Le Rêve du Radjah (1900) ***

An Indian ruler has a weird dream. Aka "La Forêt enchantée".

Le Réveil d'un monsieur pressé (1900) ***

Basically a sequel to "Le Déshabillage impossible" (1900), this time set in the morning, when a man tries to dress himself. Very funny.

Le Savant et le chimpanzé (1900) **

A chimp wrecks havoc in a lab.

La Vengeance du gâte-sauce (1900) *

A cook’s revenge.

Le Tonneau des Danaïdes (1900) *

Eight girls get inside a single barrel.

As Seen Through A Telescope (1900) ***

A man is looking through his telescope. One of the earliest examples of POV shots in films. British film directed by George Albert Smith.

Les Infortunes d'un explorateur (1900) *

A traveller explores an Egyptian tomb. Only a 15-seconds fragment of this Georges Méliès' film has survived. Aka "Les Momies récalcitrantes".

Le Déshabillage impossible (1900) ****

Probably Georges Méliès' funniest comedy, an ingenious farce about a man trying to undress to go to bed.

Explosion Of A Motor Car (1900) ***

A moving car suddenly explodes. A policeman examines the wreckage. A British film directed by Cecil M. Hepworth.

Top 10 Films of the 1890's

1. "L'Arrivée d'un train en gare" (1896, Louis Lumière, France)

2. "L'Arroseur arrosé" (1895, Louis Lumière, France)

3. "Mosquinha" (1890, Étienne-Jules Marey, France)

4. "Santa Claus" (1898, George Albert Smith, UK)

5. "La Lune à un mètre" (1898, Georges Méliès, France)

6. "La Sortie des usines Lumière" (1895, Louis Lumière, France)

7. "The Kiss In The Tunnel" (1899, George Albert Smith, UK)

8. "Robbery" (1897, Robert W. Paul, UK)

9. "The Kiss" (1896, William Heise, USA)

10. "Démolition d'un mur" (1896, Louis Lumière, France)

Top 3 Films of 1890
Top 3 Films of 1891
Top 3 Films of 1892
Top 3 Films of 1893
Top 5 Films of 1894
Top 5 Films of 1895
Top 5 Films of 1896
Top 5 Films of 1897
Top 5 Films of 1898
Top 5 Films of 1899

Top 5 Films of 1899

1. "The Kiss In The Tunnel" (George Albert Smith, UK)

2. "Jeanne d'Arc" (Georges Méliès, France)

3. "Cendrillon" (Georges Méliès, France)


4. "Le Diable au couvent" (Georges Méliès, France)


5. "Le Chevalier mystère" (Georges Méliès, France)


Top Guilty Pleasure of 1899:

"Le Reveil de Chrysis" (Pathe, France)

Other great films:

The Kiss In The Tunnel - remake (UK)
Ladies Skirts Nailed To A Fence (UK)

Weak films of 1899:

L'Affaire Dreyfus (France)
La Danse du feu (France)
L'Impressionniste fin de siècle (France)
Le Portrait mystérieux (France)
The Serenaders

The Kiss In The Tunnel (1899) ***

One of the earliest movies constructed in action continuity from one shot to the next. Here, there are only three shots (first two photos, the third photo and the last photo), but it's a start. Another innovation: the framing shots use tracking movements, while the middle shot is static. British film directed by George Albert Smith.

Le Chevalier mystère (1899) ***

Trick film about a talking head.

Le Portrait mystérieux (1899) **

Georges Méliès manages to bring his own portrait to life.

Jeanne d'Arc (1899) ***

Story of Joan of Arc, directed by Georges Méliès. A milestone in the history of cinema, setting a standard that will be followed for at least another decade.

La Danse du feu (1899) *

An experiment in color by Georges Méliès, featuring devils and serpentine dancers.

Le Reveil de Chrysis (1899) ****

Cendrillon (1899) ***

The story of Cinderella, directed by Georges Méliès. One of the earliest multi-shots films ever made.

Le Diable au couvent (1899) ***

A devil takes over a convent.

L'Affaire Dreyfus (1899) *

A nine-part film about the infamous Dreyfus Affair

"La dictée du bordereau" *
"A l'ile du diable" *
"Mise aux fers de Dreyfus" *
"Suicide du Colonel Henry" *
"Débarquement à Quiberon" *
"Entrevue de Dreyfus et de sa femme à Rennes" *
"Attentat contre maître Labori" *
"Bagarre entre journalistes" *
"Le Conseil de guerre en séance à Rennes" *

The Serenaders (1899) **

Two minstrels are playing beneath a lady's window. One of the earliest comedies produced by American Mutoscope & Biograph.

Ladies Skirts Nailed To A Fence (1899) ***

 

 

 

 

An unsuccessful attempt to film a scene consisting of reverse-angle shots. But instead of actually “crossing the axis”, the film tries to fake it, filming the same side of the fence twice, once with people in front of it, and then with people behind it. But the irregular shape of the fence gives the trick away, resulting in a bizarre, if unintentional, piece of early surrealism.

L'Impressionniste fin de siècle (1899) **

A magician changing into a ballerina and other clever tricks. Directed by Georges Méliès.

The Kiss In The Tunnel (1899) ***

 

 

A remake of George A. Smith's film of the same title, made a month earlier, in November 1899. This version has a better second shot (which actually looks like it's set in a real train compartment), but less innovative, stationary framing shots. Directed by James Bamforth.

Top 5 Films of 1898

1. "Santa Claus" (George Albert Smith, UK)

2. "La Lune à un mètre" (Georges Méliès, France)

3. "Un homme de têtes" (Georges Méliès, France)

4. "Going Through The Tunnel" (James H. White, USA)

5. "What Demoralized The Barber Shop" (William Heise, USA)


Top Guilty Pleasure of 1898:

"Duel To The Death" (UK)

Other great shorts:

Come Along, Do! (UK)

Weak shorts:

Guillaume Tell et le clown (France)
Illusions fantasmagoriques (France)
Le Magicien (France)
The Miller And The Sweep (UK)
Panorama pris d'un train en marche (France)
Tentation de Saint Antoine (France)
Visite sous-marine du Maine (France)

Duel To The Death (1898) ***