The Finishing Touch (1928, Clyde Brucknan / Leo McCarey)

Who would leave the finishing touch of one's new home to Laurel & Hardy? Probably someone who wants to build a house close to a country hospital. No noise allowed in the vicinity of the hospital. Laurel & Hardy try very hard to meet the demands of the hospital's nurse. But how solid is a house that is constructed without sound?
Destructive slapstick.
6/10

Big Business (1929, James W. Horne / Leo McCarey)

Big Business and Laurel & Hardy are two different concepts. The idea to sell christmas trees might work, even in California, but James H. Finlayson is definitely not a member of the target group. The American way is to giving strength to an argument by applying physical force. Sure, violence begets violence. While Finlayson destroys the pals' vehicle, they demolish carefully and systematically Finlayson's home. Anarchist humor.
8/10

Die Gezeichneten (1922, Carl Th. Dreyer)

På dansk er denne film kendt som Elsker hverandre. Filmen baserer på en roman af denne titel af Aage Madelung. Forfattern bliver ikke længere læst i dag. Jeg går i første omgang ud fra, at mellemtitlerne er taget fra romanen. Hvis dette er tilfælde, så skrev Madelung i et meget svulstigt, nærmest opstyltet sprog.
Det er svært at se, at  Die Gezeichneten skulle være gjort af en mesterinstruktør. Der er en lang og kluntet exposition. Man skal som tilskuer læse en hel del, så kommer det en meget kort illustration af det vi lige har læst og så skal vi læase videre. Dreyer forsøgte sikkert, at få så meget som muligt af bogen krammet ind i sin film. Derfor virker den meget retro. Trods alt var man allerede kommet langt med at fortælle en historie kun med billeder. Man mærker bærmest intet af det her.
Det er alligevel imponerende, at en hel russisk landsby blev bygget op af produktionsselskabet. Det gør, at filmen virker nærmest autentisk. Dreyer er god, til at gengive en stemning. Tidligt i filmen mærker vi allerede, at de russiske vaskekoner ikke har meget andet end andres liv at gå op i. Vi ser, hvordan rygter bliver forstærket af sladder og hvordan det til sidst bliver pogrom. Nogle få år senere var det ikke længere nødvendigt at rekonstruere sådan et forløb.
5/10

The Soul Of Youth (1920, William Desmond Taylor)

Change Before Going Productions is a channel on Youtube for hardcore fans of silent movies. Every item, I have seen on this channel was without any sound. This can be hard, but it is, of course, also a question of getting used to it. However, even in silent tines, films were never performed in silence.But sometimes we have to join the purists.
William Desmond Taylor is an interesting historical figure, as the causes of his death were never solved. He became thus a main protagonist of Hollywood Babylon. Historians say, that his output has been neglected, without justification.
I never heard of Taylor, let alone seen any of his films. The Soul Soul of Youth is somewhat sentimental social drama. Ed is an unwanted child. His mother sells the baby to Maggie. She is the mistress of  Pete Morano, a corrupt politician. Maggie tries to make him believe that he is the father of the boy. As Moranao does not accept the lie, Ed is transferred to an orphanage. - Ed has a loveless childhood. Later he flees from the orphanage. He steals food from the household of the Hamiltons. They see a potential in him and try to give him a chance in life. With the help of Ed, Hamilton can silent Moreno, his opponent for the run of the post of he mayor.
Yes, the script is the major problem of this film. The style is erratic and filled with plot holes. Another problem is the preachy tone of the tale. But nevertheless. the film is still very watchable. There is first of all the dynamic editing and - which was new for me - the proper dynamics of the intertitles which give this film a narrative drive that is enjoyable even today.
8/10

I'm on My Way (1919)

This little nothing has no instructor. It is abou the dangers of marriage. When "the boy" meets a man who has been "married so long he has lost all sense of pain." He sees himself in the same position and runs away.
Another surprizingly shallow film with Harold Lloyd.
3/10

How do you call this typw of car? Anyone?

Two-Gun Gussie (1918, Alfred G. Goulding)

The most remarkable thing about the early Harold Lloyd features is their mediocrity. Harold is here mistaken for the rough Dagger-Tooth Dan. He thrives on being respected and gets the girl at last, rather by chance than by virtue.
3/10