It dosn’t matter I guess. The oldest full-motion for me is something in the mid 20s or so. But the oldest film I have watched is the Roundhay Garden Scene. Which is the oldest.
I’ve seen that before. Not the most interesting stuff. 
Really? I thought the character were well deveoped, it had a great story line. walking though a garden for 2 seconds. it does not get more interesting then that. and the music is the BEST. It’s so good it’s like you don’t hear it.
Yes, I liked the movie too, despite it being partially staged. It does capture the old culture of the Inuits, it’s like a time capsul.
It depends. Roundhay Garden Scene , 1888, of course, not a movie by our standards but it is the first celluloid film recorded.
The earliest films with stories I’ve seen are [i]The Great Train Robbery /i and A Trip to the Moon (1902).
Saw a film called Dean Spanley yesterday. Pretty average, albeit a good idea and some good performances. It just wasn’t moving or compelling enough, and just because it’s a period piece doesn’t mean it should be shot with the dreariest camera ever. Some of the angles were terrible!
Yes, I’ve seen all those, along with the Lumiere’s, so I’ve seen the oldests.
It’s amazing looking at those old films and see how much thing’s have changed.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Pretty much mediocre like the second film. I hope Michael Bay doesn’t make a fourth film in the near future, even if it does involve Speilerg. F
I saw saw what was so bad about the second film, havn’t seen the third.
However, the oldest feature film I’ve seen, that is longer than 40 minutes, would be D.W. Griffith’s [i]Intolerance /i.
Last night I saw 2 movies.
Horse Feathers - This is one of my favorite Marx Brothers movies. I really like how each brother ends up singing Everyone Says I Love You. This movie was from the brothers at their peak, I really enjoyed it.
That’s Entertainment! This piece of MGM propaganda is features over 30 years of clips from MGM musicals. It focused mainly on the work of Kelly, Astaire, and Garland.
It was hosted by an array of stars including Bing Crosby, James Stewert, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, and Elizabeth Taylor.
My favorite scene was showing a dinner at MGM in the 50s. In ONE table alone dined Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Fred Astaire, Jimmy Durante, Judy Garland, and Buster Keaton. Talk about stars!
Film is a very rapidly progressing art form. Considering it’s one of the major medias/art forms today, its lifespan thus far pales in comparison to other arts. With the quality and crispness of visuals and effects, I just wonder where else film will take us now… What, 3D and 48 fps like Peter Jackson is doing in The Hobbit? I don’t know if I’m a fan of that.
The Artist was not only a fantastic homage to classic cinema and silent film, but the fact that nearly everything about it is directly influenced by that era in film, its message is even more effective. The movie would be weak if it were filled with sounds, people talking, and had a crisp, finished look (think vinyl record compared to digital CD). The look of it is gorgeous but still vintage feeling. I wish more black and white films were made.
Same. Sadly, some people don’t appreciate it.
I was just watching The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, one of my favorite westerns, and I remember the classic comment on why Ford choose to make it in B&W in 1962, often in a negative way. Shame on them!
What’s silly is that black and white photography remains hugely popular and is often even a foundation for introductory photography courses. B&W isn’t just an outdated technology, because it has its own aesthetic merits. I’d actually like to see Pixar do a B&W film, assuming it fits the film (actually, this would have worked in parts of Up, I think). Holy wow, that would be cool.
Personally, I may fall into the minority for saying this, but I find some of Hitchcock’s color films to be the least visually pleasing, but a B&W movie like Psycho is gorgeous. I’m just using Hitchcock as an example. There are many color films nowadays that I feel would lose something becoming B&W, but at the same time, a lot of movies that are color could gain something from being B&W as well, because often the color choices don’t really reinforce the film or define it. Well, whatever, at least some B&W movies come out every now and then as opposed to none at all.
I’m glad some people still understand that approach.
Every time I propose to make a short film in B&W, the crew thinks I’ve gone mad, which angers me.
Oh man, that’s my favorite film of 2011.
It isn’t perfect, there were a few things that bothered me ([spoil]The second to last scene was horrible IMO[/spoil]).
But the beauty of the film makes up for it. [spoil]I really liked how during the scenes without music, you could hear a flickering sound. Back in the 20s and early 30s, the camera projector had a loud flickering sound, one reason why there was musical accompiment back then).[/spoil]Small details like that really impressed me with out the filmakers were so determined to create an authenitc silent film.
I too wish there were more people who enjoyed B&W films. I’d say that around 65% of films I watch ARE in black and white. I love them so much.
One of my favorite black and whites is To Kill A Mocking Bird.
Mine too!
Glad you liek it. It’s a classic.
I’ve not seen The Artist yet! I’m looking forward to it though 
I agree with q_o_p that b&w would have worked with parts of Up, and I think it would’ve gone well with bits of WALL-E and Ratatouille too (in fact, weren’t a lot of the Gusteau scenes in b&w? I know it was on a TV but still it worked really well.)
The only b&w film I actually own is It’s A Wonderful Life. I love films and yet I have no clue on it’s history and origins. I feel as though I should inform myself.
You should see more B&Ws. Without them, we wouldn’t have films today.