Gabrielle goes 1001

I hope so,too,wouldn't want to leave this thread abandoned so early.

Unless you just don't like silent films, I'd suggest giving this another go. It's a wonderful film, IMO.

Good luck with this, Gab. My guess is that you'll have to mix it up after a while, just for a change.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Sorry, I can't stomach it again.

What can you possibly expect from a short film made in 1902? Especially from a fantasy film?

Probably you'd expect to see how it managed to work out the special effects and,being silent,did it manage to tell the story.

This famous Méliès introduction to the fantasy and overall,to movies,firstly,surprised me with its way to tell a story.In the beginning there's a group of scientists arguing.I was impressed how without words and without any technical advantages it's obvious that they are discussing moon trip and how they really are arguing since the scene takes about 2 minutes (note that it's a 13 minute film).I expected the movie at least to be watchable and not only it told a story and got my attention but it also managed to do some tricks like prolong arguing making it look more realistic.The same goes for building the rocket.

My first thought on the effects was that they are bad.But then again,it's 1902 movie - could it have been any better?I think now no one can tell exactly how it felt to watch it when it was released but I tend to think that it was an extraordinary experience.Despite the moon with a face and clearly drawn images,there were some really professional things like the explosions when the scientist kill the alien.Looked very well made.

When the crew lands on the Moon,the real action begins as the second act starts.There's stars,aliens,effective music,trip back and the happy ending and all of it has the same perks - considerable long takes (sleep or alien scenes,cheering scene at the end).I also noticed the effective music and ability to create a certain mood (fear and cheer) using only light,certain special effects and actors' movement.

To conclude,it is very simple movie with huge aspiration to be great and I expected its strongest side to be effects but,personally, I was amazed how it managed to tell a story in three acts,however simplistic.I think this is the beginning of the art of storytelling.People not only got to see the first story in a screen but also a trip to the moon.

Everyone has been so ambitious around here lately. We've gone from the hundreds to the thousands. Soon, there will be a MoFo Top 1000 '90s Countdown (and I'm sure I'll STILL be bitching all the way through it).

It's very Extreme MoFos around here.

Ambitious is good.

Great review Gabrielle. I would give it a similar rating, when you look at it now it obviously seems strange but also magnificent how film production has advanced, but it's a really fascinating watch for many reasons. I decided to watch it after I saw Scorsese's Hugo which takes a look at Georges Melies, his films and the making of them in a delightful way, I felt.

MoFo REVOLUTION.

I'm not sure I'd have the patience to get through 1001 films and write a short review of all of them, so I admire what you are doing

I haven't yet seen A Trip To The Moon, so I will have to. Film knowledge and all that.

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It's only 13 minutes, and it's definitely worth it, yeh from a historical film perspective. Watch it on youtube now or something

Also Gabrielle, seeing as you're doing 1001 films, instead of allowing them all to get lost in various pages, as there will be a lot of posts. I would recommend edited the original post of the thread with links to each film, but I am obsessed with organisation

I've seen it in Hugo,too.

Not sure if I write the reviews for all of them because when I did my top 100,there were films which I liked basically because I do,no particular reason or I just couldn't name it exactly.I'll review if I have something to say. Also,it's much easier for me to review short films as it's possible to analyze every scene,with longer films I find that harder since I have to take notes during watching and keep watching the film as well.

I find it hard to watch old movies for the enjoyment as I view them basically like an education.Maybe that's why I gave it four stars instead of all five,which it kind of deserves.I rarely go with old movies like "I should rewatch The Great Dictator because it was awesome".It more like "I should rewatch it because it's an important film which I forgot".

Ok,I will tomorrow as I post the next movie.

Actually, the IMDB top 250 is superior to these lists from books.

Actually, the IMDB top 250 is superior to these lists from books.

Actually, the IMDB top 250 is superior to these lists from books.

What?

What?

I'm not even starting to explain how inane that claim is.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

I enjoyed A Trip to the Moon when I saw it in a film course I took in college. I was very impressed at the effects considering when it was made.

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

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Oh,by the way,I've only now read the short summary of the movie in the 1001 book,it has good point saying that this might be the first feature(entertaining) film since Lumiers movies were kind of like documentaries.So I guess it was a double surprise for the people of that time.

Yeah, A Trip to The Moon is really innovative and it's not only about technical flair, but the way the story is told. It's one of the first movies, or maybe the first ever, that tells a complex story. Mind you that previous Melies films were all about visual tricks, while Trip added a sci-fi scenario, which even today, while being incredibly cheesy and naive, gives a fair amount of entertainment. I rate it , but from the historical standpoint it deserves .