Author Archive: Retro

Links to Resources on Public Domain Films

RetroFilm Vault The largest collection of public domain films in the world.
Wikipedia
Pratt Library
Library of Congress
11 Clasic Films in the Public Domain from Mental Floss
PublicDomainMovies.org
Public Domain Information Project

The Campiest Movies In The Public Domain

 

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 commercial studios include National Screen Service (NSS) and Pike Productions.

Superheroes and Comic Book Characters

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

Most Controversial Films in the Public Domain

Some films simply clash with the social mores of their time; others upend them. We tend to imagine our own modern morality as steadfast and grounded in truth. The lessons of history often say otherwise.

Allow yourself a glimpse into our moral history with this short list of controversial films now in the public domain.

Birth of a Nation (1915)

1. W. Griffith’s 1915 epic presents an alternate history in which the Ku Klux Klan restores order and white supremacy over malignant black rule in the Reconstruction South. In Griffith’s film, African-Americans are depicted as overtly lazy, thieving, predatory, and violent. The drama unfolds around the need to suppress blacks’ base desires as they threaten the social and political fabric of America.

Birth of a Nation was Hollywood’s first bona fide blockbuster, raking in millions at the box office. It was also the first film shown at

Locating the weirdest films of the public domain is no easy feat. After all, what is one man’s trash may be another man’s genius; one woman’s exploitation may be another ladies’ titillation.

Weird is hard to define, difficult to pin down. From sexploitation to sleaze, vintage educational films to retro horror and sci-fi, here’s our list of the Weirdest Films Of The Public Domain, for your next strange movie night!

Spider Baby (1967)

1967’s Spider Baby, directed by Jack Hill and starring the legendary Lon Chaney Jr., is The Strange Case Of Benjamin Buttons meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in this bizarre exploitation romp through mental illness, the dangers of in-breeding, cannibalism, and corporate greed!

Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1963)

It’s hard for a woman to get ahead in this world, especially when she doesn’t have a body. Perhaps the schlocky title “Brain That Wouldn’t Die” might leave you underwhelmed, but don’t judge a film

Landmark Films in the Public Domain

Some films last well beyond their theatrical run. After their release, they never quite leave us. We see their imprint time and again.

These films that have given birth to the cinematic form—progenitors of style and substance. Their influence is incalculable, continuing to shape what we see on the screen to this day.

The Kiss (1896)

Also known as The May Irwin Kiss, this short film was one of the first commercially shown to audiences and definitely was the first to focus explicitly and singularly on sex.

The couple never looks at the camera (an uncommon cinematic affect at the time). The viewer has the sense of peering in through a peephole on a couple’s shared intimate moment. They nuzzle closely, some words of courtship are exchanged, and then they go for it. It’s the narrative arc of modern romantic comedies distilled into 18 seconds. The advertisement in the

Most Iconic Public Domain Films

What truly makes a film ‘iconic’? What makes us come back to films that are 50, 60, or even 100 years old? A truly iconic film is one that leaves a lasting impact on the culture after its release. Oftentimes these films are not recognized until years (or even decades) after their initial release. The following are the most iconic films in the public domain.

Night of the Living Dead

In 1968, George A. Romero made a big splash in the horror movie scene with his independently produced Zombie feature Night of the Living Dead. The film follows seven characters trapped within a farmhouse in Pennsylvania, unable to escape because of the Living Dead (Despite its significance in zombie movie canon, the word “Zombie” is never used in the film).

Produced on a budget of slightly over 100,000 dollars, Romero’s first feature film kick-started the Zombie subgenre of horror which