The History of Film

An episode all about proper (or not explicitly patriotic) melodrama as it was developing in France during the war. Who were these movies made for? What were they about? Well, let's find out. If you would like to email me you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com History of Film Discord: https://discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF Letter Boxed: https://boxd.it/3cZn3 Support the show

In this episode we cover just how, exactly, American cinema came to dominate Europe in the wake of WW1. We take a look at the economic practices that facilitated the "invasion" of American cinema onto French screens. We also examine one picture in particular, The Cheat, which exemplifies the technical sophistication of U.S. national cinema, and that film's reception by the City of Lights. If you would like to email me you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com History of Film Discord: ...

This episode reexamines some topics we have already looked at, but this time as context for one of history's greatest butcheries, rather than as pure film history. The development of cinema is intertwined with the forces that defined the 20th century. Today we explore how the First World War and the movies are cut from the same fabric, as we set the stage for some of the screen's greatest epochs -- German Expressionism, French Impressionism, Soviet Montage, and the Golden Age of American Sile...

In this episode we finish up our series on early animation by covering Gertie the Dinosaur and The Sinking of the Lusitania, both animated by Winsor McCay. Next time it's back to Europe, where we will cover the the effect of the First World War on European film! I decided to end the Patreon, at least for the foreseeable future. It was a hard decision, but I wasn't in the position to devote the time that I wanted and needed to make the channel what I wanted it to be. A special thank you to a...

It's a new year, and the History of Film is back! In this episode, we cover the life and achievements of French animator Emile Cohl, as he creates the first paper film animation, and brings fluidity and grace to a medium he helped invent! Thank you to my wonderful patrons who helped make this show possible! A special thank you to patron Ed & Shari for supporting this program in such a big way. If you want to support this show, read your name down here in the credits, and get access to co...

In this episode we take a look at Griffith's second most famous movie, Intolerance, and examine its production, structure, and impact. We also (finally) finish the long arc of Griffith's story, and bring his career, and his time here on the podcast, to a close. I would like to give special credit to my wonderful patron Ed & Shari for supporting this episode and helping to make this show possible. If you want to support this show, read your name down here in the credits, and get access t...

When I write these, I never know just how long they will be. As it turns out, talking about a film that has had a huge impact on the development of film history, and made the world so much worse, is taking a lot of words. So, this is the second of what I hope to be three episodes of The Birth of a Nation. In this episode, we describe the plot of the movie in detail (though I still skipped a couple of things here and there for the sake of brevity, believe it or not), and talk about how the ide...

This is the first of (hopefully) a recurring series of episodes on film critical theory. Today, with special guest Melissa Favara, we cover the idea of cultural production. This is kind of the broadest way of looking at movies, as a product of a culture rather only the work of an individual or group of filmmakers. This is a lens with witch to look at movies, and a tool for building context for the movies we will encounter throughout this series. I hope you enjoy it! You can email me at: hist...

Hello and welcome back! This is everything about early Italian films that we didn’t cover in the last two episodes. That means we talk a little about how Italian studios were run throughout the 1910s, Important actors not playing Maciste, influential directors (including another of the most prolific women of early film), and a film movement: Futurism. We talk about the movement’s origin, and its only surviving film – Thaïs – and how it, and the whole Italian film industry, entered a dec...

This week it's all about two movies Quo Vadis? from 1912 or 1913 and Cabiria from 1914. If you would like to visit the show's website, you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast.com. You can email me at historyoffilm@gmail.com. thank you so much for listening! I hope to see you next week! Support the show

It is a little late, but it is also long! This is one I have been researching and working on for a long time. This week it's all about a new kind of serial film–one that takes us out of the light, and into the shadowy depths of a criminal and violent Paris. Louis Feuillade takes us to depths not before plumbed by this show, as we give some much-deserved attention to serial films made by the man whom Alice Guy hand-picked to be her replacement. Fantomas and Les Vampires are two excellent movi...

Just as promised in episode 15, this week we begin our journey through the early influences of feature-length movies that will eventually take us into the studio era of the U. S. film industry and D. W. Griffith. Film D'art is more important for what it inspired than what it accomplished, and funnily enough, is skipped over entirely in a book I have on the History of French film, but is still worth discussing. It represents the last holdouts from the Edison/Black Maria style of filmmaking. Th...