A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune)

Film: Le voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon)
Year: 1902
Country: France
Director: Georges Méliès
Length: 14 minutes
IMDb

Though only 14 minutes in length, this movie was long compared to the usual 2-minute films of the time. Its special effects were also new and impressive, and it is considered the first true science fiction film.

I had this movie on a DVD called Landmarks of Early Film, and it included the narration (which was written to be read alongside the movie, but which apparently has often been left out). I'm glad I had that, because it made it possible to understand what was actually going on. The result was an enjoyable 14 minutes. The effects were actually pretty cool, and the plot had me laughing, particularly when the humans and easily-destroyed Selenites just automatically started fighting each other (no Star Trek-style first contact attempts here).

This film unquestionably belongs on the list.

The Plan

I am going to watch the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Actually, it's now 1187 movies, as of the 2015 edition of the book, when you include all movies from all editions.That number will continue to go up a bit each year as long as the book keeps getting updated. I'm using this list as a reference, but also checking out the book from the library along the way to read the descriptions that go with each movie.

I'm also watching them in order! All the way from Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) (1902) to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and beyond.

I have no set timeline for this project, but will at least try to keep up a steady pace. I began on January 1, 2017. As of that time I had already seen approximately 117 of the movies on the list, but will still be watching all of those as I come to them.

One last thing: I am not a film critic, nor even a film studies student. I've watched a fair number of movies in my life, but not an extraordinary number, and I have zero experience reviewing them or picking them apart in any way. I'll be learning as I go!

I look forward to chatting about movies with anyone who stops by this blog! And please let me know if you're attempting a similar feat!