George Melies-The Astronomers Dream (1898)

I have a soft spot for silent movies, especially the ones that are of the horror, gothic or fantasy genres.

Lately, I’ve been curious about Georges Melies’ films and was wondering what other kinds of films lurking around that I still need to watch. His techniques fascinate me. Melies was a French illusionist turned film director, who popularized various kinds special effects, such as the use of photographic time lapses and stop tricks. You might remember this man more as the director of. I’ve only see that film and this one,. Strangely, I have completely forgotten about this film until I saw it again on youtube. The film is about an astronomer having a dream about Satan, the moon, and a faerie queen. It’s setting is highly theatrical. Melies’ use of special effects is a pleasure to watch. The design of moon whose moving, surreal characteristics both frighten and amuse me. He eats almost every furniture in the room without warning gleefully. He is delightfully absurd. The performers are equally fun to watch. The Astronomer made me chuckle near the end of the film. Much like how I felt after watching , left me wanting more. I want to find out what other kinds of stories did this man tell. I’m sure they are just as fascinating.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)