Heading towards Halloween, it seemed the right moment to start with some horror/fantasy movies.
Today I have a very early short for you. It's "Legend of a Ghost" from 1908.
Here's the plot (spoilers?).
A young lady sits at her spinning wheel when she hears something from the cemetery outside. Through the window she sees something flying and hears a curse.
Next we see her going outside to look for something in the cemetery.
Suddenly a group of skeletons surrounds her and a ghost emerges from a grave and sends her on a quest to "go and find the Devil, to challenge and vanquish him, so he'll give her the inextinguishable flame that she will take to the bottom of the sea to search for the black pearl and bring it back".
The skeletons and the lady turn into warriors.
They board a vehicle that takes them to the "lower regions".
Satan is warned, however, assembles his army and rides into battle in his own vehicle (while his army is, uhm, prancing and dancing and jumping a lot) ...
... before they finally stop the lady's vehicle and pull her into the Satanmobile (someone called it that in a comment and that's working for me).
Then they have a fête together in the lower regions. Just bear with me, people, I don't understand what's going on, either.
There's more dancing before some demons jump into a lake. The cave wall is opening to admit the Satanmobile. They get out and Satan gives the lady the flame of life. Why? I have absolutely no clue, he doesn't look very "vanquished" to me. It might be a trap, though.
A frog is taking the lady to the bottom of the sea. Their travel is shown through different painted scenes opening up one after another, vertically or horizontally, a very neat effect.
They arrive and the Queen of the Sea (or whatever) makes a huge shell with a mermaid (or whatever) in it materialize, hands our lady the black pearl and takes her back up in her barge that is drawn by a horse (not a seahorse).
Unfortunately, Satan is out for revenge (probably because he noticed he wasn't vanquished after all?) and throws fire at them. The vehicle is gone, all the warriors are dead - except our heroine - and blue. And the inextinguishable flame has gone out (is there a money back guarantee?)!
She returns to the cemetery, hands the ghost the black pearl, he drinks from it (weird, I mean it's not a coconut) - and turns into some kind of a prince!
Our lady, however, dies (exhaustion, the aftermath of Satan's attack or shock over this unexpected outcome, who knows) ... and we are in heaven and they have two children (again, don't ask me what's happening here)!
The End.
No, seriously, that's it.
I'm not the only who was confused, but you know something - it was still a fun watch! A very, very weird one and I might have thought I had a drink too much when I really had nothing but water with a bit of cordial, but a fun one.
Maybe a drink would have made it even funnier.
Segundo de Chomón is a new name to me, but it seems it's one to remember.
According to Wikipedia (as a first source), he was "a pioneering Spanish-French film director, cinematographer and screenwriter" and "regarded as the most significant Spanish silent film director in an international context". Like Méliès, he was known for his camera tricks and optical illusions and we have quite a few of these in this film which are very cool to watch.
As with Méliès (based on the very few films I know at this point, mind you), I had the feeling that the narrative wasn't the most important thing, but to try out what could be done with elaborate and beautiful sets and opulent costumes and of course cool vehicles, and some film magic.
Somehow it always makes me wonder how it was on set. "We need more people! Where are the lizard and fish people? We need dancers! We need more of everything! Splashing water, sparks, and the girls have to wave something! We need more, more, more of everything!"
"And we need an extra scene for the frog."
Absolutely. I'm a fan of the very jumpy frog (and was glad to see him star in another short).
A wild ride once more, my friends, but also very interesting 15 minutes.
Isn't that how we like our fairy tales?
More of everything!
Today I have a very early short for you. It's "Legend of a Ghost" from 1908.
Here's the plot (spoilers?).
A young lady sits at her spinning wheel when she hears something from the cemetery outside. Through the window she sees something flying and hears a curse.
Next we see her going outside to look for something in the cemetery.
Suddenly a group of skeletons surrounds her and a ghost emerges from a grave and sends her on a quest to "go and find the Devil, to challenge and vanquish him, so he'll give her the inextinguishable flame that she will take to the bottom of the sea to search for the black pearl and bring it back".
 |
| Don't be surprised, part of the movie has been colorized, in amazingly vivid colors. |
The skeletons and the lady turn into warriors.
They board a vehicle that takes them to the "lower regions".
Satan is warned, however, assembles his army and rides into battle in his own vehicle (while his army is, uhm, prancing and dancing and jumping a lot) ...
... before they finally stop the lady's vehicle and pull her into the Satanmobile (someone called it that in a comment and that's working for me).
 |
| Pick your vehicle! Both of them are quite cool, modern cars are boring compared to them. |
Then they have a fête together in the lower regions. Just bear with me, people, I don't understand what's going on, either.
There's more dancing before some demons jump into a lake. The cave wall is opening to admit the Satanmobile. They get out and Satan gives the lady the flame of life. Why? I have absolutely no clue, he doesn't look very "vanquished" to me. It might be a trap, though.
A frog is taking the lady to the bottom of the sea. Their travel is shown through different painted scenes opening up one after another, vertically or horizontally, a very neat effect.
They arrive and the Queen of the Sea (or whatever) makes a huge shell with a mermaid (or whatever) in it materialize, hands our lady the black pearl and takes her back up in her barge that is drawn by a horse (not a seahorse).
Unfortunately, Satan is out for revenge (probably because he noticed he wasn't vanquished after all?) and throws fire at them. The vehicle is gone, all the warriors are dead - except our heroine - and blue. And the inextinguishable flame has gone out (is there a money back guarantee?)!
 |
| Any excuse to show another picture of the vehicle ... |
She returns to the cemetery, hands the ghost the black pearl, he drinks from it (weird, I mean it's not a coconut) - and turns into some kind of a prince!
 |
| Maybe she could/should just have kissed the frog? |
Our lady, however, dies (exhaustion, the aftermath of Satan's attack or shock over this unexpected outcome, who knows) ... and we are in heaven and they have two children (again, don't ask me what's happening here)!
The End.
No, seriously, that's it.
I'm not the only who was confused, but you know something - it was still a fun watch! A very, very weird one and I might have thought I had a drink too much when I really had nothing but water with a bit of cordial, but a fun one.
Maybe a drink would have made it even funnier.
Segundo de Chomón is a new name to me, but it seems it's one to remember.
According to Wikipedia (as a first source), he was "a pioneering Spanish-French film director, cinematographer and screenwriter" and "regarded as the most significant Spanish silent film director in an international context". Like Méliès, he was known for his camera tricks and optical illusions and we have quite a few of these in this film which are very cool to watch.
As with Méliès (based on the very few films I know at this point, mind you), I had the feeling that the narrative wasn't the most important thing, but to try out what could be done with elaborate and beautiful sets and opulent costumes and of course cool vehicles, and some film magic.
Somehow it always makes me wonder how it was on set. "We need more people! Where are the lizard and fish people? We need dancers! We need more of everything! Splashing water, sparks, and the girls have to wave something! We need more, more, more of everything!"
"And we need an extra scene for the frog."
Absolutely. I'm a fan of the very jumpy frog (and was glad to see him star in another short).
A wild ride once more, my friends, but also very interesting 15 minutes.
Isn't that how we like our fairy tales?
More of everything!