Silent movies?

Question

Could you be talked into sitting and watching a Silent Era movie WITHOUT the requestor resorting to rope and duct tape?

Where would we be without TCM?

Answer 1

Last week, I tried to watch TCM’s broadcast of "Vampyr: Der Traum des Allan Grey (The Dream of Allan Grey)," the 1932 French-German film by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer.

I fell asleep.

I restarted the movie (on DVR)...and promptly fell asleep again.

When I re-awoke, I switched on my laptop, and surfed for information and critical praise for the movie. That activity carried me through 20 more minutes of the film before a dull throbbing pain forced me to turn the TV off.

No, I cannot sit through silent films; rope or no rope.

I have fond memories of the first time I watched Lon Chaney’s work in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) and "Phantom of the Opera" (1925). Additionally, I think Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1927) is required viewing for any film aficionado. That being said, I don’t need to watch those films again.

When my boys grow older, I could host a silent film festival but I'd imagine they'd prefer a classic monster movie festival of "talkies" such as:

Dracula (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Mummy (1932)
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Werewolf of London (1935)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Wolf Man (1941)
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
House of Frankenstein (1944)

In the meantime, I’ll add Mel Brooks’ “Silent Movie” (1976) to my Blockbuster Online queue for a repeat viewing. Thanks for the question.

Answer 2

'Mr Hulot's Holiday' is essentially a silent movie. Not hilarious, in the modern sense, merely exquisite.

Oh yah - those olden time guys didn't know what art was. That Mozart fellow is so old fashioned - I don't know how people sat through his stuff. And Leonardo? My cat paints better than him.

Answer 3

Heck yea! Who are we watching, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd or Douglas Fairbanks?

Answer 4

Yes, I remember when pizza places used to play the silent movies for the patrons. My favorite is "Metropolis" made in 1929. I love the slapstick comedies also.

Answer 5

Yes,
Metropolitos.
any Buster Keaton or commedy

Answer 6

yep. i took a class on it, then in the spring found out when the class was so i could watch some free movies. those edison movies though, i don't know about those.