Dream and Reality

Although Gainsbourg and Birkin had appeared in a string of films since their magnetic collision in Pierre Grimblat’s Slogan, Melody was a bit of diversion from their collaborations since it’s a series of interwoven videos inspired by the Gainsbourgalbum. For '71 it’s a novel concept to bring visual life to an LP, but even more surprising are the short film’s amazing visuals that director Averty crafted using a wealth of video filters, overlays, camera movements and chroma key effects. Averty applies these in tandem with the increasing tone of Gainsbourg’s songs, which more or less chronicle an older man's affair with a young girl. Each song is comprised of steady, sometimes brooding poetic delivery, with refrains timed to the phrase repeats of each song, while Alan Parker’s buzzing guitar accompanies and wiggles around Gainsbourg’s resonant voice. The bass is fat and groovy, the drums easy but steady, and the periodic use of strings or rich vibrato makes this short a sultry little gem.

Chester Conklin, as the fire chief, clashes with Slim Summerville, police chief.

John Stonehouse (William Russell) checks into a hotel, intending to commit suicide. But instead he winds up helping a girl, Gilberte Bonheur (Fritzi Brunette), out of a jam. He finds her bending over a man who she has apparently killed, and since he's about to kill himself anyway, he offers to assume the blame. Throw a valuable emerald into the works, and the fact that the dead man suddenly comes back to life, and Stonehouse -- not to mention the audience -- becomes thoroughly befuddled by it all. Everything clears up, however, when Gilberte gives him a theater ticket -- it turns out that everything he went through was the plot to a stage play, enacted in real life by the actors. The critics roasted the play, saying it wasn't true to life, and this was their proof that the situations really could happen. Gilberte retires from acting when Stonehouse proposes.

Donald Duck goes to a museum of modern inventions. After getting in without paying, he meets a robot butler who takes Donald's hat every time he sees him. Donald is very annoyed by this and magically fixes himself a new hat every time this happens and strolls on. Ignoring the sign not to touch it, Donald starts playing with a wrapping machine and ends up being wrapped himself. He also encounters and tries out a robot nursemaid and a fully automatic barber chair. They both don't do him much good.

King Midas is visited by an elf; the elf turns his cat to gold, then claps his hands and it changes back. Midas begs for the golden touch, but the elf warns him it would be a curse to him. Midas insists. He dances about joyfully at first, but discovers the drawbacks when he sits down to dinner. Fearing death by starvation, he summons the elf and agrees to surrender everything he owns to have the curse lifted.

When the old fisherman tries to convince his donkey to climb the steep winding road of their Greek island, he finds Mariza to be one suborn ass. But the old man knows that no one can resist Zorba's dance.

A little girl tricks a nasty boy into thinking that the "rocketship" she built has taken him to the moon.

Pluto comes bounding outside to help Mickey get a Christmas tree. Chip 'n Dale see him and make fun of him, but the tree they take refuge in is the one Mickey chops down. They like the decorations, especially the candy canes and Mickey's bowl of mixed nuts. But Pluto spots them and goes after them long before Mickey spots them. Minnie, Donald, and Goofy drop by to sing carols.

Jim Broadbent wrote and starred in this short film directed by none other than Mike Leigh. As a member of the landed gentry, the 23rd Earl of Leete has a duty to maintain and expand his lands. Shot in the style and manner of a BBC documentary, Broadbent tells his family history to the crew, who slowly come to realise - as do we - that things are not what they seem.

Attracted by his wealth, avaricious Germaine marries D'Artois, then leaves him for a more sophisticated man. D'Artois retaliates by moving to the city and learning the proper social graces. His new life style proves to be too expensive for him, and at the end he is left with nothing but one suit of evening clothes and his now contrite wife.

An early short film by Douglas Sirk (Detlef Sierck) which takes a satirical look at dubious business practices during the Weimar Republic. It was banned under the title "Zwei Genies" but released as "Zwei Windhunde" after revisions were made.

A haunted-hotel film, reviving a joke from a 1900 comic strip showing a sleeper being ejected from an electric bed.

Yeong-deuk and Jeong-sun and engaged. Yeong-deuk comes back home after completing his studies and meets the wrong kind of friends who revel in liquor and women.

BREAKFAST: After eating breakfast, a man is transformed into an elaborate dumb-waiter-style breakfast dispenser - and the same fate befalls the man who obtains breakfast from him. LUNCH: After failing to catch the waiter's eye, two would-be diners end up eating everything within reach. DINNER: Portraits of various meals made up of human organs.

A Journalism intern makes her first report in a public office, getting lost in the bureaucratic intricacies.

Ben and fiancée Haver run a bakery and grocery. A mostly lost film, only seven minutes survive.

At a dinner party, a hostess serves her guests a dish made using meat from a bull. While most of them enjoy the meal, one man has a strange reaction: Taking a set of horns off the wall, he attaches them to his head and sets off on a rampage. After destroying the house and terrifying his hostess, her guests, maid, and neighbours, he takes to the streets. The police sends a telegraph to Spain asking for help, and in response a parade of matadors arrive in Paris, ready to slay the crazy beast-man. However, soon after the man-bull fight begins, the errant guest comes to his senses and is taken into custody by waiting policemen.

The scene of the drama is a block of modern flats. Many of the residents are away at a dance, and the janitor and his staff decide upon a jollification of their own. They invite their friends to a fine high tea. Everybody is having a fine time, and their spirits are running high. We are now taken to the outside of the hall door, and watch with amusement the frantic pounding and bell ringing of the residents returning from their evening engagements and seeking admission to their apartments. The gay gathering inside are too busy with their own pleasure to heed the angry crowd outdoors. A policeman is called, but all to no purpose, and the tenants are all taken to the station for quarters for the night. Returning to the janitor's quarters we see that the jollifications have been concluded and the guests are all departing. The superior officer at the station concludes to make another effort to gain admittance in the building and, with the tenants at his heels, he approaches the flats.

A documentary about some of the comedians of the silent era featuring clips from their films and biographical information.

Mr. and Mrs. Hilton throw a New Year's Eve party. They agree not to drink the punch themselves, but as guests begin to arrive their resolve weakens, and soon they are both cavorting drunkenly. Next morning Mr. Hilton, feeling very sick, is conscience-stricken over his drunkenness and his behavior with another woman. He fears to face his wife until he discovers that she feels just as guilty herself.