(1919)
Dir - Richard Oswald
Overall: GOOD
Though it has virtually no traces of surrealistic, German Expressionist imagery, Richard Oswald's Unheimliche Geschichten, (Uncanny Stories), still stands as an excellent, very early anthology horror outing. For historical purposes, it contains probably the earliest film adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat", which would become a hallmark story in the genre. The other four stories are from Robert Louis Stevenson, screenwriter Robert Liebmann, prolific author Anselm Heine, and Oswald himself who pens the only truly lackluster one "The Spectre" at the end. Conrad Veidt, (who almost seemingly showed up in every silent horror movie ever made in Germany), is one of a three person cast who appear as different characters in each story. As the Devil, his co-star Reinhold Schünzel even dons a very Lugosi-esque look with a cape and prominent, jet-black, widows peak hairstyle to point out yet another small ingredient that future horror films would adapt. The pacing is kept brisk with a fair enough amount of time given to each tale and the macabre mood is more playful than anything.
(1922)
Dir - Benjamin Christensen
Overall: GOOD
The largely influential Häxan was a bold experiment by filmmaker Benjamin Christensen at the time of its making. Showcasing nearly unheard of graphic imagery such as nudity, torture, and blasphemy while presented as a documentary that in part compares the modern treatment of hysteria to medieval superstitions, it was anything but a typical crowdpleaser. Christensen in fact thoroughly researched his subject matter, basing most of its content off of The Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th century writing on what was wildly believed to depict the "reality" of witchcraft. Different cuts of Häxan have circulated around, but the fuller one-hundred and four minute one is a bit of a cumbersome viewing experience. Broken up into chapters, a handful of them do in fact benefit from a tighter edit, but the best elements involving fictionalized recreations of witch's Sabbaths and demons conducting their mischief are still fantastic. Not only that, but many of its segments that explore more primitive beliefs are legitimately educational and interesting. Also, the movie is actually quite intentionally funny at various times. It is still positively bizarre nearly a hundred years later, with few or any cinematic works quite like it. Though certainly not the best silent genre movie, its uniqueness is laudable and it still packs in some pleasant, ghastly shocks for the steadfast horror fan.
(1925)
Dir - Guido Brignone
Overall: GOOD
The Italian cinema mainstay Maciste had what has go to be a record twenty-seven films made in the silent era, all of which starred the hulking Bartolomeo Pagano. This is not even taking into account the character's 1960s revival which produced another twenty-five films. Beat that Jason Voorhees! One of the last in the initial silent run was Maciste all'inferno, (Maciste in Hell), which would not even be the final trek to the netherworld the musclebound, Italian Hercules would make. The movie is cartoonishly silly, but this is hardly a detriment. The bulk of its running time does indeed take place, (as the title would suggest), in Hell and it is assuredly entertaining to watch hundreds of horned, pitchfork-wielding, pointy-tailed, filthy demons attack each other as bursts of flame erupt everywhere around them. There is even a giant, fire breathing dragon that acts as "Hell's airplane", some stop motion animation, and Lucifer himself shown munching on dammed souls in the lake of fire. Played out as a simple fairytale, it is technically rather impressive for the day despite its elementary plot. Visually for sure, it qualifies as a triumph of sorts.
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