #1 on AV Geeks). [Category: Public Service]

This 60s film warns travelers of the dangers of accidentally bringing back foreign insect pests and plant diseases in the souvenirs they buy, and explains why customs officials have to inspect your luggage and confiscate certain items. Although the danger is real, there is a real paranoid feel to this film in its fears of foreign contamination, making the film rather mstable. Fun to see are the many tacky souvenirs pictured and Pestina, the slutty cartoon character meant to represent foreign insect pests. Mostly, this is pretty ordinary, but it has its moments.

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

Airwaves (film #882 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

Computer animation brings us undersea stalagmites and bubble-like forms, while techno music plays in the background. Fairly mesmerizing.

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

Duck and Cover (film #1 on Atomic Beach Blast Bingo DVD (A/V Geeks).Also, film #1 on Atomic Memories (Video Yesteryear). Also, film #2 on Atomic Scare Films, Vol. 1 (Something Weird, 1996). Also, film #1 on Atomic TV (Video Resources, 1994). Also, extra on Atomic War Bride/This Is Not a Test DVD (Something Weird, 2002). Also, film #5 on The Educational Archives, Vol. 5: Patriotism DVD (Fantoma, 2003). Also in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #466 on Prelinger Archive. Also, film #1 on U.S. Government Classics (Worldwide Entertainment Marketing, 1991)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This children's educational film is probably the most memorable piece of Cold War ephemera. Animated Bert the Turtle tells kids they always have to be aware that the atomic bomb could go off any minute, but if they duck down and cover the backs of their necks, they'll be O.K. Apparently, this was widely shown in elementary schools during the 50s, and one wonders the effect it had on the mental health of the schoolchildren of the era. A must.

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

Drew Pearson Reports on Science in Israel (film #15 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: News]

Reporter Drew Pearson tells us all about scientific research in Israel in this 50s film, covering such things as medical research, nuclear energy, fly control, and early experiments into solar energy. Many of Israel’s leading scientists of the time are interviewed. If you want to know about the state of scientific research in Israel in the 50s, then this is your film. The variety of different kinds of research presented keeps the film fairly interesting to the average viewer as well.

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

The Ballad of Kiriat Shmoneh (film #11 in the Cities section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This 70s film tells the story of terrorist attacks on the Israeli city of Kiriat Shmoneh, a city on the border with Lebanon. Mostly, this is the story of how the people survived the trauma of the massacre-like attacks, which involved Arab terrorists going door to door and killing everybody they found. They let the people tell their own stories in this, which makes for a powerful film that has impact without a hint of melodrama. A compelling portrait of how terrorism affects the lives of ordinary people.

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

Explosives: Tool for Progress (film #5 on AV Geeks). [Category: Industrial]

This 70s film asserts that we owe everything good in our modern society entirely––not to railroads, not to aluminum, not to crop spraying, not even to truck farmers––but to blowing things up, a sentiment every boy will agree with. Unfortunately, they don’t really get around to blowing things up real good until the end of the film. Until then, we get lots of scenes of construction projects in Manhattan, the Grand Coulee Dam, and the Panama Canal, with a scene of a very 70s housewife and her little girl baking a pie in a very 70s kitchen thrown in for good measure. Consequently, the film is not quite as much fun as it sounds––by the end of the film, all fans of explosions will be chanting “Blast ‘em! Blast ‘em! Blast ‘em!” over and over again. For real explosion fun, I say stick with the atomic bomb films of the 50s.

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

Fright to the Finish (film #3 on Cartoon Explosion, Vol. 2: Foney Fables/Popeye's Greatest Hits DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, film #17 on Cartoon Mania DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, extra on Drive-In Discs, Vol. 2 DVD (Elite Entertainment, 2001). Also, film #132 on Feature Films. Also, film #41 on 50 Cartoon Classics DVD. Also, film #19 on Film Chest Vintage Cartoons. Also, film #6 on Disc #1 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004). Also, film #6 on Disc #4 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2006)). [Category: Hollywood]

On Halloween night, Popeye and Bluto take turns scaring Olive Oyl to death, while making her believe it's the other one doing it. This has some funny gags, including "vanishing cream" that does just what you expect it to do in a cartoon, but mostly it's pretty ordinary.

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

Assignment Tel Aviv (film #11 in the Pre-State section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Hollywood]

Bright, breezy film from the 40s about Tel Aviv and what a modern city it is. A reporter stays with a Jewish family and gives a glowing report of life in the city, likening it to the American way of life, and making it seem much better than life in a nearby Arab-controlled city. This was made right before Israel won its independence, so there is definitely some political motivation to this travelogue, though in other ways, it’s no different than many other city profile films made at the time. I like the section on locally-produced groceries for its scenes of the colorful labels on canned and packaged goods.

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

BBC1 Schools Interval from 1975 (film #9 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]

A still title card announces that the next show will be starting soon, while Dixieland jazz plays in the background. This is a realistic example of what educational television stations broadcast between programs at the time, but it’s not very interesting to watch.

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

A Communications Primer (film #360 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

This film was made by Charles and Ray Eames, which makes it more intelligent and visually striking than most educational films. It deals with the semantics of communication, breaking down the concept into a flow chart of choosing, coding, sending, receiving, decoding, and understanding messages. This is applied to modes of communication as simple as “one if by land and two if by sea” and as complex as billions of neurons firing in the human nervous system. Visually, these concepts are portrayed with a collage of animation, film clips, photographs, electronically-generated images, and images from famous works of art. Aurally, they are portrayed with deadpan narration and a haunting music score by Elmer Bernstein. This film is to films like Communications and Our Town, as 2nd-grade social studies is to a graduate-level course in philosophy. But at heart, it’s still an educational film, so it still qualifies as ephemera, though smarter than your average piece of ephemera. The Eames were key players in the modernist design movement, giving this film a great deal of historical value.

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

Burns & Allen Show #3 (film #3 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

More silliness with George Burns and Gracie Allen. This one has the fluffiest of plots involving Harry Morton’s secretary making Blanche jealous, until she finds out he’s a man. Mostly, though, this is gags aplenty, Gracie’s illogical logic, and Bill Goodwin’s bizarre Carnation commercials that are woven into the action. There’s a real vaudeville and radio feel to this one, making it a good example of early TV.

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

Belair Commercials Compilation #1 (film #159 on UCSF Tobacco Control Archive). [Category: Commercial]

Collection of dorky early-60s commercials for Belair cigarettes, mostly featuring groups of very white people partying by singing Belair jingles, which is at least livelier than the last 3, which feature a white guy talking to the camera. These are not as fun as some of the Raleigh commercials, but they do have the appealing dorkiness from the days before advertisers discovered the concept of cool.

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

Campus in Jerusalem (film #8 in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

In this 1960 film, students study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem while the school’s new campus is being built around them. Various research projects are highlighted in such areas as biology, medicine, law and sociology. This is a straightforward film that has historical value in showing the development of the Hebrew University.

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

Hands of Healing (film #5 in the Health section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]

An American doctor tells us how vastly impressed he is by the good works being done by the Hadassah Medical Center in Israel, especially in helping new immigrants. And boy, is he impressed. Still, he has a lot to be impressed with, so the film just barely escapes being hyperbolic, and lands in the typical good-works film category, perhaps made livelier by the emotional narration. Like many of these Hadassah films, this has historical value in documenting healthcare in Israel during the 50s.

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

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (track #1 on Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde (Barrymore) (Sinister Cinema, 1999)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

This 1911 adaptation of the well-known Robert Louis Stevenson story is quite lively and fun, with good performances and great Mr. Hyde makeup. The Jekyll-Hyde transformation is done with a simple jump-cut (no long, drawn-out transformation here), but Mr. Hyde is so lively and so different from the dapper Dr. Jekyll that you hardly care. A surprisingly good adaptation for its time. A 1911 Thanhouser film.

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

Ahoy! Have Any of You Lot Seen Sinbad? (film #302 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

Robots with junk bodies and human skull heads dance a robot twist to Elvis’ “Hound Dog”. Proving that even robots dig rock ‘n’ roll. I love robots so I enjoyed this.

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

Drew Pearson Reporting on Religion in Israel (film #14 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: News]

This 50s film features reporter Drew Pearson reporting on religious freedom in Israel. The portrait is quite rosy and optimistic, with Jews, Muslims, and Christians peacefully practicing their faiths together. However, the shadow of potential violence occasionally peeks into the proceedings. This is a historically interesting film that gives us a snapshot of religious practices in Israel during the 50s. It’s too bad such peace and tolerance could not be maintained over the long run.

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

Baghdad Pact: Unified Military Command Foreseen (film #82 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

50s newsreel story about peace talks in the Middle East that were rudely preceded by a bombing at the American embassy. Also included is a story about a large camera designed to track missiles. This is straightforward and unsurprising.

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

Exclusively Yours (film #487 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]

This 50s film for Texaco dealers introduces the new improved Sky Chief gasoline with Petrox, a new additive that sounds like it was made from oxtails, but was actually made from petroleum. Several white men lecture at us about it, the best of which is Phil Foster, a master of maniacal facial expressions. The concluding message from C. B. Barrett includes mention of several other must-have ephemeral films that Texaco made at the time, including one about gas station restrooms which sounds like a must-have. There’s also some great visuals of cutaway engines, gasoline additives in unmarked beakers, and Texaco print ads and billboards. Overall, this film is pretty ordinary, but it has some great individual moments in it.

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

Draftee Daffy (film #2 on Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM/UA Home Video, 1989)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

Daffy, upon hearing of a "smashing frontal attack on enemy rear", breaks into enthusiastic patriotic revelry...until he gets a call from the little man from the draft board. He spends the rest of the cartoon trying desperately to hide from the Droopy-like man from the draft board, who finds him wherever he goes. Lots of fun.

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

Assault and Flattery (film #7 on Cartoon Explosion, Vol. 2: Funny Fiesta/Popeye’s Greatest Hits DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, film #21 on Cartoon Mania DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, film #40 on 50 Cartoon Classics DVD. Also, film #5 on Disc #1 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004). Also, film #5 on Disc #4 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]

This is one of those Popeye cartoons that is made up of clips from other Popeye cartoons. Bluto takes Popeye to court, charging him with assault and battery. This is a funny premise, and Wimpy does an amusing turn as the judge, but much more could have been done with this that wasn’t. Basically, this is a rerun toon.

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

For the Birds (Audio Commentary) (extra on Monsters, Inc. DVD (Disney-Pixar, 2002)). [Category: Hollywood]

Commentary is provided by Jim Eggleston, the director of the short. He gives us a few interesting tidbits about the short's production, but there's not enough time for him to say much.

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

Burns & Allen Show #2 (film #2 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

More fun with George Burns and Gracie Allen, with the usual collection of great gags, surrealism, witty asides, Carnation commercials seamlessly worked into the action, and a plot that’s “more than a variety show, but less than professional wrestling.” After thoroughly bamboozling the tax assessor, Gracie gets a dent in the car and tries to cover it up by having Bill Goddwin borrow it. This may be early TV, but it holds up well today.

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

Belair & Raleigh Commercials Compilation #2 (film #163 on UCSF Tobacco Control Archive). [Category: Commerical]

Three more commercials for Belair and Raleigh cigarettes. These are especially dorky, featuring minimalist sets and announcers that magically make a couples’ Raleigh premiums disappear, until they say, “But we do smoke Raleighs!” Fortunately, they bear no negative consequences from having things like stepladders or chairs disappear out from under them––their weight continues to be supported by thin air. Would that the health consequences of smoking be so ephemeral.

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

Communications and Our Town (film #359 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

A telephone lineman rescues a model plane from some telephone wires and returns it to the two boys who threw it there, one of whom is Jerry Mathers as the Beaver, while overly-dramatic music plays on the soundtrack. Rather than bawling them out, the lineman takes a large chunk out of his workday to talk with them about the various forms of communication in their community, including the telephone, mail, and radio. The Beave points out that an obvious form of communication is “just talking to people,” but the lineman, although agreeing with this, never lets the boys talk for themselves, but insists upon narrating the entire film in voice-over. He then creates an elaborate, though primitive, model of their town on the sidewalk, using rolls of tape, a pocketknife, and other lineman stuff, and connects everything together, including the “church,” with short lengths of telephone wire, which coincidentally form a pentagram. Just when you’re beginning to wonder about the wholesomeness of this lineman’s influence on young minds, he decides to get back to work, after giving the boys the “fun” assignment of making a list of all the different kinds of communication they can find in their town, the better to spread his Satanic philosoph––no, no, forget I said that. That pentagram means nothing, actually. Granted, Eddie Haskell did grow up to be Alice Coop––no, no, it’s just a coincidence, folks. Move along, now. Nothing to see here.

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

Call of the Earth (film #13 in the Pre-State section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

This film from 1940 documents the development of a Jewish agricultural settlement in Palestine. Unfortunately, it’s missing its soundtrack, so it’s kind of hard to follow. There are some historically interesting visual images of Zionist agricultural life in Palestine here, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of the story.

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

Hadassim: A Children’s Village (film #24 in the Rural Settlement and Security section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]

This Canadian film from the 50s shows a rural home for homeless children in Israel and its program of rehabilitation and education for children who have been traumatized by war and the Holocaust. This is told very straightforwardly and rather impersonally in comparison with the many personal-story-type films on similar topics on the Spielberg Archive. This is basically your standard good-works film, made to show charitable donors how their money was being spent. It has historical value in the documentation of the assimilation of homeless children and youth into Israel, but no real surprises.

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

Ali Baba (film #1 on Disc #4 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004)). Also, film #9 on Disc #2 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2006)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

This made-for-tv cartoon features a cheesy live-action host named Mr. Piper who tells us fairy tales with the help of very limited animation. For all that, the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves is told in a surprisingly authentic way, including the murder of Ali Baba’s brother, Ali Baba’s wife belly dancing, and the thieves being foiled by having boiling oil poured on them. Of course, this is all done with extremely primitive animation, so it’s nothing the kids shouldn’t see, but considering the cheapness of the proceedings, I’m surprised they were so careful with the story. And this very cheapness increases the camp value and weirdness of the proceedings, making this more interesting than you might expect a cheesy made-for-tv cartoon to be.

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

Don’t Look Now, But… (film #7 on News Bloopers DVD (Time-Life Video, 1999)). [Category: News]

This section of News Bloopers features newscasters and reporters who are distracted or interrupted by something unexpected happening in the background. Many of these are quite funny, though some of them leave you wondering at the wisdom of the reporter’s choice of location. Overall, though, this is one of the better sections of News Bloopers.

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

Baby Bonds for Defense (film #81 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

Newsreel clip from the early days of World War II showing the first War Bonds being printed and announced by government bigwigs. This has some great factory tour footage of rolling printing presses producing bonds and stamps. The part where the bigwigs talk is boring, but brief. A historically interesting snippet from the war years.

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

Electricity Hazards (film #8 in the Public Info. Films section of TVArk). [Category: Industrial]

70s British PSA warning industrial workers of the hazards of improperly repairing or jerry-rigging electrical equipment. A guy gets a bad shock after he jerry-rigs an inadequate repair of his electrical power tool, and another guy who tries to help him gets shocked, too. “Fix things properly!” exhorts the narrator in a very British voice. OK, I get it.

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

Ants in the Plants (film #8 on Disc #12 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004). Also, film #8 on Disc #3 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2006)). [Category: Hollywood]

This Dave Fleischer toon is a typical little-guys-against-the-big-bad-guy toon. In this case, a highly organized ant society battles a big stupid anteater. Unfortunately, the anteater has superior weapons technology in the form of an eyedropper, but the ants have a secret weapon in the form of their potential to make one itch. This is pretty much what you’d expect, but the 3-D forest backgrounds are beautiful.

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

The Dinosaur and the Missing Link (film #3 on Creature Silent Feature (Creepy Classics). Also, extra #2 on Dinosaurs! (Simitar Entertainment, 1993). Also, film #3 on Origins of American Animation. Also, film #3 on Willis O'Brien Films (LSVideo)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

This early example of stop-motion animation is prehistoric in more than one sense. It was probably one of the first films to pair cavemen and dinosaurs, even though that match is historically inaccurate. But on the other hand, what's the fun of a caveman movie without dinosaurs? Here it's played for broad slapstick comedy, though it's so creaky it's hard to follow what's going on. Still, the look of some of the "prehistoric" creatures is quite strange, creating a bit of interest. The ending is missing (and probably lost). A Willis O'Brien film.

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

The Burning Stable (film #45 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]

Some firemen rescue horses from a burning stable. This is real vintage firefighting, folks, complete with a guy sliding down a ladder. Lots of historical interest here.

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

Battle for the Planet of the Apes Trailer (film #18 on Disc #2 of Planet of the Apes DVD (20th Century Fox, 2003)). [Category: Commercial]

Trailer for what looks like not one of the best of the Planet of the Apes series. This is pretty much what you’d expect, but what do you expect from Planet of the Apes? Decent actors in rubber ape masks, less interesting human characters, lots of violence, and dead seriousness, that’s what. This can be viewed as incredibly campy, or as Serious Science Fiction, take your choice. Personally, I prefer campy, you damn dirty ape!

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

Divide and Conquer (film #3 on Cinemocracy. Also, film #23 in the WWII section of Movieflix. Also in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #443 on Prelinger Archive. Also, film #2 on Side A of Disc #7 of War Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004). Also, film #3 of the boxed set WWII Special Edition (Madacy Entertainment, 1997)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This third film of the "Why We Fight" series documents the Nazi push into western Europe and the conquest of Norway, Belgium, Holland, and France. This film is kind of dull––it's mostly combat footage and military strategy explained by an intelligence officer talking in a monotone and pointing to an animated map. About the only really interesting thing about it is that it contains lots of animated footage of the type described in Cartoons Go to War––my favorite is a scene of a bunch of little swastika termites eating away at the foundation of a castle meant to represent France. Pretty standard.

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

Building a Future (film #10 in the Immigration and Absorption section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

This 60s film documents a group of Jewish young people from South America who were brought to Israel to go through an intensive training program designed to help them become productive Israeli citizens. It focuses especially on an Argentine woman named Shoshana, showing her initial homesickness and anxiety, and her eventual adjustment to Israeli life as she is trained to be a pediatric nurse. This personalizes the story, helping you to really get a feel for the immigration experiences of these young people. This film has lots of historical value for those studying Israeli history and the different ways Jews from all over the world were helped to make the adjustment to becoming citizens of Israel.

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

A Boy Named Ami (film #9 in the Immigration and Absorption section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]

This early 60s Israeli film tells the story of a troubled teenaged boy named Ami, and how the Youth Allyah organization helped him to adjust to life on a fishing kibbutz. Ami was distant and wary at first, but is finally drawn in to the life of the kibbutz when a resident identifies and cultivates the boy’s interest in archaeology. This is a touching, well-made film of the troubled-youth-is-helped variety. There’s nothing particularly striking about it, except perhaps its Israeli setting, but it leaves you with a hopeful, optimistic feeling without being unrealistic or overplaying its hand. And it has a wonderful mock-ship piece of playground equipment that I want for the Film Ephemera Museum of Quirky Devices.

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

For the Birds (extra on Monsters, Inc. DVD (Disney-Pixar, 2002)). [Category: Hollywood]

This is that rarest of birds––a recently-produced theatrical short. Some birds land on a telephone wire and do some birdlike things. This winner of the 2001 Academy Award for Best Short Subject proves that it's all in the execution.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: N/A (it's too recent to be historical). Overall Rating: *****.

Abandoned Hospital at Night (film #1 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

A film crew snuck into an abandoned hospital in the middle of the night and filmed what they saw. Unfortunately, the only lighting they provided was a flashlight. And they are non-English speakers, so I couldn’t understand what they were saying to each other, even when you could hear their voices over the roar of a nearby superhighway. They were obviously not the first to explore this ruin, as practically every available surface you can see in the round beam of the flashlight is covered with graffiti. Still, there are a few interesting images to be found in the murk. This would have been a lot better if the filmmakers had provided a little more light.

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

Communication: A Film Lesson in General Science (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #358 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

This early, silent educational film from the 20s shows us various forms of communication technology and how they work. It starts with a simple electric bell and goes on to cover the telegraph, the telephone, and radio. This is actually quite well done and interesting. The visual images have a striking vintage look and the explanations are clear and understandable. I learned some things I didn’t know about how these technologies work. This would also make a good film for video artists to mine footage from. And there is a slight irony in watching a silent film try to explain how sound waves are carried.

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

Sleaze & Outsider Top Sources

• Best Source: Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best Budget DVD: Schlock Hysteria (part of the Total Movie and Entertainment Set; no longer available)
  
• Best Budget DVD Set: Classic Musicals
  
• Best Budget DVD Set Series: DVD Megapacks
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Open Source Movies
  
• Best DVD: Stay Tuned: Television’s Unforgettable Moments (DVD comes with book)
  
• Best DVD Extras: The Beast That Killed Women/The Monster of Camp Sunshine
  
• Best VHS Tape: Cartoon Scandals (out of print; check used sites or ebay if this link doesn't work)
  
• Best VHS Tape Series: Exploitation Mini-Classics (only Vol. 2 available now; used to be more)
  
• Best Viewing Archive: Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
  

Public Service Top Sources

• Best Source: Prelinger Archive
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best Budget DVD Set Series: DVD Megapacks
  
• Best CD-ROM: Our Secret Century, Vol. 4: Menace and Jeopardy (out of print)
  
• Best CD-ROM Series: Our Secret Century (out of print)
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Prelinger Archive
  
• Best DVD Extras: Godmonster of Indian Flats
  
• Best DVD Series: The Educational Archives
  
• Best Viewing Archive: Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
  

Outtakes & Obscurities Top Sources

• Best Source: TVParty
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best Budget DVD: The Dick Van Dyke Show (check dollar bins at Walgreens for this)
  
• Best Budget DVD Series: Collector’s Editions (check dollar bins at Walgreens for these)
  
• Best Budget DVD Set: TV Favorites
  
• Best Budget DVD Set Series: DVD Megapacks
  
• Best CD-ROM: TVParty CD-ROM (CD-ROM comes with book)
  
• Best CD-ROM Series: Our Secret Century (out of print)
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Brickfilms
  
• Best DVD: Monster Kid Home Movies
  
• Best DVD Extras: A Mighty Wind
  
• Best DVD Series: The Avengers
  
• Best DVD Set: Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1894-1941
  
• Best DVD Set Series: Clutch Cargo
  
• Best DVD Set Series Extras: Looney Tunes Golden Collection
  
• Best TV Show: Mystery Science Theater 3000
  
• Best VHS Tape: Kid-a-Vision (out of print)
  
• Best VHS Tape Series: Ghoul-a-Go-Go
  
• Best VHS Tape Set: Dinosaurs! (out of print)
  
• Best Viewing Archive: TVParty
  

News Top Sources

• Best Source: Universal Newsreels
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Universal Newsreels
  
• Best DVD: Stay Tuned: Television’s Unforgettable Moments (DVD comes with book)
  
• Best VHS Tape: Headline Stories of the Century (out of print; check used sites or ebay if this link doesn't work)
  
• Best Viewing Archive: TVArk
  

Military & Propaganda Top Sources

• Best Source: Universal Newsreels
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best Budget DVD: Pearl Harbor: Before and After (I got this from PlanetDVDNow for shipping & handling only. Unfortunately, it's no longer available from them.)
  
• Best Budget DVD Set: War Classics
  
• Best Budget DVD Set Series: DVD Megapacks
  
• Best CD-ROM: Ephemeral Films (out of print)
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Universal Newsreels
  
• Best DVD: The Complete Uncensored Private SNAFU: Cartoons from World War II
  
• Best DVD Extras: Atomic War Bride/This Is Not a Test
  
• Best DVD Series: The Educational Archives
  
• Best DVD Set: Walt Disney on the Front Lines
  
• Best DVD Set Series: Walt Disney Treasures
  
• Best VCD: WWII Cartoons, Vol. 1 (scroll down to find this)
  
• Best VHS Tape: WWII V for Victory War Bonds and Rallies Show
  
• Best VHS Tape Series: Atomic Scare Films
  
• Best VHS Tape Set: This Film Is Restricted (out of print; check used sites or ebay if this link doesn't work)
  
• Best VHS Tape Set Series: This Film Is… (out of print)
  
• Best Viewing Archive: Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
  

Industrial Top Sources

• Best Source: Prelinger Archive
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best CD-ROM: Ephemeral Films (out of print)
  
• Best CD-ROM Series: Our Secret Century (out of print)
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Prelinger Archive
  
• Best DVD: The Educational Archives, Vol. 4: On the Job
  
• Best DVD Extras: The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 7
  
• Best DVD Series: The Educational Archives
  
• Best DVD Series Extras: The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection
  
• Best TV Show: Mystery Science Theater 3000
  
• Best VHS Tape: Lifestyles USA, Vol. 1
  
• Best VHS Tape Series: Lifestyles USA
  
• Best Viewing Archive: National Archives
  

Hollywood Top Sources

• Best Source: 150 Cartoon Classics
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best Budget DVD: 11 Cartoons Starring Felix the Cat (got this in a dollar bin at a No Frills Supermarket)
  
• Best Budget DVD Series: PC Treasures (check dollar bins for these)
  
• Best Budget DVD Set: 150 Cartoon Classics
  
• Best Budget DVD Set Series: DVD Megapacks
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Prelinger Archive
  
• Best DVD: The Cartoons That Time Forgot, Vol. 1: The Ub Iwerks Collection
  
• Best DVD Extras: Monsters Crash the Pajama Party Spook Show Spectacular
  
• Best DVD Series: The Cartoons That Time Forgot: The Ub Iwerks Collection
  
• Best DVD Series Extras: Looney Tunes Golden Collection
  
• Best DVD Set: Disney Rarities
  
• Best TV Show: Mystery Science Theater 3000
  
• Best VHS Tape: Cartoon Crazys: Sci-Fi
  
• Best VHS Tape Extras: Creature Silent Feature (out of print)
  
• Best Viewing Archive: TVParty
  

Educational Top Sources

• Best Source: Prelinger Archive
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best CD-ROM: Ephemeral Films (out of print)
  
• Best CD-ROM Series: Our Secret Century (out of print)
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Prelinger Archive
  
• Best DVD: The Educational Archives, Volume One: Sex and Drugs
  
• Best DVD Extras: The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 3
  
• Best DVD Series: The Educational Archives
  
• Best DVD Series Extras: The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection
  
• Best DVD Set: Hell's Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films
  
• Best TV Show: Mystery Science Theater 3000
  
• Best VHS Tape: Campy Classroom Classics, Vol. 6
  
• Best VHS Tape Series: Campy Classroom Classics
  
• Best Viewing Archive: TVArk
  

Early Film & TV Top Sources

• Best Source: Edison Film Archive
  
• Best Archive Collection: American Memory Collection
  
• Best Budget DVD: The Chaplin Collection (not budget now, but I got this last year from a "free DVD with shipping" site that doesn't exist anymore)
  
• Best Budget DVD Series: Classic TV Hits (check the dollar bins at Walgreens for these)
  
• Best Budget DVD Set: TV Favorites
  
• Best Budget DVD Set Series: DVD Megapacks
  
• Best CD-ROM: Who Built America? (out-of-print; search used sites or ebay if this link no longer works)
  
• Best Downloading Archive: Edison Film Archive
  
• Best DVD: Melies the Magician
  
• Best DVD Set: Unseen Cinema: Early American Avant-Garde Film 1894-1941
  
• Best VHS Tape: The Movies Begin, Volume One: The Great Train Robbery and Other Primary Works
  
• Best VHS Tape Series: The Movies Begin
  
• Best VHS Tape Set: Dinosaurs! (out of print)
  
• Best Viewing Archive: Movieflix
  

Commercial Top Sources

• Best Source: TVParty
  
• Best Archive Collection: Archive.org
  
• Best CD-ROM: Ephemeral Films (out of print)
  
• Best Downloading Archive:Prelinger Archive
  
• Best DVD: All Monsters Attack!
  
• Best DVD Extras: Drive-In Discs, Vol. 3
  
• Best DVD Series Extras: Doctor Who
  
• Best DVD Set: Classic Commercials
  
• Best TV Show: Mystery Science Theater 3000
  
• Best VHS Tape: Hey Folks, It's Intermission Time, Vol. 6
  
• Best VHS Tape Extras: Drive-In Movie Double Feature #90
  
• Best VHS Tape Series: Hey Folks, It's Intermission Time
  
• Best Video Game Easter Eggs: Activision Anthology
  
• Best Viewing Archive: TVParty
  

Best Sources for Film Ephemera by Category

Here's a list for each category of what I have found to be the most extensive sources for finding film ephemera. These have been determined by numbers only, with the sources that have the most ephemera being listed as the best in their categories. First, I will provide a list of definitions for the source types I will be listing:

• "Best Source" means the single source that has the most ephemera in its category.
  
• "Best Archive Collection" refers to a collection of online archives hosted at a single site.
  
• "Best Budget DVD" refers to single DVDs that are budget-priced, such as those that can be ordered from shipping and handling only sites such as Planet DVD Now, or DVDs from dollar stores or dollar bins in retail stores.
  
• "Best Budget DVD Series" refers to a series of budget DVDs that are sold seperately.
  
• "Best Budget DVD Set" refers to multi-disc DVD sets that are budget priced, such as the DVD Megapacks.
  
• "Best Budget DVD Set Series" refers to a series of multi-disc DVD sets that are budget priced.
  
• "Best CD-ROM" refers to computer multimedia CD-ROMs. Most of these will be out of print, as DVD seems to have eclipsed CD-ROMs.
  
• "Best CD-ROM Series" refers to a series of CD-ROMs, sold seperately.
  
• "Best Downloading Archive" refers to online archives that allow downloading of movies.
  
• "Best DVD" refers to single, regular-priced DVD where the focus is on ephemera.
  
• "Best DVD Extras" refers to DVDs that focus on other things (such as feature films) but which have ephemera on them as extras.
  
• "Best DVD Series" refers to a series of DVDs, sold seperately.
  
• "Best DVD Series Extras" refers to a series of DVDs, sold separately, that have film ephemera as extras.
  
• "Best DVD Set" refers to regular-priced multi-disc DVD sets.
  
• "Best DVD Set Series" refers to a series of multi-disc DVD sets.
  
• "Best DVD Set Series Extras" refers to a series of multi-disc DVD sets that focus on other things (such as feature films) but which have ephemera on them as extras.
  
• "Best TV Show" refers to TV shows that show epehemra, which may only be available through tape trades.
  
• "Best VCD" refers to video CDs (VCDs).
  
• "Best VHS Tape" refers to single VHS tapes that focus on ephemera.
  
• "Best VHS Tape Extras" refers to VHS tapes that focus on other things (such as feature films) but which have epehemra on them as extras.
  
• "Best VHS Tape Series" refers to a series of VHS tapes, sold seperately.
  
• "Best VHS Tape Set" refers to VHS tape boxed sets.
  
• "Best VHS Tape Set Series" refers to a series of VHS tape boxed sets.
  
• "Best Video Game Easter Eggs" refers to video game software for console gaming units that have ephemera on them as easter eggs.
  
• "Best Viewing Archive" refers to online archives that have streaming video only, without allowing for downloads. Archives that have both streaming and downloadable movies will be classified as downloading archives.
  

Democrats Cheer (film #153 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: News]

Newsreel footage from the 1936 Democratic National Convention, featuring a speaker praising FDR and citing religion as justification for his policies. This is typical political speech-making, but it does have historical value. And lots of democrats cheer, so the title is accurate.

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

B-29s Rule Jap Skies (film #80 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

Newsreel from WWII reporting successful bombing raids on Japan by US B-29s. This has some scenes of great nose art on the planes. Also included are stories about the bombing of Manila, an incredibly dangerous-looking device designed to allow airplanes in flight to pick up soldiers from the ground, a blizzard in Canada, and the Green Bay Packers winning the National Championship. A fairly interesting slice of life from the war years.

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

The Electrician (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #479 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]

Another chapter in the “Your Life’s Work” series, this vocational guidance film profiles the different kinds of careers in the electrical industry. This is pretty straightforward and ordinary, but it does have lots of interesting visuals of various electrical devices, guys repairing different kinds of machinery, and some cool neon signs. The narration is dull, but the visuals hold interest and provide a historically interesting look at electrical work and machinery in the 1940s.

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

Dewar's It's Scotch (film #18 on The Movies Begin, Volume Three: Experimentation and Discovery (Kino Video, 1994)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

The narrator on The Movies Begin says this was the first advertising film. Oh yeah, seeing a bunch of guys dancing maniacally in kilts really makes me want to drink more Dewar's Scotch, you betcha! Or at least it makes me want to drink. An 1898 Edison film.

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

Along Came Daffy (film #7 on Cartoon Classics, Vol. 12 DVD (Flashback Home Entertainment). [Category: Hollywood]

Fun Warner Bros. toon in which Daffy makes the fatal error of trying to sell cookbooks to a pair of Yosemite Sam look-alikes who are starving in a mountain cabin in the middle of winter. I want the wind-up duck decoys that all look like and hop around like Daffy for the Film Ephemeral Museum of Quirky Devices. Like most Warner Bros. toons, this is great fun.

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

Defense for America (film #4 on Industrial Incentive Films (Vintage Video)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

More industry! Working to make the world even safer for democracy! This is a little more fun than America's Call to Arms as the narration is more enthusiastic (and you definitely need enthusiastic narration for this sort of thing).

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

Burning of the Standard Oil Co.’s Tanks, Bayonne, NJ (film #44 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]

Scene of a quiet industrial street in Bayonne, with lots of buggies, wagons, and pedestrians, and, oh yes, some smoke in the background, from some burning oil tanks, I guess. This one leaves you scratching your head, but it does give a historically interesting and clear view of an industrial street in 1900. A 1900 Edison film.

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

For Orphans 3 (film #5 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Hollywood]

This consists of silent footage of a Dutch film premiere and milling-around festival and a guy in a tux announcing the premier of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town in Dutch. Now, I can’t speak Dutch, but it really sounds like he says that the Dutch title of the film is OK, Mr. Deeds. Mostly, though, this is pretty standard, but it does give you some idea of what European movie theater ephemera was like in the 30s.

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

Belair & Raleigh Commercials Compilation #1 (film #160 on UCSF Tobacco Control Archive). [Category: Commerical]

Collection of dorky early-60s commercials for Raleigh and Belair cigarettes. These are not the cool “how do you think I got this neat X?” commercials, but earlier ones that present the Raleigh coupons in an incredibly stilted manner. These are ripe for msting, especially the ones that claim that the smoking suburban couple “lives a good life, enjoying those Raleigh gifts,” including lung cancer, I’m sure. See how easy it is?

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

Color Keying in Art and Living (film #349 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

This dry educational film about color mixing and combining has some striking imagery, both abstract and concrete, of the outcomes of combining or juxtaposing various colors together. Unfortunately, the print has washed-out color that emphasizes green in everything. This could increase the camp value of the film, but it doesn’t because it’s just too hard to see the colors. Meat fans will enjoy the brief scene of a huge side of beef, and the 50s makeup scenes are appropriately garish, but even then I think they’d be more enjoyable if the colors were more accurate.

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

Break of Day (film #2 in the Rural Settlement and Security section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

This 50s film, like others in the Spielberg Archive, tells the story of a family of rural Israeli settlers in the many pioneer settlements of the period. But whereas most such films are hopeful, this one has a sad, tragic feel to it, though the ending hints at some hope. The father of this family tires of the endless hard work and privations of the settlement, so he moves his family away to a slum village. But life is still very hard, and he must face the disappointment of his young son, who considered the settlement his home. The events leading up to the family’s eventual return to the settlement highlight the difficulties these pioneers faced, whatever choices they made. I suppose it was made to discourage these people from giving up on pioneering, but how effective it was at that is hard to say. It is a well-made and touching film, though, with lots of historical value.

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

The First Million (film #16 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]

Israeli film from the 70s, narrated in Spanish, about the importance of educating disadvantaged youth. The foreign-language narration made this hard for me to follow, but it seems to be a fairly standard story about the problems of disadvantaged youth, and how education gives them brighter futures. There’s lots of footage of children, adolescents, and young adults engaging in various pursuits in 70s Israel, if you’re looking for that.

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

The Devilish Tennant (film #11 on Melies the Magician DVD (Facets Video, 2001)). [Category: Early Film & TV]

The Devilish Tennant is Melies himself, who rents an apartment and proceeds to furnish it out of his magic carpetbag, which rivals Felix the Cat's. When the rent comes due, he scares his landlord half to death by making all the furnishings dance, and then while the landlord is cowering downstairs, he folds up and puts away all his furnishings in the bag and skips town. An interrupting policeman is simply folded up inside the piano, which is placed in the bag. This is a delightful little Melies romp, and the hand-colored print is beautiful. A 1909 Melies film.

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

Abstract Coaster Footage #2 (film #260 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

This version starts nostalgically, like before, then interrupts things to add bright computer colors and heavy metal music. I think I like the nostalgic footage better.

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

Dedication: Warren, Hoover Hail New Truman Library (film #152 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: News]

Fairly standard newsreel story about the dedication of the Harry S Truman Library. Conspiracy theorists should have fun with the Masonic rituals depicted. Others will find this pretty ordinary.

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

Aviation in the News (film #78 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

Newsreel clip from WWII showing the 5000th bomber to leave a California aircraft factory, with the signatures of the workers all over it. This is a fun little piece of wartime propaganda. Also included is a story about the emergence of General Tito in Yugoslavia, when he was still considered to be a good guy. Too bad this is one of the newsreels with darkened footage––I would like to be able to see the signed plane better.

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