Author: Janne Wass
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
No rating: Lost film The first ever adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1908 in many ways marked the beginning for Hollywood. Although filmed in Chicago, it was the first film starring Hollywood’s first two movie stars, for a company that would be the first to permanently set…
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A Message from Mars
No rating: lost film New Zealand’s first science fiction film is also the first ever film involving a Martian and an alien visitation to Earth. The 1903 movie was based on a popular stage play, which was successively filmed again in 1913 and 1921. A Message from Mars. 1903, New…
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The Electric Hotel
(8/10) Stop-motion animation with live actors has probably never been done as well as in Segundo de Chomon’s 1908 film The Electric Hotel. But this tale of a tourist couple getting pampered by an automated hotel room doesn’t transcend the novelty of the trick. The Electric Hotel (El hotel eléctrico/Hôtel…
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An Excursion to the Moon
(6/10) In 1908 Spanish master filmmaker Segundo de Chomon directed a carbon copy of Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon. The result is professional, but uninspired. An Excursion to the Moon (Excursion dans la lune). 1908, France. Directed by Segundo de Chomon. Inspired by novels by Jules Verne and…
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A Little Jules Verne
(4/10) Gaston Velle’s 1907 film is a fairly entertaining underwater fantasy short, made hastily to cash in on Georges Méliès epic Under the Seas. Velle directs the imitation professionally, but without enthusiasm. A Little Jules Verne (Un petit Jules Verne). 1907, France. Directed by Gaston Velle. Inspired by Jules Verne’s…
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Under the Seas
NO RATING; FILM INCOMPLETE Georges Méliès third science fiction epic (1907) is the first film based on Jules Verne’s novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, even if it is rather “inspired by” and not so much “based on”, retelling the dream of a fisherman in which he has adventures with…
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
In search of a lost epic – whatever happened to Wallace McCutcheon’s ambitious first ever adaptation of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? The American 1905 answer to Georges Méliès’ fantastic voyages has been lost in time – as if it was never even made. 20,000 Leagues Under the…
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The ‘?’ Motorist
(6/10) Walter R. Booth’s short film is a subversive and funny trick film about a couple of mad motorists that speed through the British streets, toppling police officers, riding up store fronts and finally circling the rings of Saturn. Inspired by Méliès, but with a creativity of its own. The…
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A Voyage Around a Star
(4/10) An astronomer travels to woo the lady in stars by enclosing himself in a soap bubble in this 1906 short film by Gaston Velle. A Voyage Around a Star (Voyage autour d’une étoile). 1906, France. Directed by Gaston Velle. Cinematography: André Vanzel. Produced for Pathé. IMDb score: 6.0. Tomatometer:…
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The Moon Lover
(7/10) A drunken romantic reaches for the moon in this warmly whimsical 1905 pseudo-sci-fi film by French trick filmer Gaston Velle. Clearly inspired by Georges Méliès, but with a personal touch. The Moon Lover. 1905, France. Written and directed by Gaston Velle & Ferdinand Zecca. Produced for Pathé. IMDb score:…
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The Twentieth Century Tramp; or, Happy Hooligan and His Airship
(3/10) The first American science fiction film was made in 1902 is shows the comic book character Happy Hooligan flying a balloon-bicycle over New York. A crude and technically inferior imitation of a French film, but noteworthy since it was directed by legendary Edwin S. Porter. The Twentieth Century Tramp;…
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Gugusse and the Automaton
No rating, film lost. The world’s first film featuring a robot was a short one-reeler made by Georges Méliès in 1897. It is considered a lost film, and there probably isn’t a single person alive who has seen it. We’ll try our best to recreate it in our minds nonetheless.…
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An Over-Incubated Baby
(5/10) Britain’s first sci-fi film features a marvelous incubator. The short comedy clip was directed by Walter R. Booth, early cinema’s most prolific science fiction director and the artistic dynamo behind early British cinema. An Over-Incubated Baby. 1901, Great-Britain. Directed by Walter R. Booth. Produced by Robert W. Paul. IMDb…
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The Flying Machine
(7/10) Movie pioneer Ferdinand Zecca rides his steampunk bike over Paris in this short, but beautifully filmed trick film from 1901, marking France’s first science fiction movie. The Flying Machine (À la conquête de l’air). 1901, France. Directed by and starring Ferdinand Zecca. Produces for Pathé. IMDb score: 6.6/10. Tomatometer:…
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The Mechanical Butcher
(5/10) The first science fiction film in history was made by movie pioneer Louis Lumière in 1895, and depicts a futuristic machine turning a live pork into sausages and ham at lightning speed. The Mechanical Butcher (La Charcuterie Mecanique). 1895, France. Directed, filmed and produced by Louis Lumière for Lumière. …
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