Monkeyshines, No. 2

Starring: Giuseppe Sacco Albanese
Directed by: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Documentary
Length: 28 seconds
1890

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: During an early camera test, a slightly less blurry subject moves within the frame.

Review:

Tim: Well, look at this. Cinema was invented by Louis Le Prince in 1888 and it took only two years for the world's first sequel (of course, it was the Americans). I jest, but it's funny to consider this second camera test by the Edison studio and realize it is technically the first sequel. Like so many sequels to follow, this one plays it safe, repeating the original but with better technology. This technical test is quite similar to the original.

The big difference here is that you can literally see the technology advancing. Whereas Monkeyshines, No. 1 was extremely blurry and you had to use your imagination a bit to see the man in front of the camera, Monkeyshines, No. 2 represents a clear advancement of the camera technology. The subject is still blurry- this was very much not a finished product. However, there's a bit more visible detail to Guiseppe Sacco Albanese. He's turning and waving and you can see a bit of detail and make a clearer distinction between the subject and the shadows. Movement is captured a bit more fluidly. Now, truth be told, taken by itself, the short film is fairly unremarkable. It's using a technology that still needed a lot of work. The quality is low and the film looks grainy and unfocused. The short is fascinating when you take it within the context of the larger invention of cinema. This film, two years after Le Prince's films, is still miles and miles behind in terms of technology. Le Prince truly was the first. This film helps reiterate that point. But, to concentrate on film in America, this film watched after No. 1 shows that the technology was getting closer and William K.L. Dickson and William Heise were making progress on their motion picture technology. They hadn't quite got there, but they were inching closer.

Unless you really love cinema and have some background information on this film, Monkeyshines, No. 2 may seem like an inauspicious film. However, it's a fascinating example of the early days of cinema, showing how inventors were getting closer and closer to finalizing their technology that would reshape the world. For that reason, I enjoyed watching this first sequel.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Monkeyshines, No. 1; Roundhay Garden Scene, Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge