You've seen 'The Artist,' now try out the real deal (Pantagraph.com)

So you bravely sampled the mute wares of “The Artist.”

And much to your surprise, you were left speechless by its, well, artistry.

Now, you’re primed to talk some serious silent cinema — the real, pre-“Jazz Singer” McCoy.

It doesn’t hurt that this year’s big Oscar victor is back in wider release than ever (including return engagements at the Galaxy 14 in Bloomington, the Stadium 14 in Normal and a looming weekend at the Normal Theater, March 29 through April 1).

It also doesn’t hurt that Oscar’s other big noise, Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” is similarly obsessed with the pre-verbal days of cinema, casting Georges Melies’ 100-year-old “A Trip to the Moon” as a key part of the proceedings.

True movie buffs need no inducement to dip into the rich treasure trove of pre-talkie history. But the average moviegoer is likely far more wary — now more than ever in this era of extreme technophilia.

Following is a “Top 10” list of suggestions for where the novice silent film viewer might want to start before diving into the deep end; the choices are made on the basis of their accessibility to modern palates, and availability in high-quality home video editions.

Read more: http://www.pantagraph.com/entertainment ... z1oXjO68io

Hello Julien,

I shall purchace the artist on Blu-ray at some point, however I also have a large boxset of silent movies on Laserdisc that I look forward to watching at some point.

There are soo many old movies that I would love to own.

Regards

I saw the preview of The Artist at Cinemateket in Stockholm and it was completely outstanding! It's not only a tribute to the silent movies, it shows perfectly well how stupid most of the modern Hollywood-movies are and how little that has changed in the mainstream movie industry. Today, won't watch any movies that aren't in 3D. What this movie shows is how the same thing happened in the late 1920's when most studios stopped making silent movies and started using sound because the consumers didn't want to watch silents anymore. It's so silly, and so relevant to many consumers today.

When it comes to silent movies, I recommend Körkarlen (aka. The Phantom Carriage), Battleship Potemkin and Metropolis. Don't miss City Girl or F.W. Marnau's other classics either.