Anomalies of the Unconscious (film #2 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
This experimental film was made by actually doing physical things to the film emulsion, such as scratching, dying, and experimenting with various chemicals. The result is a stunning abstract film, any of whose stills could stand alone as a work of abstract art. The soundtrack, by Negativland, harmonizes well with the images, as it is an abstract sound collage. All in all, this is an excellent experimental film, of a quality much higher than you expect to find on Open Source Movies.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Election ’97 – Sky News (film #10 in the News section of TVArk). [Category: News]
Dramatic opening credits for 1997 British election night coverage on Sky News. This features quotes from politicians and a giant spinning question mark which I want for the Film Ephemera Museum of Quirky Devices. That and the beginning of the clip, which features the nightly schedule, make this a little more interesting than the other election 97 clips.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Big News of 1941: The Editors of Universal Newsreels Present Dramatic Highlights of an Epochal Year (film #97 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This end-of-year-wrap-up newsreel presents the top stories of a very eventful year, 1941. Included are stories about the Lend-Lease Act, Roosevelt’s election to a third term, acts of sabotage and strikes, the flight of Rudolf Hess to Scotland, the British takeover of Syria, the US takeover of Iceland, the sinking of the destroyer Kearny by torpedo, Russian victories against the Nazis, British victories in Libya, FDR buying the first war bond, Halie Selassie regaining the throne in Ethiopia, and, oh yes, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This has a great deal of historical value as well as being interesting to watch. 1941 sure was an exciting year for news.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Festival in London (film #20 on National Archives). [Category: Industrial]
This 1951 film documents the Festival of Britain, the same world’s fair whose architecture was covered in Brief City. But unlike that other film, there are no dark post-war undertones here, only light and glorious color, dramatic orchestral music, and bombastic narration about the contributions of the British people to science and the arts. This makes it much more typical of the world’s fair genre, though no less enjoyable to watch. The film is well made and beautifully preserved, with lots of striking images from all over the fair. In fact, after awhile, the narration ceases in order to allow us to simply enjoy the visuals. I love a film like this, because it gives me a chance to experience what these old world’s fairs were like. This goes down as one of the better films in this genre, as well as standing in stark and fascinating contrast to Brief City.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Cad and Caddy (film #5 on Disc #6 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004)). Also, film #27 on Disc #3 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005)). Also, film #14 on Disc #3 of TV Cartoon Classics DVD Boxed Set (Platinum Disc, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
Little Lulu torments a golfer in this cartoon. This is standard Little Lulu fare, with the exception of the ending, in which the golfer goes bonkers and digs his own grave, adding a dark note to an otherwise very ordinary cartoon.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Capsize of Lifeboat (film #52 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]
A bunch of people who have already been dumped into the drink flip over a capsized lifeboat. There! That’s better! Though this does make one wonder about the safety of lifeboats. An 1897 Edison film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Dangerous Stranger (film #378 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
This earlier version of The Dangerous Stranger is a little less ridiculous than the later version, perhaps because it was made during the early 50s, when “don’t talk to strangers” wasn’t so ubiquitous. It’s also in murky black-and-white, and it seems to have been filmed in a bleak inner-city neighborhood that looks like it really is quite unsafe for kids. The campiest moment is the end, where Sid Davis hauls out silly caricatures of dumb kids getting into cars with and taking candy from strangers. These are a real hoot and definite items for the Film Ephemera Museum of Quirky Devices. Overall, there is something quintessential about this kid’s safety film, making it a necessary addition to any collection of educational films.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes Trailer (extra on Disc #2 of Planet of the Apes DVD (20th Century Fox, 2003)). [Category: Commercial]
This trailer for the first sequel of Planet of the Apes has all that you’d expect from a Planet of the Apes trailer: battling apes, mutants taking off their masks, a sexy mute woman, a doomsday device, and Charleton Heston shamelessly overacting. “A planet where apes evolved from men?” You decide.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Dracula and the Dirty Old Witch (extra on Dracula the Dirty Old Man/Guess What Happened to Count Dracula DVD (Something Weird, 2002)). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
In this “adult” featurette (the quotes are necessary, believe me), Count Dracula prefers sleeping in the nude, likes tormenting chained-up naked women in his basement, and has a witch for an assistant who would be right at home in The Magic Land of Mother Goose. He finds his true love in the form of a bucktoothed blonde, but before he can make mad passionate love to her (in a manner of speaking; his words are a little less polite), the witch gets revenge upon him for treating her like dirt. The film is incredibly cheaply made, with atrocious acting throughout. Like Captain Bondage vs. Women’s Lib, this is really really bad, though apart from a brief scene of him tormenting one of his chained women, this is not nearly as disturbing as the other film. It’s more just plain silly, which is usually how sexual fantasies actually look when acted out, especially when the acting is this bad.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: BOMB.
Made in the U.S.A. (film #867 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Public Service]
This 30s film was designed to teach American citizens that foreign trade is vital to the American way of life. The film does this by telling a goofy story about a guy who goes to a general store and hears a cracker barrel philosopher spout off about how we don’t need to get anything from them there foreigners, ‘cause we can get everything worth having right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. At this point, a traveling magician pitches his show by making some Brazil nuts disappear. The main character, though, has narcolepsy, and so he promptly falls asleep and has a weird dream where he and his wife are driving home with the magician, who makes everything imported from a foreign country disappear when he says the country’s name. Naturally, this makes the car fall apart, as well as getting rid of most of the groceries the wife bought. After waking up from the dream, the guy now sees the light about foreign trade, and can talk back to the local xenophobe, though it doesn’t do any good. I love this sort of supernatural visitor plot, though it’s unusual to find it in a government film. There’s also something charmingly old fashioned about the film, with its general store, cracker barrel philosopher, and confidence in American manufacturing. Not even a rube like the xenophobic guy would ever think to insist that everything good is made in America, considering how little is made here nowadays. I also love the old grocery products and the scenes of the car falling apart.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Another Day, Another Dollar (film #40 in the Comedy section of Brickfilms). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
Repairing some strange machinery causes a Lego guy to get a nasty shock in front of his boss. Oh well, I guess that’s life in Legoland. The special effects here are pretty good, but the animation is really clunky, and the story leaves you scratching your head.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Election 97 – ITN (film #9 in the News section of TVArk). [Category: News]
Opening credits for coverage of the 1997 British elections on ITN. Other than the rather bizarre accent of the anchorman, this is ordinary.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Employees Leaving Lumiere Factory ["Sortie d'Usine"] (film #1 on The Movies Begin, Volume Two: The European Pioneers (Kino Video, 1994). Also, film #1 on Pioneers of the French Cinema (Hollywood's Attic, 1996)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
Pretty much what the title says. Lumiere & Co. sure employed lots of folks. Still, since this is one of the first films of any kind ever, it has some historical interest.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Big Four’s Peace Meet Open Again (film #96 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Another post-war newsreel about a peace conference among delegates from the Big Four nations. This is basically just an announcement of the meeting and brief mention of some of the issues on the docket to discuss. Also included are stories about the celebration of 100 years of peace between the US and Canada, and about Juan Peron coming to power in Argentina. This is a fairly ordinary post-war newsreel.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Felling Forest Giants (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #508 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
This 20s silent film shows logging and lumber cutting practices in the Pacific Northwest, including the felling of giant redwoods. This is quite interesting from a historical perspective, since the film has a raw, rough quality that convinces you that you’re seeing the real deal. Interest is added by showing some of the more esoteric parts of the lumberjack’s job, such as shoeing the oxen, though their general treatment of the beasts might upset animal lovers. All in all, this is a mildly interesting portrait of logging practices during the 20s.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ***.
Busy Bodies (film #12 on Laurel and Hardy DVD (Hallmark Home Entertainment, 2003)). [Category: Hollywood]
This classic Laurel and Hardy short should have been shown as an industrial safety film, since the duo demonstrates the consequences of violating every safety rule in the book, such as: Don’t lean over the work table while your buddy is planing wood; Don’t roughhouse around the chip disposal chute; and Don’t drive your car through a bandsaw. Of course, the biggest safety rule violated is Don’t hire Laurel and Hardy to work in a sawmill. It’s this kind of classic comedy that healed Norman Cousins; the gags are perfectly timed and I laughed almost without stopping throughout.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.
The Fightin' U.S. Marines (film #11 on WWII V for Victory War Bonds & Rallies Show (Something Weird, 1996)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Marine boot camp is shown highly idealized and with a gung-ho spirit. It all looks like great fun, though tough, sort of like a beefed-up summer camp for adults. Of course, that was the point––to encourage recruitment, as well as build up good feelings for the Marines among the general public. This is propaganda, folks.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Canoeing on the Charles River, Boston, Mass. (film #28 on America at Work, America at Leisure. Also in the Historical section of Open Video Project). [Category: Early Film & TV]
A bunch of pleasure boaters go out canoeing on the Charles River. There are so many of them that they form a bit of a traffic jam at one point, but it eventually clears. No surprises here, just canoeing. A 1904 Edison film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Belair Commercials Compilation #5 (film #167 on UCSF Tobacco Industry Video Collection). [Category: Commercial]
This group of early 60s Belair commercials features a couple frolicking on the beach, enjoying the good fresh air, and then ruining it all by inhaling tobacco smoke into their lungs. Again, the ridiculous “Breathe Easy, Smoke Clean” jingle is featured. At the end are some bumpers from the “Mr. Lucky” program. This is campy, dorky fun.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
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Better Reading
Better Reading . Teenager Harold Wilson has a problem—he can’t read for (expletive deleted). So he has to spend all his free time studying ...
