33. The Unknown (1927)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Directed By: Tod Browning

Written By: Tod Browning, Waldemar Young

Main Cast: Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, Norman Kerry, John George

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...IN THE CENTER RING...ALONZO THE ARMLESS!!"

Hopefully my great movie streak keeps up, because The Unknown makes the third movie in a row that was magnificent. I'm so glad that I was able to catch this one on Turner Classic Movies, as Netflix doesn't carry the DVD and the cheapest version of this film on Amazon is $25.

Lon Chaney plays Alonzo the Armless, a traveling circus performer who's gimmick is that he throws knives with his feet. Alonzo is assisted by the lovely Nanon (Crawford) for whom he has fallen in love with, but she doesn't know it yet, however they are best friends. One of Nanon's pet peeves is men who cannot keep their hands to themselves and one man who possesses this trait is Malabar the Mighty, a strongman performer who also travels with the same circus, and who is also in love with Nanon. One of the reasons Nanon is so close with Alonzo, is because he is armless and therefore cannot paw at her like most men do.

But back to Alonzo, who has a big secret that he's keeping from everyone, except his trusty sidekick Cojo. The secret...he has arms! With the help of Cojo, Alonzo keeps his arms strapped to his torso at all times, unless he's alone, and in no danger of being found out. He also doesn't want to be found out by the police, because he's a fugitive and the fact that he has two thumbs on his right hand would make him an easy suspect to catch. When the circus owner and Nanon's father, Antonio Zanzi discovers Alonzo's secret, Alonzo strangles him, and Nanon witnesses it, except she doesn't see the perpetrators face, only his two thumbed right hand.

After some thought, Alonzo comes to the realization that he'll never be able to have Nanon to himself, because if they were ever to marry, she would first of all, discover that he has arms, and second of all realize that he was the man that killed her father. He schemes up a plan to have his arms surgically removed, so that he may be with Nanon and live happily ever after, so he does it. After several weeks of recuperation, Alonzo returns to Nanon, but discovers that her initial dislike for Malabar the Mighty has turned to love and in Alonzo's absence they've gotten engaged. The scene where Alonzo is told of the engagement is priceless, as he breaks down into a temporary fit of hysteria, laughing and screaming.

While I didn't care too much for Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera, he was absolutely marvelous in this as Alonzo the Armless where some of his mannerisms and expressions speak volumes, in a day when movies were still silent. The Unknown was almost a short film, running at approximately sixty minutes and when the hour was up, I didn't want it to end. When you, the viewer, learn of Malabar and Nanon's engagement, while Alonzo is lying up in a hospital bed, recuperating from having his arms removed for Nanon's sake, you just know that when he gets back the shit is totally gonna hit the fan...and it totally does. Joan Crawford also hands in a mighty fine performance in The Unknown and at only twenty two at the time of this picture, she's not too shabby to look at either, gracing the screen with her ravishing beauty. As one last quick after thought, for anyone looking to get into the exciting world of silent cinema, I think The Unknown would be a great start in dragging a silent virgin into the genre.

RATING: 10/10 For those of you who are interested in taking in The Unknown, I do believe it's on YouTube as well, and at only sixty minutes, is well worth the watch.

NEXT UP: Oktyabr...which means October...and how ironic that I'll be watching it in the month of October!

October 16, 2009 4:34am

32. The General (1927)

Running Time: 75 minutes

Directed By: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman

Written By: Al Boasberg, Clyde Bruckman

Main Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom

POSSIBLY THE GREATEST WAR MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN

Buster Keaton is back as Johnnie Gray, a railroad engineer in The General, probably my least favorite Keaton movie so far, yet still fantastic.

When the Civil War breaks out, Johnnie, eager to please the other love of his life (the first being his locomotive, The General) goes straight to the enlistment office to join the ranks of brave men ready to fight for the South. Once at the enlistment office, Johnnie is told that because he is an engineer, he would be more useful to the South in that occupation, than as a soldier.

Johnnie, put out and again, wanting nothing more than to make his girl Annabelle happy, goes back to work on his locomotive, after being shunned by Annabelle. But when Johnnie's locomotive, The General, is stolen by Union spies, with Annabelle on board, Johnnie springs into action to save both his woman and his engine. In a fantastic sequence, with Keaton first chasing down the General on foot and then on a penny farthing bicycle, eventually catches up to another train and the chase is on, as it's Keaton against the entire fleet of Union spies. The chase takes up the better part of the first thirty minutes of the film, with Keaton doing everything in his power to catch up to his General and stop the enemies, even using a cannon which is on board the locomotive that he commandeered.

Eventually night falls, and Johnnie finds himself alone, at the North's base camp, and it is here when he finally realizes that they have also captured Annabelle. Johnnie rescues his gal, and heads away from the Northern camp. Donning a Northern uniform, Johnnie makes his way on board the General and takes back what is rightfully his, and a second chase is on, this time with the Union spies chasing Johnnie.

While I cannot say that I enjoyed The General more than other Keaton offerings, such as, Our Hospitality, Seven Chances or even Sherlock Jr., I can admit now that I've finally seen a great war movie, even if that war movie is a comedy. Buster Keaton had the perfect formula for blending together comedy and suspense and could keep you laughing, all the while keeping you planted on the edge of your seat. Keaton, more notably remembered for his comedy, was also a great stuntman, doing some outrageous things for the sake of his films and getting the big payoffs, so that he could ensure the audience got their moneys worth. I only have one Keaton film left, and it's gonna be sad to see him go. Keaton has provided me with hours of entertainment already, and has cemented several spots on my personal favorite films list.

RATING: 8.5/10 Can't go the full monty, but that's only because I enjoyed some of his other films better. I think Seven Chances is, thus far, my favorite.

NEXT UP: The Unknown...Caught it on Turner Classic Movies the other night and recorded it, so the tape is waiting for me and at only about an hour long, it should be ready for review later tonight.

October 15, 2009 10:45pm

31. SUNRISE (1927)

Running Time: 95 minutes
Directed By: F.W. Murnau
Written By: Hermann Sudermann, Carl Mayer
Main Cast: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston

A SONG OF TWO HUMANS

From the big budget, complex Metropolis to the simple, heartwarming Sunrise, this film proved that it's not always about big, fancy sets and lots of dough, that sometimes, it's just about a good, solid story that tugs at the heartstrings.

The Man (O'Brien) and The Wife (Gaynor) have been married for several years and were once a fun loving, carefree, 100% in love couple. But those days are gone, and when the Woman from the City takes a visit to the country, where the married couple resides, she lures the Man into her web of seduction, convincing him to kill his wife, so that they can go to the city and live happily ever after together.

So the plan is set and the Man is on board, willing and ready to drown his wife, when he lures her onto their boat and schemes, what will look like a boating accident, where the wife will "tragically" die. So everything is set and the Wife is mighty excited to be going out on the boat with the Man, as she looks forward to spending some quality time with him and possibly getting their marriage back on the right track. Of course, she doesn't know what the Man has in store for her.

Out on the lake, as the the Man has rowed out far enough, that he feels safe enough to commit the evil deed without being seen, he rises and comes toward her, but as he looks into her eyes, the love that he once knew for her comes rushing back into his body and the good in him begins to overpower the evil and lustful intentions that were put there by the Woman. He rows back ashore, and the wife, realizing what his intentions were, runs away from him. He chases her, yelling "Don't be afraid of me!".

Back in town the Man follows the wife throughout the city, and the happen to pass a church, where a wedding ceremony is in the process of being performed. They go inside and take a seat and both watch on, as they view another couple madly in love, ready to walk together on the journey of marriage. The man begins to weep uncontrollably and the Wife comforts him, holding his head in her lap and stroking his hair. They cry it out together, leave the church and set out on the happiest day of their life, going to have their picture taken, going to the carnival and dancing the night away. They've taken the form of the newlyweds they viewed in the church, earlier in the day...madly in love, yet again and ready to watch the sun rise yet again on their passion for one another.

This film was surprisingly simple, in a time when the going thing seemed to be the "anything you can do, I can do better" philosophy of movie making. After watching something as grandiose as Metropolis and not caring too much for it, then settling in to something as simple and beautiful as Sunrise, it was nice to finally see a director just make a good picture, with a really good story to it. This movie was breathtakingly beautiful and the camera work was sublime, as it totally went with the story and helped to push it along. Murnau, of whose work I haven't been a fan of thus far in the book, has made me into a fan, and made me realize, with this picture alone, why he is still talked about as one of the greats to this day.

RATING: 10/10 Without question this one gets the full monty of ratings and I look forward to checking this one out again someday down the road.

NEXT UP: The General....Make way for Buster!

October 15, 2009 12:28am

30. Metropolis (1927)

Running Time: 114 minutes

Directed By: Fritz Lang

Written By: Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou

Main Cast: Alfred Abel, Gustav Frohlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Brigitte Helm

Sidenote: So I sat down on Sunday night to check out what many consider the greatest silent film of all time, Metropolis. After a bout of sneezing and coughing and basically thinking I was coming down with a cold, I succumbed to the warmth of my bed after only making it through about an hour of the picture. The next night, I gave it a second shot, but after waking up at eight o'clock for work, and not attempting my second shot until about eleven o'clock, I again, succumbed to my bed, with a still unfinished Metropolis. So tonight was the night, and the third time was the charm as I knocked it off and came one step closer to completing my journey.

Now then...

"THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE HEAD AND HANDS MUST BE THE HEART!"

First of all I want to say that I really, really wanted to enjoy this movie. Unfortunately, on an enjoyability scale, I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

Set in the future, the population is broken down into two societies, the workers and the upper class. The workers occupy the underground, in their own city and the upper class live in the grand, gorgeous city of Metropolis. The workers keep the city running, by manning machines underground that power the great city.

Freder, spoiled son of Joh Fredersen, the master of Metropolis, is frolicking in the Eternal Gardens one day with his many lady friends, when a woman appears, with a group of children saying, "Look, these are your brothers!", which deeply touches Freder. When the woman is ushered off by some hired hands, Freder, fascinated with the woman, goes in search of her. He ends up in the underground, where he witnesses the terrible life that the workers go through to keep the machines running, that power Metropolis.

Freder, disturbed by the treatment that he's seen the workers endure, runs back to the New Tower of Babel, where his father's offices are, and begins to question his father about the welfare of the workers. His father exclaims that the workers are where they belong...in the depths. Freder snaps back, bringing up the question of what would happen if the workers were ever to rise up and revolt against his father. Fredersen is interrupted by Grot, the chief foreman of the Heart Machine, the main power source of Metropolis, who shows Fredersen plans that he found on some of his workers, that seem to lead to somewhere.

In the meanwhile, Freder leaves and heads into the underground again, relieving a collapsed worker, of his post and taking over, as he feels sorry for the tired man. The worker is only known as 11811, and Freder tells him to leave the underground, get into his chauffeured car and head to the home of a colleague of Freder's.

Joh Fredersen, meanwhile, goes to the home of Rotwang, the master inventor of Metropolis, who unveils to Fredersen a female robot that he's created to replace his lost love. He claims that he only needs twenty four hours and the robot will be finished, and be created to look exactly like a human being. Fredersen also shows Rotwang the plans that we're brought to him earlier by Grot and Rotwang concludes that they are some type of map to the catacombs, the depths of the workers city. Rotwang leads Fredersen on a hidden path, underneath his home, to the catacombs.

Freder, finishes his ten hour shift and follows the workers into the catacombs, where they are holding secret underground meeting and being preached to by a pacifist by the name of Maria, the same woman who appeared to Freder in the beginning of the film. She preaches to them about peace and declares that someday a mediator will come, who will be able to help the hands (the workers) and the head (Joh Fredersen) unite in peace. After the meeting, Freder meets privately with Maria, and Maria sees Freder as the heart (the mediator) and rejoices at his presence.

The films finale comes when Rotwang finishes the femme bot and creates her in Maria's likeness, as ordered by Fredersen. He unleashes her on the underground workers and thinking that it's Maria, the workers hang on her every word, when she tells them to riot and kill the machines, thus killing Metropolis.

Visually this movie is a spectacle to behold. The sets are immaculate, some of the shots are innovative and some of the scenes that you'll see just make you go "WOW!". The scene of the workers burning the femme bot at the stake, the scenes of the camera swooping over the great city and the scene of the creation of the original Tower of Babel are all excellent and this film is a must see for the visual effects alone. As far as the enjoyment factor goes, this film lacks and maybe it's a case of "it just wasn't for me". In the parts of this movie, where there wasn't immaculate images on the screen to look at, I found myself very bored and for a movie that was less than two hours it felt a lot longer than that, in some parts. I don't know, it's just that something with this movie and me didn't click and although I really can't put my finger on why, I just didn't enjoy it that much.

RATING: 5/10 If I was rating this movie on a visual scale, I'd give it an eleven, but I'm rating them on a scale of how much I enjoyed them, so in that case we'll strike it right down the middle and call it a five.

NEXT UP: Sunrise...F.W. Murnau directs another film that is considered one of the great silent films. Comes tomorrow from Netflix!

October 14, 2009 12:54am

29. The Big Parade (1925)

Running Time: 130 minutes

Directed By: King Vidor

Written By: Harry Behn, Joseph Farnham

Main Cast: John Gilbert, Renee Adoree, Tom O'Brien, Karl Dane

"THE FIRST WAR MOVIE ON OUR JOURNEY"

This one was getting ready to be entry #5 in our "Unfound Files" for a long time, before a post on IMDB, put me on the trail of the YouTube video and I found the entire film broken into thirteen parts there.

Jim, our movies' hero and played by John Gilbert, is a rich boy, who lives off the loot that his father brings in and is looked down upon by his suck up of a brother. When war is declared (World War I, to be exact) Jim's girlfriend and one true love Justyn, urges Jim to enlist and serve his country proud. So as not to look like a coward, Jim plays along with his girlfriend's ideas and enlists in the army. It is here he meets and befriends, Bull and Slim, two men from very different backgrounds.

While in France, smack dab in the middle of World War I, but not seeing much action, just from their commanding officers' mouths, Jim meets Melisande, a french woman who lives on a farm. When his buddies aren't badgering him, he sneaks off to meet with Melisande, and provides us with quite a hilarious little scene, where he teaches her to chew gum, because apparently she had never had it before. The two eventually fall in love, but unfortunately their love isn't given long to blossom.

One day, it is announced that Jim and his troop will be shipping out of the town where Melisande lives and moving to the front of the war. The most heartbreaking scene of the movie is inserted here, as a very emotional goodbye between the new found lovers transpires, leaving your bold journeyman nearly in tears.

Here, we the viewer, see the real "war movie" come out in The Big Parade, as we're treated to guns, explosions and all that good stuff that goes along with war. A very nice scene transpires, in which Jim's troop are making their way through a field, with some tree cover, and trying to dodge the snipers and machine gunners that await them. Eventually, Jim, Bull and Slim find themselves in the trenches, sharing a tin of corned beef and some cigarettes, and trying their best to keep their heads up and stay alive, in a very difficult time.

I must admit that one of my least favorite genre's of film is the war movie. I've just never been a big fan of any film that depicts war or shows the perils of combat. While there are a few that catch my eye, for the most part...not a fan. That being said, I can say that The Big Parade was not bad at all. Unlike other war movies, where all we're shown is the combat and the battle sequences, The Big Parade allows the viewer to get close to the characters, and get comfortable with them, before throwing them into battle. It provides us with comedy and tragedy and executes both very well. While The Big Parade, is definitely not my favorite movie so far, I think it'll be one that comes up in my next discussion of "Favorite War Films".

RATING: 6.5/10 Not bad at all, from me, for a war movie. I really couldn't go any higher right now, but maybe with a repeated viewing the 6.5 could rise.

NEXT UP: Metropolis...The director of the worst movie I've seen thus far, returns, with a movie that is lauded as the greatest silent picture ever made. We shall see.

October 11, 2009 10:48pm

28. The Gold Rush (1925)

Running Time: 82 minutes

Directed By: Charles Chaplin

Written By: Charles Chaplin

Main Cast: Charles Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, Malcolm Waite

ON MY JOURNEY I MET A MAN NAMED 'CHARLIE'

Well I've been waiting for old Charlie Chaplin to make his debut into my list of movies, and finally Chuck swings in and hits the nail right on the head with The Gold Rush.

Chaplin plays The Little Tramp in the Gold Rush, a lone prospector who heads north to Alaska, to take part in the Alaskan Gold Rush. It is here where he meets two men, Black Larsen and Big Jim. Black Larsen, a convicted fugitive and Big Jim, a morally bound older gent who wants nothing more than to find gold and retire a millionaire.

Early in the picture, we find out trio of gold miners starving, as they send out Black Larsen in search of food. While he's away The Tramp cooks up the most unappetizing looking meal...his boot. Charlie was great with physical comedy, moving his arms and putting on facial expressions, that really made the boot look quite tasty.

Later, The Tramp finds himself in a small town, at a dance hall where he first sees Georgia (Hale) and falls head over heels for the vivacious looking dancer. To make her suitor jealous, she requests a dance with the Tramp and in another great comedic scene, where the little fellow can't seem to keep his pants around his waist, they dance the night away.

The Tramp eventually is split from Georgia, only to take a job watching over another prospector's cabin, while he's away. While staying at this cabin, Georgia happens upon him, along with some of her friends and the Little Tramp is ecstatic with joy. Georgia promises to return on New Year's Eve and have dinner with the Tramp. When that day arrives, Georgia is nowhere to be found, leaving the little fellow to envision what dinner would've been like, had his guests shown up. He imagines a grand time with Georgia and her friends, putting on a show for them, with two forks pushed into two dinner rolls and doing a little dance with them on the table...a classic scene.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I would be remiss if I didn't, at least make mention of the climax, where Big Jim and Charlie are in their cabin, which is dangling on the edge of a cliff, a true exercise in comic suspense.

The Gold Rush is a great comedy that shows the talent and comic genius that Charlie Chaplin possessed. While I can't go as far to say that I enjoyed this more than any of the Buster Keaton silent comedies that I watched, I will say that Keaton and Chaplin were different in many, subtle ways, such as their mannerisms or the type of comedy they did. The Gold Rush sets up some great scenes and sequences that must be seen to be truly admired. The cabin dangling on the cliff, the dining of the boot, The Tramp shoveling snow for business owners and the dance hall scene are all classics.

RATING: 7/10 Good movie and can't wait to see more, but I don't get anymore until sometime in the 30's.

NEXT UP: The Big Parade...Couldn't find this one for quite sometime, but finally happened upon it on YouTube, so it should be ready for review either tonight or tomorrow.

October 10, 2009 10:16pm

27. The Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Running Time: 75 minutes

Directed By: Sergei M. Eisenstein

Written By: Nina Agadzhanova, Sergei M. Eisenstein

Main Cast: Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barsky, Grigori Aleksandrov, Ivan Bobrov

"HEY!...YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!!"

After reading several excerpts, after watching this film, not only from the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book, but from other critics, it seems that this picture is hailed throughout the world and at one time was considered the greatest movie ever made. I had never heard those claims made before, although, I had heard of The Battleship Potemkin, and heard that it was great. I did not hear wrong.

Our movie starts on The Battleship Potemkin (imagine that), where sailors are protesting to the food that they're being fed: meat infested with maggots and the treatment that they receive from their superior officers. When the captain of the ship confronts them, they stand up to him and don't back down, led by the bullheaded Vakulynchuk. It is here that an all out mutiny breaks out and the sailors overthrow the ship and take it over. In all of the fuss Vakulynchuk is killed and taken into the Odessa harbor and laid on the pier, underneath a tent with a note on his chest that reads: "Killed for a bowl of soup".

What follows is one of the most touching and inspiring scenes in film history, as hundreds and thousands of Odessa natives stroll down the pier to show their respects to the fallen officer, the fallen officer who took charge and stood up for his rights and his beliefs. The shot of the sea of humanity walking down the pier is absolutely breathtaking and sends chills up your spine when you watch it.

The following scene is titled, "The Odessa Staircase" (the film is broken up into parts and each part has a title). "The Odessa Staircase" is one of the most heartbreaking and outstanding visual scenes you will ever see in a film. It is this scene alone that made me sit up and take notice of the brilliance of this film. As the Odessa people are waving at the Battleship Potemkin and sending them on their way, the Tsarist soldiers enter the scene and march down the steps, where the people are sending their goodbyes and well wishes, and the massacre that unfolds is visually amazing. If you've ever seen "The Untouchables" and the scene where the baby carriage is tumbling down the steps of the train station stairs, then you've seen a scene stolen from The Battleship Potemkin.

Up until that sequence, The Odessa Staircase, I was kinda beginning to wonder why this film was so lauded. Sure, the scene where the Odessa people come in to pay their respects to the fallen sailor is quite inspirational, but it wasn't quite enough to send this movie into the great status that it is held in. The Odessas Staircase sequence, is a scene that I won't soon forget, a scene that will always stick out when my memory jumps back to the Battleship Potemkin. Roger Ebert once wrote and I'm paraphrasing "The Battleship Potemkin can no longer be considered the greatest film ever made, but it is obligatory for any film scholar." I think I'd have to agree wholeheartedly with that statement. While the Battleship Potemkin is certainly not the greatest film ever made, I believe everyone should take a look at it, at least once.

RATING: 5.5/10 That's just about as high as I can go, as almost all 5.5 of those points go to one single scene. While not the most enjoyable film in the world, The Battleship Potemkin is more about respecting the great work and something that film buffs should watch for historical value.

NEXT UP: The Gold Rush...CHAPLIN HAS ARRIVED...And I'm less than twenty movies away from the 1930's. YES!!!

October 10, 2009 3:29pm