Prismark10 Maybe the first example of science fiction and fantasy in a narrative form from the pioneer of early cinema Georges Melies as he plays an astronomer studying in an observatory when a devil figure appears then a woman who sends the devil away.The astronomer draws a globe on a blackboard which starts to move, when he looks through the telescope the moon appears with a large face like the face later used in Thomas the Tank Engine cartoons and it eats the astronomer's telescope.Then small men come through the mouth of the moon and then it goes back in the sky and then the moon becomes a crescent when another figure in the shape of a lady appears.This is just part of the content in a short film just over three minutes long that has set design, characters in costumes, special effects and use of editing as well as surreal imagery. The editing is jumpy but again it is Melies that was showing the early promise of cinematic illusion.

Ben Davis George Méliès makes my mind melt and my jaw drop again! This short film is actually better than the last! It has the extremely cool illusions of people appearing and disappearing out of thin air (still do not know how that was accomplished), but this one steps it up a notch. There's this really creepy moon that eats the furniture that moves on its own and it looks awesome. The guy who is playing the astronomer did a great job. His performance made me laugh. The biggest improvement though is the addition of music. Just simply adding music helps, but it's even better when the music fits perfectly and adds another level of enjoyment to something, which is the case here. This makes me way more eager to check out more of George Méliès work, and I think I can safely say I won't be disappointed.

Red-Barracuda This ancient Georges Méliès film is one of the most elaborate of its day. Unlike most films from the time it actually tells a story. It's primitive and simplistic of course but for the 19th century this is complex cinema. Nevertheless, it's the execution more than the narrative that makes it interesting. The story is basically about a nightmare experienced by an astronomer. In it the moon advances up close and terrorises him.For such an old film it's extremely ambitious. Méliès uses his famed visual trickery in many ways here but perhaps the most memorable aspect about this one isn't a special effect, it's the huge moon man. This large giant orb is a precursor to the famous one in A Trip to the Moon a few years later. In this one he is a source of menace but he is quite comic looking nevertheless. A memorable creation for sure and one of the first iconic moments in the early years of cinema.

chuckydorn I can't believe that no one else has commented on this yet. This amazing film was one of the first "story" films, with sets like a play. It is a wonderment and leaves so much inspiration for the imagination. It is not in popular circulation, but perhaps it should be. If you can get a chance to watch this one do at all costs. If you can't find it then just think of the Tonight Tonight video by the Smashing Pumpkins. It's about the same except they are separated by about one-hundred years and by a whole barrage of special effects. All in all they are both wonderful and interesting to look at.