Author Archive: Retro

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11 Clasic Films in the Public Domain from Mental Floss
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Campy movies return us to a time of wild excess, favoring a cartoonish, overblown acting style; sub-par FX; cheap sets and costume design. From b-movies about voodoo curses; to radioactive, space-dwelling gorillas; to freaky, druggy exploitation films – campy movies are not without their merits.

Check out some of the campiest films of the public domain, to appreciate the overblown performances and general weird wonderfulness!

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the verb form of “camp” as “deliberately exaggerated and theatrical behavior or style,” and also “to behave in an ostentatiously effeminate way,” – both of which could summarize Ed Wood’s entire career. Plan 9 From Outer Space might not be as “effeminate” as some of Ed Wood’s other films, most notably Glen Or Glenda?, but it is overblown and exaggerated, with radioactive, body-stealing aliens; clapboard sets; and a posthumous Bela Lugosi, in his final

In the heyday of drive-ins, audiences used to be treated to short, entertaining ads - known as intermission commercials. Intermission commercials, also known as intermission ads, drive-in commercials, drive-in ads, or PSAs, were mostly used to tempt audiences to visit the concession stands, for treats like spiced pickles or mosquito repellent. Intermission commercials are also sometimes called intermission snipes, when the short film encourages the audience to do something, like “be quiet” or “take off your hat”.

The first known intermission commercial was for Admiral Cigarettes (1897), directed by William Heise, a noteworthy and prolific director who produced hundreds of short films in the late 1800s. Filmack Studios was founded in 1919, with journalist Irving Mack. Theatrical snipes were Filmack Studio’s bread-and-butter, with the production company producing thousands of ‘policy snipes’, asking audiences to be quiet or take off their hats. Some other noteworthy intermission comme [...]

Before Marvel and DC Comics were the most trusted revenue generators in franchise filmmaking, superheroes had a long and storied history on the silver screen.

Here is a list of heroes who all made their first big screen appearances as the subjects of their own serials, a popular cinematic form of the late ‘30s and early ‘40s in which a story was told in weekly segments, typically over the course of 12 episodes or so.

Most of these heroes shortly found their way from the serial format into feature-length films and then eventually into television series. These icons have a way of growing with the times, which is why we still know them today and can still catch them on big screens across the nation.

Flash Gordon (1936-55)

As some of the most technically proficient and visually captivating live-action serials of this period, it is easy to imagine a young George Lucas’ enthrallment with this series. Flash Go [...]

Public domain films have a rich history. From perennial favorites to historic treasures to fascinating rarities, read about some of history of the films in our public domain movies archive.

Famous Public Domain Movies That Were Remade
Iconic Public Domain Films
Landmark Public Domain Films
Controversial Films in the Public Domain
Great Film Noir Movies in the Public Domain
Best Comedy Public Domain Movies
Superheroes & Comic Book Characters in Public Domain Movies
Intermission Commercials In Public Domain Films