8mm Forum: Will Silent Movies make a comeback?

This is topic Will Silent Movies make a comeback? in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on November 14, 2011, 07:17 PM:

Check this out...its even rumored to be a contender for the best picture oscar.. THE ARTIST is a silent movie.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810224313/trailer

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on November 15, 2011, 07:54 AM:

Yes, some theatres have already been dewired in anticipation.

Posted by Bart Smith (Member # 780) on November 15, 2011, 08:37 AM:

As Marcel Marceau said in Silent Movie - "Non!"

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on November 15, 2011, 09:11 AM:

That's excellent, Michael!

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on November 15, 2011, 09:29 AM:

It may sound the death knell for many a star of the talking screen when their lack of acting ability will become obvious.

Posted by Dino Everette (Member # 1378) on November 16, 2011, 12:42 AM:

Let's face it these days its more likely they'd take away the visuals than the sound. But hey...The artist is at least a start, unless it is just no dialogue but still plenty of "SWOOSH" "CRAAACK" and explosions. They've tried this before, Remember Ray Milland in The THIEF?

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on November 16, 2011, 12:07 PM:

...I can just see the look on the faces of the popcorn kids when the manager instructs them:
"Remember to keep the cranking speed consistent, and don't forget to trim the carbon arcs..." [Razz]

Claus.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on November 16, 2011, 12:45 PM:

I've always believed that a silent movie could actually make it today, with a score of course.

In fact, a wrote a full script for a silent movie. It's a murder thriller entitled, "Silenced" ...

As they used to put it, a "deaf and dumb" woman, who makes her living online, accidentally gets off her city bus at the wrong stop and witnesses a man killing a woman.

From this point on the woman is pursued by the man, who eventually catches her, but she escapes and thinks at first that she's killed him but is so soft hearted, that she goes back to see if he is dead. he isn't, and she nurses him back to health, only to find that he is deaf as well!

She falls in love with him over the second act of the picture, but the man is hiding something, (and I won't tell you what! haha! Thats just so that, though I've given enough of the plot to even start a good script, you won't have the hell of a surprise ending that my script has!) It's very "Hitch-Cockian"!

The neat thing is that for subtitles, we simply read what is typed on her screen or what she writes on her pad in public, and of course a good rousing score with four string quartets with grinding cellos going mad at parts! Yes, I even have most of the score written.

It was one of my dream films to make, on super 16 scope, (as I wanted it to have a realistic gritty feel), and I bet it would do quite well!

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on November 16, 2011, 04:02 PM:

OZ

I like it. Git er done!

Pat

Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on November 17, 2011, 06:42 PM:

Osi,
Your script sounds fascinating. I can appreciate the work it takes to visualize a silent movie into a written script. What was the catalyst for this story concept?

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on November 18, 2011, 12:48 PM:

A great love for just how much more craft would have to go into a silent movie. Dialogue can actually be a "crutch" in a modern movie, so easily thrown about ...

... but to be able to convey everything through movement, expression and a great musical score, that is another whole level of production entirely. The film that is taking off rather well at the moment is "aping" a classical silent film (taking place in that time), which actually was a wise move, as people tend to associate silent films with that era ...

My script takes place today, which is another whole ballgame.

Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on November 18, 2011, 07:40 PM:

I agree, yours sounds much more ambitious in concept.
Remember DR ZHIVAGO? For me , the memorable scenes were all silent with music filling the void of sound.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on November 19, 2011, 12:46 PM:

I like the thought of using silence in films.

There is a moment I've written into a script I wrote enetitled "The Bridge". It's a western that takes place during the civil war. In fact, at the beginning of the film, there would be a generous tip of the hat to Sergio Leone, as the whole idea springs from that wonderful sequence with the North and South fighting over a brige.

The plot ...

North and South are fighting for the bridge. As was often the case, two brothers are fighting on opposite sides, (though they don't know it at the moment). One general is regretting even being there and secretly wants to blow thew bridge, while the other general is maniacal and will take the bridge at all costs.

During all the fighting, (many bloody battles with various slow motiuon and such photography, no lack of graphic violence here)
the "good general" gets mortally wounded, and sends the brother out to dynamite the bridge, so he can hear it go up before he dies. This is to happen at night.

Meanwhile, the other brother decides the same damned thing after witnessing a horror of his own ...

With use of CGI and extreme slow motion, his best friend gets shot and as he twists upright before starting to fall, a cannonball splits him completely in two before before landing and blowing up a short distance behind his best friend.

The music?

The violence builds to a crescendo of ear shattering sound of screaming and cannons and gunfire. Suddenly, all is silent as we witness a a number of cuts back and forth, as the best friend is severed in two and still frame shots of the brother, wide eyed, his face covered in spattered blood, from different angles.

There is only a few seconds of complete silence, as then the same clamor of sound begins to fade back in.

Just the thought of this moment of silence and the impact has always fascinated me and I'd love to see it come to pass.

Oh, by the way, the captian under the maniacal general finally shoots the general and both sides end up, of course leaving the site, the bridge blown to smithereens.

Anyhow, another great script from a guy with great ideas who can't get them made.

Oh well, we can always settle for whatever mediorcre remake is foisted on us these days.

Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on November 21, 2011, 07:08 PM:

There are websites that market screenplays...you advertise the screenplay with a synopsis of the story...the websites cater to those in film industry looking for new material.
A producer who may think your idea has commercial possibilities would then request to see the entire screenplay.

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