Category: In the air
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The Pirates of 1920
(7/10) Pirates of the air get more than they bargained for when they kidnap a resourceful damsel in this well-made British short feature film from 1911. And there’s an interesting historical link to Katy Perry’s eyelashes. The Pirates of 1920. 1911, UK. Directed by David Aylott & A.E. Coleby. Cinematography:…
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Police in the Year 2000
(4/10) In the year 2000 police officers will be catching criminals with giant grapplers from the deck of their airship, according to this 1910 short from Gaumont. Notable for starring two comedy legends of early cinema. Police in the Year 2000 (La police en l’an 2000). 1910, France. Starring: Eugène…
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The Aerial Submarine
(4/10) A man and his daughter are kidnapped by pirates in a flying submarine in this 1910 British action adventure. Walter R. Booth’s story is too ambitious for its budget, and even a great cinema pioneer like he can’t work miracles with plywood and cardboard. The Aerial Submarine. 1910, UK.…
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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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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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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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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 Airship Destroyer
An action-packed British short from 1909 depicting future warfare with missiles and airships. Walter Booth directs with typical energy and audacity and some of the physical effects are very impressive for their time. However, the design of the film is amateurish, the model work crude and the substitution splices sometimes…
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The Impossible Voyage
(7/10) Pioneering film maker Georges Méliès’ 1904 follow-up to the groundbreaking A Trip to the Moon is perhaps his most beautiful film, but the master is starting to repeat himself. The Impossible Voyage (Le voyage à traverse l’impossible), 1904, France. Directed, produced by Georges Méliès. Written by Méliès. Based on the play…
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