settima

shortfilm

Le voyage dans la lune [A Trip to the Moon] (Georges Méliès, 1902)

Dec

19

Apollo 17

Le voyage dans la lune (1902)

A gif from the hand-coloured edition that is now in the Filmoteca de Catalunya. Poor Mister Moon has the adventures' rocket stuck in his eye. DPs: Théophile Michault & Lucien Tainguy.

The Moon (any moon) to commemorate the end of the final man-manned moon landing.

“Laugh, my friends. Laugh with me, laugh for me, because I dream for you.”

– Georges Méliès, 1937

In true Méliès style, a wild menagerie of showgirls and scientists meet on the Moon in this groundbreaking sci-fi spectacle.

Children's Party (Joseph Cornell, c. 1938/1969)

Dec

18

Las Posadas

Children's Party (1938)

Exuberant dancers at the children's party.

A festive child for Las Posadas

“Shadow boxes become poetic theaters or settings wherein are metamorphosed the element of a childhood pastime.”

– Joseph Cornell

Children of all ages are entertained by a menagerie of dancers, acrobats, talented fauna and bobbing apples in this exhilarating found-footage party. Part of The Children's Trilogy, together with Cotillion (c. 1938/1969) and The Midnight Party (c. 1938/1969).

The Automatic Motorist (Walter R. Booth, 1911)

Dec

17

Saturnalia

The Automatic Motorist (1911)

While on the ringed planet, they pick up a cop to save him from spear-wielding rascals, but he elopes with the planet's fairy. Look at those lovebirds on the rings of Saturn!

A planet with rings for Saturnalia

 

Two lovely newlyweds and their robot chauffeur take a trip to Saturn for their honeymoon, followed by a jolly ride under the sea. A remake of Booth's own The '?' Motorist from 1906.

Report (Bruce Conner, 1967)

Nov

23

1963

Report  (1967)

Television footage of JFK's state funeral with the caption “November 23, 1963”, superimposed over it.

München-Berlin Wanderung [Walking from Munich to Berlin] (Oskar Fischinger, 1927)

Nov

20

München-Berlin Wanderung (1927)

A bunch of Buben take a moment to pose between troublemaking. DP: Oskar Fischinger.

A journey or road trip*

 

Four weeks in four minutes, spanning decades in its disruptive form.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

Shoot (Barbara Burden, 1971)

Nov

19

1971

Shoot (1971)

Dunlap aiming at Burden at F Space, Santa Ana, California (via). DP: Barbara Burden.

“At 7:45 p.m. I was shot in the left arm by a friend.”

– Chris Burden

The White Rose [The White Rose: Jay DeFeo’s Painting Removed by Angelic Hosts] (Bruce Conner, 1967)

Nov

9

1965

The White Rose (1967)

we are not what we seem

– words inscribed in the bottom of DeFeo's painter's stool

Peace, little girl [Daisy / Daisy Girl] (Sidney Myers, 1964)

Nov

3

1964

Peace, little girl (1964)

Monique Corzilius aka Monique Cozy as the Daisy Girl. DP: Drummond Drury.

“One… two… three… four… five… seven… six… six… eight… nine… nine…”

– Daisy Girl

Frank Stein (Iván Zulueta, 1972)

Oct

30

Karloff

Frank Stein (1972)

The Monster (Karloff) in Zulueta's recut (via). DP: Iván Zulueta / Arthur Edeson + Paul Ivano.

A [favourite] Boris Karloff film*

“Well, as I said before, I say again, here's… Here's to a son… to the house of Frankenstein.”

– Baron Frankenstein

Zulueta's mycotoxic fever dream of Whale's Frankenstein.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for October is horror-themed as opposed to date-based, and is all about favourites. Expect non-horror and films I believe to be relevant instead.