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A well-dressed gent, a little the worse for wear after a night of overindulgence, staggers home to bed, only to be terrorised by mischievous imps, unruly furniture, and a flying bed, which takes him on a perilous journey through the night sky. Crafted with wit, style, and technical brilliance, this wonderful adaptation of Winsor McCay’s 1905 comic strip proves a great delight.
The 400 Tricks of the Devil | Georges Méliès | ★★★★
Two travellers find themselves taken on an incredible journey by the devil, in this intense, imaginative Méliès short.
Magic Roses | Segundo de Chomón | ★★★★
A beautifully mounted conjuring film, in the vein of Méliès, but presented with more style and panache.
In Guy’s hilarious post office-set comedy, a lady utilises the tongue of her obliging maid to lick her stamps. Intrigued by the spectacle, a passing gentleman takes a shine to the young servant, and kisses her passionately. However, with her mouth suitably gummy, she immediately becomes stuck to his sizeable moustache, with a pair of scissors being required to extricate her from his fizzog. Brilliantly performed and simply yet beautifully crafted, this irreverent short proves quite delightful.
From the arrival of ingredients through preparation, production, and packaging to the final loading of vans, this fascinating, methodical short film documents the manufacturing process at Peek Frean and Co.'s Biscuit Works, Bermondsey, London, in 1906.
