Film podcast discussing the Silent era (1894 to 1929) and the importance these moving pictures still have in todays age. Every week, we watch silent films, then talk about it!
Hosted by YiFeng, Lily, Bob, Diane, and Adam.
For more details, visit us here: https://watchingsilentfilms.wordpress.com/
A tantalizing futuristic wonder, Metropolis is a Silent lingering with choreography that makes your eyes wander throughout the tale as a spectacle like no other. Director Fritz Lang pulls out all the stops on what critics claim today as a creative masterpiece, Metropolis becoming an immediate classic in respect where you will never forget this film.
Lily's film watch: The Man Who Laughs (1928) with Conrad Veidt, Dir. Paul Leni; The Artist (2011), Dir. Michel Hazanavicius.
Bob's film watch: State of the Union (1948), Dir. Frank Capra; The Third Man (1949) Dir. Carol Reed.
YiFeng's film watch: Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954); It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Dir. Frank Capra.
Harold Lloyd's estate has a YouTube channel, publishing some rare and unseen gems almost daily! Go and Subscribe! We have!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4A3IJ4FssK3b7SeXc2kMMw (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4A3IJ4FssK3b7SeXc2kMMw)
Roger Ebert's review from June 2010 -
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-metropolis-2010-restoration-1927 (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-metropolis-2010-restoration-1927)
We want to thank our listeners for joining us on this podcast, and here's hoping we spoke about some films you hadn't seen yet!
To keep up to date with your "Silent itch," we suggest the forum NitrateVille, a site where you can talk, and share your stories about preserving and collecting vintage films.
https://www.nitrateville.com/ (https://www.nitrateville.com/)
Fritzi Kramer's blog Movies, Silently is a tour de force website dedicated to the lost art of, and for, sharing the beauty of silent films. Her articles are fantastic!
https://moviessilently.com/about/ (https://moviessilently.com/about/)
We want to thank our recurring hosts Diane and Adam for their insight and willingness to be "on the air" and talk about classics of the day with us.
We'll see you in Season 2!
Recorded on February 25, 2021
Hosted by YiFeng, Bob, and Lily
6 Mar 2021
Safety Last! (1923)
One of the most well-known (dare we say famous!) silent films of all time due to a man dangling from the arm of a clock, Safety Last! anchored Harold Lloyd among the comedic greats of the moving pictures era.
Lloyd plays a small-town "Boy" trying to make it in the big city, who finds employment as a department-store clerk. He comes up with a wild publicity stunt to draw attention to the store after his roommate's successful climb of escape from a cop, resulting in the incredible feat of a death-defying stunt!
Laugh-out-loud funny and jaw-dropping in equal measure, Safety Last! is a movie experience you won't soon forget.
Lily's film watch: Greta (2019), Dir. Sparkman Clark. Found on Amazon Prime.
Adam's film watch: Greed (1924), Dir. Erich von Stroheim, and Die Nibelungen (1924), Dir. Fritz Lang. A silent fantasy film!
Subscribe to Harold Lloyd on YouTube! The estate has been releasing his filmography, so why not see something of his that you haven't yet?!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4A3IJ4FssK3b7SeXc2kMMw/featured (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4A3IJ4FssK3b7SeXc2kMMw/featured)
HOW they filmed Safety Last!
https://silentlocations.com/2012/02/29/how-harold-lloyd-filmed-safety-last/?fbclid=IwAR1xDxAzkmtQk2wNRZPckRqEw3q3EesSQ_l3OZ5gCqodxeddMeoz7udFYhQ (https://silentlocations.com/2012/02/29/how-harold-lloyd-filmed-safety-last/?fbclid=IwAR1xDxAzkmtQk2wNRZPckRqEw3q3EesSQ_l3OZ5gCqodxeddMeoz7udFYhQ)
We want to thank Adam so much for joining us on this podcasting journey! Being able to bond over silents has been a joy, and we can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge and being an overall fan!
Hosted by YiFeng, Adam, and Lily.
Originally recorded on December 6, 2020.
11 Feb 2021
Sunrise (1927)
The fable-like, poignant story, subtitled A Song of Two Humans, Sunrise is an American silent melodramatic masterpiece by German director F.W. Murnau (In his American film debut) - a beautiful, atmospheric, lyrical and poetic work of art with roots in the German Expressionist movement (from 1914 to 1924). Starring George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, and Margaret Livingston, the story of corruption and redemption involves a rustic farmer in a romanticized rural town who falls prey to the seductive wiles of a city vamp in an illicit affair. He plots to murder his loving wife during a boat trip to the temptation-ridden city. His conscience is awakened during the attempted killing and he relents, and in the city the couple fall in love again. On their return trip, a tempestuous storm appears to drown the wife, but she is eventually found and the family is reunited and reconciled.
The script was adapted from the short story "The Excursion to Tilsit," from the 1917 collection with the same title by Hermann Sudermann.
Sunrise is one of the first feature films with a synchronized musical score and sound effects soundtrack. The film won the Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Picture at the very first Oscars in 1929 (this particular award was created for the film itself. The category has since been disbanded since the 30s onward). Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film.
Sunrise is widely considered a masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made. Many claim it to be the best picture made during the silent era.
** We do apologize for a bit of strange overlap during the episode, especially around 38.2 minutes in. We promise we're not talking over one another!
Also featured on this episode is the Laurel and Hardy silent Battle of the Century!
UPDATE 3/5/21: Link to Battle of the Century is no longer available for viewing, account terminated. However we still recommend watching this interview with collector Jon Mirsalis on discovering the lost reel to "Battle."
https://youtu.be/2MxC4glhB5Y
Lily's film watch: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), feat. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.
Adam's film watch: Judex (1916), a French silent film serialization.
YiFeng also mentioned these silent melodrama serializations during the podcast, and we hope you'll watch!
The Perils of Pauline and Exploits of Elaine, both made in 1914.
Hosted by YiFeng, Adam and Lily.
Originally recorded on November 17, 2020.
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14 ratings
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