Michael_Elliott
Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894)**** (out of 4) If entertainment is what you're seeking then don't take my four-star review meaning a great movie. The word entertainment might not fit too well with these early films but on a historical level this here is one of the all time greats. Running just five seconds we see a man sneeze. Yes, that's all there is to it. This is famous for many reasons including it being one of the earliest films made by Edison. According to records it was filmed on January 7th, 1894 and became the first movie to have a copyright two days later.
oldbadeyes
First of all I have to say that for me as an allergy sufferer I felt a strong desire for reviewing this comprehensive piece of cineastic enlightenment. William Dickson was probably the first who mastered the technique of omission. Following by originating Hemingway, the great writer, the director of Record Of A Sneeze understands how to focus on the main parts by leaving out disturbing elements. The result we see is a true epic in its shortest form: A harsh and dry sneeze, nothing more, nothing less and that' s it. But not at all because according to H´s iceberg theory six seventh of the true meaning are still invisible under water. However I cannot do this interpretation on your behalf, so go open the treasure of Dickson films yourself and discover a universe of puzzle pieces which, when stuck together, will always make you smile. 9/10, an outstanding short and dark Dickson, recommended
stuff_1004
I have seen this film numerous times in documentaries about the history of the silent film. I have always loved the history of the silent film and this is undoubtedly the seed from which some of the great comedies of our time have been based. I feel sneezing (nowadays) has become an overdone gimmick in comedies and this film started it even though I laughed at it. My final word on this film is this, IT BLEW ME AWAY!!! (HA HA)
pooch-8
Best known as Fred Ott's Sneeze, W.K.L. Dickson's short Kinetoscope should most likely be classified as some sort of documentary, although Mr. Ott's exaggerated wind-up and release come off as a little less than authentic. The novelty of moving images stunned and amazed those who saw these early subjects following their creation at Thomas Edison's famous Black Maria studio. And even though it is not the oldest film listed in the database, it was the first film to have a copyright filed on its behalf. Lasting only a few seconds, the movie itself holds a kind of rare and inexplicable fascination for lovers of film. Difficult to put into words (you could have watched the complete work a number of times in the span it takes to read this), I always feel like I am seeing the cinema's equvalent of Eve biting into the apple.
AD
