'The Astronomer's Dream' is trippy fun!

The Astronomer's Dream (1898) (aka "A Trip to the Moon")
Starring: Georges Méliès and Jehanne d'Alcy
Director: Georges Méliès
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars


An astronomer (Méliès) is plagued by strange events in his observatory, culminating in it being invaded by celestial bodies, and an angelic figure with a heavenly body (d'Alcy).

Georges Méliès was a French illusionist who fell in love with the power of moving pictures back when filmmaking was in its infancy. He made dozens upon dozens of trippy short films that were full of inanimate objects turning into people, and visa-versa; people and spirits appearing from, and vanishing into, thin air; and even rocket ships traveling to other worlds. He is widely and accurately considered the father of cinematic special effect, and by 1898, he had already perfected his basic techniques and his films and their visual trickery would only get more elaborate as the Silent Movie Age progressed.

"The Astronomer's Dream" is a rollicking 3-minute long special effects extravaganza which I think is almost as entertaining to modern viewers as it was back in the 1890s. Although there is a story here (but whether it's ultimately a comedy or a tragedy is left up to the viewers' interperation), and there are a some actors doing actor things, the driving force and star of this movie is the special effects. They must have been awe-inspiring back as the 19th century was giving way to the 20th, and while we may be less amazed by them today--since all but the youngest of children or most sheltered of adults know the basics of special effects--the trippiness they bring to the viewing experience remains undulled. After all, what's not to love about a movie where the moon descends to Earth to eat the content of an observatory and disgorge some children? Or a movie where a sexy space goddess decides to drop in, just because?

Whether you're interested in film as an art form, or just want to spend three minutes enjoying a weird little movie that's as charming now as it was 121 years ago, I strongly encourage you watch "The Astronomer's Drea", right here, right now!