‘He Who Gets Slapped’ Gets Its Slap-Happy Revenge
Lou Chaney-starring He Who Gets Slapped gives viewers a macabre melodrama with a taste of serious literature – until it ends in bloody revenge.
silent film
Pokes & Jabbs’ Surreal Silent Comedies
Silent film comedy duo Pokes & Jabbs were no Laurel & Hardy, no Fatty Arbuckle & Buster Keaton, and no Three Stooges – they were something else.
Erich Von Stroheim and Cecil B. DeMille’s Fetishistic Films
Erich Von Stroheim’s films fetishised a scandalous poke to the public’s eye, whereas Cecile B. DeMille’s films obsessed over middle-class verities.
Hobart Bosworth’s Edgy Strong Silent Type Clings to Life
What remains of Hobart Bosworth’s edgy strong silent type characters and his directing achievements cling to life in the few silent-era Hollywood films left to us.
Silent Film ‘The Bat’ Begat Comics Dark Superhero Batman
Murder, secret rooms, and a man in a bat suit are among the shenanigans in silent film The Bat, a seminal work that begat comics dark superhero Batman.
MoMA’s To Save and Project Film Restoration Fest Ranges from Classics to Avant-Garde
MoMA’s To Save and Project film restoration festival shows silents, exploitation films, avant-garde jokes, and the first Mexican film awarded at Cannes.
International Film Buffs Should Pounce on MoMA’s To Save and Project Festival
From silent classics to Thai melodrama, home movies to Brazilian sambas, MoMA’s To Save and Project festival is catnip for international film buffs.
The Best Film of 2024
Our Best Film of 2024 commemorates intriguing films, emerging voices and celebrated doyens searching for stranger narratives and new angles on existing legends.
When Sessue Hayakawa Took Hollywood by Smoldering Storm
Sessue Hayakawa was the first Asian male star in Hollywood, became a “foreign” silent film sex symbol, and ran his own company while the “natives” remained uptight.
Silent Film Restorations ‘The Craving’ and ‘Annie Laurie’ Radiate the Medium
Francis Ford was an important silent film actor and director, and not just for being John Ford’s brother. Star Lillian Gish had the clout to get what she wanted.
Silent Film Jewels About Mothers, Horses and Gorillas
A female Tarzan and her gorilla, a horse that revenges his murdered master, mothers, and comical aviators make the scene in these silent film jewels.
‘Robot Dreams’ Quietly Encourages You Not to Be Afraid
Pablo Berger’s animated Robot Dreams is a near-perfect marvel of silent cinema nearly a century after talkies ended the silent era.