Silent Magic: Trick Films and Special Effects, 1895-1912
May 20, 2014
(Various directors and countries, 1895-1912, 16mm, approx. 90 min)
At the dawn of the previous century, a new breed of sorcerer emerged: blending the ancient arts of stagecraft and prestidigitation with experimental movie trickery, these modern magicians transported audiences to entirely new realms of wonder.
Tonight we travel back in time with a program of special effects epics and “trick films” more than 100 years old, and rediscover a sampling of pioneering films by Georges Méliès, Edwin S. Porter, Segundo de Chomón, and others.