The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever

Don McHoull is the creator of @silentmoviegifs, first on Twitter and now Bluesky. He has found viral success with striking images throughout silent film history, and with his picks, he similarly finds comedy, tricks, and drama that still resonate today.Don’s enthusiasm for silent movies led to his GIF creations over ten years ago. He has also been making long-form videos on film and comic strips on his YouTube channel.Films and resources mentioned:His First Cigar (1908) - Louis J. GasnierExcursion to the Moon (1908) - Segundo de ChomónThe Dog Outwits the Kidnapper (1908) - Lewin FitzhamonThe Last Days of Pompeii (1908) - Arturo Ambrosio and Luigi MaggiL'Arlésienne (1908) - Albert CapellaniWings (1927) - William A. WellmanWorkers Leaving Lumière Factory (1895) - Louis LumièreThe Birth of a Nation (1915) - D.W. GriffithRescued from an Eagle’s Nest (1908) - J. Searle DawleyA Trip to the Moon (1902) - Georges MélièsThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterHumanity through the Ages (1908) - Georges MélièsIntolerance (1916) - D.W. GriffithTaxi Driver (1976) - Martin ScorseseRaging Bull (1980) - Martin ScorseseReefer Madness (1936) - Louis J. GasnierOne A.M. (1916) - Charlie ChaplinTroubles of a Grass Widower (1908) - Max LinderMary Jane’s Mishap (1903) - George Albert SmithThe Dream of an Opium Fiend (1908) - Georges MélièsThe Impossible Voyage (1904) - Georges MélièsThe Kiss (1896) - William HeiseRescued by Rover (1905) - Cecil Hepworth and Lewin FitzhamonTaken (2008) - Pierre MorelAir Bud (1997) - Charles Martin SmithThe Last Days of Pompeii (1913) - Eleuterio RodolfiJone or the Last Days of Pompeii (1913) - Ubaldo Maria Del Colle and Giovanni Enrico VidaliPompeii (2014) - Paul W.S. AndersonThe Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) - Charles TaitThe Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897) - Enoch J. RectorThe Last Days of Pompeii (1935) - Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. SchoedsackRonin (1998) - John FrankheimerLes misérables (1912) - Albert CapellaniSunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) - F.W. MurnauThe Zulu’s Heart (1908) - D.W. GriffithMovies SilentlyAlbert Capellani: cinéaste du romanesque - Christine Leteux

Author and preservationist Tracey Goessel is the founder of the Film Preservation Society and is in the thick of restoring all of the D.W. Griffith Biograph films. So it makes sense that she selects two films he made in his first year of directing, while also addressing comedy, morbidity, and the enduring appeal of dogs doing things.Tracey is the author of The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks. She is also on the board of directors of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, has published numerous articles on silent film history, and has lectured on Fairbanks widely.Films mentioned:The Adventures of Dollie (1908) - D.W. GriffithTroubles of a Grass Widower (1908) - Max LinderThe Thieving Hand (1908) - J. Stuart BlacktonThe Dog and His Various Merits (1908) - unknownAn Awful Moment (1908) - D.W. GriffithThe Good Bad-Man (1916) - Allan DwanThe Half-Breed (1916) - Allan DwanThe Guerilla (1908) - D.W. GriffithThe Little Tease (1913) - D.W. GriffithGold and Glitter (1912) - D.W. GriffithThe White Rose of the Wilds (1911) - D.W. GriffithThe Scarlet Drop (1918) - John FordThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterLife of an American Fireman (1903) - Edwin S. PorterArrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1896) - Auguste and Louis LumièreRough Sea at Dover (1895) - Birt AcresRescued by Rover (1905) - Cecil Hepworth and Lewin FitzhamonRobin Hood (1922) - Allan DwanThe Birth of a Nation (1915) - D.W. GriffithHis Trust (1911) - D.W. GriffithThe Red Man and the Child (1908) - D.W. GriffithA Trip to the Moon (1902) - Georges MélièsThe Hands of Orlac (1924) - Robert WieneMad Love (1935) - Karl FreundA Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire (1906) - Harry MilesThose Awful Hats (1909) - D.W. GriffithRomance of a Jewess (1908) - D.W. GriffithThe Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) - D.W. GriffithWorkers Leaving the Lumière Factory (1895) - Louis LumièreElectrocuting an Elephant (1903) - Jacob Blair Smith or Edwin S. PorterDumbo (1941) - Ben SharpsteenThe Race for the Sausage (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Clash of the Wolves (1925) - Noel M. SmithA Tin-Type Romance (1910) - Laurence TrimbleThe Lonely Villa (1909) - D.W. GriffithThe Fatal Hour (1908) - D.W. GriffithThe Chicken Thief (1902) - unknownIntolerance (1916) - D.W. GriffithTriumph of the Will (1935) - Leni RiefenstahlCoontown Suffragettes (1914) - unknownA Corner in Wheat (1909) - D.W. Griffith

The beginning of D.W. Griffith’s directorial career looms large for 1908, with past seasons referring to the upcoming “Griffith era” and behind-the-scenes conversations with potential guests featuring requests to reach back out around this period of narrative development, often attributed to or considered to be represented by the filmmaker. But the films selected this season certainly go beyond Griffith and this brief context-setting introduction addresses other artistic, technical, and business developments in film the world over.Films mentioned:The Adventures of Dollie (1908) - D.W. GriffithThe Assassination of the Duke of Guise (1908) - Charles le Bargy and André CalmettesStenka Razin (1908) - Vladimir RomashkovFantasmagorie (1908) - Émile CohlNick Carter, le roi des détectives (1908) - Victorin-Hippolyte JassetA Visit to the Seaside (1908) - George Albert Smith

Some already old-school genres, from the chase film to the vaudeville recreation to the traveling actuality, made a good showing in the most selected films for this 1907 season. But the unique array of picks, among the most diverse list of films for the show so far, paints a better picture of how the cinematic medium was unfolding in new directions as much as it was holding on to established formulas.Films mentioned:The Policemen’s Little Run (1907) - Ferdinand ZeccaThe Irresistible Piano (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Haunted Hotel (1907) - J. Stuart BlacktonThe Dancing Pig (1907) - unknownVancouver (1907) - William HarbeckThe Red Spectre (1907) - Segundo de Chomón20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1907) - Georges MélièsThe Eclipse: A Courtship of the Sun and Moon (1907) - Georges MélièsBen Hur (1907) - Sidney Olcott and Frank Oakes RoseBride of Frankenstein (1935) - James WhaleA Trip through British North Borneo (1907) - H.M. LomasThe Haunted House (1908) - Segundo de Chomón

Film historian Randy Haberkamp just recently retired as the Executive Vice President of the Library, Archive and Sci-Tech for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he held various positions for 23 years. With that experience in film preservation in mind, he highlights hard-to-find films as well as more famed stars and titles.Randy worked for CBS for 14 years, culminating as Director of Specials and Feature Films. He is also the founder of The Silent Society, a silent film preservation and appreciation group that has presented and preserved silent films in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years, and currently serves on the board of Hollywood Heritage.Films mentioned:Max Learns to Skate (1907) - Louis J. GasnierBen Hur (1907) - Sidney Olcott and Frank Oakes RoseThe Haunted Hotel (1907) - J. Stuart BlacktonSmuggled into America (1907) - unknownThe Girl from Montana (1907) - Gilbert M. “Broncho Billy” AndersonModern Times (1936) - Charlie ChaplinThe Rink (1916) - Charlie ChaplinReefer Madness (1936) - Louis J. GasnierNapoleon (1927) - Abel GanceThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterThe Great Train Robbery (1904) - Siegmund LubinBen-Hur (1959) - William WylerThe Haunted House (1908) - Segundo de ChomónA Clockwork Orange (1971) - Stanley KubrickThe Count of Monte Cristo (1908) - Francis Boggs and Thomas PersonsArrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1896) - Auguste and Louis LumièreRepas de bébé (1895) - Louis LumièreL'Arroseur Arrosé (1895) - Louis LumièreVertigo (1958) - Alfred HitchcockIn the Mood for Love (2000) - Wong Kar-waiThe Wizard of Oz (1939) - Victor Fleming

Agata Frymus, Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at Monash University Malaysia, selects mostly comic films to represent 1907. But by rounding out her selections with an (only maybe regrettably?) lost historical drama and the first Japanese selection of the whole show, she illustrates the multiplicity of film form at the time.Agata is the author of Damsels and Divas: European Stardom in Silent Hollywood. She was also a principal investigator on Black Cinema-Going in New York during the Interwar Period (2018-2020) and serves as a submissions editor for Early Popular Visual Culture.Films and resources mentioned:The Dancing Pig (1907) - unknownRace for the Sausage (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéLaughing Gas (1907) - Edwin S. PorterPocahontas: A Child of the Forest (1907) - Edwin S. PorterKatsudō Shashin (1907) - unknownLaughing Gas (1907) - J. Stuart BlacktonThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterMary Jane’s Mishap (1903) - George Albert SmithPocahontas (1995) - Mike Gabriel and Eric GoldbergThe New World (2005) - Terrence MalickHumorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) - J. Stuart BlacktonFantasmagorie (1908) - Émile CohlSomething Good/Negro Kiss (1898) - William SeligThe Dull Sword (1917) - Jun'ichi KōuchiDeath by Laughter: Female Hysteria and Early Cinema - Maggie Hennefeld

Filmmaker and musician Sean Guinan has an eye for the surreal, as exhibited by his TikTok channel Candy Town Follies. With that in mind, his selections cover a lot of topical and aesthetic ground, from eroticism and over-the-top comedy to social commentary and actuality footage of a major 20th century pop culture figure.Sean directed the 2000 feature film Flipping the Whale. He also led the musical group Candy Town from 2010 to 2016.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1907!Films and resources mentioned:Bridge Jump with Handcuff Escape (1907) - unknownDiana Bathing (1907) - Johann SchwarzerChildren’s Reformatory (1907) - Charles DecroixThe Policemen’s Little Run (1907) - Ferdinand ZeccaThe Irresistible Piano (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéStar Wars (1977) - George LucasKing Kong (1976) - John GuillerminSuperman (1978) - Richard DonnerCabaret (1972) - Bob FosseBugsy Malone (1976) - Alan ParkerUn chien andalou (1929) - Luis BuñuelLittle Red Riding Hood (1997) - David KaplanEl Satario (1907) - unknownMan’s Castle (1933) - Frank BorzageThe World of Apu (1959) - Satyajit RayCops (1922) - Edward F. Cline and Buster KeatonThe Blues Brothers (1980) - John LandisThe Race for the Sausage (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéDream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906) - Edwin S. PorterThe Silent Clowns - Walter Kerr

Three of Associate Professor at Brock University Liz Clarke’s picks are defined by a sort of morbid delight. But with a cuddlier creature and the colonizing gaze represented in her other two selections, the conversation reveals more layers of the global film industry in 1907.Liz is the author of The American Girl Goes to War: Women and National Identity in US Film, 1908-1918. She also researches women writers in film and television from the silent period to contemporary female show-runners.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your top five for 1907!Films and resources mentioned:Race for the Sausage (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe “Teddy” Bears (1907) - Edwin S. PorterThe Doll’s Revenge (1907) - Cecil HepworthThe Dancing Pig (1907) - unknownVancouver (1907) - William HarbeckRescued by Rover (1905) - Cecil Hepworth and Lewin FitzhamonThe Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station (1896) - Auguste and Louis LumièreThe Birth of a Nation (1915) - D.W. GriffithExplosion of a Motor Car (1900) - Cecil HepworthHow It Feels to Be Run Over (1900) - Cecil HepworthA Trip through British North Borneo (1907) - H.M. LomasA Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire (1906) - Harry MilesFilms by the Year

Film historian Matt Page has been researching film adaptations of the Bible for over 20 years. And yet only one of his picks for 1907 stems from that source and this wide-ranging conversation also reaches chases, tricks, and more.Matt is the author of the BFI’s 100 Bible Films book and has contributed to a variety of books and journals. He also runs the Bible Films Blog.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1907!Films and resources mentioned:The Race for the Sausage (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéLife and Passion of Jesus Christ (1907) - Ferdinand Zecca and Lucien NonguetCinderella (1907) - Albert CapellaniThe Red Spectre (1907) - Segundo de ChomónThe Blind Man of the Village (1907) - Antonio Cuesta and Ángel García CardonaBen-Hur (1959) - William WylerThe King of Kings (1927) - Cecil B. DeMilleThe Sign of the Cross (1932) - Cecil B. DeMilleGolgotha (1935) - Julien DuvivierL’exode (1910) - Louis FeuilladeRoundhay Garden Scene (1888) - Louis Le PrinceTraffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (1888) - Louis Le PrinceThe Butterflies (1906) - unknownBen Hur (1907) - Sidney Olcott and Frank Oakes RoseBen-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) - Fred NibloThe Birth, the Life and the Death of Christ (1906) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Irresistible Piano (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéMadame’s Cravings (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Cleaning Man (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Cabbage Fairy (1896) - Alice Guy-BlachéThat Fatal Sneeze (1907) - Lewin FitzhamonThe Runaway Horse (1908) - Louis J. GasnierThe Consequences of Feminism (1906) - Alice Guy-BlachéRescued by Rover (1905) - Cecil Hepworth and Lewin FitzhamonJerusalem, Jaffa Gate, East Side (1897) - Louis Lumière, Auguste Lumière, and Alexandre PromioThe Life of Our Savior; or, the Passion Play (1914) - Maurice MaîtreCinderella (1899) - Georges MélièsCinderella (1950) - Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde GeronimiThree Wishes for Cinderella (1973) - Václav VorlíčekSchindler’s List (1993) - Steven SpielbergCinderella (1911) - George NicholsThe Doll’s Revenge (1907) - Cecil HepworthThe Haunted Hotel (1907) - J. Stuart BlacktonThe Haunted House (1907) - Segundo de ChomónA Trip to the Moon (1902) - Georges MélièsBride of Frankenstein (1935) - James WhaleLaughing Gas (1907) - Edwin S. Porter“The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century”

1907, somewhat unlike the past couple years covered on this show, is chock-full of historical developments with details that are fun to plumb. But exploring the legal battles, studio foundings, and trade journal publications of the year just sets up the spectacular film texts themselves, with guests’ selections ranging from chase film evolutions to horrifically bizarre gems to actualities as historical documents to an animation milestone.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your top five for 1907!Films mentioned:Ben Hur (1907) - Sidney Olcott and Frank Oakes RoseNosferatu (1922) - F.W. MurnauThe Prodigal Son (1907) - Michel CarréAn Exciting Honeymoon (1905) - unknownLife of a Cowboy (1906) - Edwin S. Porter

Maybe it’s just Tristan who is surprised by the film that topped this season’s collective list. But its inclusion at all, and its ubiquity in submitters' lists, reflects that the balance of narrative and actuality is not quite as heavily weighted in the former’s favor as one might expect, even for as early (or late, 11 years after the “birth of cinema” as many measure it) as 1906.Films mentioned:A Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire (1906) - Harry MilesThe ? Motorist (1906) - Walter R. BoothHumorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) - J. Stuart BlacktonThe Merry Frolics of Satan (1906) - Georges MélièsThe Consequences of Feminism (1906) - Alice Guy-BlachéDream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906) - Edwin S. PorterThe Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) - Charles TaitFantasmagorie (1908) - Émile Cohl

Most of the picks from Coraline Refort, postdoc fellow at University of Sassari, offer exciting readings through the lens of feminism. But she also examines an animation milestone and a microcosm of film tricks up to 1906.At University of Sassari, Coraline works on the national project “WOW – Women Writing around the Camera,” which focuses on mapping the autobiographical writings of Italian actresses. She holds a PhD in Film History from the University of Florence, in cotutelle with Sorbonne Nouvelle University, where her dissertation explored the French career of Alice Guy-Blaché.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five of 1906!Films and resources mentioned:Madame’s Cravings (1906) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Consequences of Feminism (1906) - Alice Guy-BlachéThe Maids’ Strike (1906) - Charles-Lucien LépineHumorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) - J. Stuart BlacktonThe ? Motorist (1906) - Walter R. BoothThe Birth, the Life and the Death of Christ (1906) - Alice Guy-BlachéEsméralda (1905) - Alice Guy-BlachéNurses’ Strike (1907) - André HeuzéThe Strike (1904) - Ferdinand ZeccaPauvre Pierrot (1892) - Émile ReynaudSteamboat Willie (1928) - Walt DisneyThe Wizard of Oz (1939) - Victor FlemingA Butterfly’s Metamorphosis (1904) - Gaston VelleThe Boxing Cats (1894) - William K.L. Dickson and William HeiseRace for the Sausage (1907) - Alice Guy-BlachéA Trip to the Moon (1902) - Georges MélièsThe Impossible Voyage (1904) - Georges MélièsHow It Feels to Be Run Over (1900) - Cecil HepworthCinema’s First Nasty Women

Michigan State University professor Joshua Yumibe has spent much of his research career examining color in silent film (and beyond). Having that particular lens, it makes sense that all of his picks contain some aspect of color, most of them quite spectacular.Joshua is the author of Moving Color: Early Film, Mass Culture, Modernism and co-author of Fantasia of Color in Early Cinema and Chromatic Modernity: Color, Cinema, and Media of the 1920s. He is also an editor of Screen and of the Contemporary Film Directors at the University of Illinois Press.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1906!Films and resources mentioned:The Witch (1906) - Georges MélièsMiniature Theatre (1906) - Gaston VelleTit-for-Tat (1906) - Gaston VelleThe Butterflies (1906) - unknownLe chemineau (1906) - Albert CapellaniAnnabelle Serpentine Dance (1895) - William K.L. DicksonThe Merry Frolics of Satan (1906) - Georges MélièsThe Inventor Crazybrains and His Wonderful Airship (1905) - Georges MélièsThe Legend of Rip Van Winkle (1906) - Georges MélièsBob’s Electric Theatre (1909) - unknownAn Adventurous Automobile Trip (1905) - Georges MélièsGrandma’s Reading Glass (1900) - George Albert SmithMickey’s Garden (1935) - Wilfred JacksonUnder the Skin (2013) - Jonathan GlazerThe Wizard of Oz (1939) - Victor FlemingLes Misérables (1934) - Raymond BernardLes Misérables (1925) - Henri FescourtLes Misérables (1912) - Albert CapellaniThe Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912) - D.W. GriffithDiscovering Cinema: Learning to Talk & Movies Dream in Color

Oliver Gaycken, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, has a particular interest in early cinema and popular science. That perspective is brought to bear on most of his five picks, including both fiction and nonfiction films.Oliver is the author of Devices of Curiosity: Early Cinema and Popular Science. His articles have appeared in Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television, Science in Context, Journal of Visual Culture, Early Popular Visual Culture, Screen, and the collection Learning with the Lights Off.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1906!Films and resources mentioned:A Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire (1906) - Harry MilesA Visit to Peek Frean and Co.’s Biscuit Works (1906) - unknownLa neuropatologia (1906) - Roberto OmegnaHumorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) - J. Stuart BlacktonThe Vacuum Cleaner (1906) - Segundo de Chomón[warning] Electrocuting an Elephant (1903) - Edwin S. PorterThe Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) - Charles TaitSan Francisco Earthquake & Fire: April 18, 1906 (1906) - unknownDream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906) - Edwin S. PorterEureka (1974) - Ernie GehrTom, Tom, the Piper’s Son (1969) - Ken JacobsDawson City: Frozen Time (2016) - Bill MorrisonNew York Subway (1905) - Billy BitzerThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterThe Big Swallow (1901) - James WilliamsonLa Séparation de Doodica-Radica (1902) - Eugène-Louis Doyen[warning] Epileptic Seizure nos. 1-9 (1905) - Walter G. ChaseThe Enchanted Drawing (1900) - J. Stuart BlacktonFantasmagorie (1908) - Émile CohlGertie the Dinosaur (1914) - Winsor McCayA Lightning Sketch (Chamberlain) [1896] - Georges MélièsThe Magnetized Man (1906) - Louis FeuilladeFantômas (1913) - Louis FeuilladeLes vampires (1915) - Louis FeuilladeDr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922) - Fritz Lang“‘Experiments of Destruction’: Cinematic Inscriptions of Physiology” - Lisa CartwrightPicturing Time: The Work of Etienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904) - Marta Braun“The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century”Medicine on Screen

Mario Slugan, Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, has literally written the book on fiction in early cinema. With that background and research in mind, he selects four films that may fit into what we consider narrative before turning to a standout “nonfiction” film that looms large for 1906.Mario has written three other monographs, including the upcoming Taking Fiction Film Seriously. He is also co-editor of New Perspectives on Early Cinema History and the special double issue of Early Popular Visual Culture, "Early Cinema in the British Colonies.”Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1906!Films and resources mentioned:The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) - Charles TaitThe ? Motorist (1906) - Walter R. BoothThe Merry Frolics of Satan (1906) - Georges MélièsThe Consequences of Feminism (1906) - Alice Guy-BlachéA Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire (1906) - Harry MilesUncle Tom’s Cabin (1903) - Edwin S. PorterHamilton (2020) - Thomas KailAmerican Utopia (2020) - Spike LeeThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterHow It Feels to Be Run Over (1900) - Cecil HepworthJurassic Park (1993) - Steven SpielbergThe Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - Martin ScorseseThe Temptation of Saint Anthony (1898) - Georges MélièsThey Shall Not Grow Old (2018) - Peter Jackson

Carl Bennett, publisher and editor of silentera.com, has run the crucial resource covering the first decades of film since 1999. He selects five films reflecting the growing trend of narrativization of cinema, with one notable exception in his conclusion.Carl’s site provides information about silent motion pictures, silent era people, the era’s theatres, documentation and reviews of home video editions of silent films, book reviews, and more.Films and resources mentioned:The Spring Fairy (1906) - Vincent Lorant-HeilbronnThe ? Motorist (1906) - Walter R. BoothDream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906) - Edwin S. PorterThe Merry Frolics of Satan (1906) - Georges MélièsA Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire (1906) - Harry MilesThe Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) - Edward BerndsThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterA Trip to the Moon (1902) - Georges MélièsSchindler’s List (1993) - Steven SpielbergAn Adventurous Automobile Trip (1905) - Georges MélièsThe Automatic Motorist (1911) - Walter R. BoothThe Impossible Voyage (1904) - Georges MélièsHugo (2011) - Martin ScorseseNosferatu (1922) - F.W. MurnauThe Phantom of the Opera (1925) - Rupert JulianIntolerance (1916) - D.W. Griffith

From changes in distribution and exhibition to formal firsts (with caveats), 1906 carries just a few pieces of oft-cited film history. But this season, on a year that is still very much part of cinema's earliest growth spurts, illustrates the heterogenous landscape of global filmmaking at the time and the thrills it can still offer today.Films mentioned:The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) - Charles TaitHumorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) - J. Stuart Blackton

While the “nickelodeon boom” began in the United States and the global film industry was standardizing certain production elements, many of the conversations for this 1905 season turned to how wide the modes of moviemaking still were, resulting in strange yet beautiful experiments. As this year’s five guests have shown, cinema in even in an apparently obscure period such as the mid-1900s can still yield up riveting viewing experiences.Films mentioned:The Misadventure of a French Gentleman Without Pants at the Zandvoort Beach (1905) - Albert and Willy MullensConey Island at Night (1905) - Edwin S. PorterNew York Subway (1905) - Billy BitzerThe Night Before Christmas (1905) - Edwin S. PorterRescued by Rover (1905) - Cecil Hepworth and Lewin FitzhamonThe Miller’s Daughter (1905) - Edwin S. Porter and Wallace McCutcheonAn Adventurous Automobile Trip (1905) - Georges MélièsThe Palace of the Arabian Nights (1905) - Georges MélièsThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. Porter

Film historian and author Mary Mallory has written five books about cinematic yesteryear. With her research of past traditions and underappreciated figures in mind, Mary selects some films that reflect the intermediality of early film and its basis in stage tricks, poetry, and even postcards, while others demonstrate new cinematic inventions.Mary’s most recent book is First Women of Hollywood: Female Pioneers in the Early Motion Picture Business. She is also a lecturer for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and blogger for the LA Daily Mirror.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1905!Films mentioned:The Living Playing Cards (1905) - Georges MélièsNew York Subway (1905) - Billy BitzerRescued by Rover (1905) - Cecil Hepworth and Lewin FitzhamonThe Night Before Christmas (1905) - Edwin S. PorterThe Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905) - Edwin S. PorterThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterGone with the Wind (1939) - Victor FlemingThe Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Henry Selick

Chris O’Rourke, Associate Professor of Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick, explores the early history of film acting, stardom and fandom in Britain up to the end of the silent era in his book Acting for the Silent Screen: Film Actors and Aspiration between the Wars. While film acting wasn’t quite a specific discipline in 1905, that distinction would arise sooner than one might think, and in the meantime, Chris’ picks explore UK innovations in editing, pace, and length, French spectacle, and American actuality.Chris also developed the website London's Silent Cinemas, which mapped early film exhibition sites across the city. His other research interests include queer and trans film history and he is one of the editors of the academic journal Early Popular Visual Culture.Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1905!Films and resources mentioned:Rescued by Rover (1905) - Lewin Fitzhamon and Cecil HepworthThe Life of Charles Peace (1905) - William HaggarThe Black Imp (1905) - Georges MélièsThe Hen that Laid the Golden Eggs (1905) - Gaston VelleConey Island at Night (1905) - Edwin S. PorterThe International Exchange (1905) - Lewin FitzhamonThe Lonely Villa (1909) - D.W. GriffithThe Great Train Robbery (1903) - Edwin S. PorterHistory of a Crime (1901) - Ferdinand ZeccaThe Life of Charles Peace (1905) - Frank S. MottershawA Terrible Night (1896) - Georges MélièsKing of Dollars (1905) - Segundo de ChomónDown in the Coal Mines (1905) - Ferdinand Zecca and Lucien NonguetThe Strike (1904) - Ferdinand ZeccaThe Boarding School Girls (1905) - Edwin S. PorterBerlin: Symphony of a Metropolis (1927) - Walter RuttmannThe “Teddy” Bears (1907) - Wallace McCutcheon and Edwin S. PorterSpirited Away (2001) - Hayao MiyazakiSunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) - F.W. Murnau